Contribution to Passamaquoddy Folk-Lore | Page 7

him. The Black Cat told Sable not to be afraid, but that he would
kill the big Snake. He told him that he would lie down behind the trunk
of a hemlock tree which had fallen, and that Sable should search out a
stick that was very crooked, obeying the commands of the big Snake.
When he had found a stick, he should carry it to the Snake, who would
complain that the stick was not straight enough. The Black Cat
instructed Sable to reply that he would straighten it in the fire, holding
it there until the steam came out of the end.[11] While the Snake was
watching the process of straightening the stick and the exit of the steam,
Black Cat told Sable that he should strike the Snake over the head. The
Sable sought out the most crooked stick he could find, and then
returned to the wigwam where the Snake was. The Snake said the stick
was too crooked. The Sable replied, "I can straighten it," and held it in

the fire.[12] When it was hot he struck the Snake on the head and
blinded him.[13] The Snake then followed the Sable, and, as he passed
over the hemlock trunk, Black Cat killed him, and they cut him in small
fragments. Black Cat and Sable called all the animals and birds to the
feast; the caribous, wild horses, and swift animals and birds were first
to arrive at the feast. The Turtle was the last, and got only the blood.
Then the Black Cat and Sable returned home to Cooloo, whose wife
was Pookjinsquess. She thought she would like to have for her husband
Black Cat if she could get rid of Cooloo. But Black Cat offended
Pookjinsquess and made her angry. To make way with him she invited
him to go with her for gulls' eggs. She took him across the water in a
canoe to an island which was very distant. There they filled baskets
with eggs and started home in the canoe. A large, very beautiful bird
flew over them. They both shot their arrows at it. The bird fell, and
Black Cat jumped into the water to get what they had shot. When he
got to where the bird fell he could not find it. Pookjinsquess went off,
singing as she went the following song, which has been written out
from the phonographic record by Mr. Cheney, and left Black Cat on the
island.
[Footnote 10: Probably Sable had a m' toulin, or magic power, and his
song was heard by Black Cat, although miles away beyond hills and
mountains.]
[Footnote 11: Evidently to excite the curiosity of the Snake.]
[Footnote 12: The fire was outside the wigwam, and the Snake put his
head out of the wigwam, when he was struck. Possibly the Snake
watched the process of straightening the stick through curiosity, and
was off his guard.]
[Footnote 13: In another story which was told me, Glooscap turned the
eyes of the Snake white in the following manner:--
"Once on a time Glooscap was cooking something in his wigwam, and
the Snake wished to see what it was. So the Snake crawled up the
outside of the wigwam and looked down through the smoke-hole into
the cooking vessel. But Glooscap, who was stirring the pot of cooking

food, held in his hand a great ladle. He noticed the Snake peering in at
the smoke-hole, and, filling the bowl of the ladle full of the hot food,
threw it into the eyes of the Snake. From that time the eyes of the
Snake have been white."]
[Music illustration:
Er tim lee ber nits nah o o o o Wait for me.
Nick ne ar ber yer nay ey.--]
I think there are internal evidences of the antiquity of this song,
although the English sentence, "Wait for me," shows the modern
character of certain of the words. This sentence seems to supply the
place of unknown Indian words. Several Indians assured me that the
song was old. According to Leland, Pookjinsquess sang the following
words when she left Black Cat:--
Niked ha Pogump min nekuk Netsnil sagamawin!
Which he translates,--
I have left the Black Cat on an island; I shall be the chief of the Fishers
now.
The best I can make out of the phonographic record given me by Peter
Selmore of the words which she sang is,--
> > > > Er tin le ber nits nah o o o o. Wait for me. Nick ne ar ber yer
hay ey.
The second line sounds like the English "Wait for me," but is not
distinct. The end of the first line is violently explosive. The third line
ends in a word expressive of strong feeling, possibly revenge.
In a version of