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Boas]
Kutenai Tales
107

and arrived at | the house, and already the stone had become a man. When the stone saw him coming, it had changed its form, || and there 380 was another stone there where they get it from, | which is used to hit (the flint). Those who pay | can take the stone. Then it is a stone | from which they get arrow points and knives. For this reason | they pay for it; namely, that || the flint may not transform itself. When 385 they do not pay, it turns into a man | who does not give his flesh. When Ya.ukᵘe′ika·mentered, | the stone had already turned into a man. Flint thought: | "Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m is a chief; he will pay a great deal." | Flint said: "What do you want?" Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m said: || "I 390 want flint." Flint said: | "You will pay for it. Then I'll become a stone. | Then you may take me." Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m sat down. | He thought: "I'll fool him." Then he went out. | He went to Diorite,[1] and said to him: "Flint says || you can not break him." Diorite said: 395 "Oh, | Flint lies, I am strong. I break him into big pieces | when I get angry. Why did he say so?" Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m went out. | He went back to Flint. He said to him: "Diorite | always says he will break you into big pieces." Flint said: || "Oh, Diorite lies, he can not 400 break me. | When I grease my body, I am strong." Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m went out again | and came to Diorite. He said to him: "Flint | says you can not break him. He says you are lying. When he | greases himself, then he is strong." Diorite said: || "Go back and tell him 495 that I'll fight with him." | Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m went out again and said to Flint: "Diorite says | you shall fight with him." Then Diorite took his knife, | and also Flint. They said: "Well, | let us fight!" They attacked each other and struck each other. || Oh, Flint lost. 410 Big pieces of stone were coming off from him. | Then Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m took the flint and diorite. | He had much because they were fighting. Then | he took the flint and diorite and scattered them over | this world. He said: "Let flint and || diorite occur all over this world, For a long time people will be | here in this world. It might be | difficult for them to get flint and diorite." | The friends were fighting. They did not know that | Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m had scattered the stones. When Ya.ukᵘe′ika·m finished doing this, || he told the friends: "Now 420 stop doing this to each other. | I cheated you. You will not be | people

any more when they come to get you. Now I have put an end


  1. Or some other tough stone.