Sammamish Maiden

Just a side note if you are interested. This local Indian tale is about a maiden with a name that is un-spellable and unpronounceable.

One day she was gathering food from the sea when a particular shell she wanted kept slipping away from her and deeper into the water. When she reached for the shell the fourth time a hand grabbed her and held her. Then a man spoke to her. He told her how beautiful she was and then told her about his world under the water. The maiden returned several times to talk with this man until one day she asked to see him. He stood up and was a very handsome man. She took him to visit her family and everyone was fascinated with him. After several visits the man asked for the maiden's hand in marriage but the father refused. The sea man was hurt and told them they would have a very hard time earning living and for the next year there were no fish or kelp for the family to eat, gather or trade. The next spring the maiden again went out to the sea and called for her sea man. He came to her and again he asked for her to come live with him under the sea. This time the father agreed with one condition that his daughter come home to see the family so they would not worry about her and they could see she was happy. The maiden returned each year but each time she was more and more like the sea with hair like kelp, her skin more like scales and shells and fish a part of her clothing. After four years the father let his daughter go back to the sea never to see her again. But the sea came alive with all the fish and creatures the family needed for a rich life. Now, when you see kelp floating in the water, you will know that this maiden is nearby.