June, igo2. The Mishongnovi Ceremonies — Dorskv. 257 



look on. So he turned away and when he again looked the men had 

 dressed up but had become rattlesnakes, bull snakes, racers, etc., of 

 all sizes, that rattled, hissed and glided about. While he had turned 

 away Spider Woman had whispered to him that they w^ere now 

 going to try him again and that he should not be afraid to take hold 

 of a snake, etc. 



On the banquettes of the kiva had also been sitting some loma 

 nianas (pretty maidens), one being a particularly pretty one. These 

 had also pat on snake shirts and had been turned into snakes. The 

 old chief had not dressed up nor turned into a snake, and he now said 

 to the youth to go and take one of the snakes. The latter were very 

 angry and the youth got frightened when they stared at him. 

 Spider Woman encouraged him, saying: "Do not be afraid now." 

 The before-mentioned pretty maiden had turned into a large sikatcua 

 (yellow rattlesnake) and was especially angry. Spider Woman 

 pointed her out to the youth and he tried to capture her, but she was 

 very angry. Spider Woman again encouraged him and gave him 

 some medicine. This he secretly chewed and then spat a little of it 

 on the snake, whereupon it at once became docile. He grabbed it, 

 stroked it four times upward, each time spitting some medicine on it, 

 and thus subdued its anger. The chief was astonished and said to 

 him: " You are certainly very some one (a man) ; thanks! Now look 

 away again." He did so, and when he again turned all had assumed 

 their natural shapes. All were very friendly and talked freely. They 

 now considered the youth initiated and to be one of them. The chief 

 invited him to eat. The mana whom he had captured as a snake 

 brought from another kiva room some piki (made of young corn), 

 melons, peaches, etc., and fed the youth. Spider Woman whis- 

 pered to the latter to give her something to eat, too, which he did. 



The chief now asked the young man why he had come, what his 

 errand was, etc. " I am hunting lulomah kalcit (a good, happy 

 life)," he said; " I was thinking about the water, running this way, 

 where it went, etc., and behold, it runs here to this place. I have 

 also come to get some Hopi food from here and some beads and 

 shells which, we understand, Hurrungwuhti (Bead Woman) has, who 

 is said to live this way." Hereupon the chief asked him what he had 

 iox Hurrungwuhti. He said, "Some bahos." "All right," the chief 

 said, "you will get them, but you must now sleep here." But Spider 

 Woman wanted to get back, and so he said to the chief that he had to 

 go out to attend to a call of nature and left the kiva and took Spider 

 Woman home again, spanning the rainbow bridge as before. She in- 



