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Once upon a time, in
days when much magic was the fashion, there lived a man who dealt in
evil spirits, but he was a very plausible, smooth-speaking old person.
He had two wives ; The first wife was now old, and had to do slave’s
work for the second, who had everything her own way. The first wife had
an only son; Hyas was his name, and she had prayed the good spirits of
her tribe to bless and care for her darling. When the lad was about
twelve years old, he was out in the woods one day and spied a partridge
nest full of young birds; he took it home with him for his small
step-brothers and sisters to play with. When he reached home, he
happened to meet his father’s second wife at the door, who said:
“What have you got there, Hyas?"
“Oh, nothing,’’ said he.
“Let me see,” and she snatched the nest and birds out of his hands, and
the little things flew in her face and scratched her. Then she began to
call Hyas names.
“Well, you would see the partridges, and I brought them home for the
children to play with.”
“Never mind; I’ll tell your father what you have done to me.”
At evening the father came back from his
hunting, so tired, and the young wife shewed her face and said: “See how
your son, that hateful Hyas, has scratched my face.”
The old man was very angry, and said: “Stop! Stop! To-morrow I’ll pay
him for this; keep quiet and you’ll see what will happen."
Early next morning the old man called Hyas and said: “My dear son,
yesterday I found a nest with red eggs in it, and I left them there,
thinking you would like to get them yourself.”
“Where? Where?” cried Hyas, much excited. “I have always wished to find
red eggs. How glad 1 am that I shall at last see them.”
“Well,” said his father, come with me and I’ll show you.”
So into the canoe they got and off they went, Hyas first kissing his
mother, but she wept, she was so sad, for she feared some evil would
befall her son. For Hyas was her only stand-by, and he would never let
the young wife ill-treat her. However, he would be home in the evening.
How, the canoe was a magic one, and all one had to do was to strike it
and off it would shoot along the water, and when it slackened—whack!
give it another blow, and that was all that was needed. At last, near
evening, they came to an island, right in the centre of the wide river.
"Now, my son,” said the father, “jump ashore; this is the island where I
found the red eggs.”
“Thank you, my father; I will not be long,” and Hyas bounded off, so
anxious to secure this great prize. Just as soon as Hyas had
disappeared, the old man turned his canoe homeward, and left his voice
behind to speak to Hyas and lure him further into the woods. Whack! and
the canoe sped away, leaving poor Hyas. Hyas hunted, hunted everywhere,
then cried to his father: “I can’t find the red ones.”
Oh! My Father, Do not Leave Me Here to Die. Come Back for Me!
“Go into the middle of the island; there
you will find them,” answered the voice.
So at it again, up and down through the little island, searched Hyas;
but how could he find the eggs, as there were none there to find? So, in
despair, he at last came back to the water’s edge. Ah! but where was the
canoe? Hyas looked and saw it far out on the stream, going ever further
away from the shore. “Father! Father! Come back and take me home.”
“Ho, indeed, not after you scratched my wife’s face.” .
“Ho, no; I did not. She would play with the young partridges, and they
scratched her.”
“Well, stay where you are and die; I am tired of supporting you,” and
swiftly the canoe carried the evil old man far away—far away home.
Hyas threw himself down, crying. He could not swim that swift river. He
had not tools to make a canoe with, so he gave himself up to despair.
Hist! A voice! “Hyas, get up; don’t cry, and shoot one of the gulls that
are flying about.”
At first Hyas would not move, but the voice kept calling: “Hyas, Hyas,
take the gull’s skin, and you can fly across the river.” So at last he
was persuaded, and, taking his small bow and arrows, he got up and
started to shoot at the gulls. At last he killed one— a young bird—and
skinned it, put it on and began to fly. He circled near the shore, but
alas! it burst, and down fell poor Hyas. How he cried, but the voice
urged him again. “Hyas! Hyas! Shoot an old bird— a white one.” So again
the poor lad tried and managed to shoot a very large one. So with great
haste he skinned it and put it round his body and began to fly—this time
across the river. When near the opposite shore the skin burst and he
fell into the water, but was just able to swim to shore. He thanked the
spirit for helping him, and off he went. “Chee! Chee!” he heard a voice
calling, and, looking up, he saw an old squirrel, who said: “Is that
you, my grandson? I heard that your father had left you on the island to
die. How bitterly I have cried. You see my eyes are quite red with
weeping.”
