132. The Legend of the Stone Coats (Genonsgwa)
It so happened in times past that three warriors left their homes for distant regions. They started away for the purpose of killing any people whom they might find in order to obtain their scalps. So they would travel for many days, and when they observed that they had arrived near a settlement they would conceal themselves, and one or more spies would be sent out by night to make a reconnaissance for the purpose of learning when, where, and how to make the attack.
It was a custom with them for the chief or leader of the little party to say: “Who will volunteer to go to investigate that light which appears in the distance?” Thereupon one of the warriors would reply: “I will go to reconnoiter that light,” and he would go, if alone, without definite instructions as to how he might find his companions in case he had to retreat; but if two decided to go, they would first agree on some point as a rendezvous in case they should have to retreat in haste. Then the spy or spies would go to the place whence the light had appeared. Having arrived there, he would [[683]]manage to crawl stealthily into the shelters or lodges he might find, and he would also find the inmates lying asleep and their garments hanging on the supports of the structures.
In making such a reconnaissance one of the spies found the inmates asleep, and he saw that their garments, which were of stone, were set up against the trees which stood near by. He was surprised by one of these sleepers arising and saying to him: “What are you doing here? What do you want?” The spy replied: “I do not want anything; I intend nothing; I want peace.” But the other person said to him: “You intend, as you know, to kill all persons who may fall into your power; so you and I shall fight. That is verily what you and your companions are doing on your way here; you come with the intention of fighting all persons whom you do not fear. To-morrow at midday you and I shall meet face to face yonder in a place not far from here, in a valley which is very deep and has very high cliffs. You shall enter it from one entrance and I from the other, and there in the valley we shall meet.” He said this and ceased speaking. The spy replied: “So let it be.”
Having returned to the camp of his companions, the spy told what he had seen, saying: “I have seen a distressing sight. I saw beings who had assumed human forms and actions but who were not human. I saw their clothes, which were stone in material,[458] set up against the trees about their camp. One of their number arose and said to me, ‘What are your intentions?’ I replied, ‘Nothing; only peace;’ but he as quickly said: ‘You desire to kill all persons who may fall into your power; so to-morrow at midday in a valley that is near here, and that is very deep, we, you and I, shall meet; you must enter it from the opposite side, and I shall enter it from this side; then you and I shall fight.’ I do not think that we have the ability to overcome and kill these people. They are numerous, forming a large body.”
The chief of the little party remained silent, thinking over the situation. Finally he said: “By means of a sacrifice we must ask Him who has made our lives to aid us in the coming battle. Moreover, we shall use in the sacrifice of prayer native tobacco, which I shall now cast on the fire.” Then he took from his pouch native tobacco, which he cast on the fire with the following words: “Thou who hast made our lives, give most attentive ear to the thing I am about to say. Now we are about to die. Do Thou aid us to the utmost of Thy power. Thou, ruler, it was Thou who gavest us this native tobacco; it is this that I am now employing. Here, take it; it is offered to Thee. Thou hast promised us that Thou wilt always be listening when we ask in prayer by sacrifice. Now, it matters not whether Thou Thyself shall stand here, or whether it shall come by the way of a dream, do Thou tell us fully what we must do in this crisis which [[684]]Thou knowest confronts us so closely. Now I finish my tale. So it is enough. Now, moreover, we will lie down to sleep.”
Then they lay down to sleep. At midnight the chief, who was awake, heard some one speak there, saying: “I have heard your prayers asking me to aid you; so now I have arrived here. In this manner you must do, to-morrow. Verily, you two have agreed to meet in the deep valley at midday. You must act in this manner. You must go along the top of the ridge at the cliff’s edge, and you must lie prone, resting on your elbows; this you must do before it is midday. You must remain perfectly still, and you must not carry out your agreement with them. Then you must watch the opposite cliff, and as soon as you see a bear on the run there you must shout Pa—ʼa p-hu-e. Then you must retreat a short distance and stop, whereupon you shall see how truly I will aid you. You will hear them when they come into the valley, for the sound tau—u which they will make will be very loud.”
