And so, as the Sun had told them, they finished their story. Then the people were convinced, and sent for the grandfather, the great priest-chief, and when he came they all embraced their new children, admiring greatly their straight, smooth limbs and abundant hair. Then the grandfather dressed them in some of the beautiful ornaments their mother used to wear, and when evening approached they feasted them. And after the meal was over, as the Sun was setting, the two boys arose and said, “We must go.”
“Stay with us, stay with us,” the young girls and the grandfather said. “Why should you go away from your home? This is your own home.”
“No; we said to our mother and father, the Badgers, that we would return to them; therefore we must go,” urged the boys. So at last they consented and wished them a happy journey.
“Fear not,” said the Two as they started, “for we shall yet go and get our mother. Even tomorrow we shall go to Acoma where the people dance day after day in her memory.” Then they departed and returned to the place of the Badgers.
When they arrived at home, sure enough, there were their Badger-mother and Badger-father awaiting them outside their holes.
“Oh, here you are!” they cried.
“Yes; how did you come unto the evening?”
“Happily!” replied the old ones. “Come in, come in!” So they entered.
When they had finished eating, the elder brother said: “Mother, father, look ye! Tomorrow we must go after our mother to Acoma. Make us a luncheon, and we will start early in the morning. We are swift runners and shall get there in one day; and the next day we will start back; and the next day, quite early, we will come home again with our mother.”
“Very well,” replied the Badger-father; “it is well.” But the Badger-mother said, “Oh! my poor children, my poor boys!”