402 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

“Worm,” he said, “your father, your mother, your grandfather, your
grandmother, your great-grandfather, and your great-grandmother, have
sent me to see you because we are related.”

“I have no parents, sisters, brothers, or other relatives,” replied Worm
simply. ‘I merely come alone.”

“Don’t be foolish,” responded Raven. ‘Look at that fire over yonder,
all your relatives are waiting there. They want you to cross to see them
for a short time.”

Thus urged, Worm said, “‘All right.”

“I will carry you over,” said Raven. ‘Hold on tight because some-
times I side-slip when flying.”

Worm climbed on Raven’s back and he flew off, but, when above the
centre of the fiord, he side-slipped, and shook himself so that his pas-
senger fell into the water.

Raven flew back happily to Worm’s house.

“T knew I would get this food,” he said to himself.

First he ate some of the halibut, but it was too much smoked for his
liking. Now one of the advantages of Worm’s house was that it was
built above the water, so that one could fish without leaving it. The thief
took his victim’s line and fished through a hole in the floor. Presently he
felt a tug and hauled up his line, but it was only a stick.

“That’s not what I want,” said Raven as he threw it behind him.

But it was not a stick, after all, it was Worm, who had assumed that
disguise in order to have his revenge. He now changed into himself and
proceeded to block all the holes in the house, without attracting the
attention of Raven who, having rebaited his line, was once more intent
on his fishing. When all the apertures had been filled, Worm pulled out
a plug from the floor of the house, causing the whole structure to sink
slowly. The fisherman noticed nothing until he felt water around his
feet, then he tried to leave, but the doors and windows were sealed. As
the water rose, Raven floundered around and at length was carried up
to the roof where he stuck his beak out of the smoke-vent, while the water
soaked his plumage. Worm enlarged the hole sufficiently to push him
out, and allowed him to escape home bedraggled and ashamed.

RAVEN AND WORM
(Third Version)

Once upon a time Raven called on Worm, who lived in a water-logged
trunk at the bottom of the ocean. The host invited him to stay for a
meal and Raven sat down. Worm raised a board in the floor, dropped a
line with hook attached, and presently drew up two fine halibut which