235. Verily, at that time and place, it has been said, in this house,
236. The Chief Messenger
237. Hastened to
238. Mi-ḳa´-ḳ´e Zhu-dse, Red-star (Pole star), who sitteth in the heavens,
239. And returned with him to the people.
240. They spake to him, saying: O, grandfather,
241. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies.
242. Red-star replied: It is well you sent for me.
243. Of all the groups of gods
244. I am a god by myself.
245. The little ones shall make of me their bodies.
246. Even among the gods
247. There is not one who has power to see my path.
248. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
249. Even among the gods
250. There is not one who shall be able to see their path.
251. Even among the gods
252. There is not one who has power to cross my path.
253. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
254. Even among the gods
255. There is not one who shall be able to cross their path.
256. Even among the gods
257. What one is there who can stand in my way to prevent my going?
258. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
259. Even among the gods
260. There is not one who shall be able to stand in their way to prevent their going.
261. I am not the only god,
262. Take heed and make further search.

10

263. Verily, at that time and place, it has been said, in this house,
264. The Chief Messenger
265. Hastened to
266. The side of the heavens
267. Where lay Shoⁿ´-ge, the Dog (Sirius), as though suspended in the sky,
268. And returned with him to the people.
269. They spake to him, saying: O grandfather,
270. The little ones have nothing of which to make their bodies.
271. Then, at that very time,
272. The Dog replied: The little ones shall make of me their bodies,
273. Behold my toes, that are gathered closely together,
274. I have not folded them together without a purpose.
275. I have made them to be a sign of old age.
276. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
277. When they become aged men,
278. In their toes, closely folded together,
279. They shall see the sign of old age.
280. Behold the folds of skin on my ankle.
281. I have not put them there without a purpose.
282. I have made them to be a sign of old age.
283. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
284. When they become aged men,
285. In the skin of their ankles, gathered in folds,
286. They shall see the sign of old age.
287. Behold the flaccid muscles of my thigh.
288. They have not become flaccid without a purpose.
289. I have made them to be a sign of old age.
290. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
291. When they become aged men,
292. They shall see in the flaccid muscles of their thighs the sign of old age.

293. Behold my shoulders, that are drawn close together.
294. They are not drawn together without a purpose.
295. I have made them to be a sign of old age.
296. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
297. When they become aged men,
298. They shall see in their shoulders drawn together the sign of old age.

299. Behold the flaccid muscles of my throat.
300. They have not become flaccid without a purpose.
301. I have made them to be a sign of old age.
302. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
303. When they become aged men,
304. They shall see in the flaccid muscles of their throat the sign of old age.

305. Behold the folds of the corners of my mouth.
306. They are not put there without a purpose.
307. I have made them to be a sign of old age.
308. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
309. When they become aged men,
310. They shall see in the corners of their mouth the sign of old age.

311. Behold the folds in the corners of my eyes.
312. They are not put there without a purpose.
313. I have made them to be a sign of old age.
314. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
315. When they become aged men,
316. They shall see in the corners of their eyes the sign of old age.

317. Behold the tip of my nose.
318. It is not placed there without a purpose.
319. I have placed it there for chasing away other gods.
320. I use it for keeping other gods from entering my house.
321. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
322. They shall use it to chase away other gods, as they travel the path of life.

323. Behold the hair on the crown of my head grown thin.
324. It has not grown thin without a purpose.
325. I have made it to be a sign of old age.
326. When the little ones make of me their bodies,
327. When they become aged men,
328. They shall see in their whitened hair
329. The sign of old age, as they travel the path of life.
330. There comes a time
331. When a calm and peaceful day comes upon me,
332. So there shall come upon the little ones a calm and peaceful day, as they travel the path of life.

The most important wi´-gi-es (recited parts of a ritual) used in the child-naming rituals are those which relate to the life symbols of a gens, such as the sun, the moon, the morning and evening stars, night and day, deer, elk, bear, etc., which are called wa-zho´-i-ga-the, objects of which bodies are made; and those which relate to the personal, sacred names adopted by a gens to be used by its members for their children. The wi´-gi-e relating to the life symbols are usually recited at the beginning of the ceremony. (See wi´-gi-e of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens, p. 60.) The name wi´-gi-es, called Zha´-zhe Ḳi-ṭoⁿ (Zha´-zhe, name; Ḳi-ṭoⁿ, the taking of), are recited when all the Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga who were invited to take part in the ceremony of the conferring of a name upon a child have assembled. The life-symbol and the name-taking wi´-gi-es are paraphrases of the mythical stories of the origin of the people of a gens. These mythical origin stories are called Ni´-ḳi-e, freely translated, Sayings of the Ancient Men.