Portrait of Mass Murder. Welby Thomas Cox, Jr.

untrue ter 'imself, an' so, 'avin' got rid av de cause av 'is trouble, yer man wud soon recover 'is 'ealth an' 'ard tack."

      Translation:

      (Care and sorrow marked his countenance, and his body, from long abstinence from food, began to make him look to his friends like a skeleton of a man. Anxious looks could not solve the mystery of his grief; and by-and-by, weakened in body and soul, he yielded to his companions, and promised to disclose the cause of his trouble, on condition that they would dig up by the roots a certain pine-tree, lay him in his blanket by the edge of the hole, and place his wife by his side; at once all hands were ready. The fatal tree was taken up by the roots; in doing which the earth was opened, and a passage made into the abyss below. The blanket was spread by the hole; the youth lay upon it the wife also (soon to be a mother) took her seat by his side. The crowd, anxious to know the cause of such strange and unheard-of conduct, pressed close around; when, all of a sudden, to their horror and surprise, he seized upon the woman and threw her headlong into the regions of darkness below! Then, rising from the ground, he told the people that he had for some time suspected that his wife was untrue to him, and so, having got rid of the cause of his trouble, he would soon recover his health and spirits.)

       Grannie B.:

       "Al' dohs amphibious animals whaich nigh inhabit dis warrld den roamed through de watery waste ter whaich yer won, in 'er fall, wus nigh 'astenin'. de loon first discovered 'er comin', an' called a council in 'aste ter prepare for 'er recepshun,--observin' dat de animal whaich approached wus a 'uman bein', an' dat earth wus necessary for its accommodashun. de first tin' ter be tart av wus, who shud support de burden? the sea-bear first presented 'imself for a trial av 'is strength. at once de other animals gathered roun' an' jumped upon 'is back; while de bear, unable ter bear up such a weight, sank beneath de water, an' wus by al' de shower av savages judged unequal ter support de weight av de earth. several others presented themselves, were tried, an' foun' wantin'. but last av al' came de turtle, modestly tenderin' 'is broad shell as de basis av de earth nigh ter be formed. de beasts den made a trial av 'is strength ter bear by 'eapin' themselves on 'is back, an' findin' by their united pressure they cud not sink 'imself below de surface, adjudged 'imself de 'onor av supportin' de warrld on 'is back."

      Translation:

      ("All those amphibious animals which now inhabit this world then roamed through the watery waste to which this woman, in her fall, was now hastening. The loon first discovered her coming, and called a council in haste to prepare for her reception,--observing that the animal which approached was a human being, and that earth was necessary for its accommodation. The first thing to be thought of was, who should support the burden?

      The sea-bear first presented himself for a trial of his strength. At once the other animals gathered round and jumped upon his back; while the bear, unable to bear up such a weight, sank beneath the water, and was by all the crowd judged unequal to support the weight of the earth. Several others presented themselves, were tried, and found wanting. But last of all came the turtle, modestly tendering his broad shell as the basis of the earth now to be formed. The beasts then made a trial of his strength to bear by heaping themselves on his back, and finding by their united pressure they could not sink him below the surface, adjudged him the honor of supporting the world on his back.")

       Grannie B.:

       "Thus, a foundashun bein' foun', de next subject av tart wus 'oy ter procure earth. several av de most expert divers plunged ter de 'ole av de sea an' came up dead; but de _mink_ at last though yer man shared de seem fate, broot up in 'is claws a wee quantity av dirt. dis wus placed on de back av de turtle. in de mean while yer won kept on fallin', till at last she alighted on de turtle's back. de earth 'ad already grown ter de size av a man's foot wha she fifty, wi' wan foot coverin' de other. by-and-by she 'ad room for both lempsor', an' wus able ter sit down. de earth continued ter expan', an' whaen its plain wus covered wi' green grass, an' streams ran, whaich poured into de ocean, she built 'er a gaff on de sea-shore. not long after, she 'ad a bottle av water, an' she lived on waaat gru naturally, till de wane wus grown ter be article. several av de animals wanted ter marry 'er, they bein' changed into de forms av young men; but de ma wud not consent, 'til de turtle offered 'imself as a beau, an' wus accepted. after she 'ad lain 'erself down ter sleep, de turtle placed two arrows on 'er body, in de shape av a cross: wan 'eaded wi' flint, de other wi' de rough bark av a tree. by-and-by she 'ad two sons, but got away 'erself."

