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There was a swing by the water, and the old woman and her daughter would
swing across it and back. After a while, the old woman partially cut the
rope, so that it would break. While the husband was out hunting one day
the old woman said to her daughter, "Let us go to the swing, and have some
fun."
The old woman got in first, and swung across the water and back. Then
the girl got in the swing and she swung across all right, but when she was
half-way back, the rope broke in two, and the girl fell into the water and
was drowned.
The old woman went home and got supper for her son-in-law. The man came in
just at dark, and he missed his wife, and said, "Mother-in-law, where is
my wife_" The old woman said, "She has gone to the swing, and has not yet
returned." The old woman began to prepare supper for her son-in-law. The
man said, "Do not give me any supper."
So he started to cry. The old woman said, "Do not cry; she is dead, and
we cannot help it. I will take care of the baby. Your wife got drowned, so
she is lost entirely." The man cut off his hair and threw his leggings
away and his shirt, and was mourning for his wife. He would go out, and
stay a week at a time without eating.
He became very poor. Finally he said he was going off to stay several
days; that he could not help thinking of his wife. He went off and stayed
several days, and when he came home he would cry all the time.
One time, when he was out mourning, a rain and thunderstorm came up, and
lightning struck all around the tree he was sitting under. He went back
home and saw his baby, but stayed out of his sight. Again he went out, and
it rained and thundered, and he went up by a big tree and lightning struck
a tree near by him.
The Lightning left him a club, and said, "Man, I came here to tell you
about your wife for whom you are mourning. You do not know where she is,
or how she came to be missing. That old woman drowned her in the big
water. The old woman broke the rope and the girl is drowned in the big
water. This club you must keep in a safe place. I was sent here to you,
and I will help you get your wife back, and you must not be afraid of the
big water. Go ahead and try to get her, and the fourth day you will get
her all right."
The man went to the big water, and he saw his wife out in the water, and
she said, "I cannot get to you. I am tied here with chains. I am going to
come up four times." The next time she came out half-way. She said, "Bring
me the baby, and I will let her nurse." So the man took the baby to her
mother and let her nurse
The woman said, "They are pulling me, and I must go. But the next time
you must get me." So she came out the third time up to her knees. The man
took the baby to her and let it nurse again. The woman said, "I have got
to go back. They are pulling me by the chains. I must go, but the next
time will be the last.
I want you to try your best to get me." The man said, "I am going to get
you, without doubt." The woman came out the fourth time, and the man hit
the chain with the club and it seemed as though lightning struck it, and
broke it. He got his wife.
So they went home, and the old woman said, "My daughter, you have got
home." But the woman said not a word. Then the man heated an arrow red-hot
and put it through the old woman's ears. So they killed the woman.
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