Gifford-Block. Californian Indian Nights Entertainments

Today's free book is Californian Indian Nights Entertainments compiled by Edward W. Gifford and Gwendoline Harris Block. For the table of contents, check at the bottom of this post below the image. The book draws on many different California tribal traditions as indicated in the note to each story.

The book is available at Hathi Trust.


Introduction
Story Telling
Origin of the World
Destruction of the World
The Origin of Man
The Destiny of the Soul
The Quest of Fire
The Origin of the Sun and Moon
Coyote Tales
The Grizzly Bear
Monsters
Skyland
Star Stories
Adventure Stories
Migration Tales

The Origin of the World and of Man
The Earth Dragon
How the Earth was Made
Above-Old-Man Destroys his First World
The Beginning of the World (six versions)
The Making and Destroying of the World
The World before the Coming of the Indians
The Making of Human Beings
How the World was Made Comfortable for People

The Origin of Death  
Hawk Chief's Death
Coyote's Death
Meadowlark Starts Death

How People Got Fire
The Burning of the World
Why the Indians are able to get Fire by Drilling
Dog Steals Fire
Mouse Steals Fire
Mouse Regains Fire
How Coyote Stole the Fire

The World Fire
Why the World was Set Afire
The World Afire

Stories About the Sun and Moon 
The Stealing of the Sun
Sun's Arrival in the Sky
What Sun did to Meadowlark
Why Mole's Hands are Bent Back
A Story of the Sun and Moon
The Moon's Phases
Coyote and the Moons (Months)

Coyote Stories
Coyote and Rabbit
Coyote and Owl
Coyote's Salmon
How Coyote got his Cunning
How Coyote brought Salmon to the Klamath river
Coyote is Punished
Coyote Outwits Porcupine
Coyote's Sad End

The Land of the Dead 
The Island of the Dead
The Return from the Land of the Dead
Why We are not Able to Visit the Dead

Stories about Monsters  
Pelican, the Murderer
The Two-Headed Monster
Takwish, the Cannibal Spirit of Mount San Jacinto
The Cannibal Head
The Rolling Skull
The Rolling Head
How Wingi was Destroyed
Chipmunk, the Giant-Killer

The Skyland  
How Rough-Nose Saved his Brother
The Lost Brother
Kidnapped in Skyland

Star Stories  
The Pleiades (two versions)
Whence Some Stars Came
The Magician and his Son

Thunder  
The Thunder Dog
The Beginning of Thunder
Thunder
Thunder's Daughter

Adventure Stories  
The Conquerer
The Avenger of the Cupeno
The Adventurous Brother
The Woman who was not Satisfied

Stories about Yosemite 
The Creation of Yosemite Valley
The Origin of El Capitan
The Spirits of Yosemite Falls

Miscellaneous  
How Ground Squirrel Stole Obsidian
Little Lizard Kills Grizzly Bear
Skunk's Victory
The Abduction of Lady Pelican
Great Wind's Daughters
Lizard Outwits Grizzly Bear
Butterfly-Man
Why Owls Live Away from Human Beings
Why there are Storms in Winter
Robin's Husband
The First Pomo Bear Doctors
Love Medicine

Stories with European Motifs
Coyote Meets Pitch
Fruito, the Gambler

Index