STORIES 431

from the anus and flew away. Grizzly Bear rolled around in agony till

he died.

HOW MALLARD DUCK GOT HIS NAME

Mallard Duck married Merganser,* but soon tired of her and dis-
carded her in favour of Red-Breasted Merganser. The incensed one
began to swear at her successor, but at once Mallard Duck joined in the
defence of Red-Breasted Merganser and insulted his former wife.

“Nax! Nax! Néx!’’ he said as if he were vomiting, imitating what he
claimed had been a common practice of Merganser. But the jibe was so
often repeated that Mallard Duck received from it his own name, Néxunx.

THE MISFORTUNES OF JAY

Rocky Mountain Jay was a Carrier, who lived long ago, far away in
the interior mountains. One summer the snow did not melt from above
his house so that his only connection with the open air continued to be a
small passage for smoke and breath. Summer passed and autumn came,
with the ripening of the berries, but still the snow remained and Jay kept
indoors, thinking it still was winter. One day a little bird brought him
a sprig of ripe berries, chiding him for his lassitude and folly in staying
where winter reigned, when he could come out into autumn.

“All you have to do,” said the visitor, “is to get ready and force your-
self through the snow.”

Jay took the advice and plunged out through the drift into autumn,
carrying his bow and arrows. As he looked back at his house under the
snow he thought to himself how much better it was to be out in the open.

He wandered through the woods till presently he saw Black Fox asleep.
He sneaked up to him, arrow poised on string ready to shoot, when he
heard a voice:

“Do not shoot, Jay,” it said. “Blood will spoil the fur. Build a fence
round Fox with only a narrow opening in it, where you can put a snare.”

The voice came from his anus. It was as if he had two minds, one
located in that part of his body. Jay followed the advice and built a
fence of dry branches around sleeping Fox with only a narrow opening in

‘which he set asnare. When this was ready he built a fire to awaken Fox

and frighten him into the noose; but the fence flared up so that the
startled Fox was able to jump to safety over the shattered barricade.
Jay was so angry that he beat his anus.

“The species could not be identified. The Bella Coola term is skelixts.

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