TheSong—hunterremainedwiththesepeopleuntilthecornwasripe。
TherehelearnedtoeatcornandhecarriedsomebackwithhimtotheNavajos,whohadnotseencornbefore,andhetaughtthemhowtoraiseitandhowtoeatit。
Whenhewishedtoreturnhome,thelogswouldnotfloatupstream。Foursunbeamsattachedthemselvestothelogs,onetoeachcrossarm,andsodrewtheSong—hunterbacktotheboxcanonfromwhichhehadstarted。
Whenhereachedthatpoint,heseparatedthelogs。Heplacedtheendofthesolidlogintothehollowendoftheotherandplantedthisgreatpoleintheriver。Itmaybeseenthereto—daybytheventuresome。Inearlydaysmanywenttheretoprayandmakeofferings。
SandPaintingoftheSong—HunterNavajo(Explanatoryoffrontispiece)
Theblackcrossbarsdenotepinelogs;thewhitelinesthefrothofthewater;theyellow,vegetabledebrisgatheredbythelogs;theblueandredlines,sunbeams。Thebluespotinthecentreofthecrossdenoteswater。TherearefourHostjobokon,withtheirwives,theHostjoboard。
Eachcouplesitsupononeofthecrossarmsofthelogs。Thegodscarryintheirrighthandsarattle,andintheirleftsprigsofpinon;thegoddessescarrypinonsprigsinbothhands。
Hasjeltiistotheeastofthepainting。Hecarriesasquirrelskinfilledwithtobacco。Hisshirtiswhitecottonandveryelastic。Theleggingsareofwhitedeerskin,fringed,andhisheadisornamentedwithaneagle’stail;atthetipofeachplumethereisafluffyfeatherfromthebreastoftheeagle。Theprojectionontherightofthethroatisafoxskin。
Hostjoghonisatthewest。Hisshirtisinvisible,thedarkbeingthedarkofthebody。Hisstaffiscoloredblackfromacharredplant。Twostripsofbeaverskintippedwithsixquillsoftheporcupineareattachedtotherightofthethroat。Thefourcoloredstarsonthebodyarebeadornaments。Thetopofthestaffisornamentedwithaturkey’stail。Eagleandturkeyplumesarealternatelyattachedtothestaff。
TheNaaskiddiarenorthandsouthofthepainting。Theycarrystaffsoflightningornamentedwitheagleplumesandsunbeams。Theirbodiesarenudeexcepttheloinskirt。Thehunchuponthebackisablackcloudandthethreegroupsofwhitelinesindicatecornandotherseeds。Fiveeagleplumesareattachedtothecloud—back,sinceeaglesliveamongtheclouds。Thebodyissurroundedbysunlight。Thelinesofblueandredwhichborderthecloud—backdenotesunbeamspenetratingstormclouds。
Theblackcirclezig—zaggedwithwhitearoundtheheadisacloudbasketfilledwithcornandseedsofgrass。Oneachsideoftheheadarefivefeathersofthered—shaftedflicker。
TheRainbowgoddess,uponwhichthesegodsoftentravel,partlyencirclesandcompletesthepicture。
Thesesandpicturesaredrawnuponcommonyellowsand,broughtinblanketsandlaidinsquaresaboutthreeinchesthickandfourfeetindiameter。Thecolorsusedindecorationwereyellow,red,andwhite,securedfromsandstones,blackfromcharcoal,andagrayishbluemadefromwhitesandandcharcoalmixedwithaverysmallquantityofyellowandredsands。
(FromeighthannualreportoftheBureauofEthnology,abridgedfromdescriptionofJamesStevenson。)
TheGuidingDuckandtheLakeofDeathZuni(NewMexico)
NowK—yak—lu,theall—hearingandwiseofspeech,allalonehadbeenjourneyingafarintheNorthLandofcoldandwhiteloneliness。Hewaslost,fortheworldinwhichhewanderedwasburiedinthesnowwhichliesspreadthereforever。Socoldhewasthathisfacebecamewanandwhitefromthefrozenmistsofhisownbreath,whiteasbecomeallcreatureswhodwellthere。Socoldatnightanddrearyofheart,solostbydayandblindedbythelightwashethathewept,anddiedofheartandbecametransformedasarethegods。Yethislipscalledcontinuallyandhisvoicegrewshrillanddry—sounding,likethevoiceoffar—flyingwater—fowl。Ashecried,wanderingblindly,thewaterbirdsflockingaroundhimpeeredcuriouslyathim,callingmeanwhiletotheircomrades。
Butwisethoughhewasofallspeeches,andtheirmeaningsplaintohim,yetnonetoldhimthewaytohiscountryandpeople。
NowtheDuckheardhiscryanditwaslikeherown。Shewasofallregionsthetravellerandsearcher,knowingalltheways,whetheraboveorbelowthewaters,whetherinthenorth,thewest,thesouth,ortheeast,andwasthemostknowingofallcreatures。Thusthewisdomoftheoneunderstoodtheknowledgeoftheother。
AndtheAll—wisecriedtoher,"Themountainsarewhiteandthevalleys;
allplainsarelikeothersinwhiteness,andeventhelightofourFathertheSun,makesallwaysmorehiddenofwhiteness!Inbrightnessmyeyesseebutdarkness。"
TheDuckanswered:
"Thinknolongersadthoughts。ThouhearestallasIseeall。Givemetinklingshellsfromthygirdleandplacethemonmyneckandinmybeak。Imayguidetheewithmyseeingifthouhearandfollowmytrail。
WellIknowthewaytothycountry。EachyearIleadthitherthewildgeeseandthecraneswhofleethereaswinterfollows。"
SotheAll—wiseplacedhistalkingshellsontheneckoftheDuck,andthesingingshellsinherbeak,andthoughpainfullyandlamely,yethefollowedthesoundshemadewiththeshells。Fromplacetoplacewithswiftflightshesped,thenawaitinghim,duckingherheadthattheshellsmightcallloudly。ByandbytheycametothecountryofthickrainsandmistsonthebordersoftheSnowWorld,andpassedfromwatertowater,untilwiderwaterlayintheirpath。InvaintheDuckcalledandjingledtheshellsfromthemidstofthewaters。K—yak—lucouldneitherswimnorflyascouldtheDuck。
NowtheRainbow—wormwasnearinthatlandofmistsandwatersandheheardthesoundofthesacredshells。
"Thesebemygrandchildren,"hesaid,andcalled,"Whymournye?Givemeplumesofthespaces。Iwillbearyouonmyshoulders。"
