136 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. VIII. 



37. THE YOUTH AND MAIDEN WHO PLAYED HIDE AND SEEK 



FOR THEIR LIFE.> 



Ishyaoi! In Oraibi the people were living. At the west end of 

 the south row of houses lived a youth. A short distance north-east of 

 the present Honani kiva lived a maiden. One day the youth went 

 down to the west side of the mesa to watch his father's fields. As he 

 passed the house of the maiden she asked where he was going. "I 

 am going to watch my father's fields," he said: "May I not go 

 along?" she asked. "Yes," he said, thinking that she was only joking, 

 and passed on. The mana wrapped up some fresh piki rolls (muhpi) 

 and followed the youth. "So you have come," he said to her by way 

 of greeting when she had arrived. "Yes," she said, and opening her 

 blanket showed him her pfki, which they ate together. "Let us play 

 hide and seek now," she said, "and the one who is found four times 

 shall be killed." "All right," he replied, "you hide first because you 

 wanted it." "No, you hide first," she said, and so finally they 

 agreed that the m^na would go and hide first. "But you must not 

 look after me," she warned the youth, and spread her blanket (ush- 

 imni) over him. 



She then ran through the growing corn and finally hid under some 

 6yi (Corrispermum hyssopi folium Linn). As soon as she had hidden 

 she called out "tow." The young man then commenced to hunt her 

 but could not find her. Finally he said: "I cannot find you, come 

 out." So she came out and they went back to the place where they 

 had eaten, and the youth then went to hide himself, covering up the 

 mana with her blanket. He hid under a bush of pawihchoki. Hav- 

 ing hidden, he called out, "tow," whereupon the mana hunted for 

 him and found him. Hereupon they again returned, the youth was 

 covered up and the m^na again went among the growing corn to hide. 

 Finding a large corn-stalk, she pulled out the tassel, crawled into the 

 opening and put the tassel in again. She then signaled to the youth, 

 and he came and looked for her. Following her tracks he found that 

 she had been running through the corn-field. So he hunted through- 

 out the corn-field and then at the edge among the herbs and grasses, 

 but could not find her. Finally he noticed that her tracks seemed to 

 come to an end near a large corn-stalk, but he could not find her any- 

 where. Finally he called out, "I cannot find you, where are you?" 

 " Here I am," she replied, and throwing out the corn-tassel she jumped 

 out. So for the second time he had failed to find her. 



They again returned to the edge of the field, the mana now cov- 



■ Told by Wikvaya (Oraibi). 



