Stories of the Cahto Tribe
Great Horned Serpent
(This is a line-by-line translation (within the limits of English readability)
They lived at Tl'ohdaichii', they say.
People kept dying, they say.
Girls were making mush, they say.
They were soaking buckeyes, they say.
Two trout were dead, they say.
They put the two on the fire (to roast), they say.
She (one of them) ate them, they say.
She died, they say.
Again she (the other) ate them, they say.
The other one died, too, they say.
"I am going east.
Something lies in the creek to the east."
He found two trout, they say.
He found one, they say.
Again, he found one, they say.
He went on again, they say.
He found three fish, they say.
He rested, they say.
He went a little ways, they say.
He found one trout, they say.
He went on, they say.
He found two trout, they say.
He went on, they say.
He found a trout bitten in two, they say.
He went on, they say.
He found one, they say, a trout.
He went on again, they say.
He found one, they say, a trout.
He sat down, they say.
Now the creek became small, they say.
He went on, they say.
Now he found, they say, slime.
He went along, they say.
There were no fish or trout, they say.
He went on, they say.
He went on, they say.
He came up, they say.
When he stood on the summit he looked around, they say.
He found a lake, they say.
He found its horn, they say.
He looked at it, they say.
It was looking south, they say.
Its horn was long; its horn was white, they say.
He cried when he went back home, they say.
He came back, they say.
He told about it, they say.
"Go get the people!
Go get the Sherwood Valley Pomo people!
Go get the Cahto Valley people!
Go get the Yuki!
Go get the Little Lake people!
Spears were made, they say.
Ten, ten more, ten more spears, ten more spears.
They set out, they say.
They set out, they say.
They carried spears, they say.
They carried arrows, they say.
They carried knives, they say.
They arrived, they say.
They all took up spears, they say.
They speared it, they say.
They speared it again, they say.
They shot it, they say.
They speared it, they say.
They shot it, they say.
They speared it, they say.
They speared it again, they say.
They shot it, they say.
They speared it, they say.
They shot it, they say.
They speared it, they say.
The old man cut it, they say.
It squealed, they say.
It hit the water with its horn, they say.
It died, they say.
It broke the brush with its horn, they say.
There was a fire burning there, they say.
They burned around it, they say.
There was a fire on the middle of its head, they say.
There was a fire on its tail, they say.
They started back home, they say.
They came back, they say.
They all whined ("cried") in the house, they say.
"We will not live here.
The water is bad.
After this the water is bad."
Ten of them went back, they say.
There was a fire on it again, they say.
Again there was a fire on its head again, they say.
There was a fire on its tail again, they say.
They went back to the house, they say.
"We built a fire again," they said, they say.
They moved, they say.
They moved away, they say.
They went back, they say.
There was a fire on it again, they say.
There was a fire on its head again, they say.
The burned over the mountain, they say.
They went back, they say.
It was burned over well, they say.
They put it (the horn) in a sack, they say.
They went back, they say.
They pounded it, they say.
They carried it to the coast, they say.
Poison, Indian poison, was made, they say.
They all died, they say.
It became theirs (the coast people's), they say.
That is all
Professor P.E. Goddard's Translation
They were living at Loodaikii. The people kept dying. The girls were soaking buckeye flour. Two dead trout were lying there. The girls put them in the fire to roast. When they were cooked they ate them up. First one and then the other died.
"I am going up the creek, east," said the chief. He found two dead trout, and then one by itself, and still farther on, another. After that he found three. He sat down to rest. After a short time he went on. He found a single dead trout again. Going on again he found two more. Having gone forward again he found two trout that had been bitten in two. Twice, farther on, he found one by itself. He sat down. The creek was now small. He went on. He found slime. There were no trout. He went on climbing up until he stood on the summit. He looked around. He found a pond there. He found its horn. He looked at it. It was looking toward the south. The horn was long and white.
He went home crying. He came home and told his experiences.
"Go to Sherwood valley and get the people. Go to Cahto valley. Go and get the Yuki. Go to Little Lake valley for help, " he commanded.
Poles were made. Four times they made ten poles. They started carrying poles, arrows, and knives. When they came to the place they all took up the poles and speared it. They speared and shot, speared and shot, speared and shot. The old man cut it. They speared it. The old man cut. It squealed. It thrashed the water with its horn. It died. It had broken the brush with its horn.
A fire was burning there. They burned a clear space around the body. On the middle of its head and on its tail they built a fire.
They started back. They came back and all sat in the house crying.
"We will not live here. The water is bad. After this the water will be bad," the old man said.
Ten of them went back and built a fire on its head and tail. They went back to the house.
"We have built a fire on it again," they said. They moved away and lived in another place. They went there again and built a fire on its head. The mountain was burned over. They came home. The mountain was well burned over, they found.
He put it (the horn) in a sack. When they came back he pounded it up and carried it to the coast. They made "Indian poison" of it. Those people all died. It became the property of the coast people.
That is all.
(Based on Cahto oral traditions and beliefs)
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