to the
spirits to give him back his usual size and strength and to make the
water scalding hot. Then he gave the kettle a kick, which upset all
the boiling water upon her, and jumping over her body he seized once
more the gold and the bridge, picked up his club and bow and arrows,
and after setting fire to the Bad One's hut, ran down to the river,
which he crossed safely by the help of the bridge.

* * * * *

The hut, which was made of wood, was burned to the ground before the
Bad One came back with a large crowd of water-demons. There was not a
sign of anyone or anything, so he started for the river, where he saw
Ball-Carrier sitting quietly on the other side. Then the Bad One knew
what had happened, and after telling the water-demons that there would
be no feast after all, he called to Ball-Carrier, who was eating an
apple.

'I know your name now,' he said, 'and as you have ruined me, and I am
not rich any more, will you take me as your servant?'

'Yes, I will, though you have tried to kill me,' answered
Ball-Carrier, throwing the bridge across the water as he spoke. But
when the Bad One was in the midst of the stream, the boy wished it to
become small; and the Bad One fell into the water and was drowned, and
the world was rid of him.

[_U.S. Bureau of Ethnology._]

_HOW BALL-CARRIER FINISHED HIS TASK_

After Ball-Carrier had managed to drown the Bad One so that he could
not do any more mischief, he forgot the way to his grandmother's
house, and could not find it again, though he searched everywhere.
During this time he wandered into many strange places, and had many
adventures; and one day he came to a hut where a young girl lived. He
was tired and hungry and begged her to let him in and rest, and he
stayed a long while, and the girl became his wife. One morning he saw
two children playing in front of the hut, and went out to speak to
them. But as soon as they saw him they set up cries of horror and ran
away. 'They are the children of my sister who has been on a long
journey,' replied his wife, 'and now that she knows you are my husband
she wants to kill you.'

'Oh, well, let her try,' replied Ball-Carrier. 'It is not the first
time people have wished to do that. And here I am still, you see!'

'Be careful,' said the wife, 'she is very cunning.' But at this moment
the sister-in-law came up.

'How do you do, brother-in-law? I have heard of you so often that I am
ve