ThentheAll—wisetooktwoofthelightestplumewands,andtheDuckhertwostrongfeathers。AndhefastenedthemtogetherandbreathedonthemwhiletheRainbow—wormdrewnear。TheRainbowunbenthimselfthatK—yak—lumightmount,thenhearchedhimselfhighamongtheclouds。Likeanarrowhestraightenedhimselfforward,andfolloweduntilhisfacelookedintotheLakeoftheAncients。AndtheretheAll—wisedescended,andsattherealone,intheplainbeyondthemountains。TheDuckhadspreadherwingsinflighttothesouthtotakecounselofthegods。
ThentheDuck,evenasthegodshaddirected,preparedalitterofpolesandreeds,andbeforethemorningcame,withthelittertheywent,singingaquaintandpleasantsong,downthenorthernplain。AndwhentheyfoundtheAll—wise,helookedupontheminthestarlightandwept。
Butthefatherofthegodsstoodoverhimandchantedthesaddirgerite。ThenK—yak—lusatdowninthegreatsoftlittertheyboreforhim。
Theylifteditupontheirshoulders,bearingitlightly,singingloudlyastheywent,totheshoresofthedeepblacklake,wheregleamedfromthemiddlethelightsofthedead。
Outoverthemagicladderofrushesandcaneswhichreareditselfoverthewater,theyborehim。AndK—yak—lu,scatteringsacredprayermealbeforehim,steppeddowntheway,slowly,likeablindman。Nosoonerhadhetakenfourstepsthantheladderloweredintothedeep。AndtheAll—wiseenteredthecouncilroomofthegods。
Thegodssentouttheirrunners,tosummonallbeings,andcalledindancersfortheDanceofGood。Andwiththesecamethelittleoneswhohadsunkbeneaththewaters,wellandbeautifulandallseeminglycladincottonmantlesandpreciousneckjewels。
TheBoyWhoBecameAGodNavajo(NewMexico)
TheTolchini,aclanoftheNavajos,livedatWindMountains。Oneofthemusedtotakelongvisitsintothecountry。Hisbrothersthoughthewascrazy。Thefirsttimeonhisreturn,hebroughtwithhimapinebough;thesecondtime,corn。Eachtimehereturnedhebroughtsomethingnewandhadastrangestorytotell。Hisbrotherssaid:"Heiscrazy。Hedoesnotknowwhatheistalkingabout。"
NowtheTolchinileftWindMountainsandwenttoarockyfoothilleastoftheSanMateoMountain。Theyhadnothingtoeatbutseedgrass。Theeldestbrothersaid,"Letusgohunting,"buttheytoldtheyoungestbrothernottoleavecamp。Butfivedaysandfivenightspassed,andtherewasnoword。Sohefollowedthem。
Afteraday’stravelhecampednearacanon,inacavelikeplace。Therewasmuchsnowbutnowatersohemadeafireandheatedarock,andmadeaholeintheground。Thehotrockheatedthesnowandgavehimwatertodrink。justthenheheardatumultoverhishead,likepeoplepassing。
Hewentouttoseewhatmadethenoiseandsawmanycrowscrossingbackandforthoverthecanon。Thiswasthehomeofthecrow,buttherewereotherfeatheredpeoplethere,andthechaparralcock。Hesawmanyfiresmadebythecrowsoneachsideoftheca–on。Twocrowsflewdownnearhimandtheyouthlistenedtohearwhatwasthematter。
Thetwocrowscriedout,"Somebodysays。Somebodysays。"
Theyouthdidnotknowwhattomakeofthis。
Acrowontheoppositesidecalledout,"Whatisthematter?Tellus!
Tellus!Whatiswrong?"
Thefirsttwocriedout,"Twoofusgotkilled。Wemettwoofourmenwhotoldus。"
Thentheytoldthecrowshowtwomenwhowereouthuntingkilledtwelvedeer,andapartyoftheCrowPeoplewenttothedeeraftertheywereshot。Theysaid,"Twoofuswhowentafterthebloodofthedeerwereshot。"
Thecrowsontheothersideoftheca–oncalled,"Whichmengotkilled?"
"Thechaparralcock,whosatonthehornofthedeer,andthecrowwhosatonitsbackbone。"
Theotherscalledout,"Wearenotsurprisedtheywerekilled。Thatiswhatwetellyouallthetime。Ifyougoafterdeaddeeryoumustexpecttobekilled。"
"Wewillnotthinkofthemlonger,"sothetwocrowsreplied。"Theyaredeadandgone。Wearetalkingofthingsoflongago。"
Buttheyouthsatquietlybelowandlistenedtoeverythingthatwassaid。
Afterawhilethecrowsontheothersideofthecanonmadeagreatnoiseandbegantodance。Theyhadmanysongsatthattime。Theyouthlistenedallthetime。Afterthedanceagreatfirewasmadeandhecouldseeblackobjectsmoving,buthecouldnotdistinguishanypeople。
HerecognizedthevoiceofHasjelti。Herememberedeverythinginhisheart。Heevenrememberedthewordsofthesongsthatcontinuedallnight。Herememberedeverywordofeverysong。Hesaidtohimself,"I
willlistenuntildaylight。"
TheCrowPeopledidnotremainonthesideofthecanonwherethefireswerefirstbuilt。Theycrossedandrecrossedthecanonintheirdance。
Theydancedbackandforthuntildaylight。Thenallthecrowsandtheotherbirdsflewawaytothewest。Allthatwasleftwasthefiresandthesmoke。
Thentheyouthstartedforhisbrothers’camp。Theysawhimcoming。Theysaid,"Hewillhavelotsofstoriestotell。Hewillsayhesawsomethingnooneeversaw。"
Butthebrother—in—lawwhowaswiththemsaid,"Lethimalone。Whenhecomesintocamphewilltellusall。Ibelievethesethingsdohappenforhecouldnotmakeupthesethingsallthetime。"
Nowthecampwassurroundedbypinonbrushandalargefirewasburninginthecentre。Therewasmuchmeatroastingoverthefire。Whentheyouthreachedthecamp,herakedoverthecoalsandsaid。"Ifeelcold。"
Brother—in—lawreplied,"Itiscold。Whenpeoplecamptogether,theytellstoriestooneanotherinthemorning。Wehavetoldours,nowyoutellyours。"
Theyouthsaid,"WhereIstoppedlastnightwastheworstcampIeverhad。"Thebrotherspaidnoattentionbutthebrother—in—lawlistened。
Theyouthsaid,"Ineverheardsuchanoise。"Thenhetoldhisstory。
Brother—in—lawaskedwhatkindofpeoplemadethenoise。
Theyouthsaid,"Idonotknow。Theywerestrangepeopletome,buttheydancedallnightbackandforthacrossthecanonandIheardthemsaymybrotherskilledtwelvedeerandafterwardskilledtwooftheirpeoplewhowentforthebloodofthedeer。Iheardthemsay,"’Thatiswhatmustbeexpected。Ifyougotosuchplaces,youmustexpecttobekilled。’"
Theelderbrotherbeganthinking。Hesaid,"Howmanydeerdidyousaywerekilled?"
"Twelve。"
Elderbrothersaid,"Ineverbelievedyoubefore,butthisstoryIdobelieve。Howdoyoufindoutallthesethings?Whatisthematterwithyouthatyouknowthem?"
