Sacred Texts Native American California Index Previous Next
AFTER Wek'-wek, Hoo-loo'-e and Yow'-hah had returned home, Wek'-wek said, "I have heard that I once had a sister; where is my sister?"
No one answered.
Then Wek'-wek slept and dreamed. Then he went off alone to the north and told no one.
Wek'-wek had a nephew, Ah'-ut the Crow. Ah'-ut asked the people, "Where is my uncle?" No one answered. Then Ah'-ut said he would find him, and he also set out for the north. Finding that he could not catch up with Wek'-wek he shot an arrow and the arrow went over Wek'-wek's head and fell just beyond.
Wek'-wek knew who had shot it, and said, "Who told my nephew?"
When Ah'-ut came up, Wek'-wek asked, "Why do you follow me? I'm searching for my sister; you go home."
"No," answered Ah'-ut, "I'll go with you."
Then Wek'-wek's brothers, two little hawks, who also had been following, overtook Wek'-wek and Ah'-ut and all went on together.
After a while they found the rancheria. It was in a big cave about two miles below Koo-loo'-te
[paragraph continues] [now the town of Sonora in Tuolumne County]. Wek'-wek sent one of his little brothers into the cave. He went in and on one side of the entrance saw O-hum'-mah-te the Grizzly Bear, and on the other side He-le'-jah the Mountain Lion) but saw nothing of the sister.
Then Wek'-wek sent in the other brother. When he returned he said some one was inside cooking acorns; he had seen a woman cook the acorn soup by putting into the basket hot quail eggs instead of hot stones. He said also that farther back in the cave was something that looked like a sharp rock.
Then Ah'-ut the Crow said he would go in. When he found the woman cooking with the quail eggs he picked them up and took off the shells and ate all the eggs. Then he asked the woman, "Is my uncle's sister here?"
"Yes," she answered, "but you can't go in."
But he did go in, and when he came to He-le'-jah the Mountain Lion, he said, "You are good to eat," and shot him with an arrow and killed him. Then he turned to O-hum'mah-te the Grizzly Bear and said the same to him, and killed him also and pulled him out. Then he went in farther and saw the Sharp Rock and shot it also and killed it, and picked up his arrow and put it back in his quiver. Then he went still farther in and found Wek'-wek's sister. She was old and naked and shriveled--nothing but bare bones--for no one had given her anything to eat.
Ah'-ut returned and told Wek'-wek he could now go in, and Wek'-wek went in. When he saw his sister without clothes and all bones he felt badly and cried. Then he took her out and helped her walk, and cooked some acorns and fed her. Then he sent her home with his brothers.