March, 1905. The Traditions of the Hopi — Votii. 85 



were assembled for their ceremony. They were just washing the 

 snakes in a bowl. The P6ok6nghoyas grabbed a bull-snake (I6I60- 

 kong), put it into a snake-sack and left the kiva, the younger brother 

 holding this bag under one arm, the elder brother carrying the tray 

 with the objects. In this manner they proceeded towards the Corn- 

 Ear bluffs, constantly beating their ball. When they arrived at the 

 Corn-Ear Bluffs they found a great many bahos, little artificial melons, 

 watermelons, and peaches which the Hopi had made and deposited 

 in the different niches, cracks, etc. They had been deposited here 

 by the different societies in their different ceremonies as prayer- 

 offerings, that they might have an abundance of these things. On 

 top of the rocks they saw the Watcher (Ttiwalahka), who owns this 

 rock. It was Cotukvnangwuu, who was sitting there in the form of 

 an old man. "Oh my!" the younger brother said, "How many 

 prayer-offerings there are here ! Let us steal some of them and take 

 them home;" but the elder brother refused to do so, so the younger 

 brother ascended the rock along a crack and took from one of 

 the places where the prayer-offerings had been deposited a corn 

 baho, a watermelon, and a melon, and brought them down. 



Hereupon they started homeward again, beating their ball. They 

 again went by the spring Toriva where they drank, this time, how- 

 ever, not stealing anything. They then started towards Shongopavi 

 along the trail. After they had gone a little distance they shot the 

 lightning frame, and twirled the bullroarer several times. By the 

 time they had reached the canyon, or gulch, right east of Shongopavi, 

 and as they were beginning to ascend to the village, clouds had 

 gathered in the sky and it began to thunder and rays of lightning 

 began shooting through the sky. Soon it began to rain. 



They began to run towards their house, and just as they arrived 

 there they once more shot the lightning frame and twirled the thunder 

 board. By this time it thundered very hard and loud, and lightning 

 was flashing. One of the Hopi houses in the village was struck and 

 shattered. By this time they had arrived at their house. "Who 

 are those little mischief makers that are coming there?" their grand- 

 mother said. "You are bad." But the two brothers rushed into 

 the house and put the lightning frame, thunder board, the snake, 

 the little artificial melons, bahos and the paint, which they had 

 brought with them, quickly but secretly into two pots which they 

 covered up. And because the P6ok6nghoyas afterwards had these 

 things they were the cause that it always rained and the Hopi had 

 good crops. 



