Jl XE, 1902. The Mishongnovi Ceremonies — Dorsey. 259 



he would be given clothes and victuals for the journey, etc. In the 

 snake kiva he now staid four days and nights, sleeping with the 

 mana that he had captured when she was a snake, and who was now 

 considered to be his wife. When he was ready to start the chief 

 said: " You have won us : take this woman with you and something 

 to eat and all other things.* When you get home you must perform 

 the snake ceremonies that I have told you about. Your wife will 

 bear you children and you will be many, and they will then perform 

 this ceremony for you." 



So thev started. At Spider Woman's house the man told his 

 young wife to wait for him and he went in. Spider Woman 

 asked him whether he got the mana. He said " Yes," and she charged 

 him to take her and all that he had been given with him, but he 

 should not have intercourse with his wife on the way, as then the 

 beads would disappear and his wife would leave him. They left now 

 for the youth's home. The bag with the beads was not heavy, but 

 in the morning they found that the beads in it had increased. During 

 the following night they increased again and in the morning the man 

 was very anxious to see them, but did not dare to open the sack for 

 fear the threat of Spider Woman might become true. During 

 the third night another increase was noticed and the sack became 

 now quite heavy. The man became very anxious to open the sack 

 but his wife would not allow it. On the morning of the fourth day 

 the sack was nearly full and very heavy. The beads were stringing 

 themselves on the strings in the sack. 



They were now not far from home. The woman was pregnant, 

 her period of gestation being short as that of snakes. The man 

 began to forget the parting counsel of Spider Woman and to ask 

 the woman to let him sleep with her, which she refused. So they 

 traveled on, and when they had only one more day's journey to 

 the youth's home, he could restrain his curiosity no longer. He 

 insisted on opening the sack, but the woman insisted that he should 

 not do so, as the contents would disappear if he did so. During the 

 night, however, he opened the sack, notwithstanding the remonstrances 

 of the woman. " We are now almost home," he said, " and it will be 

 all right now." He took out some of the finest beads and shells, 

 spread tliem out, hung them around his nec'k and was very happy. 

 They went asleep, both being happy, but the woman still refusing to 

 comply with the requests of her husband, saying, however, that if he 

 cared no longer anything about her she would yield. So he 



*My informant says that this refers to snake costi^es, altar paraphernalia, etc, 



