[Notes by LKG]
This story is part of the Native American Marriage Tales unit. Story source: Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson (1929).
The Youth Who Joined the Deer (cont.)
Some other younger bucks came and beat him off and took his wife. He did not like others to have his wife; therefore he went home and felt downcast.
That night the people said, "What is the matter with our son-in-law that he does not speak?"
Someone said, "He is downcast because a young man took his wife."
The chief said, "Do not feel sad. We shall give you ornaments tomorrow which will make you strong, and then nobody can take your wife away from you."
On the following morning he put large antlers on him and gave him the body of a buck in its prime. That day the hunter beat off all the rival bucks, and kept his wife and also all her sisters and cousins for himself. He hurt many of his brothers-in-law in fighting. The Deer people had shamans who healed the wounds of those hurt in battle, and they were busy throughout the rutting-season.
In this way they acted until the end of the rut, and the hunter was the champion during the whole season. In due time his wife gave birth to a son.
When the latter was growing up, she said, "It is not fair to your people that you live entirely with my people. We should live with them for a while."
She reduced a large quantity of deer-fat to the size of a handful. She did the same with a large quantity of dried venison, deer-skins, and dressed buckskins.
Now she started with her child and her husband, who hunted on the way, and killed one of his brothers-in-law whenever they required food. He put the bones into the water, and they revived. They travelled along as people do, but the woman thought this too slow; therefore they transformed themselves into deer. Now they went fast and soon reached the country where her husband's people lived.
She said to her husband, "Do not approach the people at once, or you will die. For eight days you must prepare yourself by washing in decoctions of herbs."
Presently they saw a young woman some distance away from the lodges. The hunter recognized her as his sister, showed himself, and called, "O sister! I have come back, but no one must come near me for eight days. After that I shall visit you, but you must clean your houses, so that there may be in them nothing old and no bad smell."
The people thought him dead, and his childless wife had married again.
After the hunter had become like other people, he entered his lodge with his new wife and his son. His wife pulled out the deer-fat from under her arm and threw it down on long feast-mats that had been spread out by the people. It assumed its proper dimensions and covered all the mats. She did the same with the dried meat and the deer-skins, which almost filled a lodge. Now the people had a feast, and felt happy and pleased.
The hunter stayed with his people for a considerable time. Whenever they wanted fresh meat, he gave his bow and arrows to his son and told him to hunt. The youth always took with him his half-brother, the son of his father by his Indian wife. They killed deer, for the deer were the boy's relatives and were willing to be killed. They threw the bones into the water, and the deer came back to life. The Deer-Boy taught his half-brother how to hunt and shoot deer, how to hold his bow and arrows so that he would not miss, how to cut up and preserve the meat, and he admonished him always to throw the bones into the water so that the deer might revive.
Finally the Deer-Woman said to her husband, "We have been here now for a long time. Let us return to my people." She invited the people to accompany them, but they said they had not a sufficient number of moccasins to undertake the long journey. The woman then pulled out a parcel of dressed skins, threw it on the ground, and it became a heap of fine skins for shoes. All the women worked night and day making moccasins, and soon they were ready to start.
The first day of the journey the hunter said to his wife, "Let us send our son out, and I will shoot him." He hunted and brought home a young deer, which the people ate. They missed the Deer-Boy and wondered where he had gone. At night the hunter threw the bones into the water, and the boy came to life.
On the next day the hunter's wife went out, and he killed her and fed the people. They missed her, and wondered where she had gone. At night he threw the bones into the water, and she came to life.
She told her husband it would be better not to continue to do this because the people were becoming suspicious and would soon discover what they were doing. She said, "After this, kill your brothers-in-law." The people travelled slowly, for there were many, and the hunter killed deer for them every day.
After many days they reached the Deer people's house. They were well received. After a time they made up their minds to return, and the Deer-Boy said he would return with his half-brother's people and hunt for them on the way so that they might not starve.
He accompanied them to their country, and never returned. He became an Indian and a great hunter. From him the people learned how to treat deer. He said to them, "When you kill deer, always see to it that the bones are not lost. Throw them into the water. Then the deer will come to life. A hunter who does this pleases the deer. They have affection for him, are not afraid of him, and do not keep out of his way, for they know that they will return to life whenever they give themselves into his power. The deer will always remain plentiful, because they are not really killed. If it is impossible to throw the bones into water, then burn them. Then the deer will really die, but they will not find fault with you. If a man throws deer-bones about and takes no care of them, if he lets the dogs eat them and people step on them, then the deer will be offended and will help him no more. They will withhold themselves, and the hunter will have no luck in hunting. He will become poor and starve."
The hunter never returned to the people. He became a deer.
Next: The Girl and the Turkeys
(1100 words)
