XIII. The Owl, Hock-hock: Bob Gwahah-dolch

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When a young boy, Bob Gwahah-dolch went out into the wild woods near the mouth of the Snohomish River. After he had been gone several days he heard a sound that came from the ground that was strange to him. Come to find out it was a great stubby bird on a limb half way up a tree. The bird was talking its own language, saying something that Bob couldn’t understand. Bob thought it was just a noise, but come to find out, it was the bird’s language. Finally the bird used the Indian language to make Bob Gwahah-dolch understand that he was a great bird. He was a night bird, one that no one could see in the day time. The bird knew that this boy Gwahah-dolch was looking for a powerful totem and that is why he showed himself half way up the tree waiting for Bob Gwahah-dolch. The bird said “Now if you want a powerful totem I am here and I would like to be with you. If you want me I will come down there on the ground and teach you all my action, how I travel and how I could handle people and how I could cure sick people.”

The Owl

Bob said to him, “Yes, I wish you would come down, great bird, for I am having a hard time looking for a great totem like you.” Down to the ground he flew and started telling Bob his tune, how he travels at night, showed him how he will cure sick people and how powerful he was; showed him his claws, both front and rear, how he could grab and never let go. He had a little animal by the name of Balk-katche, a mole. “This is my playmate,” he said, “just to show the people how quick I am for just as soon as Balk-katche crawls out of the ground I will have him right there.”

And so it shows on the totem pole, the great owl with the little animal right under his great claws to play with. He told Bob that whenever he carves a totem stick he must have the little animal under his great claws to show the people that he is a great, powerful bird as you see it on the totem pole.

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