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Kutenai Tales
213

come back. You, Coyote, will also ǀ arise, and you shall come back. In the middle of the world ǁ we shall meet. Then we shall shake 475 hands." ǀ

This is the very last of the story of what ǀ the friends Tree Chief and Coyote did ǀ long ago, and what they will do at the end of the world. |

65. Raven

Well, I'll tell you about Raven. ǀ

(a) The Origin of Death

There was a town. The chief spoke, and said: ǀ "Everybody shall die twice." Everybody wished for what the chief said; ǀ but Raven did not want it because he eats ǁ eyes. Since he was chief, his word 5 was taken. ǀ

After some days the chief spoke, and said: "Let us kill ǀ Raven's children!" They said: "Shoot at a grass figure, ǀ and the girls shall get fuel. Then you shall shoot ǀ Raven's son, and you shall chop a tree down and make it fall on ǁ his daughter." Now they shot at the 10 grass figure, and Raven's son was shot. ǀ The girls chopped down a tree; and when the tree was about ǀ to fall, Raven's daughter was thrown under it. ǀ They talked, and said: "Raven's son has been shot," | and they said: "A tree fell ǁ on Raven's daughter." Raven 15 said: "Now they shall die twice." ǀ He was told: "You are a chief, and already ǀ you have spoken."

(b) Why the Ant Has a Thin Waist

Then, when they were talking, Ant tightened his belt ǀ in order to bury the dead. He almost ǁ cut himself in two, and was small after that. ǀ

(c) Raven Hides the Game

Then Raven could not succeed. He had had two children. Then ǀ Raven was angry. He hid himself and hid all ǀ the buffaloes. (Both) were lost, ǀ Raven and the game. All went on, but he was lost. ǁ It 25 was not known where Raven had gone. It was known ǀ that he had done it. For a long time they were hungry. After a long time ǀ they all became thin. ǀ

Raven thought: "Let me go to the town to see if ǀ they are starving." Then he started. He transformed himself into a raven. He flew ǁ away and flew back to the town. He flew about above 30