Legend of the Klickitat Basket
(Klickitat Literature)

SHADE told the first weaver to weave tooksi, the basket. Weaver said, "I do not know how." But she went to the forest. She thought for a long time how to weave tooksi. Then she gathered the plant yi, with squaw grass, elk grass, pine grass, and noo-wi-ash, the red cedar roots. Then Weaver began to work. She worked very hard for many days. Then tooksi, the basket, was finished. Weaver carried it to the lake. She dipped it full of water, but the water leaked out.

Shade said, "It will not do. Weave again. Weave a tight basket with a pattern in it." Weaver was very sorrowful. Weaver sat by the lake mourning. At last, in the clear water, Weaver saw the pattern, chato-timus. Then Weaver was happy again.

She went again into the deep forest and pulled up noo-wi-ash, the red cedar roots. Then Weaver began to work. She worked very hard for many days. Then tooksi, the basket, was finished. Weaver carried it to the lake. She dipped it full of water. This time the water did not leak out. The basket was tight and it had a pattern on it, as Shade had told her. Other weavers learned the pattern. Thus the Klickitats have plenty of baskets. They do not leak and they have a pattern in them.