Theboysaid,"Idonotknow。Theycomeintomymindandtomyeyes。"
Thentheystartedhomeward,carryingthemeat。Theyouthhelpedthem。
Astheyweredescendingamesa,theysatdownontheedgetorest。Fardownthemesawerefourmountainsheep。Thebrotherstoldtheyouthtokillone。
Theyouthhidinthesagebrushandwhenthesheepcamedirectlytowardhim,heaimedhisarrowatthem。Buthisarmstiffenedandbecamedead。
Thesheeppassedby。
Heheadedthemoffagainbyhidinginthestalksofalargeyucca。Thesheeppassedwithinfivestepsofhim,butagainhisarmstiffenedashedrewthebow。
Hefollowedthesheepandgotaheadofthemandhidbehindabirchtreeinbloom。Hehadhisbowready,butastheynearedhimtheybecamegods。
ThefirstwasHasjelti,thesecondwasHostjoghon,thethirdNaaskiddi,andthefourthHadatchishi。Thentheyouthfellsenselesstotheground。
Thefourgodsstoodoneoneachsideofhim,eachwitharattle。Theytracedwiththeirrattlesinthesandthefigureofaman,drawinglinesathisheadandfeet。Thentheyouthrecoveredandthegodsagainbecamesheep。Theysaid,"Whydidyoutrytoshootus?Youseeyouareoneofus。"Fortheyouthhadbecomeasheep。
Thegodssaid,"Thereistobeadance,farofftothenorthbeyondtheUteMountain。Wewantyoutogowithus。Wewilldressyoulikeourselvesandteachyoutodance。Thenwewillwanderovertheworld。"
Nowthebrotherswatchedfromthetopofthemesabuttheycouldnotseewhatthetroublewas。Theysawtheyouthlyingontheground,butwhentheyreachedtheplace,allthesheepweregone。Theybegancrying,saying,"Foralongtimewewouldnotbelievehim,andnowhehasgoneoffwiththesheep。"
Theytriedtoheadoffthesheep,butfailed。Theysaid,"Ifwehadbelievedhim,hewouldnothavegoneoffwiththesheep。Butperhapssomedaywewillseehimagain。"
Atthedance,thefivesheepfoundsevenothers。Thismadetheirnumbertwelve。Theyjourneyedallaroundtheworld。Allpeopleletthemseetheirdancesandlearntheirsongs。Thentheeleventalkedtogetherandsaid,"Thereisnousekeepingthisyouthwithuslonger。Hehaslearnedeverything。Hemayaswellgobacktohispeopleandteachthemtodoaswedo。"
Sotheyouthwastaughttohavetwelveinthedance,sixgodsandsixgoddesses,withHasjeltitoleadthem。Hewastoldtohavehispeoplemakemaskstorepresentthegods。
Sotheyouthreturnedtohisbrothers,carryingwithhimallsongs,allmedicines,andclothing。
OriginofClearLakePatwin(SacramentoValley,Cal。)
Beforeanythingwascreatedatall,OldFrogandOldBadgerlivedalonetogether。OldBadgerwantedtodrink,soOldFroggnawedintoatree,drewoutallthesapandputitinahollowplace。ThenhecreatedLittleFrogstohelphim,andworkingtogethertheydugoutthelake。
ThenOldFrogmadethelittleflatwhitefish。Someofthemlivedinthelake,butothersswamdownCacheCreek,andturnedintothesalmon,pike,andsturgeonwhichswimintheSacramento。
TheGreatFirePatwin(SacramentoValley,Cal。)
Longagoamanlovedtwowomenandwishedtomarrybothofthem。Butthewomenweremagpiesandtheylaughedathim。Thereforethemanwenttothenorth,andmadeforhimselfatuleboat。Thenhesettheworldonfire,andhimselfescapedtoseainhisboat。
Butthefireburnedwithterriblespeed。Itateitswayintothesouth。
Itlickedupallthingsonearth,men,trees,rocks,animals,water,andeventhegrounditself。
NowOldCoyotesawtheburningandthesmokefromhisplacefarinthesouth,andheranwithallhismighttoputitout。Heputtwolittleboysinasackandrannorthlikethewind。Hetookhoney—dewintohismouth,cheweditup,spatonthefire,andsoputitout。Nowthefirewasout,buttherewasnowaterandCoyotewasthirsty。SohetookIndiansugaragain,cheweditup,dugaholeinthebottomofthecreek,coveredupthesugarinit,anditturnedtowaterandfilledthecreek。
Sotheearthhadwateragain。
Butthetwolittleboyscriedbecausetheywerelonesome,fortherewasnobodyleftonearth。ThenCoyotemadeasweathouse,andsplitanumberofsticks,andlaidtheminthesweathouseovernight。Inthemorningtheyhadallturnedintomenandwomen。
OriginoftheRavenandtheMacaw(Totemsofsummerandwinter)
Zuni(NewMexico)
ThepriestwhowasnamedYanauluhacarriedeverinhishandastaffwhichnowinthedaylightwasplumedandcoveredwithfeathers—yellow,blue—green,red,white,black,andvaried。Attachedtoitwereshells,whichmadeasong—liketinkle。Thepeoplewhentheysawitstretchedouttheirhandsandaskedmanyquestions。
Thenthepriestbalanceditinhishand,andstruckwithitahardplace,andblewuponit。Amidtheplumesappearedfourroundthings—mereeggstheywere。Twowereblueliketheskyandtwodun—redlikethefleshoftheEarth—mother。
Thenthepeopleaskedmanyquestions。,"These,"saidthepriests,"aretheseedoflivingbeings。Choosewhichyewillfollow。Fromtwoeggsshallcomebeingsofbeautifulplumage,coloredlikethegrassandfruitsofsummer。Wheretheyflyandyefollow,shallalwaysbesummer。Withouttoil,fieldsoffoodshallflourish。Andfromtheothertwoeggsshallcomeevilbeings,piebald,withwhite,withoutcolors。Andwherethesetwoshallflyandyeshallfollow,winterstriveswithsummer。Onlybylaborshallthefieldsyieldfruit,andyourchildrenandtheirsshallstriveforthefruits。Whichdoyechoose?"
"Theblue!Theblue!"criedthepeople,andthosewhowerestrongestcarriedofftheblueeggs,leavingtheredeggstothosewhowaited。
Theylaidtheblueeggswithmuchgentlenessinsoftsandonthesunnysideofahill,watchingdaybyday。Theywerepreciousofcolor;surelytheywouldbethepreciousbirdsoftheSummer—land。Thentheeggscrackedandthebirdscameout,withopeneyesandpinfeathersundertheirskins。
"Wechosewisely,"saidthepeople。"Yellowandblue,redandgreen,aretheirdresses,evenseenthroughtheirskins。"Sotheyfedthemfreelyofallthefoodswhichmenfavor。Thustheytaughtthemtoeatalldesirablefood。Butwhenthefeathersappeared,theywereblackwithwhitebandings。Theywereravens。Andtheyflewawaycroakinghoarselaughsandmockingourfathers。
Buttheothereggsbecamebeautifulmacaws,andwerewaftedbyatossofthepriest’swandtothefarawaySummer—land。
Sothosewhohadchosentheraven,becametheRavenPeople。TheyweretheWinterPeopleandtheyweremanyandstrong。Butthosewhohadchosenthemacaw,becametheMacawPeople。TheyweretheSummerPeople,andfewinnumber,andlessstrong,buttheywerewiserbecausetheyweremoredeliberate。ThepriestYanauluha,beingwise,becametheirfather,evenastheSun—fatherisamongthelittlemoonsofthesky。Heandhissistersweretheancestorsofthepriest—keepersofthings。
CoyoteandtheHareSia(NewMexico)
OnedayCoyotewaspassingaboutwhenhesawHaresittingbeforehishouse。Coyotethought,"InaminuteIwillcatchyou,"andhesprangandcaughtHare。
Harecried,"ManCoyote,donoteatme。Waitjustaminute;Ihavesomethingtotellyou—somethingyouwillbegladtohear—somethingyoumusthear。"
"Well,"saidCoyote,"Iwillwait。"
"Letmesitattheentranceofmyhouse,"saidHare。"ThenIcantalktoyou。"
CoyoteallowedHaretotakehisseatattheentrance。
Haresaid,Whatareyouthinkingof,Coyote?
