The sons of Kai : $b The story the Indian toldBeston, Henry
General
The sons of Kai : $b The story the Indian told
Beston, Henry
Indians of North America -- Folklore -- Juvenile literature
Tse-intyel, the home of the Gods, was far away beyond the deserts
and the mountains, but the brothers made the long journey safely.
Hah-Tse-Yalti, their father, though unseen by them, protected them and
brought them food.
After spending a night by the Pool of the Whirling Logs, the boys
climbed the Broad Rock of the Gods. They began their climb long before
the dawn, and arrived at the top just as the sun appeared at the far
rim of the earth.
From the flat top of Tse-intyel, the Gods could see all the wide Indian
world,--the deserts, the waste lands, the river pastures, the dark
canyons with the sun silvering their western rim, the lonely little
hills, the snowy mountains, and the great plains where the buffalo
herds moved like slow cloud shadows over the immense and tawny land.
Then Hah-Tse-Yalti took his sons by the hand, and led them before
the Gods. The chief of the Gods was he whom the Navahos call “The
God-Who-Is-Stronger-Than-Fear.” The brothers then gave the Gods the
three sacred stones, and sang the Healing Song.
When they had finished, the God-Who-Is-Stronger-Than-Fear touched the
blind boy upon the eyes, and the lame boy upon the knee. And the blind
boy saw again, and the lame boy limped no more.
So the brothers gave thanks to the Gods, and rejoiced at their healing,
and Hah-Tse-Yalti rejoiced with his sons. When the time came for the
boys to go, Hah-Tse-Yalti led them to the eastern edge of Tse-intyel,
showed them their canyon home, and told them of the trail of the
Gods which led to it.
[Illustration]
Homeward to the canyon of their childhood went the boys, homeward to
the cliff dwelling and to Kai their mother.
[Illustration: Homeward to the canyon of their childhood.]
And the Navahos say that the twins became great heroes, and taught the
Indian peoples the Healing Song they sing to this very day.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Footnote
[A] Pronounced “chay.”
Transcriber’s Notes
Perceived typographical errors have been silently corrected.
Illustrations have been moved nearer to the text to which they refer.
As a result, the page numbers listed in the Illustrations table may be
incorrect.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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