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bride says that she must have elk meat. The husband wounds his elk-wife, but does not kill her. [This is in the French version. Cf. Cosquin, No. 21.]

N. Disenchantment. The elk hobbles in and nurses the child. The husband notices the broken leg and takes pity on it. He accidentally removes the pin from her neck and thus disenchants her. The sister and stepmother are hanged and the husband and wife live happily.

F. Slipper test. [Added as an afterthought]: "At the last dance the girl lost her shoe and the chief's son found it."

* *****

11. Tepecano: Mason, JAFL, xxvii, 200, 210.

This is an almost perfect version of "The Bird of Truth" as outlined in No. 7, above. For a discussion of Spanish American types of this story see Espinosa, JAFL, xxvii, 230.

It is strange that stories which are so detailed and complete as the Thompson River and Ojibwa versions cited in this chapter should be combined in the peculiar way they are. The exact combinations I have not been able to find among European tales, and it seems as if perhaps the amalgamation may have taken place among the Indians themselves. The Tepecano version of "The Bird of Truth" is of Spanish origin.

IX. THE BLUE BAND.

A story that is found only once among the published collections of Indian tales, but which is told by them with remarkable fidelity to the European original, is that of "The Blue Band." The tale occurs in Germany and Scandanavia, but no versions have been reported from France. The Indian version from the Chipewyans of Alberta was collected but recently, and it may have come from Scandinavians, who are settling that country in increasing numbers. Mr. Goddard, the collector, is in

clined to believe, however, that the story is of French origin. In that case it goes back to a version that has not been collected. Besides the version given below, see German variants in Jahn, Volkssagen aus Pommern und Rugen, i, 194; Ey, Harzmärchenbuch, oder sagen und märchen aus dem Oberharze, pp. 154-159; Müllenhoff, Sagen der Herzogthümer Schleswig-Holstein und Lanenberg, p. 416. For Scandinavian forms see Asbjörnson og Moe, 2d ed., p. 365, and Jakobsen, pp. 374-376.

EUROPEAN VERSION.

1. Norwegian: Dasent, Popular Tales from the Norse (1859), p. 178.

A. Magic belt. A woman and her son while walking through the woods see a little blue belt which the boy wants to take along. The mother, however, tells him to leave it, for there is witchcraft in it. After they have gone on a little while, the boy slips back and puts the belt on. Immediately he is so strong that he feels as if he could lift a whole hill. He rejoins his mother, and they go on until nightfall. They seek shelter for the night and see some lights, but the mother is afraid to approach, for she is sure it is the home of Trolls. The fearless boy, however, persuades her to enter the house, where they find a giant.

B. Treacherous mother. Although the mother is greatly frightened, the giant persuades her to sleep in his bed. During the night the boy hears the giant and his mother planning to make away with him, so that they may marry. In accordance with this plan the giant begins an active attempt the next day to put the boy out of the way.

C. Strong hero bluffs giant. He takes the boy to a quarry. After working a while, he sends the boy down to examine the cracks. He rolls a great boulder down on the boy, who simply puts his hand up and catches it. The boy now comes up and tells the giant that he must go down to see about the cracks. The giant is afraid to disobey, and as soon as he is down below, the boy throws a whole hill-side at him and breaks his hip. He then takes the giant on his back and trots home with him, nearly shaking him to death. [Cf. Chapter XXIII, incident D, below.]

D. Tasks imposed through feigned sickness. The troll and the mother soon begin to plan the boy's destruction. The mother shams sickness and says that nothing will cure her except lion's milk. The troll answers that his brother has a garden with twelve lions in it, but that he knows no one who can milk them. The boy takes a pail and by his great strength kills one of the lions, frightens the others, and returns with a single drop of lion's milk. The troll doubts that the boy has really milked the lions. As proof, the boy turns the beasts in on him until he cries for mercy. Soon they again begin to plan his destruction, and by the same ruse send him for some apples that grow in the orchard of the Troll's brother. The apples are of such a nature that as soon as the boy has tasted of them he will sleep for three days, and the brothers will tear him to pieces. When the boy falls asleep, the lions protect him and kill the Trolls.

