Page:Tlingit Myths and Texts.djvu/95

not be afraid." She said, "All right." Then she followed Heron's directions and gave birth to Raven. Therefore Raven's name was really Ītca′k!^u, the name of a very hard rock, and he was hence called Ta′qłîk!-īc (Hammer-father). This is why Raven was so tough and could not easily be killed.

Heron and Raven both became servants to Nās-ca′kî-yēł, but he thought more of Raven and made him head man over the world. Then Nās-ca′kî-yēł made some people.

All of the beings Nās-ca′kî-yēł had created, however, existed in darkness, and this existence lasted for a long time, how long is unknown. But Raven felt very sorry for the few people in darkness and, at last, he said to himself, "If I were only the son of Nās-ca′kî-yēł I could do almost anything." So he studied what he should do and decided upon a plan. He made himself very small, turned him self into a hemlock needle, and floated upon the water Nās-ca′kî-yēł's daughter was about to drink. Then she swallowed it and soon after became pregnant.

Although all this was by the will of Nās-ca′kî-yēł and although he knew what was the matter with his daughter, yet he asked her how she had gotten into that condition. She said, "I drank water, and I felt that I had swallowed something in it." Then Nās-ca′kî-yēł instructed them to get moss for his daughter to lie upon, and on that the child was born. They named him Nās-ca′kî-yēł also. Then Nās-ca′kî-yēł cut a basket in two and used half of it for a cradle, and he said that people would do the same thing in future times, so they have since referred its use to him.

Nās-ca′kî-yēł tried to make human beings out of a rock and out of a leaf at the same time, but the rock was slow while the leaf was very quick. Therefore human beings came from the leaf. Then he showed a leaf to the human beings and said, "You see this leaf. You are to be like it. When it falls off the branch and rots there is nothing left of it." That is why there is death in the world. If men had come from the rock there would be no death. Years ago people used to say when they were getting old, "We are unfortunate in not having been made from a rock. Being made from a leaf, we must die."

Nās-ca′kî-yēł also said, "After people die, if they are not witches, and do not lie or steal, there is a good place for them to go to."^[1] Wicked people are to be dogs and such low animals hereafter. The place for good people is above, and, when one comes up there, he is asked, "What were you killed for?" or "What was your life in the world?" The place he went to was governed by his reply. So people used to say to their children, "Do not lie. Do not steal. For the Maker (Nās-ca′kî-yēł) will see you."