The North American Indian, Vol. 1Curtis, Edward S.
History
The North American Indian, Vol. 1
Curtis, Edward S.
Indians of North America
The Sun looked into the lodge, saw that it was tight, and told the boys to
enter. As they passed in Haschógan whispered, "Get behind the stone slab
on the north!" Then Hasché̆zhĭnĭ rolled in several red-hot bowlders and
closed the entrance tightly with heavy cloud blankets. White, blue,
yellow, and black water was then thrown in, and there followed the sounds
of the sizzling steam and bursting stones; fragments could be heard
striking the walls on all sides. After a short while the boys heard the
voice of their father call out from the east, "Are you warm?" They gave no
response. He called again from the south, but received no answer; then
from the west; all was silence. "Surely I am rid of them at last," thought
he. He called once again from the north, and to his great surprise
received a reply. The sweat-house had cooled enough to permit the boys to
emerge from their hiding-place, so their cheerful voices came from near
the doorway.
"These must be my sons," thought the Sun, and throwing back the blankets
from the door he embraced them. "My children, whence came you and how did
you get here?"
The story of their home at Tzĭlhnúhodĭhlĭ, of their long journey across
land and water, and of the many obstacles encountered, was soon told. Then
the Sun directed his wife and daughters to remould the boys and make them
as handsome as themselves. When that was done all entered the house, where
on the walls hung many beautiful strings of turquoise, abalone,
white-shell, and jet beads, and plates of armor. These were offered to the
boys, but they refused them, saying they cared not for jewels, preferring
instead to have lightning arrows, strong bows, and heavy knives with which
to battle with the giant alien gods who were destroying people in all
parts of the earth. The Sun gave them the weapons desired, and when it
came time to resume his journey across the sky he took his newfound sons
with him.
Near Tsótzĭlh, the sacred mountain of the south, lived Yéĭtso, the Big
God. The boys wished to try their skill on him first, so their father let
them down from the sky upon that mountain. The giant was drinking from a
lake and saw the reflection of his new enemies as they dropped upon the
mountain. He straightened up quickly and sent an arrow aimed for the body
of Nayé̆nĕzganĭ, but the boy dodged quickly and responded with a bolt of
lightning which stripped the armor from Yéĭtso’s feet. Three more shafts
of lightning struck the armor from the hips, body, and head of this
fiercest of giants, exposing his vitals to the attack of the boys, who
filled him with arrows, killing him instantly. The Big God’s blood began
to flow down a cañon. Nayé̆nĕzganĭ drew a line across its path with his
stone knife, and the blood ceased flowing onward, rising in a wall across
the cañon’s head, over which now plunges a beautiful waterfall.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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