414 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

One day Wolf crippled a mountain goat by biting its legs, but in the
pursuit both hunter and hunted fell over a cliff and were killed. When
news of this double supply of food was brought to Raven by one of his
scouts, he and his son went to secure it. The young one took some of the
meat and flew away with it to his mother, who, recognizing the bird as her
child, cooked what he had brought. The two sat down toa meal, and the
young raven never returned to his father.

RAVEN AND THE ONE-LEGGED MAN

Long, long ago, a man named Kdsédna, of mixed Bella Coola and Bella
Bella lineage, lived on a small island near the head of Cascade Inlet, where
he had a fish-trap. He had only one leg, but in spite of this handicap was
wealthy and prosperous. Raven noticed this, and thought that with his
two legs it would be an easy matter to despoil Kaésdéna. Accordingly, he
went to the latter’s house and began by humbly assisting him. Once he
had gained a footing in the establishment, however, Raven began to act
as director, ordering Kdsdéna about as if he were a servant. One day as
they were taking salmon from the fish-trap, Kdsdna became angry at
Raven’s continued orders and pushed him into the water.

Raven pretended to be insulted, and suggested a fight. The type of
combat used to settle disputes of this sort resembles wrestling, since the
contestants grapple, and the loser is he whose feet are first shifted from
their position. Raven suggested this kind of contest, thinking that, with
his two legs, he would have an easy victory. Kdsdna agreed, and the two
clinched. At first they swayed back and forth, to and fro, without either
being able to shift the other, but gradually Kasdua began to swing Raven
until he could barely keep his foothold. When in imminent danger of
losing it, he cried out that Kdsdéva had moved his foot; it was a false
accusation, for the other had swayed on his one leg but had not shifted it.
Kéaséna denied having made any movement of his foot but claimed that
Raven had shifted his, and finally succeeded in flinging his antagonist into
the water. Raven swam ashore, wet and bedraggled; he flew away and
never came back.

RAVEN AND THE DANCER

There was once a woman, Ma’ciisa, who was a remarkable dancer, the
most expert ever seen, so wonderful that people used to come from far and
near to see her. On one occasion she prepared to give a dance at a time
when Raven was completing a river canoe. He was very busy, carefully
reducing the sides to the requisite thickness by burning them, and check-