The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-13
THE HARE GOD AND THE SUN.
A Curious Indian Legend of M~oapa-How
the Earth Was Flooded

one time c0NeTeu tile eNTtl AN ouIu M
almost all ages and religions. 1t is the
elimination of Rajnarok of the Morse
SaRas and wagner's twilight of the
Gods" The Algonquins believe that the
summit Of Mount Washington was the
only portion of the world that was not inn
mersed in the flood, and that IL was a
place Of refuge for an Indian N his
wife, who became the Adam and Eve of
the Indian race. The following leeendo OF
the Southwestern Indians gives a singular
origin Of the flood, and 10 told In the simple
and chill dish fashion peculiar 70 savage
people. The incidents OF the journey ug-
gest the Brer Rabbit and his contemporary
les in negro fable. Az the Hare God slept
one day the sun burned his back, and
waking in wrath he set out TO fight the aR-
gressor. On the way he became hungry
N took some corn, and when those who
had planted II found that Il had been
God burrowed into the ground, and when
his pursuers shot their arrows n the
hole he turned them aside with his magic
breath. When they began to dig for him
he made his way by a secret passage to a
gallery in q rock above, N when they
ball and caved the earth in on
their heads. "You are buried in a
hole that you dug for yourselves"
he shouted, Fighting is like eating to me.
have set out TO kill. Everyone / meet
will be my enemy. Nobody shall escape
my WRATH Next day he saw two men
heating rocks and chipping arrow heads
from them. Let me help you.' he said.
''for hot rocks can't burn me-" 'Would
you ave us think that you are n ghost!'
they replied. mo, but j am a better man
than you. Hold me on these rocks, and
il / don't burn you must let me do the
same 10 YOU" The men complied, and
heating the stones to redness they placed
him on them, failing to see that by his
magic breath he kept a current of air
between him and the surface. Kissing
unhurt he demanded that they should sub
init to the torture and they did SO. When
their flesh had been burned to the entrails,
and they were dead, he sounded his wal
whoop and went on. Next day he met
two women picking berries and babe
them blow the leaves and thorns into his
eyes. They did so, but his magic breath
saved his eyeball. You are q ghost"
the women cried. "No ghost" he an
swered, 'but a common person. Leaves
and thorns can do n @ harm. Let me
show you,'' and he pulled the thorns into
are caught with your own chalf. l am on
my way to kill the sun. This is good
practice And he slew them. sounded
his war whoop n went on. Next
day he saw some women standing
on a cliff and heard them say
10 each other that they would kill
him by rolling rocks on him as he
passed. As he drew neal he pretended to
eat something with such enjoyment that
they asked him what Il was. 1T is sweet.
Come to the edge, and l will throw 1t up
to you.m With that he tossed IL nearly
within their reach, and, bending forward
to catch IL, they crowded too near the
brink. fell over and were killed. you
are victims OF your own greed. One
should never be so anxious as to kill ones
SELF" he remarked, and sounding the wal
two women making water jugs of
willow baskets lined with pitch,
and heard one Of them say, "Here
comes that bad Hare God. How shall we
destroy him ?' "What were you saying 2"
asked the Hare God, coming up. 1--WE
said Here comes our grandson Ia com.
mon form of endearmentl." as that all?
Let me get into the water jug. Now braid
the neck" They braided the neck very
small and laughed TO think they had ell
trapped him, but with his magic breath he
burst his prison and offered to braid jugs
about them TO prove that while they could
hold water they could not hold men and
women, They consented, n when the
Jugs were lone he told them TO jump out.
Try as they might they could not break the
willow withes, and he rolled them about,
laughing and deriding them for their folly.
"Iou are bottled i'm your own Jugs" said
he. II am on my way to Stay the Sun. In
time | shall learn how Then, killing
them with his magic ball, he sounded the
warwhoop and went on. Next day he met
the Bear, who was digging a hole To hide
in. for he had heard of the Hare God and
was afraid. "Don't fear said the Hare
God. ~ am not the man to hide from.
How could a little fellow like me hurt so
many people. And he helped the Bear to
dig his den, but when it was
and as the Bear thrust his head
near him he launched his ball at his face
and made an end of him. II was afraid
of this warrior. but now he is dead in his
own den,'' said the Hare God, and sound
he met the Tarantula, a knowing fellow,
who mad a club that would deal a fatal
blow to others but would not hurt himself.
He began to groan as the Hare God came
near, and cried that he had a pain, caused
by an evil spirit, in his head, n asked to
the weapon and whacked soundly, but
when the Tarantula shouted Harder" he
guessed that the club was en-
chanted and changed IL for his
magic ball. which finished the
Of your own seeking remarked the
slayer. ~ Am OF my way TO kill the Sun.
Now / know l can do it," And sounding
his war whoop he went on. Next day he
came TO the edge of the world N looked
OH INTO the space wnere tnousttnus Oh
careless people had fallen. and there he
passed the night under a little tree. With
the coming OF the dawn he stood ON the
brink Of the earth and the instant that the
Sun appeared he flung the magic ball full
i'm his face. The sun was broken into a
thousand pieces that spattered over the
earth and kindled a mighty confiagration.
The Hare God crept under tree that had
sheltered him on the night before. but thai
was Of no avail against the increasing
heat. He tried TO run away but the fire
burned of his toes, then his feet. then his
legs. then his body, so that he ran OH his
hands, and when his hands were burned
off he walked OH the stumps of his arms
At last only his head was left and tina
rolled along over hill m valley until i
struck a rock. when the eyes burst and