March, 1905. The Traditions of the Hopi — Voth. 119 



When I tried to go up the ladder the rungs broke because they were 

 made of sunflower stalks. So I told the people and they came down 

 and fed me. I was the only one that was actually eating, and I saw 

 that they threw away the food to the rear of the houses. I asked 

 them why they did so, and they told me that they were eating the 

 soul or the odor of the food only. They then asked me why I had 

 come and I told them. They said :' Your flesh is still " salty . " You 

 will not stay with us here. Thus we are living here. We are not 

 living like you Hopi live. It is light there, but here it is not light. 

 We are living poorly here. Some of us have only very few nakw^k- 

 wosis left on our foreheads. They are worn out so we cannot see very 

 well through them any more. You must make many nakwakwosis 

 and bdhos for us in the village and we shall also work for you here. 

 You make prayer-offerings for us and we shall provide rain and crops 

 and food for you. Thus we shall assist each other. So you go back 

 now and you tell them in the village that we are living here and that 

 we are living here in the dark, and tell them that no one should wish 

 to come here. For some it is not yet at all time to come, but if their 

 hearts are not good and they are angry they will come here sooner, so 

 tell them that no one should desire to travel this way. Now you re- 

 turn right straight, and do not tarry anywhere.' And so I came 

 straight back. 



" It is really true that the Skeletons are living somewhere, and I also 

 saw that those who are bad here and wicked are punished there. They 

 have to carry heavy burdens. Some carry mealing stones, and others 

 cactus, the thorns of which prick them. Especially are those pun- 

 ished there in the other world that are bad to the maidens and women 

 here. I have seen it all myself now, and I shall after this remember 

 that and think that we are living in the light here. They are not 

 living in the light there. So I shall not want to be thinking about 

 that place, and no one should desire to go there, because here we are 

 living better; we are living in the light here. I have seen it myself, 

 and we should not think about that world so much." "Very well," 

 they all said that were sitting around ; "very well; so that is the way." 

 Hondn Wuhtaka said to the young man: "Now you must not think 

 about that any more. You must go home now and live there strong. 

 Do not think about these things any more." 



