Te people were living at Matsaka. A young man was a great hunter. He went everyday after deer. One day he was far from home at sunset, and it was dark and raining. He saw smoke from a house in Halona and thought to himself, "I will go and get shelter there." He climbed to the top of the roof and looked down the hatchway. Inside a fine-looking woman was sitting by the fireplace tying her daughter's hair. He went into the house, and the woman said, "Sit down." He sat down, and the girl brought out some food and the man ate. When he had finished he said, "Thank you." The woman said to him, "Where were you going?" He answered, "My home is in Matsaka, and I was hunting deer," She said, "It is too dark for you to find your way now. Stay here tonight." "All right." The woman said, "Will you have my daughter tonight?" "I think so." The girl was beautiful. When the bed was made in the inner room, the girl and the hunter went in to sleep.
Next morning at daybreak the hunter woke. The house was an old ruin, and all the good blankets he had gone to sleep on were bits of rag. The girl was a skeleton. Her am lay over the hunters shoulder, and when he jumped the bones rattled as he threw them off. He was terrified. He ran to the ladder and started off as fast as he could. He could hear the old woman's skull rolling after him.
At Hawiku htey were dancing the yaya dance. The hunter ran among them, and cried, "Somebody is chasing me. Save me." They said, "go into the circle and dance with the girls." he danced the yaya. The skull came rolling into the plaza. It called out, "Where is my daughter's husband? She is crying for her husband." The skull rolled right into the dance. The girls screamed and the men ran in every direction. The hunter ran off as fast a he could.
He came to a Navaho camp. They were dancing the war dance. He called out, "Save! Save me! Someone is chasing me." They said, "We will." They took off his clothing and put on Navaho costume and did his hair Navaho fashion and hung a quiver over his shoulder. The skull came. It called out, "Where is my daughter's husband? Have you seen my daughter's husband?" It rolled right up to the hunter, and he ran off as fast as he could.
He came to Laguna. They were dancing the harvest dance. He cried out. "Save me. Save me. Someone is chasing me." They said, "Dance with us. Take this bow in your hand." He went into the dance. The skull came. It cried, "Where is my daughter's husband? Have you seen my daughter's husband? She is crying for him." It rolled right among the dancers. They scattered, and the hunter ran as fast as he could.
He cme to bluebirds in a pinon tree. Bluebird Chief said to the huner, "Why are you running? He answered, "Someone is chasing me. Save me!" "Come up here and climb under my wing." He climbed up the pinon and hid under the birds wing. The skull came. It called out, "Where is my daughter's husband? Have you seen my daughter's husband?" The bluebirds tittered, "Ha, ha, ha, ha! We haven't seen your daughter's husband? The skull called again, "Where is my daughter's husbandj? The bluebirds tittered, "Ha, ha, ha, ha! We haven't seen your daughter's husband." The skull came right up the tree and up to Bluebird Chief. The hunter jumped out from under his wing and ran off as fast as he could.
He came to a large lake with sunflowers growing around it. The biggest sunflower said to him, "Why are your running?" He said, "Someone is chasing me. Save me." "Come up on my ear." The hunter climbed up and sat on the big leaf of the sun flower. The skull came. It called, "Where is my daughter's husband? Have you seen my daughter's husband? The sunflower said, "No, we didn't see your daughter's husband." The skull shook the biggest sunflower, and the hunter fell down and ran as fast as he could to the east.
he came to Porcupine. He cried, "Save me. Someone is chasing me." Porcupine said, "Come into my house. Get pinon gum and put it a hand deep inside the door." When he had done this, he sat down by the Porcupine. The skull came "Where is my husband? [sic] Have you seen my husband? Porcupine said, "No, I have not seen your husband." "Yes, his track went in here. Send out my husband." "Come in and get him." "Send him out to me." "No, if you want him, come in and get him." The fourth time Skull came into Porcupine's house. It stuck fast in the pinon gum, and Porcupine set fire to the gum and burned Skull and destroyed it. The hunter stayed with Porcupine and married Porcupine Girl.
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