Page:Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society V.djvu/198

168 four times, when, at last, the Kisáni let go and the log floated on. Now the gods laid "upon the log a cloud so thick that no one could see through it; they put a rainbow lengthwise and a rainbow crosswise over it, and they caused the zigzag lightning to flash all around it. When the Kisáni saw all these things they began to fear. "The gods must guard this log," they said. "Yes," said the chief. "Go to your homes, and let the log pass on. It must be holy."

483. The log floated steadily with the stream till it came to a place where a ridge of rocks, standing nearly straight up, disturbs the current, and here the log became entangled in the rocks. But two of the Fringe-mouths209 of the river raised it from the rocks and set it floating again. They turned the log around, one standing at each end, until they got it lying lengthwise with the current, and then they let it float away.

484. Thence it floated safely to Tó'hodotlĭz, where the gods on the bank observed it stopping and slowly sinking, until only a few leaves on the ends of the branches could be seen. It was the sacred people under the water who had pulled the log down this time. These were Tiéholtsodi, Tielín,210 Frog, Fish, Beaver, Otter, and others. They took the Navaho out of the log and bore him down to their home under the water. The gods on the bank held a council to consider why the tree stuck. They shook it and tried to get it loose, but they could not move it. Then they called on Tó'nenĭli, Water Sprinkler, to help them. He had two magic water jars, To'sadĭlyĭl, the black jar, which he carried in his right hand, and To'sadotlĭz, the blue jar, which he carried in his left hand; with these he struck the water to the right and to the left, crying as he did so his call of "Tu'wu'wu'wú!" The water opened before him and allowed him to descend. He went around the tree, and when he came to the butt he found that the plug had been withdrawn and that the Navaho was no longer there. He called up to his friends on the bank and told them what he had found. They spread a short rainbow211 for him to travel on, and he went to the house of the divine ones under the water. This house consisted of four chambers, one under another, like the stories of a pueblo dwelling. The first chamber, that on top, was black; the second was blue; the third yellow; the fourth white.18 Two of the Tielín, or water pets with blue horns, stood at the door facing one another, and roared as Tó'nenĭli passed. He descended from one story to another, but found no one till he came to the last chamber, and here he saw Tiéholtsodi, the water monster; Tsal, Frog (a big rough frog); Tsa, Beaver, Tábastin, Otter, Tlo'ayuĭnlĭ'tigi (a great fish), and the captive Navaho. "I seek my grandchild. Give him to me," said Tó'nenĭli. "Shut your mouth and begone," said Tiéholtsodi.