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Caddo - Medicine-Screech-Owl (2)
Traditions of the Caddo, By George A. Dorsey, collected 1903-1905, under the auspices of the Carnegie Institution of Washington
In a village there lived an old man, his wife, and one child, a beautiful girl. The girl had never been known to have a male acquaintance, and was always modest and well-beloved. Nevertheless, in some way she became pregnant. Her father and mother noticed this and called her attention to the fact, and asked her how it had happened and who was the father of the child. In those days it was the custom to find out all about such matters. The girl herself did not know how she had come to be in that condition and could not answer their questions. Her people were angry at her and much ashamed, but could not get her to answer any of their questions. She went as usual with the girls of the village to dig potatoes, but she could never find any and always returned without any. One time, after her mother had scolded her for never bringing home any potatoes, she was wandering slowly about trying to find some when she heard a voice cry, "Mother." She looked about, but could see no one. Again she heard the cry, and then she knew that it was the child in her womb that was crying. The voice told her to go to a certain place and dig. She obeyed and found many large potatoes. When the other girls saw them they wondered, for they knew that she was never successful in finding them.
The child was born and, at his own request, was called Medicine-Screech-Owl. The mother and child lived apart from the others and were very poor and often hungry, for they had no one to hunt food for them, and all they had to eat was what people gave to them. The child grew rapidly and was soon large enough to play with the other little boys. There was a lake near the village where the men fished, and the children were accustomed to go to the lake and watch them. One time Medicine-Screech-Owl asked his mother if he could not fish too. She only laughed at him and told him that he was too little; but he begged so hard that she finally said he might go and try. He went, taking his little bow and arrows, and soon returned with a big fish. His mother was greatly surprised and gave her consent for him to go the next day. Again he came home with a big fish, and again and again, until his fame as a fisherman spread throughout the village.
There were many who did not like the boy because they did not know who his father was, and when they heard about his success they began to fear him and decided to kill him. There was among the people a powerful Medicine-Man, and they asked him to use his powers against the boy and kill him.
One day, while the boy was at the lake fishing, he saw the reflection of a big, black cloud in the water. He knew that the Medicine-Man was sending Thunder to try to kill him, but he did not fear. He walked into the water until it was up to his knees. Then came a peal of thunder and a shaft of lightning. He raised his bow over his head and the lightning rolled from it into the water. Again and again the lightning shafts struck at him, but every time he caught them on his bow and hurled them into the water. At last the Medicine-Man realized that the boy had more power over Thunder than he had, and so he gave up. That evening the boy returned home with a big fish and told his mother what had happened.
Nothing more happened for a long time, but one day while the boy was lying in his lodge resting it occurred to him that something was going to happen to him. He arose from his bed, took his bow and arrows, went back to his bed, lay down and began to sing. Soon he heard a great noise, and he knew that the Medicine-Man was sending Cannibal monster to destroy him. He heard the monster's roar, that sounded like thunder, but he lay still and sang as though he had nothing to fear. As the monster came nearer he could feel its hot breath, but he did not move until it leaped upon his lodge and fell through with an awful crash. Then he arose and killed it.
After that Medicine-Screech-Owl started out to travel, and he went from place to place, killing monsters and ferocious animals and healing the sick. Where he was, death could not come, and so powerful was his touch that people were healed if he placed his hand on the diseased place. Finally, after he had been with the people for a long time, he called them together and told them that he was going to leave them. He disappeared and has not been seen since.
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