“Yes, grandmother, my father is a wicked man. How, tell me how I may get
home.”
“Come first and eat,” said the squirrel, and she laid a large store of
nuts and roots before poor Hyas. “The way is very long and full of your
father’s evil spirits, my grandson. You must try and kill these, and
then you will get home. Take these shoes with you, and when in danger
put them on, and you will be able to escape.”
She gave him a beautiful little pair of squirrel magic shoes, so that if
he wished to escape from danger all he had to do was to put them on and
he would turn to a squirrel. He thanked her and went off.
The next day he met a huge toad, who was waiting for him. This was one
of his father’s evil spirits. “Good day, my grandson; where are you
going?" she croaked.
“I am going home,” said he.
“The way is very dangerous, and I would help you; so take these shoes,
and when you are in danger put them on, and you can become like me.” If
he had once put on her shoes, he would have remained a toad.
“Tish!” said Hyas, scornfully, and stamped on the toad and crushed her
flat. Walking on he came to a wide river. Now, how was he to get over?
He did not know, so he must get some one to tell him. Just then a little
green frog appeared and said: ‘‘Hie! Is that you, Hyas?”
"Yes, I am Hyas.”
“I have been looking for you, for I heard that your father had left you
on the island, and that you had got off. Now, I will help you. When you
are in danger, use these little shoes I give you, and you will become
like me.”
“Thank you, grandmother; but how am I to cross this river?”
“Well, we must ask your grandfather, the great snake, what he can do; he
is very old now. Come, let us find him.” So they went down to the edge
of the river, and there, on the beach, they found a monster snake thing;
and, after much calling and poking with a stick to make him awake, he
raised his head and asked why they disturbed him.
“It is Hyas, who wishes to cross,” said the little frog.
“If it is Hyas, then, I will help him. See first, Hyas, if there are any
clouds in the sky.”
When Hyas said that the sky was clear, he said: “Now, put my head in the
water and get on my back and tell me how to go, for I am very blind; and
if I slacken speed, strike my horns.”
So Hyas put the snake in the water and jumped on his back, and struck
the snake’s horns. It sounded just like thunder. Now, Hyas had noticed a
tiny black cloud in the sky when the snake asked if there were any; but,
thinking that so small a cloud was of no importance, he had said nothing
about it. While the two were half across, the tiny cloud increased till
it filled the sky, and then the thunder and lightning began to dance the
storm dance. “What is that, my son? Is it thunder I hear? I am so deaf.”
“No, no, grandfather; it is just the sound that I make when I strike
your horns.”
When near the shore, suddenly the lightning and thunder struck the poor
old snake and killed him. Hyas jumped ashore, weeping, because it was
his fault the poor grandfather was killed. Weeping, Hyas gathered in
some cedar bark the blood of the poor old snake and lay down beside it
to sleep. By and by he heard scratching inside the bark, and when he
moved it, there lay a young snake. He was so pleased, and put the snake
in the water and it swam away. So on Hyas went till he met a little
white fox.
“Well, Hyas, so you have escaped. I am glad to see you. I am one of the
spirits sent to show you your way.”
“I thank you, fox.”
"Now, you must do all I tell you. Not far from here lives one of your
father's bad spirits; he is a fair-speaking man, but will try to kill
you. Before we reach his lodge, you must hide me in your coat, and don’t
eat anything he gives you, and don’t sleep.” So by and by they came near
the place, and Hyas hid the little fox in his coat and went on; and,
sure enough, there was a man sitting outside the lodge, who seemed so
glad to see Hyas. “Come in, my dear child; come in; you must be so tired
and hungry; Come in, and I will shelter you for to-night.”
So the man and Hyas went into the lodge, where a fire was burning in the
middle. How, this man had a very sore leg—how nasty it was I may not
tell. He, however, was very pleasant to Hyas, and when all was ready he
said: “Now, Hyas, come and eat.” But first of all he had squeezed his
leg and put the poison in the food. The fox whispered: “Make believe
that you are eating, and just drop the food down the inside of your
coat, and I will eat it.” The man was very lame, but also very pleasant.