E. Rescue of princess. When the boy awakes, he passes by the window of the Trolls' castle, where a beautiful maiden hails him and tells him of the death of the Trolls. He marries the girl, takes possession of the castle, and lives there until she decides to go to her father, the King of Arabia. The boy then returns to his mother and the troll, and invites them to share his castle. F. Secret of strength discovered. Hardly has the mother started on her way to the castle before she asks the boy what is the source of his strength. He tells her that it is the Blue Belt. When he shows it to her, she snatches it out of his hands and wraps it around her wrist.

G. Hero blinded. The wicked couple now blind the helpless boy and set him adrift in a boat.

H. Helpful animals. The faithful lions, however, draw the boat to land, obtain meat for the boy, and care for him.

I. Blindness cured through imitation of animal. One day the lions see a rabbit cure his blindness by going to certain water. By using the water, they restore the boy's sight.

J. Belt recovered. He now goes back to the castle and steals his belt. As soon as he puts it on, he recovers all his strength and puts out the eyes of his mother and the Troll.

K. Recovery of wife. The boy soon sets out to find his wife. On the way he has a number of adventures, and when he reaches Arabia he finds that the princess's father has hidden her away and has promised her to the man who can discover her. The boy mas

querades as a bear and in this guise finds her. Then in his own clothes he enters the contest and discovers her again. They marry the second time and live happily.

2.

A.

AMERICAN INDIAN VERSION.

Chipewyan: Goddard, PaAM, x(1), No. 13.

son

Magic belt. A woman is walking along with her through the forest. They see a bi-colored ribbon on a tree, but the mother forbids him to take it. He slips back, however, and puts it on. It imparts magic strength to the lad. The mother and boy find a house occupied by two cannibals.

C. Strong hero bluffs giants. The boy bluffs the giants and forces them to leave him in peace.

B.

Treacherous mother. The mother marries one of the giants, and the boy lives in a house near by. The mother and her husband plan to put the boy out of the way.

D. Tasks imposed tnrough feigned sickness. The mother feigns sickness and sends the boy for berries which are guarded by a hundred panthers. The boy, however, kills them and secures the berries. On the same pretext, he is next sent for certain waters which are guarded by a very dangerous man. The boy kills the man, gets the water, and enters the man's house.

E. Rescue of girl. In the house he rescues a girl whom the man has stolen.

F. Secret of strength discovered. The mother again feigns sickness and insists that she know where is the source of the boy's strength. When he tells her, she snatches the ribbon from him and puts it on herself.

G. Hero blinded. She receives the supernatural strength, and taking the helpless boy to the woods, blinds him and deserts him.

H1. Hero helped by chief's cook. The boy is rescued by the servant of the chief and is cared for by the chief's cook. With the cook he attends a meeting of the suitors for the chief's daughters.

K. Recovery of wife. The youngest chooses the hero, and tells him that she is the girl he rescued. Her father gives her money but turns her away from home because she has chosen the blind boy.

I.

Blindness cured through imitation of animals. One day the girl sees a moose heal his blindness with the water of a certain

stream. This water she applies to the boy's eyes and restores his sight.

J. Belt recovered. The next night the hero steals back the belt, receives his strength, and becomes a great chief.

The whole tale corresponds with the Norse version. quite as closely as the different European forms resemble one another. It is a good example of borrowing done at a comparatively recent date.

X. TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD.

and

For a good discussion of the tales of "Truth Falsehood" summarized below, see Cosquin, i, 87.

EUROPEAN VERSIONS.

1. French (Brittany): Luzel, Legendes chrétiennes de BasseBretagne, i, 111.

A. Dispute as to good and evil.

An older and a younger

brother dispute as to which is the better, good or evil.

B. Hero blinded. The man to whom they refer the matter decides against the partisan of good. The elder brother deprives his defeated younger brother of his fortune and blinds him.

C. Secrets learned from tree hiding place. He wanders about and finally climbs a tree. While he is in the tree, some devils have a meeting place under it and he learns from them secrets: how to cure blindness from the water of a certain river, how to heal a princess, and how to obtain water for a city. For the two latter feats large rewards have been offered.

D. King's favor gained because of secret knowledge. The man makes his way to the river and cures his blindness. Then he goes to the city and secures the water supply according to the instructions he has received. Afterwards he heals the princess and becomes king.

E. Wicked companion tries same method of learning secrets. One day he sees his brother and tells him his story. The brother,

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