"Nothing,"saidCoyote。
"Listen,then,"saidHare。"IamahareandIamverymuchafraidofpeople。Whentheycomecarryingarrows,Iamafraidofthem。WhentheyseemetheyaimtheirarrowsatmeandIamafraid,andoh!howI
tremble!"
HarebegantremblingviolentlyuntilhesawCoyotealittleoffhisguard,thenhebegantorun。IttookCoyoteaminutetothinkandthenheranafterHare,butalwaysalittlebehind。Hareracedawayandsoonenteredahouse,justintimetoescapeCoyote。Coyotetriedtoenterthehousebutfounditwashardstone。Hebecameveryangry。
Coyotecried,"Iwasverystupid!WhydidIallowthisHaretofoolme?
Imusthavehim。Butthishouseissostrong,howcanIopenit?"
Coyotebegantowork,butafterawhilehesaidtohimself,"ThestoneissostrongIcannotopenit。"
PresentlyHarecalled,"ManCoyote,howareyougoingtokillme?"
"Iknowhow,"saidCoyote。"Iwillkillyouwithfire。"
"Whereisthewood?"askedHare,forheknewtherewasnowoodathishouse。
"Iwillbringgrass,"saidCoyote,"andsetfiretoit。Thefirewillenteryourhouseandkillyou。"
"Oh,"saidHare,"butthegrassismine。Itismyfood;itwillnotkillme。Itismyfriend。Thegrasswillnotkillme。"
"Then,"saidCoyote,"Iwillbringallthetreesofthewoodandsetfiretothem。"
"Allthetreesknowme,"saidHare。"Theyaremyfriends。Theywillnotkillme。Theyaremyfood。"Coyotethoughtaminute。Thenhesaid,"I
willbringthegumofthe0pinonandsetfiretothat。"
Haresaid,"NowIamafraid。Idonoteatthat。Itisnotmyfriend。"
Coyoterejoicedthathehadthoughtofaplanforgettingthehare。HehurriedandbroughtallthegumhecouldcarryandplaceditatthedoorofHare’shouseandsetfiretoit。Inashorttimethegumboiledlikehotgrease,andHarecried,"NowIknowIshalldie!WhatshallIdo?"Yetallthetimeheknewwhathewoulddo。
ButCoyotewasgladHarewasafraid。AfterawhileHarecalled,"Thefireisenteringmyhouse,"andCoyoteanswered,"’Blowitout!"
ButCoyotedrewnearerandblewwithallhismighttoblowtheflameintoHare’shouseHarecried,"YouaresocloseyouareblowingthefireonmeandIwillsoonbeburned。"
Coyotewassohappythathedrewcloserandblewharder,anddrewstillclosersothathisfacewasveryclosetoHare’sface。ThenHaresuddenlythrewtheboilinggumintoCoyote’sfaceandescapedfromhishouse。
IttookCoyotealongtimetoremovethegumfromhisface,andhefeltverysorrowful。Hesaid,"Iamvery,verystupid。"
CoyoteandtheQuailsPima(Arizona)
Onceuponatime,longago,Coyotewassleepingsosoundlythatacoveyofquailscamealongandcutpiecesoffatmeatoutofhisfleshwithoutarousinghim。Thentheywenton。Aftertheyhadcampedfortheevening,andwerecookingthemeat,Coyotecameupthetrail。
Coyotesaid,"Wheredidyougetthatnice,fatmeat?Givemesome。"
Quailsgavehimallhewanted。Thenhewentfartherupthetrail。Afterhehadgonealittleway,Quailscalledtohim,"Coyote,youwereeatingyourownflesh。"
Coyotesaid,"Whatdidyousay?"
Quailssaid,"Oh,nothing。Weheardsomethingcallingbehindthemountains。"
Soonthequailscalledagain:"Coyote,youateyourownmeat。"
"Whatdidyousay?"
"Oh,nothing。Weheardsomebodypoundinghisgrinding—stone。"
SoCoyotewenton。Butatlasthebegantofeelwherehehadbeencut。
Thenheknewwhatthequailsmeant。HeturnedbackdownthetrailandtoldQuailshewouldeatthemup。Hebegantochasethem。ThequailsflewabovegroundandCoyoteranaboutunderthem。Atlasttheygottired,butCoyotedidnotbecausehewassoangry。
ByandbyQuailscametoahole,andoneofthekeenest—wittedpickedupapieceofpricklychollacactusandpusheditintothehole;thentheyallraninafterit。ButCoyotedugouttheholeandreachedthem。Whenhecametothefirstquailhesaid,"WasityouwhotoldmeIatemyownflesh?"
Quailsaid,"No。"
SoCoyotelethimgoandheflewaway。WhenCoyotecametothesecondquail,heaskedthesamequestion。Quailsaid,"No,"andthenflewaway。
SoCoyoteaskedeveryquail,untilthelastquailwasgone,andthenhecametothecactusbranch。Nowthepricklycactusbranchwassocoveredwithfeathersthatitlookedjustlikeaquail。Coyoteaskeditthesamequestion,butthecactusbranchdidnotanswer。ThenCoyotesaid,"Iknowitwasyoubecauseyoudonotanswer。"
SoCoyotebitveryhardintothehard,pricklybranch,anditkilledhim。
CoyoteandtheFawnsSia(NewMexico)
Anotherdaywhenhewastravellingaround,Coyotemetadeerwithtwofawns。Thefawnswerebeautifullyspotted,andhesaidtothedeer,"Howdidyoupaintyourchildren?Theyaresobeautiful!"
