HOW THE CAVE PEOPLE FOUND DRY LAND ON THE EARTH
(Zuñi Chant)
n the old days all men lived in caves in the center of the earth. There were four caves, one over the other. Men first lived in the lowest cave. It was dark. There was no light, and the cave was crowded. All men were full of sorrow.
“The Holder of the Paths of Life, the Sun-father, heard the people cry. He created two children for himself, and they fell to the earth to help the cave people.
“The Sun-father gave his two children eternal youth. He gave them power to do things as he would do them. He gave them gifts. One gift was a painted bow that reached from one end of the sky to the farther end. It was the rainbow. He gave them an arrow of fire. It was the lightning. He gave them a great shield [[74]]like his own. The shield was a net of cotton cords on a hoop of wood, and the last gift, a great magic war knife of flint, was fastened to the center of the shield.
Interior of Zuñi House
From a Photograph
“After the two children had cut the face of the earth with the stone war knife, they rode on the magic shield to the lowest cave where men lived. There they lived with mankind as leaders.
“The priests prayed to the Sun-children for help in the darkness. The Sun-children led mankind into the second cave; it was still all darkness. Men asked the priests to pray for more help. They came to the Sun-children, and the people were led into the third world or cave.
“This was a larger world than the other two. It was like twilight in this cave, but at first all thought that they had reached the blazing sun, it was so light.
“After a thousand years this cave became crowded. Men sought the priests and prayed them to find some way to help them.
“The two Sun-children cut their way through the cave above them, and led the people out upon the earth. It was only a small island, for all the rest was water.
“Men covered their faces with their hands, for the light made them blind. They fell down and tried to hide in the sand, they were so hot. The people were taught to make clothing of yucca fiber. Their eyes [[75]]were like owls’ eyes, and they covered them with their hands till they were strong.
“The Sun-children led the people over the quaking earth to the east, where the Sun-father had his home.
“The Sun-children were told to dry the earth. They put the magic shield upon the earth and laid the rainbow upon it. They put arrows of lightning to the north, south, east, and west, and the arrows crossed each other. The older brother shot with an arrow the lightning arrows where they crossed upon the rainbow.
“Thlu-tchu! the lightning arrows shot toward every point. Fire rolled over the face of the earth. The earth was dried when the fire storm was over.
“The earth was then full of great beasts that had lived in the water. The Sun-children shot the beasts with their arrows; then the beasts became stone. The people were free to go on the earth wherever they wanted to go.
“Thus the people were led out of the deep caves; thus the land became dry, and men came to live on the earth.”
From report by F. H. Cushing, who was adopted by the Zuñis. [[77]]
Part II
TRADITIONS AND MYTHS
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Copyright, 1901, by Ginn & Company
The Indian Story-Teller
Original Painting by Angel de Cora (Hinook-mahiwi-kilinaka)
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