“Now,” said the Thunder, “you know me.  I am of great power.  I live here in summer, but when winter comes, I go far south.  I go south with the birds.  Here is my pipe.  It is medicine.  Take it, and keep it.  Now, when I first come in the spring, you shall fill and light this pipe, and you shall pray to me, you and the people.  For I bring the rain which makes the berries large and ripe.  I bring the rain which makes all things grow, and for this you shall pray to me, you and all the people.”

Thus the people got the first medicine pipe.  It was long ago.

THE BEAVER MEDICINE

This story goes back many years, to a time before the Indians went to war against each other.  Then there was peace among all the tribes.  They met, and did not kill each other.  They had no guns and they had no horses.  When two tribes met, the head chiefs would take each a stick and touch each other.  Each had counted a coup on the other, and they then went back to their camps.  It was more a friendly than a hostile ceremony.

Oftentimes, when a party of young men had gone to a strange camp, and had done this to those whom they had visited, they would come back to their homes and would tell the girls whom they loved that they had counted a coup on this certain tribe of people.  After the return of such a party, the young women would have a dance.  Each one would wear clothing like that of the man she loved, and as she danced, she would count a coup, saying that she herself had done the deed which her young lover had really done.  Such was the custom of the people.

There was a chief in a camp who had three wives, all very pretty women.  He used to say to these women, whenever a dance was called:  “Why do not you go out and dance too?  Perhaps you have some one in the camp that you love, and for whom you would like to count a coup” Then the women would say, “No, we do not wish to join the dance; we have no lovers.”

There was in the camp a poor young man, whose name was Api-kunni.  He had no relations, and no one to tan robes or furs for him, and he was always badly clad and in rags.  Whenever he got some clothing, he wore it as long as it would hold together.  This young man loved the youngest wife of the chief, and she loved him.  But her parents were not rich, and they could not give her to Api-k[)u]nni, and when the chief wanted her for a wife, they gave her to him.  Sometimes Api-k[)u]nni and this girl used to meet and talk together, and he used to caution her, saying, “Now be careful that you do not tell any one that you see me.”  She would say, “No, there is no danger; I will not let it be known.”

One evening, a dance was called for the young women to dance, and the chief said to his wives:  “Now, women, you had better go to this dance.  If any of you have persons whom you love, you might as well go and dance for them.”  Two of them said:  “No, we will not go.  There is no one that we love.”  But the third said, “Well, I think I will go and dance.”  The chief said to her, “Well, go then; your lover will surely dress you up for the dance.”