Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroeber. 159 



and tell them that I want the girl. If they refuse, say that I shall be 

 there soon." The hummingbird went again to the men and told them 

 what the rock wished, and said : "He is powerful. Perhaps it is best 

 if you let your daughter go. But there are two animals that can surely 

 help you. They can bring her back before he injures her. They are the 

 mole and the badger." "Yes," they said, now having confidence in these 

 animals. So the hummingbird took the girl to the rock. He reached 

 his tent, which was large and fine, but full of crippled wives. 'I have 

 your wife here," he said. "Very well," said the rock, "let her come in. 

 I am pleased that you brought her; she is pretty enough for me." Soon 

 after the hummingbird had left with the girl, the mole and the badger 

 started undergrourtd and made their way to the rock's tent. In the 

 morning the rock always went buzzing out through the top of the tent ; 

 in the evening he came back home in the same way. While he was 

 away, the two animals arrived. The girl was sitting with both feet 

 outstretched. They said to her, "Remain sitting thus until your hus- 

 band returns." Then they made a hole large enough for the rock to 

 fall into and covered it lightly. In the evening the rock was heard 

 coming. As he was entering above, the girl got up, and the rock 

 dropped into the hole while she ran out of the tent, saying: "Let the 

 hole be closed." "Let the earth be covered again," said the mole and 

 the badger. They heard the rock inside the earth, tossing about, buzz- 

 ing, and angry. The girl returned to her fathers. They traveled all 

 night, fleeing. In the morning the rock overtook them. As they were 

 going, they, wished a canyon with steep cliffs to be behind them. The 

 rock went down the precipice, and while he tried to climb up again, the 

 others went on. It became night again and in the morning the rock 

 was near them once more. Then the girl said : "This time it shall 

 happen. I am tired and weary from running, my fathers." She was 

 carrying a ball, and, saying : "First for my father," she threw it up and 

 as it came down kicked it upwards, and her father rose up. Then she 

 did the same for the others until all had gone up. When she came to do 

 it for herself the rock was near. She threw the ball, kicked it, and she 

 too rose up. She said, "We have passed through dangers on my ac- 

 count; I think this is the best place for us to go. It i^ a good place 

 where we are. I shall provide the means of living for you." To 

 the rock she said. "You shall remain where you overtook us. You 

 shall not trouble people any longer, but be found wherever there are 

 hills." She and her fathers reached the sky in one place. They live in 

 a tent covered with stars.* — K. 



' Cf. Gros Ventre: Dhegiha (J. O. Dorsey, Contr. N. A Ethn., VI, 224); Dakota (Riggs, ibid.,. IX,. 

 115); Ojibwa (Schoolcraft, Hiawatha, 274); Cheyenne (Journ. Am. Folk Lore, XIII, 182). 