Deerreplied,"Ipaintedthemwithfirefromthecedar。"
"Andhowdidyoudothework?"askedCoyote。
"Iputmychildrenintoacaveandbuiltafireofcedarinfrontofit。
Everytimeasparkflewfromthefireitstruckmychildren,makingabeautifulspot。"
"Oh,"saidCoyote,"Iwilldothesamething。ThenIwillmakemychildrenbeautiful。"
Hehurriedtohishouseandputhischildreninacave。Thenhebuiltafireofcedarinfrontofitandstoodofftowatchthefire。Butthechildrencriedbecausethefirewasveryhot。Coyotekeptcallingtothemnottocrybecausetheywouldbebeautifullikethedeer。AfteratimethecryingceasedandCoyotewaspleased。Butwhenthefiredieddown,hefoundtheywereburnedtodeath。Coyoteexpectedtofindthembeautiful,butinsteadtheyweredead。
Thenhewasenragedwiththedeerandranawaytohunther,buthecouldnotfindheranywhere。Hewasmuchdistressedtothinkthedeerhadfooledhimsoeasily。
HowtheBluebirdGotitsColorPima(Arizona)
Alongtimeago,thebluebirdwasaveryuglycolor。ButBluebirdknewofalakewherenoriverflowedinorout,andhebathedinthisfourtimeseverymorningforfourmornings。Everymorninghesangamagicsong:
"There’sabluewater。Itliesthere。
Iwentin。
Iamallblue。"
OnthefourthmorningBluebirdshedallhisfeathersandcameoutofthelakejustinhisskin。Butthenextmorningwhenhecameoutofthelakehewascoveredwithbluefeathers。
NowallthiswhileCoyotehadbeenwatchingBluebird。Hewantedtojumpinandgethimtoeat,buthewasafraidofthewater。ButonthatlastmorningCoyotesaid,"Howisityouhavelostallyouruglycolor,andnowyouareblueandgayandbeautiful?Youaremorebeautifulthananythingthatfliesintheair。Iwanttobeblue,too。"NowCoyoteatthattimewasabrightgreen。
"Ionlywentinfourtimesonfourmornings,"saidBluebird。HetaughtCoyotethemagicsong,andhewentinfourtimes,andthefifthtimehecameoutasblueasthelittlebird。
ThenCoyotewasvery,veryproudbecausehewasabluecoyote。Hewassoproudthatashewalkedalonghelookedaroundoneverysidetoseeifanybodywaslookingathimnowthathewasabluecoyoteandsobeautiful。Helookedtoseeifhisshadowwasblue,too。ButCoyotewassobusywatchingtoseeifotherswerenoticinghimthathedidnotwatchthetrail。Byandbyheranintoastumpsohardthatitthrewhimdowninthedirtandhewascoveredwithdustallover。Youmayknowthisistruebecauseevento—daycoyotesarethecolorofdirt。
Coyote’sEyesPima(Arizona)
WhenCoyotewastravellingaboutoneday,hesawasmallbird。ThebirdwashoppingaboutcontentedlyandCoyotethought,"Whatabeautifulbird。Itmovesaboutsogracefully。"
Hedrewnearertothebirdandasked,"Whatbeautifulthingsareyouworkingwith?"butthebirdcouldnotunderstandCoyote。Afterawhilethebirdtookouthistwoeyesandthrewthemstraightupintotheair,liketwostones。Itlookedupwardbuthadnoeyes。Thenthebirdsaid,"Come,myeyes。Comequickly,downintomyhead。"Theeyesfelldownintothebird’shead,justwheretheybelonged,butweremuchbrighterthanbefore。
Coyotethoughthecouldbrightenhiseyes。Heaskedthebirdtotakeouthiseyes。ThebirdtookoutCoyote’seyes,heldthemforamomentinhishands,andthrewthemstraightupintotheair。Coyotelookedupandcalled,"Comeback,myeyes。Comequickly。"Theyatoncefellbackintohisheadandweremuchbrighterthanbefore。Coyotewantedtotryitagain,butthebirddidnotwishto。ButCoyotepersisted。Thenthebirdsaid,"WhyshouldIworkforyou,Coyote?No,Iwillworknomoreforyou。"
ButCoyotestillpersisted,andthebirdtookouthiseyesandthrewthemup。Coyotecried,"Come,myeyes,comebacktome。"
Buthiseyescontinuedtoriseintotheair,andthebirdbegantogoaway。Coyotebegantoweep。Butthebirdwasannoyed,andcalledback,"Goawaynow。Iamtiredofyou。Goawayandgetothereyes。"
ButCoyoterefusedtogoandentreatedthebirdtofindeyesforhim。AtlastthebirdgatheredgumfromapinontreeandrolleditbetweenhishandsandputitinCoyote’seyeholes,sothathecouldsee。Buthiseyeshadbeenblackandverybright。Hisneweyeswereyellow。
"Now,"saidthebird,it"goaway。Youcannotstayhereanylonger。"
CoyoteandtheTortillasPima(Arizona)
Onceuponatime,ariverroseveryhighandspreadallovertheland。
AnIndianwomanwasgoingalongthetrailbytheriversidewithabasketoftortillasonherhead,butshewaswadinginwateruptoherwaist。NowCoyotewasafraidofthewater,sohehadclimbedintoacottonwoodtree。Whenthewomancameupthetrail,Coyotecalled,"Oh,cometothistreeandgivemesomeofthosenicetortillas。"
Thewomansaid,"No。Ican’tgivethemtoyou;theyareforsomebodyelse。"
"IfyoudonotcomehereIwillshootyou,"saidCoyote,andthewomanreallythoughthehadabow。Soshecametothetreeandsaid,"Youmustcomedownandgetthem。Ican’tclimbtrees。"
Coyotecamedownasfarashedared,buthewasafraidofthedeepwater。Thewomanlaughedathim。Shesaid,"Justseehowshallowitis。
It’sonlyuptomyankles。"Butshewasstandingonabigstump。Coyotelookedatthewater。Itseemedshallowandsafeenough,sohejumped。
Butthewaterwasdeepandhewasdrowned。Thenthewomanwentonupthetrail。
CoyoteasaHunterSia(NewMexico)
Coyotetravelledalongdistanceandinthemiddleofthedayitwasveryhot。Hesatdownandrested,andthought,ashelookeduptoTinia,"HowIwishtheCloudPeoplewouldfreshenmypathandmakeitcool。"
InjustalittlewhiletheCloudPeoplegatheredoverthetrailCoyotewasfollowingandhewasgladthathispathwastobecoolandshady。
Afterhetravelledsomedistancefurther,hesatdownagainandlookingupwardsaid,"IwishtheCloudPeoplewouldsendrain。Myroadwouldbecoolerandfresher。"InalittlewhileashowercameandCoyotewascontented。
Butinashorttimeheagainsatdownandwishedthattheroadcouldbeverymoist,thatitwouldbefreshtohisfeet,andalmostimmediatelythetrailwasaswetasthoughariverhadpassedoverit。AgainCoyotewascontented。
Butafterawhilehetookhisseatagain。Hesaidtohimself,"IguessI
willtalkagaintotheCloudPeople。"Thenhelookedupandsaidtothem,"Iwishforwaterovermyroad—watertomyelbows,thatImaytravelonmyhandsandfeetinthecoolwaters;thenIshallberefreshedandhappy。"
Inashorttimehisroadwascoveredwithwater,andhemovedon。Butagainhewishedforsomethingmore,andsaidtotheCloudPeople,"Iwishmuchforwatertomyshoulders。ThenIwillbehappyandcontented。"
Inamomentthewatersaroseashewished,yetafterawhilehelookedupandsaid,"Ifyouwillonlygivemewatersohighthatmyeyes,nose,mouthandearsareaboveit,Iwillbehappy。Thenindeedmyroadwillbecool。"
Buteventhisdidnotsatisfyhim,andaftertravellingawhilelongerheimploredtheCloudPeopletogivehimariverthathemightfloatoverthetrail,andimmediatelyariverappearedandCoyotefloateddownstream。NowbehadbeenhighinthemountainsandwishedtogotoHareLand。
Afterfloatingalongdistance,heatlastcametoHareLandandsawmanyHaresalittledistanceoff,onbothsidesoftheriver。Coyotelaydowninthemudasthoughheweredeadandlistened。Soonawomanka—wate(mephitis)camealongwithavaseandagourdforwater。
Shesaid,"Hereisadeadcoyote。Wheredidhecomefrom?Iguessfromthemountainsabove。Iguesshefellintothewateranddied。"
Coyotelookedupandsaid,"Comehere,woman。"
Shesaid,"Whatdoyouwant?"
