The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-03
PRIMITIVE FOLK LORE.
AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY,
RELIGION AND ROMANCE
Tales of Creation and of
Legendary Heroes.
PROM THE INDIANS IN CALIFORNIA.
MEXICO. AND GUATEMALA.
BY JEREMIAH CURTIN.
Copyright. 1898. bv jeremiah crrrn.
7.

v1-Tt,I u~tuurpp,e ,.,r
-" "hs hos IN ,ne cast nor the north, nor
me soutn. Dut IN the west. In a valley called
hnsaN'au'oh lroot valley or hatI that a little
oiu woman lived very long ago. No person
i'eo III 1hao valley nut this old woman, whose
nau'e was N"inhawena pokaila. She was called
siso foihpokaia learth ola womanl.
ms ola woman had lived ten summers and
Ueh winters IN mat valley and one summer
Hore' she aug roots there all f.iis time, Tor
FOCUS were her FOOD. The valley was broad, and
sue W. Jug peRihnlng at the edge ana going
round aud round TIL ut last there was only a
small piece lctt undug' and that was In the
miudie'
One morning. when she thrust her stick into
the ground deeply. she heard q cry like that
or little child. She heard 1t about the mid
ule OF tine forenoon. she stopped and nstenodi
heard the cry away down. She didn't know
what to make OF 1t. but thought: Il will get
This thing out, no matter what It is."
she thrust her root SLICK down az FAR rs she
could at ono side OF the spot where the noise
was, and worked hard; took much earth out;
then heard the cry n little forward-dug FOR
ward, then on the opposite side. she went TO
the opposite side and dug all around the cry
aug Till the middle or the AFTERNOON but round
nothing. Then she dug around again-thrust
the, stick deeper in the hrst spo' ana SAID; 1
must fud 1T must have it.
She thrust The stick down deeper-Ro moth
Ing. She went on the other SIDE put the stick
etfii deeper, ana turned over the great lump OF
earth In the middle. Under this she found
q little boy. The moment she saw him she
heard a noise IKE thunder far on In the east,
ut Saskewil [Sas's dwellingl. the place whore
Sas lsunl lives. When she raised him to the
surface she heard this noise a second time.
The baby's head. as she raised him TO the
surface. was to the east, his feet to the west;
underground his head was to the south. and
his feet TO the north.
"Tsok tso, tsok tso" [good baby, good babyl
said the old woman. fondling him In her arms.
She took the buckskin apron from her back.
laid 1t on the ground. put the baby on 1t and
wrapped him up. Then she fondled him
again, saying. "Tsok ten. tsok tsol" and said:
II am an old woman. 1 I'M your grand.
mother" and she carried him to hor house. She
took water and washed him all over. Every
morning she WASHED him. She could not
sleep In the night. she was so anxious. She
watched him all the time. All night, all day
she watched. never put him on,the grodnd, but
cleaned him much, saying:
Il wish you to grow quickly. You are tho
only person seen here. 1.wish you to walk
soon"
In fve weeks after she had found him he
could walk q little and talk some. Whom he
was able to talk well the old woman said:
Now, my grandson, I am going TO toll you
something which you must remember. Whom
you play around outside. never 90 to the east
toward Saskewn. where Sas lives. Play In the
north or south or west, but never 20 east"
The boy grew fast and was able 10 play. As
his grandmother was telling him always NOT
10 go east. he said to himself. II wonder why
my tails me moo 20 go east 10
like to know why"