Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-05-16
A NAVAJO TRADITION.
How All Animal Life Was Once Confined
in Cavern, and How 1t Secured
Release.

The Navajo Indians of Arizona, says
Dagmar Mariager in the Overland
Monthly, have tradition to the effect
that, while the earth was young and
destitute of animal life, the Great
Spirit created II people-six men and
six women-together with many
species of animals, and confined them
in a cavern of the San Francisco noun
tain, where they lived as a great,
happy family for many years. But in
course OF time restlessness possessed
the prisoners; though they had known
nothing of freedom, all felt the op-
preston of their narrow limits, and
vaguely yearned for greater fulfill
ment of the dream. or reality, of liv-
ing But what could they doP All
speculated on the situation to no pur-
pose. Daily they jostled each other,
little and big, clumsy and nimble,
bipeds and quadrupeds, feathered and
furred, winged and wingless, timid
and bold. Every successive period of
time was but repetition of the past.
None of the many puzzled brains could
offer means of breaking the monot-
ony, till happy thought struck one
mass. For want of other occupation
thereby opened the way for the enthu
siasm and progress of the host of its
comrades throughout the length and
breadth of their underground world.
The Great Spirit had so decreed it.
They were there only for time of in
cubation. At the destined hour, as
the eaglet bursts the shell that impris-
ons it, so the locust's tiny burrow
should lead to the escape of all into
the open world, where each could fol-
low his inclinations unhampered.
The laboring locust has but soli-
tary witness. A badger watched with
growing amusement the diminutiye
tunnel-making. His eyes sparkled
with interest as the locust labored en-
ergetically. He lay with his head
resting between his forepaws in a
most lazy attitude, but his face ex-
pressed an eagerness not much long
er to be restrained. AS the tail of the
locust disappeared the time for ex-
ertion had come. To follow the To-
Gusts movements further necessitated
like energy. The locust's hole was too
small for the badgers exit, so he
started tunnel-making of his own.
By the time he reached the locust he
was in no mood to give up the chase,
so he passed on, scratching his way
through the solid earth until he broke
through the outer crust of the mount
ain, and in the joy and excitement of
the moment he sprang into the ample
space before hun. The mountain side
was steep, and he ''landed" in the
shallow edge of the lake in Monte
yuma valley. AS he fell his fore feet
struck deep into Il e black mire, aud
his progeny even unto to-day have in
herited black fore paws, because of
this incident of the worlds first peo-
pling.
The Navajoes within the cavern,
noting the departure Of the badger,
began a prospect. Finding the hole
large enough for exit they crept out,
one after the other, and a train of all
sizes and species of animals followed
in their wake, as from Noahs ark.
AS soon as all the prisoners were
free, fire and smoke began to issue
from the hole that had delivered them.
This frighte ned them far away into
the valley, and there they prepared to
make themselves comfortable and live
as their new advantages permitted.
Food was plentiful in vegetable forms,
but some varieties needed heat to make
them good. At least the Navajoes
thought so. But they had no means
of kindling fire. This difficulty was
soon overcome by sending a bat, a
wolf and a souirrel after the needed
element, fire. Going to the hole in the
mountain the wolf tied some pitchy
splinters to his tail, then turned and
held it over the little volcano until it
began to smoke and ignite. The bat
then famed it into flames with it's