Coyotesaid,"IknowtheHaresandothersmallanimalswell。InalittlewhiletheywillcomehereandthinkIamdeadandbehappy。Whatdoyouthinkaboutit?"
Ka—watesaid,"Ihavenothoughtsatall。"
SoCoyoteexplainedhisplan……
SoCoyotelayasdead,andalltheHaresandsmallanimalssawhimlyingintheriver,andrejoicedthathewasdead。TheHaresdecidedtogoinabodyandseethedeadCoyote。Rejoicingoverhisdeath,theystruckhimwiththeirhandsandkickedhim。TherewerecrowdsofHaresandtheydecidedtohaveagreatdance。NowandthenadancingHarewouldstampuponCoyotewholayasifdead。DuringthedancetheHaresclappedtheirhandsovertheirmouthandgaveawhooplikeawar—whoop。
ThenCoyoterosequicklyandtooktwoclubswhichtheka—watehadgivenhim,andtogethertheykilledalloftheHares。Therewasagreatnumberandtheywerepileduplikestones。
Coyotesaid,"WhereshallIfindfiretocookthehares?Ah,"hesaid,pointingacrosstoahighrock,"thatrockgivesgoodshadeanditiscool。Iwillfindfireandcookmymeatintheshadeofthatrock。"
SotheycarriedalltheharestothatpointandCoyotemadealargefireandthrewthemintoit。Whenhehaddonethishewasverywarmandtired。Helaydownclosetotherockintheshade。
AfterawhilehesaidtoKa—wate,"Wewillrunarace。Theonewhowinswillhaveallthehares。"
Shesaid,"HowcouldIbeatyou?Yourfeetaresomuchlargerthanmine。"
Coyotesaid,"Iwillallowyouthestartofme。"Hemadeatorchoftheinnershredsofcedarbarkandwrappeditwithyuccathreadandlightedit。Thenhetiedthistorchtotheendofhistail。Hedidthistoseethattheka—watedidnotescapehim。
Ka—watestartedfirst,butwhenoutofsightofCoyots,sheslippedintothehouseofBadger。ThenCoyotestartedwiththefireattachedtohistail。Whereverhetouchedthegrass,hesetfiretoit。ButKa—watehurriedbacktotherock,carriedalltheharesontopexceptfourtinyones,andthenclimbedupontherock。
Coyotewassurprisednottoovertakeher。Hesaid,"Shemustbeveryquick。Howcouldsherunsofast?"Thenhereturnedtotherock,butdidnotseeher。
Hewastiredandsatdownintheshadeoftherock。"Whydoesn’tshecome?"hesaid。"Perhapsshewillnotcomebeforenight,herfeetaresosmall。"
Ka—watesatontherockaboveandheardallhesaid。Shewatchedhimtakeastickandlookintothemoundforthehares。Hepulledoutasmallonewhichhethrewaway。Butthesecondwassmallerthanthefirst。Thenathirdandafourth,eachtiny,andallhethrewaway。"I
donotcareforthesmallerones,"hesaid。"Therearesomanyhere,I
willnoteatthelittleones。"Buthehuntedandhuntedinthemoundofashesforthehares。Allweregone。
Hesaid,"Thatwomanhasrobbedme。"Thenhepickedupthefourlittleonesandatethem。HelookedaboutforKa—watebutdidnotseeherbecausehedidnotlookup。Thenashewastiredandlaydowntorest,helookedupandsawher,withthecookedharespiledbesideher。
Coyotewashungry。Hebeggedhertothrowonedown。Shethrewaverysmallone。ThenCoyotebecameangry。Andhewasstillmoreangrybecausehecouldnotclimbtherock。Shehadgonewherehecouldnotgo。
HowtheRattlesnakeLearnedtoBitePima(Arizona)
Afterpeopleandtheanimalswerecreated,theyalllivedtogether。
Rattlesnakewasthere,andwascalledSoftChildbecausehewassosoftinhismotions。Thepeoplelikedtohearhimrattleandlittlerestdidhegetbecausetheycontinuallypokedandscratchedhimsothathewouldshaketherattlesinhistail。AtlastRattlesnakewenttoElderBrothertoaskhelp。ElderBrotherpulledahairfromhisownlip,cutitinshortpieces,andmadeitintoteethforSoftChild。
"Ifanyonebothersyou,"hesaid,"bitehim。"
ThatveryeveningTa—api,Rabbit,cametoSoftChildashehaddonebeforeandscratchedhim。SoftChildraisedhisheadandbitRabbit。
Rabbitwasangryandscratchedagain。SoftChildbithimagain。ThenRabbitranaboutsayingthatSoftChildwasangryandhadbittenhim。
ThenhewenttoRattlesnakeagain,andtwicemorehewasbitten。
ThebitesmadeRabbitverysick。Heaskedforabedofcoolseasand。
Coyotewassenttotheseaforthecool,dampsand。ThenRabbitaskedfortheshadeofbushesthathemightfeelthecoolbreeze。ButatlastRabbitdied。Hewasthefirstcreaturewhichhaddiedinthisnewworld。
ThenthepeopleweretroubledbecausetheydidnotknowwhattodowiththebodyofRabbit。Onesaid,"Ifweburyhim,Coyotewillsurelydighimup。"
Anothersaid,"Ifwehidehim,Coyotewillsurelyfindhim。"
Andanothersaid,"Ifweputhiminatree,Coyotewillsurelyclimbup。"
SotheydecidedtoburnthebodyofRabbit,andyettherewasnofireonearth。
BlueFlysaid,"GotoSunandgetsomeofthefirewhichhekeepsinhishouse,"SoCoyotescamperedaway,buthewassurethepeopleweretryingtogetridofhimsohekeptlookingback。
ThenBlueFlymadethefirstfiredrill。Takingasticklikeanarrowhetwirleditinhishands,lettingthelowerendrestonaflatstickthatlayontheground。Soonsmokebegantoarise,andthenfirecame。Thepeoplegatheredfuelandbegantheirduty。
ButCoyote,lookingback,sawfireascending。Heturnedandranbackasfastashecouldgo。Whenthepeoplesawhimcoming,theyformedaring,butheracedaroundthecircleuntilhesawtwoshortmenstandingtogether。Hejumpedoverthem,andseizedtheheartofRabbit。Butheburnedhismouthdoingit,anditisblacktothisday。
CoyoteandtheRattlesnakeSia(NewMexico)
Coyote’shousewasnotfarfromRattlesnake’shome。Onemorningwhentheywereoutwalkingtogether,CoyotesaidtoRattlesnake,"To—morrowcometomyhouse。"
InthemorningRattlesnakewenttoCoyote’shouse。Hemovedslowlyalongthefloor,shakinghisrattle。Coyotesatatoneside,verymuchfrightened。Themovementsofthesnakeandtherattlefrightenedhim。
Coyotehadapotofrabbitmeatonthefire,whichheplacedinfrontofthesnake,saying,"Companion,eat。"
"Iwillnoteatyourmeat。Idonotunderstandyourfood,"saidRattlesnake。
"Whatfooddoyoueat?"
