In ancient times there lived among the Cherokees two strange beings,
monsters of human form, resembling Cherokees in appearance. These two
monsters, a man and a woman, lived in a cave. They were call Nayunu'wi -
Stone-shields or Stone-jackets, or Uilata (sharp, pointed), because they had
sharp-pointed hands.

These monsters killed children, and sometimes adults. As they dressed like
Cherokees, and spoke their language, it was difficult to distinguish them
from this people.

The man generally killed hunters and other people who were alone and far
from home by attacking them. The woman used tricks to procure her victims.
She came to the houses, kindly offering her services, offering to nurse
children and do similar things.

As soon as she had a child in her arms, she ran away with it until she was
out of hearing, and pierced the brain of the child with her spiky hand, then
took the liver from the body and disappeared. The Nayunu'wi appear to have
lived on the livers of their victims.

The older Cherokees, long tired of the ravages of these monsters, held a
council to determine the best way of killing the Uilata. At last they
resolved to kill them with arrows, not knowing that the Uilata were
stone-clad. As soon as they saw an opportunity to attack the woman, they
shot their arrows at her with all their might, but they were very much
astonished to see that the arrows did not have any effect whatsoever.

Then a top-knot bird, which was perched on the branch of a tree close by,
said to the warriors: "Aim for the heart; aim for the heart!"

The Cherokees shot their arrows at the spot where they supposed the heart to
be, but no better than before did they succeed in killing the monster.

At last a jay appeared, and said to the warriors: "Aim for the hand; aim for
the hand!"

They shot the monster's hand, and it dropped dead. At the moment it fell its
stone jacket broke into pieces. The people gathered the fragments, and kept
them as sacred amulets, for luck in war, in hunting, and in love.

The man-monster disappeared; according to tradition, it went north.