VcK,. 



228 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. IV. 



lance, the captive spoke, saying to Little-Star with an earnest plea: 

 "You know that I have given myself up to you. For your honor and 

 integrity I give my skin to you to wrap your lance with, and to the 

 end that you may remember me in my supplications. " This he said 

 with pitiful expression and signs of fatigue. "All right; it is a good 

 thing that you are willing to give up your skin for my lance; you have 

 saved yourself by your promptness and willingness to me. Well, let 

 me see; if your skin does not obstruct my hand from peeling it off 

 easily, then your assurance of your willingness to be subdued is agree- 

 able to me," said Little-Star, taking the neck of the snake with his 

 right hand, and with his left hand peeling off the skin.* "Now, Little- 

 Star, take this skin of mine and wrap it around your lance or coyote- 

 bow and keep it there," said the big snake. The serpent was then 

 turned loose, and went back to his kind, with less power. 



Little-Star then continued his journey until he reached the black- 

 painted tipi and entered it with his lance. Reaching the Father, Sun 

 (he was related to him, as Moon was a brother of Sun), at short dis- 

 tance, he advanced recklessly and spied everything in front of him. 

 "Well, well! That mischievous boy is coming. He is a hard case,., 

 and therefore he ought not to enter this lodge, because it is pure and 

 holy," said Sun. "Say, young man, I think it is best for you to 

 return, for your lance is a lawless one. So please go back to your 

 grandmother, who made the lance for you," said Sun, in earnestness 

 and much thought. Little-Star, without further approach to his 

 father, returned to the east and went out of this black lodge. Little- 

 Star removed from his lance the attachments, thus cleansing it. 

 Turning around, he placed his lance above the door of this black 

 lodge. Thus he became the morning- star, so-called the cross, "but 

 really the Little-Star, following his father and mother, Sun and Moon. 



That small group of stars early at night, with a row of stars along 

 the side represents the hand of Little-Star with his lance. That was 

 the erfd of his journey. '^ 



* From this time on these snakes shed their skins annually. 



* The story relates to the whole Sun Dance ceremony. The center fork signifies tlie father's 

 home. The unwrapping of this lance corresponds to the people placing children's clothing on the 

 ceoter-pole. The dancing out is the return of Little-Star. The smoking of the Straight-Pipe, and 

 wrapping of the wheel, and other things is the continuation of the Sun and Moon with us. It is the 

 place of holiness and glory. 



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