The men followed the directions given them by their Creator, to whom they had appealed in their extremity, and went to the cliff and lay down just as they had been instructed to do. They had not waited long before they heard their enemies coming along in the valley, with their chief singing as they marched. The chief of the warriors was intently watching the opposite cliff, when suddenly he saw a bear running along on the edge of it. At this he shouted, as he had been instructed to do, Pa—ʼa p-hu-e, and then, quickly arising and turning back, they fled; but after going a short distance they stopped, and turning around, they looked back to see what was taking place in the valley. As they watched, the sound of the oncoming of the Genonsgwa increased in volume and intensity; and when they had all got into the valley the sound of their marching became a veritable roar, sounding like dōō-ō.
Now they saw what astonished them; they saw the earth from the sides of the valley fall into it, carrying with it the forests which grew on it in the region of the valley. At once the sounds of the marching of the Genonsgwa died out, and the only sounds they then heard were the breaking and crashing of the trees as they settled down under the mountains of earth that fell into the valley. Then they heard the voice of their Creator saying: “What you asked of me has been granted in full. I am He whom you usually call Our Master. Verily, I continue to aid you, who are called the Seneca people. I aid you in all things, in ball-playing, in foot-racing, and in warfare. Now you shall go to your homes, to the places where your dwelling-places are. Never in the future must you do what you were doing. It is much better that you shall settle all differences which you may have with all other peoples. You must stop your present course, for if you do not do so, you yourselves shall bleed in turn. So you must [[685]]make peace with all your neighbors, must bury deep in the earth the scalping-knife, the bow and the arrow, and the battle-ax. All these you must bury in the ground, and you must leave them there, and thus put them out of the world. Now I am through.”
Then the warriors started for home and soon arrived at their dwelling places. Immediately the chief assembled the people; he went through the village, and as he walked along he said to them: “We will hold a council, and we must assemble in the Long lodge; we must assemble there early in the morning as soon as the morning meal has been eaten. Everyone must be there—children and women; the entire body of this people must be there to listen to the tiding which we have brought back.”
Early the next morning the chief made a second announcement, saying: “We will hold a council to-day.” So a large body of persons gathered in the Long lodge in which was the council chamber, and when they had taken their places the chief arose and addressed them thus: “You must give strict attention to what we have to say to you. We have been absent in distant regions, where we had intended to kill any people whom we might find. There we saw people such as we had never seen before, for their garments were of stone. It is probable that we never could kill them; they were very numerous. It so happened that we encamped very near them and that when they kindled their fire we saw it in the distance. Then I, who was the chief of the band, said ‘Come, we will go to reconnoiter in the vicinity of that light.’ One of the warriors answered: ‘I will go there,’ but I went in his stead to the neighborhood of the light to investigate. Having arrived there I found persons lying around asleep, and I saw that their garments were of stone, and that they were set up against the neighboring trees. Suddenly one of the sleepers, springing up, said to me, ‘What are your intentions?’ I said in reply, ‘I do not intend to do anything,’ for I was afraid. He replied: ‘Do you not intend to kill anyone you can? Now you and I shall fight. To-morrow when the sun is at midday, there where the deep valley is, in the bottom of the valley, you must come from the one side and I, for my part, will enter the valley from the opposite side, and therein we shall meet; then you and I will fight.’ I replied to him: ‘Let it be so,’ and departed thence and returned to our camp, where I at once told my friends what I had seen. I said: ‘I have seen an astonishing condition of things. When I arrived there I found the people lying down, and near by, leaning against the trees, were their garments, which were of stone, so it is probably impossible for us to kill them. So let it be.’ I will make a sacrificial prayer to Him who has completed the structure of our lives; I will cast on the fire sacrificially native tobacco. At once I took tobacco, and holding it in my hand, I said: ‘Thou hast promised to aid those [[686]]who shall pray to Thee with an offering of this native tobacco,’ and then I cast it on the fire, and forthwith arose smoke from the burning tobacco. Thereupon I said: ‘Now aid us; tell us what we must do; perhaps You may come to us in a vision; perhaps You might send the advice to us through a dream; at all events tell us what to do. Now, we will lie down to sleep.’
