Page:Star Lore Of All Ages, 1911.pdf/480

356 and pursue eagerly, but throughout the summer the Bear flees across the northern horizon and the pursuit continues. In the autumn one by one the hunters in the rear begin to lose their trail. First of all the Owl, heavier and clumsier of wing than the other birds, disappears from the chase, next the Bluejay and Pigeon also lose the trail and drop out. This leaves only the Robin, Chickadee, and Moose Bird. At last about mid-autumn they succeed in overtaking their prey. The Bear at bay rears up and prepares to defend herself, but the Robin pierces her with an arrow and she falls over on her back. The Robin, in haste to feed upon the Bear, leaps upon his victim and becomes covered with blood. Flying to a maple tree near at hand in the land of the sky, he tries to shake off the blood, and succeeds in getting it all off save a spot upon his breast. 'That spot,' says the garrulous Chickadee, 'you will carry as long as your name is Robin.' The blood which the Robin shook off spattered far and wide over the forests of earth below, and hence we see each autumn the blood-red tints on the foliage. The Chickadee now arrives on the scene and with the Robin cuts up the Bear, builds a fire, and cooks the meat. The Moose Bird now appears; he knew the others would catch the Bear and prepare the meat, and wanted only to be on time to share it, so whenever a bear or a moose or other animal is killed to-day you will see him appear to demand his share. That is why he is called 'He-who-comes-in-at-the-last-moment.'

"Through the winter the Bear's skeleton lies upon its back in the sky, but her life spirit has entered into another Bear who also lies upon her back in the den, invisible, sleeping the winter sleep. When the spring comes around, the Bear will again issue forth from the den, to be again pursued by the hunters, and so the drama keeps on eternally."

With the Zuñis, Ursa Major was important as marking the seasons. They say that when winter comes the Bear lazily sleeps, no longer guarding the westland from the