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.