the idiot boy who turned into a Snake (Tale 22)

Family: Arikara · Role: young man who turns into a Snake · First appears: Tale 22 · The Boy Who Turned Into a Snake

Life events

The idiot boy ate meat from the burned water-serpent and began transforming into a Snake.(Tale 22 · The Boy Who Turned Into a Snake)
- “But the idiot was hungry and took some meat from the serpent and ate.”
The idiot boy's legs joined into a snake's tail, and he turned into a Snake.(Tale 22 · The Boy Who Turned Into a Snake)
- With: the chief's son (Tale 22)
- “The fourth morning the boy found his legs had grown together and had turned into the tail of a snake. The other young man promised to take care of him as long as he could. He carried the boy upon his back to the nearest lake. The idiot now turned into a Snake.”
The boy placed the Snake in the Missouri River, where the Snake declared he was to stay.(Tale 22 · The Boy Who Turned Into a Snake · 📍 the Missouri River)
- With: the chief's son (Tale 22)
- “So the boy took the Snake down to the Missouri River and put it into the river. The Snake swam around in the river and came out and said: “My brother, I am to rest in the middle of the Missouri River.”
The Snake received presents from the people, who learned that the idiot had become a Snake.(Tale 22 · The Boy Who Turned Into a Snake · 📍 the Missouri River)
- “The Snake boy received the presents, showing himself, so the people knew that the idiot had turned to a Snake.”

friends with the chief's son (Tale 22) (The chief's son takes a liking to the idiot boy.) “All the boys plagued him except one whose father was a chief and who took a liking for the boy.”

Extracted from the original text of Traditions of the Arikara. Made with Rho MD.