      Translation:

      ("Thus, a foundation being found, the next subject of thought was how to procure earth. Several of the most expert divers plunged to the bottom of the sea and came up dead; but the _mink_ at last though he shared the same fate, brought up in his claws a small quantity of dirt. This was placed on the back of the turtle.

      In the mean while the woman kept on falling, till at last she alighted on the turtle's back. The earth had already grown to the size of a man's foot where she stood, with one foot covering the other. By-and-by she had room for both feet, and was able to sit down. The earth continued to expand, and when its plain was covered with green grass, and streams ran, which poured into the ocean, she built her a house on the sea-shore. Not long after, she had a daughter, and she lived on what grew naturally, till the child was grown to be a woman. Several of the animals wanted to marry her, they being changed into the forms of young men; but the mother would not consent, until the turtle offered himself as a beau, and was accepted. After she had lain herself down to sleep, the turtle placed two arrows on her body, in the shape of a cross: one headed with flint, the other with the rough bark of a tree. By-and-by she had two sons, but died herself.")

       Grannie B.:

       "De grandmother wus so cheesed aff at 'er death dat she thru de laddies into de sea. scarcely 'ad she reached 'er wigwam whaen de laddies 'ad overtaken 'er at de dure. she den tart best ter let dem live; an' dividin' de body av 'er bottle av water in two parts, she thru dem up toward de 'eavens, whaen wan became de sun, de other de moon. den day an' noight first began. de laddies soon gru up ter be tren, an' expert wi' bow an' arrows. de elder 'ad de arrow av de turtle, whaich wus pointed wi' flint; de younger 'ad de arrow pointed wi' bark. de first wus, by 'is temper an' skill an' success in 'untin', a favorite av 'is grandmother. they lived in de midst av galore, but wud not allow de younger brah'der, whose arrow wus insufficient ter kill anythin' but birds, ter share wi' their abundance. as dis young paddy wus wanderin' wan day along de shore, yer man saw a board perched on a limb 'angin' over de water. yer man aimed ter kill it, but 'is arrow, till dis time alwus sure, went aside de mark, an' sank into de sea. yer man determined ter recover it, an' made a dive for de 'ole. 'ere, ter 'is surprise, yer man foun' 'imself in a wee cottage. a fine-lookin' auld paddy sittin' dare welcomed 'imself wi' a smile, an' thus spoke ter 'im:"

      Translation:

      (The grandmother was so angry at her death that she threw the children into the sea. Scarcely had she reached her wigwam when the children had overtaken her at the door. She then thought best to let them live; and dividing the body of her daughter in two parts, she threw them up toward the heavens, when one became the sun, the other the moon. Then day and night first began. The children soon grew up to be men, and expert with bow and arrows. The elder had the arrow of the turtle, which was pointed with flint; the younger had the arrow pointed with bark. The first was, by his temper and skill and success in hunting, a favorite of his grandmother. They lived in the midst of plenty, but would not allow the younger brother, whose arrow was insufficient to kill anything but birds, to share with their abundance. As this young man was wandering one day along the shore, he saw a bird perched on a limb hanging over the water. He aimed to kill it, but his arrow, till this time always sure, went aside the mark, and sank into the sea. He determined to recover it, and made a dive for the bottom. Here, to his surprise, he found himself in a small cottage. A fine-looking old man sitting there welcomed him with a smile, and thus spoke to him:)

       Grannie B.:

       " ‘my current bun, oi failte yer ter de 'um av yisser owl lad! ter obtain dis meetin' oi directed al' de circumstances whaich 'av combined ter brin' yer 'ither. 'ere is yisser arrow, an' an ear av corn. oi 'av watched de unkindness av yisser brah'der, an' nigh comman' yer ter take 'is life. whaen yer return