150 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, V^ol. VIII. 



41. THE SHONGOPAVl MAIDEN WHO TURNED INTO A DOG.' 



Haliksai! In Shongopavi they were living, and a youth there was 

 very handsome, and all the maidens were coveting him. And one 

 maiden was young yet, had small hair whorls; she was dirty, and a 

 bad looking maiden. The maidens owned the chiro birds, and one 

 of the maidens ground coarse meal (hakwushkwi) for them and put 

 it into a tray, and when she had put it in she lifted it up, and while 

 she was singing she threw it away. She sang: "Pota, p6ta, pota, 

 Yoa ini, yoa ini," and then scattered it to the birds. Now the chiros 

 darted towards it and ate of it, and when they had eaten they dis- 

 persed again, whistling, and were flying around somewhere in the 

 field. When it was evening they again assembled at the mana's 

 house. In the morning she again made hakwushkwi for them and 

 fed them, and after that the mana always fed them. 



Now that youth also made a tray. When he was done with it 

 the maidens assembled. He handed that tray to them, and when he 

 had handed it to them he said: "Now then, who opens this shall get 

 me." Now one when she had loosened it could not untie it. She 

 handed it to another one, who could not untie it, and thus one after 

 the other tried to loosen and untie it, and not one could open it. 

 Now then when it came to that bad looking maiden she also tried it. 

 Now the old grandmother (Spider Woman) informed her, "When you 

 will sing this you will open it." Thus she informed her. So the 

 maiden, while she was secretly singing, opened it. When she had 

 opened it, singing secretly, she opened it as her song ended. When 

 she had opened it all she owned the youth. Then those pretty 

 maidens were very sad and were angry. 



Now the youth took her to his house, where the mother of the 

 youth bathed her entirely, whereupon she became a pretty maiden. 

 She now remained there as a bride. Then they made a bridal costume 

 for her whereupon she went home. When she went home the youth 

 followed her. Now she slept there in their house twice, and when 

 she slept there the second time she did not get up. At last when they 

 were eating they would still not get up, so the mother of the maiden 

 went up to them and looked at them and they were still sleeping, but 

 that maiden had turned into something; she had turned into a dog. 

 Now the mother said to them, "Get up, please." The dog got up at 

 once and rushed out right away and jumped down as a dog, and at 

 once ran away somewhere, and is still going around somewhere. 



' Told by Moho (Oraibi woman). 