So Hyas pretended to eat, and said how delicious the food was, while all
the time giving it to the fox.
“Now, my son, you must be tired; go yonder and lie down on those skins,
and I will tell you stories till you go to sleep.”
“Very well; I am tired, and I know I shall soon sleepy" said Hyas, and
he lay down on the skins on his side of the fire. Then the man commenced
to tell him his stories. Every now and then he would cry, "Hyas, do you
sleep?” and Hyas would say, “Hay, Hum!” and the man, finding Hyas did
not sleep, would continue his story. At last the fox said: “Don’t answer
him, but keep wide awake.” The usual question, “Do you sleep, Hyas?” met
with no response; but the man, to make sure, kept on with the story till
Hyas began to snore. Then he jumped up, and, unbuckling his bad leg, was
just going to throw it on poor Hyas, when out bounded the fox, who
seized the leg and shook it violently. Hyas, too, jumped up, and
together they killed the man. How grateful Hyas was to the white fox.
“Now go, my son, and be careful, for the next danger will be greater.
You will hear women laughing and singing, and they will ask you to play
with them, but you must kill them, as they are your enemies." So saying
he bid Hyas good speed and disappeared into the woods. Hyas trudged on,
and the next day he heard great laughing. “Ha! Ha! Ha!" Peeping through
the bushes he saw two women sitting in a high swing, and they laughed to
think Hyas was coming, and how they should kill him. They had killed
many people on this swing. Just below it was a large flat stone, and
here they upset their victims. Then, with much fuss and noise, when Hyas
shewed himself they rushed to him and desired to kiss him; but no, Hyas
would not be kissed.
“Come, Hyas, just get into the swing and let us swing you."
“Ho, no," said he. “Let me swing you first. Both of you get in and I'll
try."
So, laughing greatly, they both got in, and Hyas pushed and pushed, and
pretended they were heavy. “Hu-uh! You are so heavy." All at once he put
forth all his strength, and gave the swing a mighty push, and the two
women went flying out and fell, crushing their heads on the flat stone
below, on the place where many other victims had died. So those enemies
were destroyed.
By the next day Hyas reached the place where the giants lived. They had
a large dog, who took care of their hearts. He saw Hyas coming, and
barked away like mad. “Hyas is coming—make, ready for Hyas." Hyas then
put on the shoes that his grandmother squirrel had given him, and when
the giants came running out they saw nothing. So they scolded the dog,
who still insisted Hyas was there. “Well,” said one giant, “if you have
seen him, to-morrow your eyes will be red.” So back they went to the
lodge, and Hyas shewed himself again to the dog, who was barking
furiously. Now, the giants kept their hearts in an eagle’s nest on the
top of a tall pine tree, which the dog guarded. So the next day, when
the giants came out there, truly, the dog had seen Ilyas, for his eyes
were very red. So they hunted and called for Hyas, up and down; but he
had turned himself into an eagle’s down, and floated up, up to the top
of the pine tree where the giants’ hearts were kept. Up, up, floated the
down, then swiftly came down on one of the hearts and pierced it. Down
fell one of the giants with a loud groan, dead. Then there was great
trouble amongst them, but again Hyas flew up and came down with the
sharp end of the feather on another heart, and another giant fell dead.
At last he had killed them all. Then he took their store of good things
and went on.
Now, the fox had told him of the dangers he would meet with, and how he
should overcome all his enemies, so Hyas was well prepared. The next
trial now came. Towards evening he saw a lodge, and, coming softly up,
he perceived two blind old women sitting on either side of the door.
They were talking about him and wondering when he would come. “It is
about time for him to arrive,” said one sister. So Hyas quietly slipped
in between them and sat down inside. Now, round the lodge they had bags
and bags of marrow fat. Hyas, going in, sat down by some of these bags.