“Just at midnight I was surprised to hear one speak, saying: ‘I have come to aid you; I tell you that to-morrow just before midday you and your men must go to the valley, and there overlooking it you must lie down prone and rest on your elbows.’ And he said, too: ‘You must watch carefully the opposite side of the valley, and when you shall see a bear running along the opposite cliff you must shout Pa—ʼa p-hu-e, and thereupon you must all arise and flee from the place a short distance and must stop and look back toward the valley, and then you shall see what shall happen, what shall happen to the persons of your adversaries when they will enter the farther entrance to the valley—these Genonsgwa.’ The noise made by these Genonsgwa as they came forward was very great; the sound that they made was dū—ūm. As they came on, the voice of their chief was heard singing; he chanted the war song of the Genonsgwa, saying: ‘No one has the power to overcome me;’ this is what he said in his singing.
“Just then the cliffs on each side of the valley with the forests growing on them were upheaved with a deafening roar and crash and fell into the valley upon the advancing Genonsgwa; this was followed by the sounds of breaking trees and their limbs as they were crushed under the weight of the overturned cliffs, and then all was silent. Thus did this event come to pass.
“Now I shall speak to this assembly as it is here listening to what I have related. He who aided us was the Master of Life. He told us to return home, and He bade us never to undertake an enterprise such as that which took us from our homes. He bade us to make peace with all tribes of men, of whatsoever land or language they might be; for if we should not follow His advice we ourselves might one day shed one another’s blood; and He bade us to bury deep in the ground the scalping-knife, the war bow and arrow, and the battle-ax and the war-club. He bade us to put all these things out of this world, telling us that if we do this we shall be contented and happy in the future, if we consent to this and to inform all our people of this advice and the chiefs, too. But as we do not know what the chiefs will do in this matter we have called this council to ascertain this important opinion of our chiefs. Now we have told you these tidings which we have brought with us, and now you must take great pains in considering this matter in all its bearings; I mean you, our chiefs. There, I am through with my address.” [[687]]
During the entire day they discussed this matter in all its bearings. Some said that it would not be good for them to adopt this kind advice, as many of their relations had been killed by the enemy, and they had always intended to have revenge for their deaths.
Others spoke for and against the proposition which had been presented to them by the returned warriors. The discussions took a wide range and consumed the entire day. Finally one of the leading chiefs of the place arose and said: “It is better that we take a recess until early to-morrow morning, at which time we will again assemble here. I will then speak, telling you my views on this question after having thought on them during the night. For this reason all should be present again; so you must come and hear what I have to say to you. So there.”
Then they dispersed and went to their homes. In all the lodges there was much speculation as to what the chief would tell them in the morning. All had different views as to what he would say, and they made up their minds that they would go to the Long lodge at early forenoon.
So in the morning of the next day they again assembled in the Long lodge, and there was present a very large body of people.
Then the chief arose to his full height and began to speak, saying: “The time has now come. I said that to-day I should speak to you. My mind is now made up; I have decided what to say to you, and now I will tell you what I have thought best for us to do. I agree to the proposal to make peace with our enemies; that to that end we must certainly bury deep in the ground the scalping-knife and the war bow and arrow and the battle-ax; and that we must leave these things there out of sight and reach. You must put these things out of the world. So let this come to pass. Let everyone who has come here carry out this resolution as I have indicated it to you in what I have said. So there. Come, then, let us now make preparations. I suppose that we must send an embassy of two persons to that neighboring tribe, although we may not be certain whether they will be at all willing to make peace with us and thereby settle our difficulties. So we must commission our ambassadors to pray them to cease waging war against us; and we, too, must stop fighting on our part, and must cast away deep in the ground the scalping-knife, the war bow and arrow, and the battle-ax. These we must throw away, and thus you will put them outside of this world. When the two (ambassadors) arrive in the country of our enemies they shall say: ‘We have been sent by the chiefs of our people to know whether you are willing to agree to settle our difficulties and to make peace with us.’ This is what you two shall say. This is all.”
