The story about him who destroyed his nine nephews

[Told by Walter McGregor of the Sea-lion-town people.]

Then he put paint upon his face and sat on top of the house. After he had sat there for a while his uncle came out. When he saw him he went back. His uncle was always jealous. One came out to call him in to his uncle. Then he went thither.

When he entered a mat was spread out for him. And, after he had given him some food, he said to him: “Nephew, you shall marry my wife.” Then he lay with her.

Next day he said to him: “Nephew, go and get a rotten tree I own behind the town.” He had his two wedges hidden about him. His uncle went ahead of him. He followed. He opened a crack where it lay. Something braced it apart. Then his uncle dropped a wedge in and asked him to get it. Then he went in and got it. He knocked out the brace. The crack came close together. Then he heard his uncle rejoice [saying]: “Look at him whom I killed because he wanted to marry my wife.” Then his uncle started off.

Then he began to cut it from the place where he was. And he cut a hole and came out. Then he split it open. He took his elder brothers out. Then he broke half of [the log] by jumping on it and threw it around. And half of it he carried home on his shoulder and threw it down hard in front of the house. That was his uncle’s supernatural power, they say. Again he slept with his [uncle’s] wife.

Next day his uncle said to him: “Come! nephew, go with me to get the cormorant I own which is sitting over yonder.” Then he took his weasel and feather and went with him to get it. His uncle set a net where some sticks stuck out on top of a very high cliff. A cormorant got into it. Then he said to him: “Now, nephew, get it.” And, when he started down upon the pole, he pushed his nephew over. Then he put himself into the feather and dropped easily. He heard his uncle rejoice. “Look at the one whom I killed because he wanted to marry my wife.” Then he started off.

Now he entered his weasel skin and climbed up the cliff. And he stretched the net across. In it he caught a number of cormorants. After he had taken them out he tore his uncle’s net to pieces and threw the pieces about. Then he took the cormorants on his back and brought them into the house. They were his uncle’s supernatural helpers.

The day after that his uncle went with him to get bark. He concealed the thing he had made. He followed his uncle. By and by [they came to] the bark which was burning, and his uncle took some of it. Then he told him to get some also. When he did so he pushed him into it. And he got inside of the mud he had pressed together. He did not feel the burning. Then his uncle said he was glad. His uncle said: “Look at the man whom I killed because he wanted to marry my wife. He will try it no longer.”

When his uncle started away from him, he went to the place, pushed the bark down, and threw it around. Then he carried some home on his shoulder and threw it down inside. That was his uncle’s supernatural helper, they say. And again he slept with his [uncle’s] wife.

Next day he again said to his nephew: “Come! nephew and go with me for a small cockle I own, which is just over yonder.” Then he started thither with him. He took his knife. The cockle opened its mouth. Then his uncle told him to get it and, when he went to get it, he pushed him into its mouth. Again his uncle rejoiced. “Look at the one whom I killed because he wanted to marry my wife.”

Then he spread out a bearskin for them and had them lie there. While he slept his uncle and his friends took him up and put him into a box. Then his uncle put cords around it. And they took him far out to sea toward the middle of the ocean. And there they threw him into the water. Again he rejoiced and went home.

The two women removed the lid and pulled him up. Then Cloud-watcher’s elder sister said as follows: “I will marry him because I saw him first.” Then they led him home, and they led him into their father’s house. They were glad to see him.

After they had given him something to eat he went out. And, after he had walked about in the town for a while, he entered the middle house. Numbers of eagle skins were hung there, and he entered one made of fine feathers. He flapped his wings. He almost went through the doorway. He seized the boards along the side of the door. Then he came out of it quickly. And he entered his father’s house. His father-in-law said: “I wonder why my skin tickles as if they were playing with my feather clothing.” He was town mother, they say.

Next day he heard them scream again in front of the house, and he told his wife he wanted to learn to hunt. Then she also told her father. And his father-in-law said: “Now, my child, I will lend your husband the one I used to go out fishing in when I was a youth.” Then he brought out a box. He picked one out of it covered with small, fine feathers. And, when he gave it to her, he said to her: “Tell your husband not to go toward something small which sticks out near by.”

Then he flew seaward with them and got a whale jaw. He came in before them. They caught all kinds of things. His father-in-law was pleased with him. Then they cooked the whale. When they began to eat it they pulled an old woman shaking with age out and said to her: “Drink whale broth, old woman.” And she did as they told her.

The day after that he flew out again with them. And he felt different (i.e., powerful). And he took a whale jaw. On the other side he took a spring salmon. He flew home before all. They got all sorts of things. And, when they again began to eat the whale, they led in the old woman, and she drank whale broth.

When he went to hunt with them the day after he nearly touched the thing which stuck out of the water with his claws and finally seized it. After he had flapped his wings, as he held it, for a while he vanished under the water. Then another seized his wings. He, too, was nearly dragged under. And one brought news to the town that he had seized the wrong thing.

Then the old woman sharpened her claws which were dull, saying meanwhile: “Ha-i ha-i, what wrong thing did my child’s (i.e., grandchild’s) husband get hold of?” Her wings had lost feathers [from age]. She flew down. She was unable to fly in a straight line. She flew hither and thither. When about five were left she got there, and, when those were nearly covered, she seized them with her claws. After she had flapped her wings for a while, tugging at them, she drew one of them to the surface. She was at the end of them. Something cracked at the bottom where the thing was. She pulled it out.

And, after he had lived with his wife for some time, he went to see his uncle’s town. He flew to the town wearing his eagle skin. And, after he had sat at the end of the town for a while, he saw his uncle come out. Then he flew away.

And early next day he flew seaward, picked up a whale, and dropped it in front of his uncle’s house while they slept. Then he sat on a dead tree that stood at one end of the town. After he had sat there for a while some one came out. He called them to the whale, and they went to it. His uncle said he would keep it for himself. He stood on top of the whale.

Then he flew. He flew about above the place where his uncle was walking about. And they laughed at him. They said “He wants the whale meat.” And again he sat on the tree. After he had sat there for a while his uncle said he wanted all of the whale for himself. He said that as he stood around. Presently he flew over to him. He seized him by the knot in his hair and flew away with him.

Then he flew landward, reached his uncle’s village, married his uncle’s wife, and came to own the town. His uncle became a supernatural being in the open sea.

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