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Dask'iya' Is Killed By A Girl

This version of the legend comes from Manuel Andrade's 1930 collection Quileute Texts, which is out of print. The storyteller was a bilingual Quileute man named Hallie George.

Here lived a big woman named Dask'iya'. She used to steal children and take them to Yaq'ilis creek, going up the Quileute river, where she put the children together. Here Dask'iya' would cook the children. She built a big fire and put rocks into the fire, which Dask'iya' used to broil the children. Before broiling the children she put gum in their eyes so that they could not see anything.

One day she caught many children. Then she heated the stones which she was going to use to broil the children. The children were standing around the fire, but they were unable to see because they were affected by the gum. Then one older girl warmed her hands in order to melt the gum that was stuck in her eyes. In the meantime Dask'iya' was dancing and singing, saying that the fire was getting hot, and the rocks were about to be ready. Then the little girl finally melted the gum and opened her eyes. Then Dask'iya' kept on dancing and singing. Then when the girl was in front of her she pushed Dask'iya' into the fire. Then Dask'iya' burned quickly because there was nothing but gum in the fire.

Then after Dask'iya' burned completely, the girl warmed her hands again and melted the gum which was stuck in the eyes of the children. Then all the children opened their eyes. Then the children all went home and they were all right.

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