STORIES 451

many kinds, some of which verge on the tales of shamans
already given. Like all others in this chapter, the following
stories have no social significance and can be related by anyone.

THE WRONGED WOMAN

Long, long ago, the sister of Kiza’o- married a foreign chief with whom
she went home to live. Her husband used to beat her and treat her so
abominably that she kept asking him to allow her to return; finally he
consented, and she set off gladly with him in his canoe. About half-way
to the destination, the husband landed and asked his wife to climb with
him to the top of a very tall tree. This she did, nor did she become
suspicious when he sharpened the extreme tip of the trunk. Suddenly,
he seized her, and thrust her down on to the point which pierced into the
lower part of her body, pinning her to the tree-top. The evil husband
then returned home.

The captive did not die immediately. From the tree-top she could
see canoes passing, and kept calling out for help, but no one heard her.
At last her brother Kina’o- went by, ex route to his sister’s home with a
present of food. Not knowing who he was, she cried out as she had done
before; he recognized her voice, landed, but at first could not see her, and
was filled with amazement to discover her pinned up the tree. Up he
climbed to lift her off, but as he did so, she died.

Kina’o- determined to have his revenge. He clothed himself in his
sister’s cape, hat, and blanket, in order to resemble her; this was an easy
matter as the two looked alike. Thus attired, he continued his way to
his brother-in-law’s village, which he entered, leaning heavily on a stick
as if he had received an injury to the lower part of his body. He said
nothing, but Simtus, his sister’s husband’s mother, saw him and mistook
him for her daughter-in-law.

“You have been beating your wife again,” she said to her son. ‘‘Look
how she is limping.”

He did not answer, being amazed to see her alive.

Kina’o- lay down as if sick while Sumtus prepared for her a dish of
putrid salmon roe and bracken roots. When this was ready, the old
woman sent one of her daughters to summon the supposed daughter-in-
law who sat down near the fire and ate with bent head. The daughter
noticed the great size of the eater’s arms and legs and commented upon
this to her mother.

“Hush!” answered the latter. ‘Don’t be rude.”

When Kina’o- had finished eating he went back to bed and then the

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