II. MYTHS. 



14— THE ORIGIN OF THE CHEYENNE 



In the beginning the Great Medicine created the earth, and the 

 waters upon the earth, and the sun, moon, and stars. Then he made 

 a beautiful country to spring up in the far north. There were no 

 winters, with ice and snow and bitter cold. It was always spring, 

 and the wild fruits and berries were everywhere, and great trees 

 shaded the streams of clear water that flowed all through the 

 land. In this beautiful country the Great Medicine put animals, 

 birds, insects, and fish of all kinds. Then he created human beings, 

 and put them in the country to live with the other animals. Every 

 animal, both big and small, every bird, both big and small, every 

 fish, and every insect could talk to and understand the people whom 

 the Great Medicine had sent to live among them, and they could 

 understand each other, for they were all friends, and had a common 

 language. The people went naked. They lived on honey and wild 

 fruits, and were never hungry. They wandered everywhere among 

 the animals, and when night came and they were weary, they lay 

 down on the cool grass and slept. During the days they talked with 

 the other animals, for they were all friends, and one people. 



The Great Spirit created three kinds of human beings: First, 

 those whq had hair all over their bodies; second, white men, who 

 had hair all over their heads and faces and on their legs; third, red 

 men, who had very long hair on their heads only. The hairy people 

 wore very strong and active. The white people with the long beards 

 and the wolf were the most tricky and cunning of all in that 

 beautiful country. The red people were active, and were the swift- 

 est runners. The Great Medicine taught them how to catch fish, and 

 they ate the fish. None of the other people knew anything about 

 eating meat. After a time the hairy people left the north country, 

 and went south where all the land was barren. The red people 

 followed the hairy people into the south. The bearded people left 

 the north country, but no one knew where they went, but it is be- 

 lieved to-day that they were the ancestors of the white people. 



Before the red men left the beautiful land the Great Medicine 

 spoke to one of their number and blessed him and his people. The 



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