The Dangerous Water Monster

The following data is extracted from Traditions of the Caddo.

    When the world was new and not well known it was a dangerous place to live in. One time when there were many people camping near a small creek one of the men went down to the creek to get water. After he had finished drinking he looked into the water and saw a large animal that looked like a snake. It was slowly moving up the creek and he saw that it was very long. He ran up the creek to see how long it was, and he ran about two miles before he came to its head. Then he started for the camp, and when he arrived he went to his grandfather, who was always at home, because he was a very old man and could not hunt with the others. He told him what he had seen, and when he finished telling him the grandfather said: "You have seen some wonderful thing, my son, that has been sent as a sign to our people." He did not know what the sign was and so he called for the errand man, and when he came the old man told him to call all the people together at his lodge, for he had something to tell them. When the people came in he at once told them about what his grandson had seen. Some of the men would not believe him, but most of them went down to the creek and there saw the water monster and knew that the man had told the truth. They all wondered why it had come and whether it was a good or evil omen. The old men tried to recall the past, to find out if the people had ever had a similar sign sent to them, but could not remember any. There was one man in the camp who was old and blind, and he knew many wonderful things; and so the people went for him, and when he came the chief asked him if he knew what the appearance of the water monster meant. The old man sat there for a while without a word, and every one was very quiet. "Well," he said, finally, "the sign is a very bad one, for it signifies that the waters shall rise in a short time." It was not long until the waters rose and formed a large lake. The lake was very dangerous. When one crossed it he had to cross without saying a word to any one.
    One time there were four men who went out hunting on the other side of the lake, and after they had killed much game they started back again. They crossed the lake without making any noise and were within a short distance of the opposite shore when one man, who was very brave, thought he would see what the water would do to them if he spoke. He began to talk very loud, and in a little while the water rose up in a cloud over their heads and they were all drowned but the one man who had told that the water was very dangerous and warned the man not to talk. He went home empty-handed, for his bow and arrows had been washed away. He called some other men together and told them what had happened and asked them to go with him to search for the bodies of the men. Two of the bodies were found, but the body of the man who made the noise could not be found.

Source: Traditions of the Caddo

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