After some deliberation the chief arose again and said, “Come, now. Who will volunteer to go far away to the foreign land where [[688]]our enemies dwell?” Then a certain man said, “I am willing to go.” “So be it,” replied the chief; “who else is willing to go? There is one lacking.” Then another man said, “I am willing to go.” The chief accepted him by saying, “So let it be.” Then the last volunteer asked the chief: “I ask you, who art the chief, what must be done, should they perhaps kill us, and you would not hear anything about it? Should we become angry should they attack us there, even though by doing so we should probably lose our lives? So there (is what I have to say).”
Then the chief arose, and addressing the two ambassadors, said: “You have asked me a question. I shall tell both what you must do when you discover that the people whom you are going to visit dwell not far ahead of you. When you make this discovery you must leave there in safety your scalping-knife and your bows and arrows and your battle-axes; and you two must also carefully wash your faces so that there shall be no more paint on your faces. Then you must go to the village of the people; and according to custom they will not kill you because you have not your scalping-knives, your bows and arrows, or your battle-axes, and because you will not have your faces painted.”[459]
Then the warrior answered: “So be it. I think that my friend and I may perhaps start this evening just as soon as it becomes quite dark.” During the entire day they made their preparations so they would be able to start in the evening. In the early part of the evening they came together, whereupon one said: “My friend, now let us start, and you will leave directly from here in your own way, and I, too, will leave here directly in my own way.” The friend replied: “Do you feel that you have sufficiently potent orenda?” He answered: “I think so.” The other continued: “What kind of thing does it (your body), usually pretend to be as it flies along?” His friend replied: “Oh, just the night owl, saying wu, wu, wu, wu, hŭ, hŭ-u.” At this the other, laughing, said: “My friend, you are indeed a brave man (a male).” His companion answered: “With regard to yourself, what kind of thing does it (your body) usually pretend to be as it goes along? Now I have asked you.” In replying the other man said: “As to myself, I shall be a fox, and I will go along barking; and we shall keep apart just the distance that I can hear the hooting of the night owl. How far do you say?” He replied: “Let us be just so far apart that it will be possible for me to hear the barking of the fox. And this, too, must be done. As daylight approaches we must draw nearer to each other, and when it is morning we will rejoin at some convenient place.” Then they started.
They observed their order of going, and when they had concluded that they had arrived in the neighborhood of the people whom they [[689]]were going to visit, they were surprised to see the lights of a number of fires. So they stopped and sat down on a log. Then one of the men said: “We must leave our things, our weapons, here—our scalping-knives, our bows and arrows, and our battle-axes—and we must remove the paint from our faces, too. There, on that side of the log, you may lay your things, and you must cover them with moss and earth very carefully; and I will lay my things here on this side of the log, and I will cover them even as you do.” Thus they completed this task of concealing their weapons. Then one of them said: “My friend, it shall be that he who shall be spared alive shall dig up these things, for we shall soon see them, and when they see us there is no assurance that either of us shall be left alive; but should one of us escape then let him dig up and carry home both these buried outfits.”
Then they went toward the place where they believed the enemies lived. They had not gone far when they were surprised to see in the distance a temporary shelter made of corn husks, for this was at the time of the corn harvest and the people were drying the strings of ears of corn. Thereupon one of the men said: “I will do the talking when we arrive at that temporary shelter; so do you not speak a word about anything. So now, come, let us go thither to the lodge.”
