Hearing him, the grandmother opened the door, and cried: “What now?”
“Oh, my grandmother, ah me! I am murdered!” he answered. “A great, round, hard seed was dropped on my head by a little creature with a short, one-feathered tail, who came and told me that it was good to eat and—oh! my head is all bleeding and swollen! By the light of your favor, bind my wound for me lest, alas, I die!”
“Served you right! Why did you leave your place, knowing better?” cried the old woman. “I will not bind your head unless you give me your very bristles of manhood, that you may remember your lesson!”
“Oh! take them, grandmother!” cried the Cock; but when he looked down, alas! the beard of his breast, the glory of his kind, was all gone. “Ah me! ah me! What shall I do?” he again cried. But the old woman told him that unless he brought her at least four bristles she would not cure him, and forthwith she shut the door.
So the poor Cock slowly staggered back toward his corral, hoping to find some of the hairs that had been gnawed off. As he passed the little lodge of his neighbor, the Dog, he caught sight of old Wahtsita’s fine muzzle-beard. “Ha!” thought he. Then he told the Dog his tale, and begged of him four hairs—“only four!”
“You great, pampered noise-maker, give me some bread, then, fine bread, and I will give you the hairs.” Whereupon the Cock thought, and went to the house of a Trader of Foodstuffs; and he told him also the tale.
“Well, then, bring me some wood with which I may heat the oven to bake the bread,” said the Trader of Foodstuffs.
The Cock went to some Woods near by. “Oh, ye Beloved of the Trees, drop me dry branches!” And with this he told the Trees his tale; but the Trees shook their leaves and said: “No rain has fallen, and all our branches will soon be dry. Beseech the Waters that they give us drink, then we will gladly give you wood.”
Then the Cock went to a Spring near by,—and when he saw in it how his head was swollen and he found that it was growing harder, he again began to lament.
“What matters?” murmured the Beloved of the Waters.