THE PRESENTATION OF THE PERFECTED SEED TO THE FATHERS OF MEN, AND THE PASSING OF THE MAIDENS OF SEED.
No longer a clown speaking and doing reversals of meanings—as do his children (followers) the Néwekwe, today,—was Paíyatuma, as he walked into the court of the dancers ere the dusk of the evening, and stood with folded arms at the foot of the bow-fringed ladder of priestly council, he and his attendant follower (ánsetone) Shútsuk‘ya, brother of Kwélele! Nay, he was tall and beautiful, and banded with his own mists, and as wings carried upright in his hands, under his folded arms, banded also, the wing-plumes right and left, of the turkey, wherewithal he had winged his way from afar leading the Maidens and followed as by his own shadow, by the black being of corn-soot, who cries with the voice of the frost-wind when the corn has grown aged and the harvest is taken away—Shútsuk‘ya.
And again, surpassingly beautiful were the Maidens clothed in the white cotton and broidered garments of Summerland, even as far walkers have said are appareled our lost others! And each in her place stood the Maidens.
Shrill now whistled Shútsuk‘ya, so that all the people around, onlooking, started and shuddered. Then upward from the place of gathering came the chief priest, bearing a vessel of sacred meal—for below were gathered within, waiting (all the night and day) the fathers of the people and those of the Seed and Water and the keepers of the sacred things, praying and chanting—and when he saw Paíyatuma, him he welcomed, scattering the sacred meal which contains the substance of the life not of daylight, down the ladder-rungs, and thence leading from the sky-hole along the four sides of the roof terrace of the Kíwitsinan leftwardly, and then rightwardly into the entrance place of the descending ladder where stood high its bow-fringed standards. And as the priest retired down the descending ladder, Paíyatuma stepped easily forward and up the sanctified road-way on the ascending ladder (thus, of sacred substance made for him), followed by Shútsuk‘ya, him only. Then walking to the line-mark of each region, prayed he, standing straight, consecrating it; and when each consecration was uttered, Shútsuk‘ya touched him with his wands and shrilly whistled once.
Then when the words were all said, Shútsuk‘ya shrilly whistled again, four times, each time touching Paíyatuma with the wands four times as he turned him about, and then signed him to come forward to the outer ascending ladder below the which waited the Maidens watching.
Then Paíyatuma reached down, and the Maiden-mother of the North, who was first, advanced to the foot of the ladder and lifted from off her head the beautiful tray of yellow corn, and this, Paíyatuma taking, presented to the regions, each in succession, praying the while, at the mark of each on the sacred line, and being signaled unto, each time, by the four-times repeated whistle of Shútsuk‘ya. Thus, the Priest of the North, made aware when the number of presentations was fully accomplished, came upward and received from the hands of Paíyatuma the tray of most sacred seed and breathed deeply therefrom, saying thanks and bearing it below.
Now was the Maiden of the North, by retiring to the end of the line of her sisters, to the south stationed; and the Maiden of the West was thus become first, and she advanced as her elder sister had, when Paíyatuma turned forward, and gave up her tray of the blue corn which thus also as before, when the presentations were fully accomplished, the Master-priest of the West received, and breathed from deeply and for it said thanks, and bore it below; and so, each in turn, the Maidens gave up their trays of precious seed; the Maiden of the South, the red, which the Master-priest of the South received; the Maiden of the East, the white, which the Master-priest of the East received; and so, the tray many-colored and the tray black, and last, yet first at last, the tray of all-color seed, which the Priestess of Seed and All, herself received. And now, behold! the Maidens stood as before, she of the North at the northern end, but with her face southward far looking, she of the West next, and lo! the seventh, last, southward, and standing thus, the darkness of the night fell around them; and as shadows in deep night, so these Maidens of the Seed of Corn, the beloved and beautiful, were seen no more of men.