When the two men had arrived near the temporary shelter the children noticed their approach and fled into the shelter. On arriving at the shelter the two men found that the doorflap was of deerskin. When they had stepped inside they saw a woman sitting there; they noticed also that the children had hidden themselves, and that the woman was greatly frightened, for the color of her face had changed. One of the men at once said to her: “Do not fear us; we do not come on an evil errand, and you may know this to be true because we have not our scalping-knives, bows and arrows, or battle-axes, and we have no paint on our faces. So do not be afraid. We have come on a good errand; do not fear us.” All at once the woman spoke, saying: “Oh, children; verily, they will not kill us.” At this the children came forth from their hiding places, and the mother, too, regained her composure. The spokesman of the two visitors said, “Are you and your children here alone?” The woman replied, “No; our old man has gone yonder into the valley where in fact we dwell; he will soon return.” Then the man said: “So let it be. We will remain here until he returns.” The woman answered: “Let it be so.” So when the old man had returned the spokesman of the two ambassadors said: “We come as messengers. Let us talk together in peace. We are not thinking of evil purposes, and these, our peaceful sentiments, are shown by the fact that neither of us has a scalping-knife, [[690]]a bow and arrows, or battle-ax, and is not painted on the face. For this reason let there be peace while we talk together.” It seemed at first that the old man was angry, but when he had heard this statement his mind changed, and he said, “Come, then, do you relate the message which you have been sent to bring to us. Come, now, tell us.” The man replied: “So be it. We have come to you to propose that we at once settle all our differences, because we have slaughtered not only ourselves, but also our friends and kinsmen. Let us stop this slaughter; and let us bury deep in the earth the scalping-knife, the war bow and arrow, and the battle-ax; in the earth we will put these weapons; so if you are willing to accept our proposals you will put these murderous things outside this world, if you are only willing to do so.” The old man replied: “So be it. Let us go to the place where usually we assemble in council in the Long-lodge, for indeed the chiefs dwell some distance from here. I will tell them what you have brought as a message to us. I do not know what answer they may give. I think you two should remain here, and I will go yonder to the Long-lodge, where are the chiefs of our people. It would not succeed well if you two should go there, for usually they are angry when they see an enemy. I will prepare myself properly to tell them the message which you have been sent to bring to us. Then I shall come for you should their reply be favorable to a conference with them. Thus it shall be done.” One of the ambassadors answered, “Let it come to pass as you have suggested.”
Thereupon the old man started for the Long-lodge to confer with the chiefs of his people. When he had reached a point near the village he began to cry out: Gōʹweʻ, gōʹweʻ, gōʹweʻ. This is called proclaiming. As soon as his cries were heard everybody came forth from their lodges and at once went to the Long-lodge to hear what news the crier was bringing them. So a large assemblage crowded the Long-lodge. Then the old man, who was still crying out the cries of warning, entered the Long-lodge, whereupon they set him down on one side. One of the chiefs arose and said: “Now, you must relate the important news which you bring to us, so tell us. That is all.” Arising, the old man said: “I will tell you of a very important matter which has come to pass. I saw two men who were in the lodge when I returned to my home. I was astonished, but one of these men at once arose and said: ‘We assure you that we are not intending anything evil, and this is proved by the fact that we have no scalping-knife, no war bow and arrows, and no battle-ax, and we have not our faces painted. We have been sent by our chiefs to learn whether we can not settle all our difficulties. We have been killing ourselves and shedding each other’s blood; so let us stop doing this, and let us bury deep in the earth the scalping-knife, the war bow and arrows, and the battle-ax; let us lay these very deep in the ground. You must put [[691]]these things outside the world. Thus it shall be done, provided that you will agree to this proposition. So this is the number of words which has been sent you by us.’ I am now through with what I have to say. So, there.” In reply, the chiefs of the village said to the old man: “Perhaps you would better fetch the two men here and let them come into this place. You alone go back after them. You must hasten your steps as you go, and you must bring them at once with you.” The old man, replying, “So let it be,” at once went out of the lodge and started on a run toward his temporary lodge, where the two men were awaiting his return. On entering, he said to them: “I have come after you.” Arising at once, they started for the place where the council was being held, and having reached there, they entered the Long-lodge. One of the ambassadors was in a frenzy of fear, seeming to fear they would be killed, for before entering he kept saying to his friend: “Have courage, my friend; one of us will certainly escape.” When they entered the Long-lodge they made room for the two messengers, or ambassadors, to sit. One of the chiefs of the village, arising, said: “Is it true that you have been sent to come into our country? Are the things true which our friend has told us in full? That is what you two must tell us, for we do not know whether what he told us a short time ago is the truth or not.”
