Creation Myths of Primitive America Part 32

"I cannot go there," said Norwanchakus; "you go, my brother."

Keriha went through the air quickly; brought the plant--brought all there was.

"We must have more," said Norwanchakus.

"Well, go and get it," answered Keriha. "It grows beyond the sky in the southwest."

"I cannot go there; go you," said the elder brother.

Keriha went beyond the sky on the southeast; found plenty of kuruti.

The elder brother made strings of the fibre.

"I am in a hurry to fish," said Keriha. "You are slow, my brother."

"Go straight east beyond the sky," said the other, "and get ash wood while I am making a net."

Keriha brought the ash. Norwanchakus had the net made, and now he fixed the ash stick.

"My brother," said Keriha, "we cannot see anything. How can we fish?

There are people around us in the world, perhaps, but we have no good light to find them."

There was a kind of dim light all the time. The two brothers started, came north as far as Nomlopi, opposite Pas Puisono, and sat down.

Keriha heard voices in the north and asked, "Do you hear shouting?"

"No; I hear nothing," answered Norwanchakus.

"Let us go toward the shouting," said Keriha.

They went to a place about six miles beyond the river, where they found a sweat-house.

"These are the first people we have seen," said Keriha. "We shall call this place Tsarau Heril." They stood near the door of the sweat-house.

"Oh, my brother," said a big man who saw them and came to the door.

"Yes," said Keriha, "you are our brother, you are Norwinte."

Another came and said, "Oh, my brother!"

"You are our brother, too," said Keriha; "you are Eltuluma."

"It is dark. We do not know what to do," said Norwinte.

"And we do not know," answered Keriha.

"Not far from here are more people," said Norwinte. "Let us send to them to come here. Perhaps we may learn what to do."

Norwinte sent a messenger to the north. He brought a new person soon, a good-looking man; and when this stranger had talked a while he said, "There is a person in the southeast who can help us."

"Will you bring him here?" asked Norwinte.

"I cannot go there," said the stranger.

"You go, Keriha," said Norwanchakus. "No one can go there but you."

Keriha went, and was not long gone. He brought back Patkilis.

"My brother Patkilis, do you know of any more people anywhere?"

"I know of no more people. I have seen none; but in the far east I hear shouting, with dancing and singing."

"Well, my brother, I wish you would go and see what kind of people are making that noise there."

"I will go," said Patkilis. "I don't think it is very far from here to where they are."

Patkilis was gone a long time. When he came back, he said: "I saw many people, but they did not see me. There is a hill beyond the sky in the east. On the northern slope of it are houses. On the southern slope there are houses, also. A river flows from this hill westward. South of the hill every one is dancing. I went into the houses on the north side. All were empty except one. In the middle house of the village I found a blind boy. I looked around and saw much in the house. 'Why have you so many things here?' asked I of the boy. 'What are they good for? I live on the other side. We haven't such things in our houses.'

He said nothing. I talked a long time to him, asked many questions, but got no answer. All he said was, 'My people have gone to dance.'

There were piles of acorns inside and outside, great baskets of them put around everywhere. I sat down. 'What is this?' asked I. 'What is that? What is in those baskets there?' 'Oh, something,' said the blind boy; and that was all the answer he made. There were many bags, all full of something. I saw two small bags hanging in the house, and they were very full. 'What is in those small bags that are so full?' asked I. 'Can you tell me, little boy?' 'Why do you want to know everything?' asked the blind boy. I asked about those two bags in different ways, but he wouldn't tell me for a long time. I teased him and teased him to tell. 'You want to know everything,' said he, at last; 'I will tell you. In one is Puriwa.' 'Well, what is in the other bag? Tell me. You have told about one, now tell about the other.' He thought a while and asked, 'Why do you want to know so much? Sanihas is in the other bag.' He would tell no more, and I came away."

When Patkilis had told all this, Keriha said, after thinking a while: "This is the best news that we have heard in this world yet; some one of us ought to go there. We must bring those two bags here. If we open one, the world will be dark; if we open the other, there will be daylight. Those acorns, too, are good. You must send some one for those two bags."

"There is a man up north here, p.a.w.nit. He could go; send for him,"

said Patkilis.

They sent for him, and he came. They told him what they wanted.

"I can go for those things," said he, "but I don't like to go alone.

My brothers, you bring a man here who lives up north, Tsaik. He is blind of one eye."

When Tsaik came and heard about the acorns, he said: "I should like to have them; they are good. If I go, I will take the acorns, and you can bring the two bags," said he to p.a.w.nit. "When you come to that hill in the east," said Patkilis to p.a.w.nit, "you will see many houses on the north side of it, and many on the south, where people are dancing; but go to the north, and right in the middle of the village you will see a big house, with the door toward the south. When you go in, don't let the blind boy know that there are two of you. Let one talk to him while the other takes the bags. The one talking will make him believe that he came from the south side of the hill, where people are dancing. When you are going in through the door, you will see the two bags right opposite, both smooth and very full. Get those bags, so that we can see what kind of place this is. We want plenty of light.

We want darkness, too, so that there may not be too much light."

p.a.w.nit and Tsaik started off on their journey. How long the journey lasted no one knows. They went beyond the sky and reached the eastern hill, they saw the villages south and north of it, and heard a great noise of dancing at the south. They went to the northern village, found the big house in the middle of it, and stopped before the door.

"Go in," said Tsaik. "I will stay outside. I have a strap. I am going to carry away the acorn baskets. You go in. I will stay here and tie them together."

p.a.w.nit went in and sat down on the west side. The blind boy was lying on the east side.

"Well, blind boy," said p.a.w.nit, "I am cold. I have been dancing. I have come here to warm myself."

"I should like to know why you people come here while there is dancing at the other side," said the blind boy.

p.a.w.nit made no answer, but went out to see what Tsaik was doing.

"Where are you, Tsaik?" asked he.

"I am here making ready to carry acorns," answered Tsaik.

Just then they saw some one near them. "Who is this?" asked p.a.w.nit.