So he referred the matter to his daughter, and she said: “As you think, my father. Which one?”
“Oh, take us both!” said the younger brother.
This was rather embarrassing to the maiden, but she knew she had a safe retreat. So when the father admonished her that it was time to lead the two young men up into the room where the others had been placed, she told them the same story.
They said, “It is well.”
They lay down, but instead of sleeping spent most of the night in speculating as to the future.
“What a magnificent wife we will have,” said one to the other.
“Don’t talk so loud; everyone will hear you; you will be covered with shame!”
After a while they went to sleep; but were awake early the next morning. The younger brother began to talk to the elder one, who said: “Keep quiet; the people are not awake; don’t disturb them!”
The younger one said: “The sun is rising.”
“Keep quiet,” said the other, “and when they are awake they will give us some luncheon to take with us.”
But the younger one jumped up and went rushing about the house, calling out: “The sun is rising; Get up!”
The luncheon was provided, and when they started off the maiden went out on the housetop and asked them which direction they would take.
Said they: “We will go over to the south and will get a deer before long, although we are very small and may not meet with very good luck.”
So they descended the ladder, and the maiden said to herself: “Ugly, miserable little wretches; I will teach them to come courting me in this way!”
The brothers went off to the cliffs, and, while pretending to be hunting, they ran back through the thickets near the house and waited to see what the maiden would do.
Pretty soon she came out. They watched her and saw that she went down the valley and presently ran into the river, leaving no trail behind, and took her course up the stream. They ran on ahead, and long before she had ascended the river found the path leading out of it up the mountain. Following this path, they came to the corral, and, looking over it, they saw thousands of deer, mountain-sheep, antelope, and other animals wandering around in the enclosure.
“Ha! here is the place!” the younger brother exclaimed. “Let us go at them now!”
“Keep quiet! Be patient! Wait till the maiden comes,” said the elder one. “If we should happen to kill one of these deer before she comes, perhaps she has some magic power or knowledge by which she would deprive us of the fruits of our efforts.”
“No, let us kill one now,” said the other. But the elder one kept him curbed until the maiden was climbing the cliff, when he could restrain him no longer, and the youth pulled out his bow and let fly an arrow at the largest deer. One arrow, and the deer fell to the ground, and when the maiden appeared on the spot the deer was lying dead not far away.
The brothers said: “You come, do you? And here we are!”
She looked at them, and her heart went down and became as heavy as a stone, and she did not answer.
“I say, you come!” said the younger brother. “You come, do you?”
She said, “Yes.” Then said she to herself: “Well, I suppose I shall have to submit, as I made the arrangement myself.” Then she looked up and said: “I see you have killed a deer.”
“Yes, we killed one; didn’t have any difficulty at all,” said the younger brother. “Come, and help us skin him; we are so little and hungry and tired we can’t do it. Come on.”
So the girl went slowly forward, and in a dejected way helped them skin the deer. Then they began to shoot more deer, and attempted to drag them out; but the men were so small they could not do it, and the girl had to help them. Then they cut up the meat and made it into bundles. She made a large one for herself, and they made two little ones for themselves.
“Now,” said they, wiping their brows, “we have done a good day’s work, haven’t we?” and they looked at the maiden with twinkling eyes.
“Yes,” said she; “you are great hunters.”
“Shall we go toward home?” asked the younger brother of the maiden. “It would be a shame for you to take such a bundle as that. I will take it for you.”
“You little conceited wretch!” cried the elder brother. “Haven’t I tried to restrain you?—and now you are going to bury yourself under a bundle of meat!”
“No,” said the younger brother, “I can carry it.”
So they propped the great bundle of meat against a tree. The elder brother called on the maiden to help him; the younger one stooped down and received it on his back. They had no sooner let go of it than it fell on the ground and completely flattened the little man out.
“Mercy! mercy! I am dying; help me out of here!” cried he.
So they managed to roll the thing off, and he got up and rubbed his back, complaining bitterly (he was only making believe), and said: “I shall have to take my little bundle.”
So he shouldered his little bundle, and the maiden took the large one; but before she started she turned to the animals and said, “Oh, my children! these many days, throwing the warm light of your favor upon me, you have rested contented to remain away from the sight of men. Now, hereafter you shall go forth whithersoever you will, that the earth may be covered with your offspring, and men may once more have of your flesh to eat and of your pelts to wear.” And away went the antelope, the deer, the mountain-sheep, the elk, and the buffalo over all the land.
Then
