Native American Legends
A man eats his sisters' berries
An American Indian Legend - Nation Unknown
Once there was a man who said to his three sisters, "I saw
many ali'la-berries (Lower Thompson word) down the river. Let us
go down there in a canoe and pick them."
They arrived at the place, and picked berries until they had filled
one set of baskets. When they had placed them in the canoe, the
brother said, "I hear enemies coming. They will kill us. All
of you must hide."
The two eldest sisters ran off into the woods; while he hid the
youngest one in a hole, and covered her with leaves. Then he went
to the canoe and ate all the berries, threw the juice over himself,
and lay down in the bottom of the canoe as though he were covered
with blood.
The little girl peered through the leaves, and saw what he did.
After a while the elder sisters returned, and, finding where she
was hidden, asked her where their brother was. She told them what
she had seen, but they would not believe her.
When they went to the canoe and saw him, they thought he was dead.
They said, "The enemies must have killed him. See! He is covered
with blood."
The little girl answered, "That is not blood, it is berry-juice."
They tickled his soles until he moved and began to laugh. They asked
him why he had acted thus.
He answered, "I longed for a good feed of berries." Then
they filled the other set of baskets with berries and returned home.
NOTE: A version of this story is current among the Uta'mqt.
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