“Good indeed!” replied the brothers.
“Untrue,” said the great being. “I am the Master of Life and know! One of you must lie down and I will purify him first, and then the other.”
One brother placed himself upon the ground. Master of Life took a small shell, placed it to his lips, tapped him upon the neck, and then carefully sealed the shell with a lump of clay. He now began to skin the prostrate man. He stripped every muscle from its fastenings, took out the organs, and separated the bones. He cleansed each fibre from corruption and disease with a fluid from his mouth and then put the man together again. The same process was repeated with the second brother. Then, placing the shells upon their mouths, he loosened the clay and tapped the necks of the men. Sitting up they said, “It seems as if we have slept.”
“Every power of your bodies is renewed,” said the Master of Life. “How would you like to test your skill now?” And, leading the way, he entered a beautiful forest surrounded by a hedge. The borders of the grove were lined with beds of vegetables and flowers.
“Come into the inner part of my garden,” said the Master of Life, “and see my droves of deer.”
A stalwart buck with proud branching antlers came bounding toward them.
“He is the swiftest of all my runners,” said the Master of Life. “Try to catch him.”
The men followed after and easily overtook the fleeing deer.
“He has given us good speed,” said the brothers, nor was this the only power. For long they tried their skill in every way and found it equal to any task that creatures could perform.
Returning to the great white lodge the brothers saw a messenger of wondrous swiftness come speeding toward them. Upon his wide expanded chest was suspended a brilliant ball of light. In some unknown tongue he shouted as he dashed by on his journey.