Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-28
HARE GOD AND THE SUN.
CURIOUS INDIAN LEGEND OF HOW
THE EARTH WAS FLOODED.
The Hare God Starts Out to Slay the Sun
Because the Latter Burned His Back.
He Creates CONSERVATION on the Way

by killing Men, Women and Animals.
Traditions of great deluge which at
one time covered the earth are found in al
most all ages and all religions. 1t is the
elimination of Rajnarok of the Morse
Sagas and of 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 i'm
mersed in the flood, and that it was place
of refuge for an Indian and his wife, who
became the Adam and Eve of the Indian
race. The following legend of the south
western Indians gives singular origin Of
the food and is told in the simple and
childish fashion peculiar to savage people,
The incidents of the journey suggest the
Brer Rabbit and his contemporaries in ne
gro fable.
AS the Hare God slept one day the sun
burned his back, and waking in wrath he
set out to fight the aggressor On the way
he became hungry and took some corn,
and when those who had planted it found
that it had been stolen they set off in pur-
suit. The Hare God burrowed into the
ground, and when his pursuers shot their
arrows into 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 gallery in rock above, and
when they had dug far down he hurled
his magic ball and caved the earth in on
their heads.
"YOu are buried in 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. No
body shall escape my wrath"
SLAUGHTER ON THE WAY
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 have us think that
you are ghostr they replied. "No, but
am better man than you. Hold me on
these rocks, and if don't burn you must
let me do the same to 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 current of air between him and the
surface. Rising unhurt he demanded that
they should submit to the torture and they
did So When their flesh had been burned
to the entrails, and they were dead, he
sounded his war whoop and went on.
Next day he met two women picking
berries, and bade them blow the leaves and
thorns into his eyes, They did so but his
magic breath saved his eveballs. "You are
a ghost" the women cried. "No ghost"
he answered, "but common person.
Leaves and thorns can do no harm. Let
me show you," and he puffed the thorns
into their faces and blinded them. "Aha,
you are caught with your own chaff 1 am
on my way to kill the Sun. This is good
practice" And he slew them, sounded his
war whoop and went on.
Next day he saw 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?"
asked the Hare God, coming up. tWe said,
Here comes our grandson "a common form
of endearment)." els that all? Let me
neck" They braided the neck very small
and laughed to think they had entrapped
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 wo-
men.
POWER OF THE MAGIC BALL.
They consented, and when the jugs were
finished he told them to jump out. Try as
they might they could not break the will
low withes, and he rolled them about,
laughing and deriding them for their folly.
"You are bottled in your own jugs" said
he. II am on my way to slay the Sun.
In time / shall learn how" Then, killing
them with hts magic ball, he sounded the
war whoop and went on.
Next day he met the Bear, who was dig
ging hole to hide in, for he had heard of
the Hare God and was afraid. "Dont
fear" said. the Hare God. Il am not the
man to hide from. How could little fell
low like me hurt so many peoplep" And
he helped the Bear to dig his den, but when
it was finished he hid behind rock 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 sounding his war whoop
he went on.
Next day he met the Tarantula, know
ing fellow, who had club that would deal
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
and asked to have it beaten out. The Hare
God took the weapon and whacked sound
ly. but when the Tarantula shouted
Harder" he guessed that the club wal
ChCluhOCd duo CuduSCu ~ AOI LIS ulet5l'
bali, which finished the Tarantula at once
<'That is blow Of your own seeking" re
marked the slayer. II am on my way tt
kill the Sun. Now know I can do it.
And sounding his war whoop he went on.
THE EARTH is DELUGED.
Next day he came to the edge of th'
world and looked off into the space where
thousands of careless people had fallen, ant
there he passed the night under little tree
With the coming of the dawn he stood OF
the brink of the earth and the instant thai
the Sun appeared he flung the magic bal
full in his face. The Sun was broken intt
a thousand pieces that spattered over the
earth and kindled mighty confagration
The Hare God crept under the tree that
had sheltered him on the night before, bu
that was of no avail against the increasing
heat. He tried to run away, but the fir
burned off his toes, then his feet, then hi
aegsv then his body, so that he ran on hi
hands, and when his hands were burned
off he walked on the stumps Of his arms
At last only his head was left and tina
rolled along over hill and valley until i
struck rock, when the eyes burst and tn
tears that rushed forth spread over tn
land, putting out the flames but creating
food. When the deluge had subsided tn
Sun was conquered, and at his trial befor
the other gods was scolded for his conduc
and condemned after that to travel acros
the sky every day by the same trail
npe<, Il rlryy. Ea<xl4