"Ieattheyellowflowersofthecorn。"
Coyoteatoncebegantosearchfortheyellowcornflowers。Whenhefoundsome,Rattlesnakesaid,"PutsomeontopofmyheadsothatImayeatit。"
Coyotestoodasfaroffashecouldandplacedthepollenonthesnake’shead。
Thesnakesaid,"ComenearerandputenoughonmyheadsothatImayfindit。"
Coyotewasverymuchafraid,butafterawhilehecameneareranddidashewastold。
Thenthesnakewentaway,saying,"Companion,to—morrowyoucometomyhouse。"
"Allright,"saidCoyote。To—morrowIwillcome。"
Coyotesatdownandthoughtaboutthemorrow。Hethoughtagooddealaboutwhatthesnakemightdo。Sohemadeasmallrattlebyplacingtinypebblesinagourdandfastenedittotheendofhistail。Heshookitawhileandwasmuchpleasedwithit。
Thenextmorninghestartedforthesnake’shouse。Heshooktherattleontheendofhistailandsmiled,andsaidtohimself,"Thisisgood。WhenIgointoRattlesnake’shouse,hewillbeverymuchafraidofme。"
CoyotedidnotwalkintoSnake’shouse,butmovedlikeasnake。ButCoyotecouldnotshakehisrattleasthesnakeshookhis。Hehadtoholditinhishand。Butwhenheshookhisrattle,thesnakeseemedmuchafraid,andsaid,"Companion,Iamafraidofyou。"
NowRattlesnakehadastewofratsonthefire,andheplacedsomebeforeCoyote。ButCoyotesaid,"Idonotunderstandyourfood。IcannoteatitbecauseIdonotunderstandit。"
Rattlesnakeinsisteduponhiseating,butCoyoterefused。Hesaid,"Ifyouputsomeoftheflowerofthecornonmyhead,Iwilleat。I
understandthatfood。"
Thesnaketooksomecornpollen,buthepretendedtobeafraidofCoyoteandstoodoffsomedistance。Coyotesaid,"Comenearerandplaceitontopmyhead。"
Snakereplied,"Iamafraidofyou。"
Coyotesaid,"Comenearer。Iamnotbad。"
ThenthesnakecamecloserandputthepollenontopofCoyote’shead。
ButCoyotedidnothavethelongtongueofthesnakeandhecouldnotgetthepollenoffthetopofhishead。Heputouthistonguefirstononesideofhisnoseandthenontheother,buthecouldonlyreachtothesideofhisnose。Hiseffortsmadethesnakelaugh,butthesnakeputhishandoverhismouthsoCoyoteshouldnotseehimlaugh。Really,thesnakehidhisheadinhisbody。
AtlastCoyotewenthome。Asheleftthesnake’shouse,heheldhistailinhishandandshooktherattle。
Snakecried,"Oh,companion!Iamsoafraidofyou!"butreallythesnakeshookwithlaughter。
WhenCoyotereachedhishomehesaidtohimself,"Iwassuchafool。RattlesnakehadmuchfoodtoeatandIwouldnottakeit。NowIamveryhungry。"
Thenhewentoutinsearchoffood。
OriginoftheSaguaroandPaloVerdeCactiPima(Arizona)
OnceuponatimeanoldIndianwomanhadtwograndchildren。Everydayshegroundwheatandcornbetweenthegrindingstonestomakeporridgeforthem。Onedayassheputthewater—ollaonthefireoutsidethehousetoheatthewater,shetoldthechildrennottoquarrelbecausetheymightupsettheolla。Butthechildrenbegantoquarrel。Theyupsettheollaandspilledthewaterandtheirgrandmotherspankedthem。
Thenthechildrenwereangryandranaway。Theyranfarawayoverthemountains。Thegrandmotherheardthemwhistlingandsheranafterthemandfollowedthemfromplacetoplace。butshecouldnotcatchupwiththem。
Atlasttheolderboysaid,"Iwillturnintoasaguaro,sothatIshallliveforeverandbearfruiteverysummer。"
Theyoungersaid,"ThenIwillturnintoapaloverdeandstandthereforever。Thesemountainsaresobareandhavenothingonthembutrocks,Iwillmakethemgreen。"
Theoldwomanheardthecactuswhistlingandrecognizedthevoiceofhergrandson。Soshewentuptoitandtriedtotakethepricklythingintoherarms,butthethornskilledher。
Thatishowthesaguaroandthepaloverdecametobeonthemountainsandthedesert。
TheThirstyQuailsPima(Arizona)
AQuailoncehadmorethantwentychildren,andwiththemshewanderedoverthewholecountryinsearchofwaterandcouldnotfindit。Itwasveryhotandtheywereallcrying,"Wherecanwegetsomewater?Wherecanwegetsomewater?"butforalongtimetheycouldfindnone。
Atlast,wayinthenorth,underamesquitetree,themotherquailsawapondofwater,butitwasverymuddyandnotfittodrink。Butthelittlequailshadbeenwanderingsomanydaysandweresotiredtheystoppedundertheshadeofthemesquitetree,andbyandby,onebyone,theywentdowntothewaterand’drankit。Butthewaterwassobadtheyalldied。
TheBoyandtheBeastPima(Arizona)
Onceanoldwomanlivedwithherdaughterandson—in—lawandtheirlittleboy。TheywerefollowingthetrailoftheApacheIndians。NowwheneveraPimaIndianseesthetrailofanApachehedrawsaringaroundit;thenhecancatchhimsooner。AndthesePimasdrewcirclesaroundthetrailoftheApachestheywerefollowing,butonenightwhentheywereasleep,theApachescamedownuponthem。Theytookthemanandyoungerwomanbythehairandshookthemoutoftheirskins,justasonewouldshakecornoutofasack。Sotheboyandtheoldwomanwereleftalone。
Nowthesetwohadtoliveonberriesandanythingtheycouldfind,andtheywanderedfromplacetoplace。Inoneplaceastrangebeast,bigenoughtoswallowpeople,campedinthebushesnearthem。Thegrand—mothertoldtheboynottogonearthesebushes。Buttheboytooksomesharpstonesinhishands,andwenttowardthem。Ashecamenear,thegreatmonsterbegantobreathe。Hebegantosuckinhisbreathandhesuckedtheboyrightintohisstomach。Butwithhissharpstonestheboybegantocutthebeast,sothathedied。Thentheboymadeaholelargeenoughtoclimboutof。
Whenhisgrandmothercametolookforhim,theboymetherandsaid,"I
havekilledthatmonster。"
Thegrandmothersaid,"Oh,no。Suchalittleboyasyouaretokillsuchagreatmonster!"
