12
Giant Frogs and WormsNorthern Tutchone people tell other stories about other large animals, too. One of the best known is about the Giant Frog that lived near Carmacks at Ts'äl Cho An ("Giant Frog Den"- known as Eagle Rock in English):
"People were scared of it and lay down on their rafts when they floated past on the river. If any noise was made going past on the river, it would cause a big wind to come up from the rock. People use to hide their children under blankets and told them to be quiet for about a mile upriver and downriver of Eagle Rock. Sometimes, if the frog saw people coming, he would jump on the raft and tip the people into the water. But it died in the big fire too".
Another story tells of a Giant Worm that lives at Gum Tthi ("Worm Rock" - Tantalus Butte or Coalmine Hill in English):
"Long time ago, before the white man or anything, a big worm lived under the ground in Coalmine Hill. When people went past on the river, they were very quiet so as not to awake the worm. If he found out someone was coming, he would roar and shake the ground. People were afraid to go up there, because they didn't know what made that noise. Then there was a fire. Everything burned and people had to stay on islands. The hill is made of coal and it burned way down deep. After that, that thing hollered no more".
13
Sioh Jhee & Giant AnimalsThere are many Northern Tutchone stories about Sioh Jhee, also known as Smart Man or Beaver Man. Here is a part of one that involves Giant Animals:
"A long time ago, many animals were much larger than they are today and they ate people. They were bad animals. Bear, eagle and coyote were all huge and ate people. Sioh Jhee set out to fix that. Here is the story of how he changed the eagles.
The eagles were killing and eating lots of people. Then the eagles were huge and their babies were the size adult eagles are now. Sioh Jhee made a sharp stick and climbed high in a tree where the eagles had their nest. The parents were away so he talked to the babies.
"Which one of you is a tattle tale?" he asked. The brother pointed to his sister. Sioh Jhee quickly killed her and gave the brother a gopher to eat as a reward for telling him. "How do you know when your mother and father are coming?" he asked.
"When my mother comes there is warmth and sunshine. "When my father comes there is a hailstorm, "replied the boy eagle. Sioh Jhee took his sharp stick and hid under the nest.
Then the mother arrived carrying a human body.
"I have fresh meat, "she said. "Where is your sister?"
"She had a headache and flew down to the creek to get some water," replied the boy eagle.
Just then, Sioh Jhee stabbed the mother eagle from under the nest, killing her. He threw that eagle away. Then there was a hail storm and the father eagle arrived carrying another human body. "Where are your mother and sister?" he demanded. "They both had headaches and flew down to the creek for water." Sioh Jhee stabbed through the nest again, killing the father eagle. He told the baby eagle,
"Now you will stay the size you are, and eat only gophers, rabbits, grouse and fish. Don't eat people anymore."
 |
 |
 |
 |