“Now,” said one sister, I’ll go in and put the kettle on to boil, and if
he conies the water will taste of marrow, and perhaps he will be here
soon.” So she went to work, and soon the water boiled, and Ilyas stepped
up and dropped in a sack of marrow. The old woman said: “Let me see if
Hyas has come.” She tasted the water and it tasted of marrow. “Hyas, are
you here?" No answer. “Hyas, are you here?” Still no answer. Then she
took a stick and began to poke about and count the bags; at last the
stick struck Hyas. “Well, Hyas, so you have come. Welcome, welcome.” And
the two old wretches pretended to be so glad to see him, and gave him
nice things to eat, and talked sweetly. At last he said he must go.
Instantly they bared their arms, and out of their elbows were long
bones, sharp as knives, and rushed to the door, to be ready to kill Hyas
as he went out. He quick as thought took a bundle and put it on a stick
and placed it between them. Then the fight began. Thinking they were
hitting Hyas, the old wretches were striking each other, and soon they
fell over, dead. How Hyas laughed. “Ho-o-ho!” He went on his way
rejoicing. Not long after he heard a great noise, and as he came out of
the woods he saw a great plain. Stretched across the plain was a string,
held up at the ends of the world, and on it were hung bones—oh, how many
millions! Deer bones, moose horns, elk, bison, goat—everything—-jaw
bones, thigh bones— too many to count. The bones would come down and
strike the earth—crash!—and then would bound up into the air, and while
the bones were in the air the earth would open her mouth, and no one
could possibly cross. Oh, the din! The horrid bones would drop
down—crash!—all the time singing a wild song, “We have come to eat you,
Hyas! Hyas, we have come to eat you!” and the earth would rumble and
howl frightfully. “Hyas, Hyas, we will eat you!” Poor Hyas, what could
he do? Suddenly he spied an eagle flying towards him. “Hey,
grandfather,” he cried, “can you help me?”
“What can I do, grandson?”
“Oh, grandfather, if you could hold up the string till the earth closes
her mouth, I could jump across.” So Eagle swooped down and caught up the
string of bones till the earth closed, and Hyas jumped across. After
some days’ travelling he came near his old home, and all the birds began
singing, “Hyas tucksin! Hyas tucksin!” and making a great noise. The
poor old mother of Hyas came out of the lodge and she heard them.
“Alas!" said she, “where is my poor son to come from? He is dead this
long while.” But still the birds sang, “Hyas tucksin! Hyas tucksin!”
Then Hyas looked, and there stood his mother, in rags and with scars of
bums on her face. He ran forward and took her in his arms, crying:
“Mother, I am here; look up. I have come back to you.”
“My son, my son!” she cried for joy.
“Tell me how my father has treated you since I have been gone.”
“Oh, I am a slave now, and they push me into the fire, and are very
cruel to me.”
“Now, I will be avenged,” said Hyas. “Have they a young child?”
“Yes,” said she.
“Well, you must go in and ask my father for some bear’s grease for me,
so that I may dress my hair, and if he refuses, ask to nurse the child,
and make the fire red-hot, and then throw the child in and run out to
me, I am going to punish them all.”
Now, by this time all the people heard how Hyas came back, and his
father came rushing out to see if it were true. Then, calling the people
to bring beaver and marten skins for Hyas to walk on.
"Tush!” said he, kicking the skins aside. “I have walked so far without
them. Do I need them now?”
The father knew now that Hyas was greater than he, and that his bad
spirits had been killed, and he was afraid. The mother asked for the
bear’s grease.
“Tish! No, indeed, I’ll not give him any, so go and tell your son that
he can do without.”
So the poor old woman went to the child and took it to nurse it, as it
was crying.
“Don’t let her have the child,” screamed the husband. “She means
mischief.”
“Let her have it,” said the young mother, so the child was hushed by the
old woman, who kept piling on the wood till the lodge was like a
furnace. Then all at once she threw the child into the fire, and ran
screaming to her son. He was waiting for her, and his father rushed out,
but the fire had caught the lodge and burnt the inmates up. Then the
village took fire and the people ran to their canoes. Hyas shot an arrow
into the water and it began to boil, and their canoes were destroyed and
they were drowned. Only Hyas and his mother were left alive. So he asked
her what bird she would like to be, and she chose the lark, and she then
became one; and Hyas turned into a beautiful red-breasted bird. So that
was the end of all his travels and adventures. |