Theboysaid,"ButIwasinsideofhim。justlookatthestonesIcuthimwith。"
Thenthegrandmotherwentsoftlyuptothebushes,andlookedatthemonster。Itwasfullofholes,justasthelittleboyhadsaid。
Thentheymoveddownamongtheberrybushesandhadalltheywantedtoeat。
WhytheApachesareFiercePima(Arizona)
ElderBrother,Coyote,andEarthDoctor,afterthefloodvanished,begantocreatepeopleandanimals。Coyotemadealltheanimals,ElderBrothermadethepeople,andEarthDoctormadequeercreatureswhichhadonlyoneleg,orimmenseears,ormanyfingers,andsomehavingflamesoffireintheirknees。
ElderBrotherdividedhisfiguresofpeopleintofourgroups。OneoftheApachescametolifefirst。Heshiveredandsaid,"Oh,it’sverycold,"
andbegantoswaybackandforth。ThenElderBrothersaid,"Ididn’tthinkyouwouldbethefirsttoawake,"andhetookalltheApachesupinhishandandthrewthemoverthemountains。Thatmadethemangry,andthatiswhytheyhavealwaysbeensofierce。
SpeechontheWarpathPima(Arizona)
Wehavecomethusfar,mybrothers。IntheeastthereisWhiteGopher,whognawswithhisstrongteeth。Hewasfriendlyandcametome。Onhiswayhecametothesurfacefromtheundergroundfourtimes。Lookinginallfourdirections,hesawamagicwhitishtrail。Slowlyfollowingthis,henearedtheenemy,comingtothesurfacefromtheundergroundfourtimesduringthejourney。Theirpowerstoodintheirlandlikeamountain,buthebititoffshort,andhesanktheirspringsbybitingthem。Hesawthatthewindoftheenemywasstrongandhecutitupwithhisteeth。Hegnawedinshortpiecestheirclouds。Theyhadgooddreamsandbrightfalse—seeing,goodbowstringsandstraight—flyingreeds,butthesehegraspedandbitoffshort。Thedifferentbelongingslyingabouthetookwithhim,turningaroundhomeward。Onhiswayhomewardoverthewhitishtrail,hecametothesurfacefourtimes,andmagicfireappearedaroundtheedges。Thenhecametohisbed。Hefeltthatthelandroaredrejoicinglywithhim。
InthesouthwasBlueCoyoteandthereIsentmycry。Hewasfriendlyandcametomefromhisbluedarkness,circlingaroundandshouting,fourtimes,onhisjourney,makingmagicfireeverywhere。Whenhearrived,helookedinfourdirections,thenunderstood。Awhitishmagictraillaybeforehim。Hecasthisbluedarknessupontheenemyandslowlyapproachedthem,circlingaroundandshoutingfourtimesontheway。Likeamountainwastheirpowerintheland,andhesuckeditin。
Thespringsofwaterunderthetreeshesuckedin。Thewindthatwasblowingheinhaled。Hesuckedintheclouds。Thepeopledreamedofawhitething,andtheirdreamshesuckedin,withtheirbestbowstringsandthestraight—flyingreeds。Allthedifferentbelongingswhichlayaroundhegatheredandslowlyturnedback。Hiddeninthebluedarkness,hecametome,circlingaround,shouting,fourtimesonhisjourney。
Thenhehomewardtookhisway,circling,howling,fourtimes,andshoutingreachedhisbed。Withpleasurehefeltalldirectionsthud。Theeastechoed。
InthesunsetdirectionwasBlackKangarooMouse,anexpertrobber。TohimIsentmycry。Hewasfriendlytomeandcamehiddeninblackdarkness,sittingdownfourtimesuponhisway。Magicfirecoveredtheedgesofhistrail。Whenhereachedme。helookedinalldirections。Themagictrailbrightlylaybeforehim。Hethrewblackdarknessaroundhimandslowlyreachedtheenemy,sittingdownfourtimesuponthetrail。Hefoundabagoftheenemy,withmuchprizedpossessions。Itwastiedoneknotontopofanother)buthebitthemoff。Hetookfromitthebluenecklaces,blueearrings,andthedifferentbelongingslyingaroundgatheredupwithhim。Thenheslowlytookhiswaybackonthemagictrail,withmagicfireeverywhere。Hiddeninhisyellowdarkness,hereturnedtome。Helefttheothersatthecouncilandindarknesstookhishomewardway,restingfourtimes。Hesatonhisbedandfeltalldirectionsoftheearthrustlinginthedarkness。Darknesslayallaround。
IcalledonOwl,thewhiteblood—sucker。TohimIsentmycry。Hewasfriendlyandcamedowntomewithfourthinflys(sailing)ontheway。
Helookedinalldirections。Themagictrailbrightlybeforehimlay。Heflew,withfourthinflys,towardtheenemy。Themountainoftheirpowerwhichstoodinthelandhebitoffshort。Thespringshebitoff,andtheirverygooddreams。Thebestbowstringsandthestraight—flyingreedshegraspedandcutveryshort。Hebitofftheirfleshandmadeholesintheirbones。Fromthethingsgathered,hemadeabeltfromabowstring。Thenhereturned。Hecamethroughthewhitishmistofdawninfourflights。Thepeopleheldacouncil。Leavingthemthere,heafterfourthinflysreachedhisbedinthegraydawnmist。Theninalldirectionsheheardthedarknessrattling,ashelaythere。
TheSpiritLandGallinomero(RussianRiver,Cal。)
WhentheflamesburnlowonthefuneralpyresoftheGallinomero,Indianmournersgatheruphandfulsofashesandscatterthemhighinair。Thusthegoodmountupintotheair,orgototheHappyWesternLandbeyondtheBigWater。
ButthebadIndiansgotoanislandintheBitterWaters,anislandnakedandbarrenanddesolate,coveredonlywithbrine—spatteredstone,sweptwithcoldwindsandthebitingsea—spray。Heretheylivealways,breakingstoneupononeanother,withnofoodbutthebrokenstonesandnodrinkbutthesaltseawater。
SongoftheGhostDancePaiUte(KernRiver,Cal。)
Thesnowliesthere—ro—rani!
Thesnowliesthere—ro—rani!
Thesnowliesthere—ro—rani!
Thesnowliesthere—ro—rani!
TheMilkyWayliesthere。
TheMilkyWayliesthere。
"ThisisoneofthefavoritesongsofthePaiuteGhostdance……Itmustberememberedthatthedanceisheldintheopenairatnight,withthestarsshiningdownonthewide—extendingplainwalledinbythegiantSierras,fringedatthebasewithdarkpines,andwiththeirpeakswhitewitheternalsnows。Undersuchcircumstancesthissongofthesnowlyingwhiteuponthemountains,andtheMilkyWaystretchingacrosstheclearsky,bringsuptothePaiutethesamepatriotichomelovethatcomesfromlyricsofsingingbirdsandleafytreesandstillwaterstothepeopleofmorefavoredregions……TheMilkyWayistheroadofthedeadtothespiritworld。"