Then the spokesman of the two ambassadors, arising to his full height, said: “We two will now tell you that we were commissioned on a very important errand by our chiefs. We come to you to propose that your people and our people shall settle all the troubles which have caused them to shed each other’s blood. What your chief has told you is an important matter. I am through.”
Then one of the chiefs of the village, arising, said: “Lo! now do you talk, everyone who has something to say, you who are the chiefs of this village, whether we shall agree to settle our difficulties with the people who have sent these two men to us, and to bury deep in the ground the scalping-knife, the war bow and arrow, and the battle-ax. Come, now, let each one say which side of the proposal he takes, whether we shall make peace, or whether we shall reject these overtures for peace. There are only two opinions that can be given; when one speaks he must tell which is his opinion. So I am done.”
Then another chief arose to speak, saying: “I am next in order to speak my sentiments. I am unwilling to consent to settle our difficulties with the people represented by these two messengers, because the many stains which have come from the blood of my own kinsmen, shed by these two men who are sitting here, are scarcely dried. In my heart there are constant passions arising which prompt me to take vengeance for this cruel slaughter of my own kinsmen; and I am tempted to scalp these two enemies who sit here in our presence.” [[692]]
Then another chief, leaping to his feet, said to the one who was speaking: “Do you stop at once. Do not say that again; you must stop that kind of talk. I will say but a few words for my part. You two who are sitting here must listen and must hear all that I have to say in my own behalf and in that of my people. I think that we all realize that what we are about to do is a very important affair. One person alone has made us of one flesh and of one form, and of a reddish color. Now, too, you shall hear me declare that I agree to accept your proposal for an adjustment of all difficulties between your people and ours. We must bury deep in the ground all those things with which we fight; and you must put them out of the world; and this statement you must make when you two return to your own homes.” The chief accepted this proposition, saying: “So now we will meet in joint council at the river, which is just halfway from here to our own country; we will meet there on one side of the river, and there you may prepare your camps. You must all go—children, women, and men—all must be present there. On the opposite side of the river we will make our camps. After the tenth night from now we must all be in camp there, and I shall bring all the people—children, women, and the warriors. So there; thus it shall come to pass. Then we shall lie down to rest and in the morning you and I will talk together, as thou art a chief and as I, too, am a chief. So you shall stand on the other side of the river, and I shall stand on this side of the river. Then it shall be that you will tell me how you and I may adjust our differences; and you shall accomplish this within the time of 10 days. After 10 nights you will have arrived on your side of the river, and I, too, shall have arrived on my side of the river. So there is what I have to say. Come, now, make your preparations, and when you have completed them we shall start to go to the river.”
In the meantime the two ambassadors had returned to their home and had made their report, and their chiefs had given the people instructions to prepare themselves to go to meet their former enemies at the river that bounded their lands. On both sides the people and the chiefs kept tally of the days that passed; the next day was one; the next, two; the next day, three, and so on. On the eighth day the chief on each side said: “Come now, let us start.” Thereupon they left their homes for the place of meeting; none remained behind. They traveled a long distance before they stopped for the night. In the morning they started again and arrived at the river bank at a seasonable hour. The chief of the opposite party said, too: “Come now, let us depart for the river bank where we are to meet in council.” All started, not one remaining at home. They, too, traveled a long distance before camping for the night, and in the morning early they, too, continued their journey and in good time [[693]]arrived at the river bank, at the place of meeting. There was assembled a large body of people.
Then one of the chiefs, standing beside the river, said: “Behold! now tell me what your thought is as to how you and I may be able to adjust our troubles in peace. Tell me this. So there is what I have to say.”
