The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-07-02
FLEA IN THE PLEIADES.
Indian Legend About Five Maidsns
Who Would Marry For Love.

IHolNH Ie9enu Hoouk TlNe matoeua
Who Would Marry For Love.
A curious explanation of the orr
gin of the Pleiades IS given by a
writer in Out West, who secured it,
among other myths, from tribe of
California Indians.
According to this piece of tradi-
ton, great chief was the father of
five daughters so beautiful that they
attracted many suitors, but they
declared they would remain single
unless they could marry for love.
They were very cold and critical
and quite ignored the young men
who came to court them. One day
when they were playing and singing
Baakil, "the Flea" heard them and
followed the sound until he came in
sight of them. He was so captivat-
ed that he prayed the Great Spirit
to transform him into a handsome
man.
No sooner said than done. When
the five daughters stopped dancing,
there among them was so beauteous
masculine being that they fell in
love without further ado. When
the Flea had decided on his choice,
lie went to the chief and asked for
her and was happily surprised to
fund that ali five of the girls pined
to be his.
So he married them all, one after
the other, and they lived in peace and
happiness through the winter. But
with the late spring and summer a
change took place. The heat af-
fected the Flea, and every time he
embraced any of his wives they be-
gan to itch. Their rosy cheeks van
ished, their buoyancy became Ian
guor, and one took pity on the other
and said:
"You must leave him to save
your beauty"
When all five had been told the
same thing from each other they
decided that something must be
done. So at midnight the five sis
ters met, and each proposed way
of escape, yet none was available
save that of the youngest. Her
plan was that they leave him for
good and all.
TO accomplish this end they gave
him sleeping draft when he awoke
at the usual hour for his drink, for
the Flea was very light sleeper, and
the hurrying and bustling of the
five women would have awakened
him had he not been drugged. When
he was in his soundest sleep the wo-
men departed.
When the Flea awoke many hours
later and got up he thought,
"Where are my wives?" Looking
about, he realized that they had
fed. He went eastward and had
journeyed many days when just
about to rest on the sandy shore Of
the ocean he caught sight of them
and excitedly exclaimed:
81 will catch you yetp
They heard him, and the young
est turned to see how far behind he
was. She called to her sisters: 'Let
us hasten. He is gaining on us rap
idly" Curiosity caused the others
to turn. They lost time until again
the youngest cried, ''He is very
near!" Then with one voice they
cried: owe will go up into the airL
There he cannot come with us"
Slowly and gracefully they rose
until they reached the places they
now occupy in the sky. Baakil
again invoked aid of the Great Chief
and through him was also allowed
to arise to the sky. But before he
was able to embrace any of his
wives he, too, was turned into
star.
That is why there now are five
stars close together in the Pleiades
and one at the side. This one the
Indians are convinced is the Flea.