May, 1903. The Arapaho Sun Dance — Dorsey. 217 



the absence of her sons, then reached behind their bed and pulled out 

 a nicely ornamented buffalo robe, that is called, *'the fortieth (buffalo) 

 robe," and gave it to her daughter-in-law as a wedding gift. This 

 buffalo robe had forty parallel lines from the head to the tail, in fine 

 porcupine quills; at the bottom it had binding pendants. 



"Where is your other daughter-in-law? Is she doing some 

 work outside? She must be very timid and bashful," said Moon. 

 Sun had at this time returned (sunwise) and seated himself on the 

 north side of the lodge. . It was his own bed. "Well, dear child, your 

 brother has just returned. I don't know what kind of a trip he has 

 made," said the mother. "Well, I would like to see my sister-in-law. 

 Ask your son where she is," said Moon, with a hint. "Say, dear child, 

 where is my other daughter-in-law," said the mother to her son. "She 

 is down at the edge of the river," said Sun. This was Eagle River, 

 and ran by the lodge or camp-circle. "Well, you should have reported 

 the matter sooner. I must go after her," said the mother, taking up 

 her water vessel 



Reaching the river and passing through tall grass, she noticed a 

 toad leap toward her. Dipping the water with her pail, she then 

 looked around to find her, but there was no sign of a human woman. 

 Passing the tall grass again, she noticed this toad sitting close to the 

 trail and leaping forward in front of her. Believing that it was her 

 daughter, she said, with an affectionate voice, "Come on, my dear 

 daughter-in-law." The toad made another leap on the trail, then 

 became a real woman, following the mother closely. Both reached 

 the tipi and entered. When the mother saw this toad leap toward her, 

 it left a drop of water behind, which was disgusting. "Old man, I 

 have brought into our tipi a toad woman or frog woman, who is our 

 daughter-in-law; she was waiting impatiently at the river, and 

 responded quickly to rriy call," said the mother, seating herself by 

 the side of the old man with a sympathetic expression on her face. 

 "Good! Good! Is that our daughter-in-law, Water-Woman, or 

 Liquid-Woman? I am so glad to see her enter with her husband. 

 Stir around, dear, and entertain our daughter-in-law," said the father, 

 with compassion, and at the same time coughing loudly, perhaps to 

 attract attention. "Well, dear, do you call our daughter-in-law 

 Water-Woman, when I told you she was a toad woman?" said the 

 mother, seriously. "Well, just so she has a good name, it matters 

 not how you call her, so long as it is in accordance with nature. 

 Everything is satisfactory to me," said the old man in friendly way. 

 The mother then presented Water- Woman another nice buffalo robe, 

 the same as that of Moon's wife. 



