Once
in the long ago, Skel'aw' (beaver) had a large family of young
men and not far from the beaver house, there lived a lone
woman, Waxes was her name. It was during the wintertime so it
was very cold and all the land was covered with snow. The ice
was very thick on the waters.
Skel'aw
called all of his children and he said to them, that they must
go and gamble against the Iceman. I want you all to play hard
and don't stop until you have defeated him. So, the young men
went to gamble against Iceman. They continued playing very hard
for two days and two nights without a break, so on the second
night Skel'aw went to the home of the Frog Woman, and told her
that he wanted for his wife.
She
became very angry and she bitterly called him down. She struck
him and told to get out. Skel'aw' becomes very sad and he began
to cry, saying, "caha caha", and on his his way home
he could hear the voice of all his boys singing over their
gambling. The chorus of their song was, "ice break open,
ice break open". This they kept repeating as they continued
playing and final the ice began to groan and crack. By the
morning the water is open and all the ice is gone.
When
Beaver seen the open water, he dives into it and he swims around
and leaps like a salmon. Soon the rains begins to fall,
increasing in violence as Skel'aw' leaps and sings. In a short
time the water rises and enters the house of Frog Woman, who
became, greatly alarmed for her safety. In her fright, she calls
out to the Beaver. "I consent, Beaver, I consent, yes
Beaver, I consent," she screamed.
The
only notice Beaver takes of her now is to call back and say
"Co! Co!" I am not such a bad fellow, after all, hey!
you would like to marry me now, would you? The Frog's trying to
reach the top of the roof. Beaver continues his plunging,
leaping and singing. The water is just about to wash her (frog
off the roof top when a drifting log comes by. she immediately
grabs the log, leaps upon it and is carried away.
After
she was drifting around for sometime, the log is finally beached
she sees a large house. She approaches the house and secretly
peeps in. And in the house, she sees a man lying on the bed. He
had a very round head and a big white face. this man was the
Moon Man.
She
enters the house and seats herself on the side of the fire
farthest away from the Moon Man. The Moon Man said to her,
"Come and sit at the foot of my bed." She answered him
by saying, "Do you think I came here to sit at the foot of
your bed?" Then the Moon Man said, Come and sit on my
lap." "do you think that I came her to sit on your
lap?" she replied. He then said, come then, and sit on my
breast, perhaps that would satisfy you." "I never came
here for that propose either," was her reply to the
invitation. "Well then, come and sit on my forehead,"
he said.
And
to that invitation she gladly responds and quickly she jumped up
on his forehead, where she has remained ever since. So ends the
story of the Frog Woman. |
