Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/512

 1 64 Journal of A7nerican Folk-Lore.

as he had been told. After this he became a great man, for others thought it wonderful to bring eagle-feathers and make war-orna- ments. And he was leader of his people, and when they went to war, he wore war-ornaments.

VI.

A man had once gone out on the warpath. Finally he started home. But a blizzard came, he lost his way, and nearly perished. At last he was met by some one and taken into a tent. This was full of a large company, all of them dressed up, while their dancing apparel hung on every tent-pole. It was the fox company. They commenced to teach the man their dance. They showed him how to paint, and what to wear, and the songs to be sung. They had four young girls with them in their company. On the fourth morn- ing, when he had learned all, the storm was over, and it had grown warm. The dance broke up, and some one was sent to guide him home. As the company scattered, he saw they were wolves and coyotes. A wolf guided the man, and he returned in safety. Then he instituted the fox-company, whose dance has continued to the present day.

VII.

The Sun and the Moon disputed as to their superiority. 1 The Sun said that he was bright and light ; that he ruled the day, and that no being was superior to him. The Moon in answer said to the Sun that he ruled the night, and was without a superior ; that he looked after all things on earth, and that he kept all men and animals from danger. The Sun said : " It is I who light up all the world. If I should rest from my work, everything would be darkened ; man- kind could not do without me." Then the Moon replied : " I am great and powerful. I can take charge of both night and day, and guide all things in the world. It does not trouble me if you rest." Thus the Sun and the Moon spoke to each other ; but both were great rulers. The day on which they disputed became almost as long as two days, so much did they say to each other. At the end the Moon said that there were a great many wonderful and powerful beings on his side. He meant the stars in the sky.

VIII.

The earth rests on a large beam or post. Far in the north there is a beaver, as white as snow, who is a great father of all mankind. Some day he will gnaw through the support at the bottom ; we shall be helpless, and the earth will fall. This will happen when he be-

1 Cf. J. O. Dorsey, " The ^egiha Language," Contributions to North American Ethnology, vi. p. 328.

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