Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-08-03
NAVAJO TRADITION.
HOW ALL ANIMAL LIFE WAS CON-
FINED IN A CAVERN.

FINED IN a CAVERN.
Freedom First Found by . Locust-The
Badger Foilows-Prisonsrs Free at Last.
Dispute Concerning the Use Of Night
and Day.
The Navajo Indians of Arizona have q
tradition to the effect that while the earth
was young and destitute of animal life
the Great Spirit created twelve people
six men and six women-together with
many species of animals, and confined
them i'll a cavern of the San Francisco
mountain, 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 oppres-
sion Of their narrow limits, and vaguely
yearned for a greater fulfillment of the
dream or reality of living. But what
could they dor All speculated on the
situation to no purpose. Daily they jos
tied 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.
OPENING THE WAY OUT.
None of the many puzzled brains could
offer means Of breaking the monotony,
till happy thought struck one of the
most Insignificant of the living mass.
For want Of other occupation locust
bored q hole in the wall and thereby
opened the way for the enthusiasm 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 a time of incubation. At the
destined hour, as the eaglet bursts the
shell that imprisons 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.
Tue laboring locust had but a solitary
witness. A badger watched with growing
amusement the diminutive tunnel making.
His eyes sparkled with interest as the
locust labored energetically. He lay rest
ing with his head between his fore paws
| in q most lazy attitude, but his face ex-
pressed animation and eagerness not much
| longer to be retained. As the tail of the To-
Gust disappeared the time for eXertion had
come. To follow the locust's movements
| further necessitated like energy. The
| locust's hole was too small for the
badgers access, SO he started a tunnel
making of his own. BY the time he
reached the locust he was in no mood to
| give ND the chase, so he passed on,
scratching his way through the solid
| earth until he broke through the outer
crust of the mountain. and in the joy and
excitement of the moment he sprang into
| the ample space before him. The noun
| tain side was steep, and ne ''landed y in
the shallow edge of the lake in Monte
yuma valley. As he fell his fore feet
struck deep into the mire, and his progeny
even unto today have inherited black fore
paws because of this incident of the
| worlds first peoplng.
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
Noah's ark. .ass
FRIGHTENED THEM AWAY.
As soon as all the prisoners were free,
fire and smoke began TO issue from the
hole that had delivered them. This
| frightened them far away into the valley,
and there they prepared to make thern-
selves 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 Nayajoes thought SO, but they
had no means of kindling a fire. This
| difficulty was soon overcome by sending q
bat, a wolf and squirrel after the
needed element, fire. Going to hole In
the mountain, the wolf tied some pitchy
splinters to his tail, then turned and held
| il over the little volcano till it began to
smoke and ignite. The bat then famed
it into flames with its wings and the
squirrel carried it away to the Navajoes.
| The people were delighted at getting the
one missing essential TO a happy life in
the open world, and when, long after, a
time came when the worlds plenty had
pampered their wills and fostered their
| greed and selfishness to the point OF
preying upon their fellow creatures for
| food, they still had the honor to vow
never to eat wolf or squirrel flesh.
Neither would they move camp without
/ even TODAY the Navaioes' gratitude to the
/ trio is observed as the promise made to
tbe fire petters of the tradition.
| Retween the Nayaioes and different ami.
mails there sprang up a dispute over the