English Translation


3. The Killing of the Bull
Lawrence Mithlo

(3.1)
Now the Bull who killed with his eyes, he who did not permit people to live, existed.

(3.2)
Then Child of the Water spoke thus to his mother:
"My mother, now I'm going over there where lives the Bull who kills with his eyes."
he said to her.
And then he went off to him.

(3.3)
That Bull lay where one could not approach him [unseen] from any direction.
He lay right in a plain looking in all directions.

(3.4)
[Child of the Water] stopped, facing him from a hiding place.
There he sat for some time.
"How can I kill that Bull?"
he thought as he sat weeping.

(3.5)
Then, suddenly, a Gopher came to him.
"Why do you sit there weeping?"
he said to him.

(3.6)
Then Child of the Water spoke thus:
"I want in some way to kill that Bull who kills with his eyes [and] who will not permit people to live; I weep because there is no way in which I can do it."
he said to him.

(3.7)
Then the Gopher spoke thus to Child of the Water:
"Well, I'll dig for you four tunnels above one another and leading directly to his heart.

Then, just as I give you the word, you run into this topmost tunnel.

Then, when you get over there, his heart will be beating right there.1

Then, when you have shot [your arrow] right in the center of his heart, run into the lowest tunnel."
he said to him.
He advised him well.

(3.8)
Then:
"Now hurry up! Run in right here! Do everything I have told you in just that Way!"
said the Gopher to him.

(3.9)
Then Child of the Water:
"All right, [I'll do] just so."
he said to him.

(3.10)
Then he entered the topmost tunnel.
He stopped right under where the Bull was lying.
And right there his heart was beating.
He shot [an arrow] right into the center of it.
Then he ran away from him.
He ran into the very lowest tunnel.

(3.11)
The Bull was plowing the tunnels up with his horns.
He tore the three top tunnels all up.
Finally, he started to tear up the fourth tunnel also.
He fell dead just as he [came] close to where [Child of the Water] lay.

(3.12)
Then he had also killed this one who would not permit people to live.

(3.13)
Then Child of the Water returned to his mother.
"I have also killed the Bull who kills with his eyes."
he said to her.

(3.14)
Then White Painted Woman, feeling very happy [and] saying,
"That is good!"
danced around and around.




Ethnological Notes
Morris Opler



3.1
Gopher also bares the heart of the monster by pleading that he needs fur for the nest of his children. When he gains permission to take some fur, he selects it from the region over the heart. (See Mescalero text 8)