Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-09-06
THE MOON ANDTHE TOAD
The Creation of Man.
As TOH by one Of the BGsOko* Tribe,
Mr.. Henry H. Stanley.
PART /.

PART 1.
In tho old, old times, all this land,
and indeed, all the whole earth was
covered with sweet water. But the
water dried up or disappeared some
where, aud the grasses, herbs and
plants began to spring up above the
ground, and some grew, in course of
many moons, into trees, great and
streams and rivers, lakes and pools,
and as the rain fell it kept the streams
and rivers running, and the lakes and
pools always fresh. There was no liv.
ing thing moving upon the earth, until
one day there sat by one of the pools
large Toad. How long he had lived is
not known, or how he came to be is
not known; it is suspected, ho gever,
that the water brought him forth out
of some virtue that was in it. In the
sky there was only the Moon glowing
and shining-on the earth there was
but this one Toad. 1t is said that thoy
couversed together, and one day the
Moon said to him:
al havo an idea. 1 propose to mako
a man and a woman to live on the
fruits of the earth, for 1 believe that
there Is rich abundance OF food on IL
fit for such creatures.
May" said the Toad, "let me make
them, for l can make them filter for
the use Of the earth than thou canst,
for I belong to the earth while thou
belongest to the sky"
Verify" replied the Moon, "thou
hast the power to create creatures,
which shall have but brief existence,
whereas, if l make them, they will
have something OF my own nature; and
it is pity that the creatures of ones
own making should suffer and die
Therefore, oh Toll, | propose to re-
serve the power of creation for myself,
that the creatures may be endowed
with perfection and enduring life."
"Ah, Moon, be not envious Of the
power which l share with thee, but lei
me have my way. l will give then
forms such as l have often dreamed Of,
The thought is big within me, an L in
sist uron realizing my IDEAS"
"And thou be so resolved, observe
my words, both thou and they shall die
Thee 1 shall slav myself and end ut
terly; and thy creatures can but follow
thee, being OF such frail material a
thou canst give them.
"Ah, thou art angry now, bat
! heed thee not. / am resolved that tht
creatures to inhabit this earth shall bt
of my own creating. Attend thou tC
thine own empire in the sky"
Then the Noon rose and scared up
ward where its big shining face shont
upon all the world.
The Toad grew great with his con
ception, until It ripened and issued ou
in the shape of twin beings, full grow
male and female. These were the
first of our kind that ever trod tn,
earth.
The Moon beheld the event Will
rage, and left its place in the sky t.
punish the Toad, who had infringe(
the privilege that he had thought to re
serve for himself He came direct t.
the Toad's Pool and stood blazingl,
bright over it.
"AIiserable," he cried, "what has
thou done?"
patience, Moon; but exercised N,
right and power. 1t was within me 4
do it, and 10, the deed is done"
"Thou hast exalted thyself to be u,
equal in thine own esteem. Thy con
ceit hast clouded thy wit and obscure,
thy memory of the warning 1 CAV,
thee. Even hadst thou obtained char
ter from me to attempt the task, thor
couldst have done no better than tho,
hast done. Even as thou art inferio
to me, so they will be inferio
to those could have endowed thi
earth with. Thy creatures are pitifu
things, mere animals without sense
without the gift of perception, or self
protection. They see, they breathe
they exist; their lives can be measure,
by one round journey of mine
Were it not ont of pity for them,
would even let them die. Fo
PHYS sake l propose to improv
somewhat on what thou has done
their lives shall be engthened, an,
such intelligence as malformed being
as these can contain will endow ther
with, for their guidance through lif
that with ali my power must be trouble,
and SORE But as for thee, whilst tho
exist, my rage is perilous to them
therefore to save thy kin I end thee"
Saying which the Moon advance
upon Toad, and the fierce sparks fror
his burning face were shot forth an
fell upon the Toad until he was con
sumed
The Moon then bathed in the pool
that the heat of his anger might be mod
Grated, and the water became so heate
that 1t was like that which is In po
over Ere, and he stayed in it unit
the Kissing and bubbling had subsIde,I
Then the Moon rose out of tho poe
and sought the creatures of Toad; an
when he had found them, he calle
them unto him, but they were afraid an
bid themselves.
At this sight the Moon smiled, as 70
sometimes see him on fine nights, whe
he Is a clear white, and free from stai
or blur, and he was pleased the
'Toad's creatures were afraid of him
"Poor things" said he, TOAD hs
left me much to do yet before 1 ca
make them fit to be the first of earthl
creatures" Saying which he laid hol
on them, and bore them to the poo
wherein he had bathed, and which ha
been the home OF Toad. He held ther
in the water for some time, tenderl
bathing them, and stroking them her
and there as apotter with his earther
, ware, until be had moulded them int
somewhat OF the. shape we men an
women possess now. The male becam
distinguished by breadth Of shoulder
depth of chest, larger bones and NOR
substantial form; the female was sligh
er in chest, simmer of waist, and th
| breadth and fullness of the woman wa
midmost of the body at the hips. The
| the Moon gave them names, the ma
he called Bateta, the woman Hanni
and he addressed them and said:
The Basoko are tribe occupying ihe righ
bank of the Aruwini river from its confluent