Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

Indian Legends of Vancouver Island by Alfred Carmichael
page 31 of 42 (73%)
salmon in the stream underneath.

Early next morning, before he descended, he plainly saw the form of
the witch, coming to wash in the stream just below him. The water was
clear reflecting her visage, fearsome in its hideous detail. Up in
the tree brave Eut-le-ten saw her, he thought himself safe from her
fierce prying eyes; he forgot that he too was mirrored below in the
still water which lay at her feet. When she had finished her morning
ablutions, she filled her vessel with water and turned to depart,
when she saw just below her, the features of Eut-le-ten in the still
water. Upturning her eyes to the branches above her, she saw there
the boy half concealed in the foliage, and she smiled with a smile
triumphant and cruel, thinking once more her fortune had found her,
and brought to her lodge the boy she was wanting.

She greeted him, "Come, why tarriest up there? Come to my lodge,
perchance thou art hungry; the fire has been kindled, the water is
boiling, a welcome awaits thee, why tarriest longer? Descend from
the tree and let me behold thee".

Down climbed Eut-le-ten nothing affrighted, but filled with the
knowledge no harm could befall him.

"Why hast thou come, and whence dost thou go? Why didst thou leave
thy home by the sea?" Such were the questions E-ish-so-oolth asked
him. Then struck by his fairness and beauty of limb, she questioned
him thus, "Why is thy skin so fair, and why are thy limbs so
beautiful?"

Then Eut-le-ten answered her, "When I was a boy my Mother laid me
DigitalOcean Referral Badge