First Creator and Bird Calling Sour. 

Bears Arm

            First Creator was traveling around after harvest time and came to a village. Soon after he arrived, the people went up river looking for a winter village site. They found a suitable place and settled there. 

            There was only one way the people could travel to the village. Because of the terrain, they were forced to walk along the edge of the timber. A large dry cottonwood with a broken top and hollow center stood near the trail. When the hunters came home with meat, they had to walk near this tree. When about half of them had passed it, a huge bird resembling a turkey would stick its head out and say, “Sour; sour!” and all those who had not yet reached the tree find their meat turned sour and unfit for eating. Never-the-less, the people would take the meat to the camp and prepare it, thinking that by airing and sun-curing it, the bad taste would go away. However, they could not eat it. 

            When First Creator came to this winter village, the people had a great deal of meat hanging outside on scaffolds. The men invited him to enter the lodge; the men gathered there to smoke. They said to him, “First Creator, you are here, but we have nothing to give you to eat. We have, as you see, plenty of dry meat; yet it is not fit to eat.” 

            “What makes it unfit to eat?” asked First Creator. “Go ahead and cook some of it and I will eat it.” They brought in some of the dry meat, put it in a pot and cooked it. When it was done, they dished him out the meat and soup. He cut off a piece and chewed it, but when he tried to swallow, it would not go down. At last he gave up, saying, “I cannot swallow this. Tell me how this happened.” 

            They said, “When we go on the hunt, there is only one way to travel out and come into this village. Near the path is a large cottonwood tree with no top. There is something living in that tree. When half of the hunters have come in with their meat, this bird comes out of that tree and cries, “Sour; sour.” The hunters then know that their meat will not be fit to eat. Still they take it home. 

            First Creator said, “I will fix that. Next time you are ready to hunt, gather wood and place it beside the tree. Also place two stones there, a large one and a small one.” 

            When the hunters were ready to leave, the people gathered wood and took it to the large tree. Two other people went out to find a large and a small stone. Then the hunters went out. 

            First Creator went to the woods and secured some vines. He turned the vines into a strong cord and made a loop on one end. He took it up and placed the loop inside the hollow tree. Then he turned himself into a spider and stayed up in the tree, holding the cord. 

            When the hunters came back, and about half of them passed the tree, and the other half had yet to pass, the bird animal stuck its head out. Just as he called, “Sour,” First Creator pulled the cord and caught the creature by the neck and pulled it down to the ground. They burned the wood and threw the bird into the flames. While it was burning, the people and First Creator saw ravens flying out of the fire up into the air. One white raven flew up to and said, “First Creator during the last days, the people will see white ravens; by that sign they will know that the end of the world is near.” 

            First Creator burned the huge bird and ground up the bones with the two stones. Then he burned the tree and its roots. He said, “Now I think everything will be all right.” The hunters took the meat home; it was rather stale and sour but edible. The people ate it.