Then the chief on the opposite side of the river, standing near the brink, said: “Now has come to pass what I think that He who alone has made our lives, desires, but where He abides I do not know, for our lives are alike, our forms are alike, and the color of our skin is the same, for we are reddish in color. We have blundered. We have only killed one another, and we have only shed one another’s blood. So let us stop this evil work, and let it not come to pass again; and let us bury the scalping-knife, the war bow and arrows, and the battle-ax; let all these be left deep in the ground; and thereby we shall put these out of the world. So this is my opinion. Let us be at peace in the future; let us be at peace in our minds; and let the minds of our people be at peace, those of our children, our women, and our warriors. Such is my opinion, and I who speak it am a chief. So this is enough. Now it is for you to speak, you who are a chief. I do not know whether what I have said is pleasing to you. This will I do. I have finished.”
There was a great sound—dauñ—made by the assembled tribes, for there were very many people. Then the chief on the opposite side of the river, standing on the shore, said: “Now, you who are a chief have ended your address, and I agree to all that you have said; hence you and I will adjust all our troubles and difficulties so that they may never return. Now, too, you and I will bury deep in the ground the scalping-knife, the war bow and arrows, and the battle-ax; all these things we will place in the earth, so that none of them shall come forth again, and there they shall disappear from the earth. Thus let it come to pass. So, there.”
Then, on the opposite side of the river, the other chief who had proposed this conference, arising, said: “I am, indeed, thankful that my desires have been fulfilled in this peaceful agreement. I do give you many thanks for your part in this matter, and so now you and I will bury in the ground all those things with which you and I have been accustomed to kill each other, in such manner that they shall never again come forth. We will put them out of the world, so that so long as the earth stands such things shall not again take place. So, there.”
Then the chief on the other side of the river, arising in his place, said: “I am thankful for the accomplishment of this great compact of peace, and I congratulate you as well, you who are also a chief. So now we shall prepare it; and it shall be very broad. [[694]]You and I must set to work so that we may make this good thing for our people; and this shall be a level (peaceful and fruitful) country; and thereon we must, one and all, take one another by the arm (hand)—all women, children, and men; and by this means each one will bear testimony to the fact that truly, indeed, we have made peace and have settled harmoniously all our difficulties; and when we shall have taken one another by the arm then we must dance to express our joy and good will and hope for the continuance of this peace during time to come.”
Then all who were able to do something were set to work, and they prepared a symbolical field of peace[460] whereon they and theirs might enjoy life and might promote their welfare in such manner as seemed to satisfy their desires. When they had completed the task they cried to those across the river who had accepted the propositions of peace: “Come now! Do you come across the river and let us enjoy ourselves together.” Willingly obeying, the people soon crossed the stream, and they soon were standing on the prepared field of peace, whereon they ranged themselves in long files preparatory to taking part in the dances. Then the leaders grasped each other’s arms, saying, “Now, let us all take hold of one another’s arms, and then let us dance,” and then they continued, “We must now dance all night long.” Then they danced. Thereupon the singer began to sing: Häʼ ʹäʼ hoiāʹneʻ, häʼʹäʼ hoiāʹneʻ; wăʹʻhu, wăʹʻhu, wăʹʻhu, hãʼʹäʼ hoiãʹneʻ. (The only word in this line which has a clear meaning is the second, which is the title of the highest order of federal chiefs.—Ed.)
When daylight had come, one of the chiefs made an address of thanksgiving. He said: “I am very thankful that day has dawned in peace on this assembly here present. So now we give our thanksgiving to Him whose place of residence we still do not know but who has made our lives. So now you and I have finished this work, which puts an end to any bitter feeling between us that might in the future lead some one to scalp another. So now we will separate again. So now we, for our part, will start for our homes, and you, too, will return to your homes.”
So it came to pass that the two peoples arrived safe at their homes, whence they had come forth to make peace with their enemies, and this peace has lasted unto this day.
So this came to pass in this way. And this is the end of the legend.