432 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

“But for your stupid advice,” he said, “I should never have bothered
with a fence. It is all your fault that I lost Fox.”

Jay wandered on until he reached a lake on the surface of which were
numerous water-fowl. Seeing them before he himself was observed, he
sneaked back into the woods to formulate a plan of attack. He madea
large bundle of moss with which he staggered into sight of the birds.

“Hi, Jay!” they called out. ‘““What is the big bundle you are carrying?”

“Tt is something supernatural,” he replied.

““Won’t you let us see it?”

“All right!” Jay answered cunningly. “Let us make a house and then
you can see it.”

He marked out on the ground the plan of a house, complete even to
the back-room, and as soon as he had finished, a building appeared on
the place he had marked. Putting the bundle out of sight, within, he
came to the doorway and called to the water-fowl who came trooping in.
When Jay had built a blazing fire in the middle of the house to make it
oppressively hot, he began to dance. He danced and he danced until one
after another of his guests fell asleep; at last the only one awake was
Grebe, an old woman sitting near the door, and even she dozed at inter-
vals. Jay danced immediately in front of her till she slept soundly. Then
he began to wring the necks of his guests, but when he had only half com-
pleted the circuit, Grebe awoke.

“Wake up! Wake up!” she cried out. “Jay is killing us!’

The survivors fled in haste. Jay’s anus spoke again:

“Boil the birds with hot stones, but leave their legs projecting from
the receptacle. Put a cover on and at intervals pull the feet. When they
are cooked the flesh will fall away, and you will be able to draw out the
bones alone.”

Jay followed this advice and carefully covered the pot, leaving the
legs sticking out. Then, weary with dancing, he went to sleep after telling
his anus to wake him up should anyone enter the house. No sooner was
Jay comfortably asleep than he was aroused by the voice:

“Jay! Jay! Get up,” it said. ‘Someone is coming.”

Jay jumped up hastily, but there was no one near. His mischievous
anus had merely played a trick on him. He went to sleep again, but no
sooner was he snoring peacefully than the warning was repeated. Again
Jay got up, to no purpose, and again he returned to his slumber, muttering
anathemas on his tormentor. When his anus woke him a third time he
was so angry that he beat it for its pranks and once more went to sleep.
Soon afterwards the water-fowl re-entered the house, but Jay’s spiteful
anus allowed him to sleep. The intruders took off the pot-cover, broke
off the legs of the cooking birds, removed all the meat from the dish, and