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She always went to the same place; and when she came to the lake, she
took off her clothes, as if to bathe. Then a large snake rose out of the
lake, after the woman had spoken to it and told it to appear. The snake
asked her to come out to him, since her husband had gone away hunting. The
woman did as the snake said. Every morning she went to the lake.
Her husband brought back meat, and she and the children were glad. The man
did not know what happened. He did not know that his wife went after water
to the lake and met a large snake. But one day he asked her what made the
paint come off her. She said that she took a bath. Next morning he started
as if to hunt; but dug a hiding-place near the lake to see what his wife
did. She came to the shore and called to the snake: "Come, I am waiting."
Then he saw a big old snake rise from the water, and ask her if her
husband had gone hunting. She answered: "Yes, I am coming." She took off
her clothes and entered the lake, and the snake was soon around her.
The man had watched them, and now, leaving. his hiding-place, he jumped on
the snake, and with a large knife cut it in pieces and at last killed it.
Then he caught his wife and killed her. He cut her up, and took her meat
home and gave it to his children. He cooked his wife, and the children
unknowingly ate their mother.
Then the man said to them: "Tell your mother when she comes home that I
went to get more meat which I left hanging on a tree so that the wolves
cannot reach it." And he went away. The younger child said: "Our mother is
merely teasing us by staying away." But the older girl answered: "Do not
say anything against our mother." Then their mother's head came rolling to
them; and it said: "I am very sorry that my children have eaten me up."
The two children ran away, but the head pursued them. At last they were
worn out, but their mother's lead still rolled after them. Then the older
girl drew a line or mark on the ground and so deep a hole opened that the
head could not cross. The younger girl was very hungry. She said to her
sister: "Look at that deer." The older girl looked at the deer, and it
fell down dead as if shot. So they ate of it. Then some one was kind to
them and helped them, and they lived in a large lodge and had much food of
various kinds to eat. Two large panthers and two large black bears guarded
them against all wild animals and persons.
A camp of people was starving. Neither buffalo nor smaller game could be
found. The people heard that the children had abundance of food of all
kinds, and they all moved to them. When they arrived the children invited
them, and the various companies came and ate with them. Finally they all
went out again; only the children's father now stayed with them again. But
they regretted what he had done to them. So they caused the lions to jump
upon their father, and he was killed.
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