Oct., 1903. Arapaho Traditions — Dorsey and Kroerer. 185 



mouth when she went to sleep, and she accidentally swallowed it. She 

 gradually grew in size, until one day she gave birth to a boy. 



This boy grew up rapidly, and his mother would go out on the 

 prairie. The mother would pack her boy on her back and walk about 

 the sides and tops of the hills, weeping. This boy asked his mother 

 what was the matter with her. "Well, my dear boy, I am weeping 

 because you and I are alone. Your uncles were with me recently, but 

 they went to the other camp-circle, and have not yet returned. You 

 have a good many uncles, but they are not here," said the mother. 



"I shall go in search of them, mother, when I become older," said 

 the boy. So the boy grew to be a man, and he made a bow and some 

 arrows. This boy's name was Light-Stone, or Transparent-Stone. 

 This young man tol3 his mother that he was ready to go on the journey. 

 "You are too young, my boy ; besides, you have no courage to with- 

 stand fear," said the mother. "Oh, mother, I am old enough ; I want 

 to start now ; which way did my uncles go ?" said he. "They started 

 toward that divide and went over it and that was the last I ever saw of 

 them," said the mother. 



The boy started with his bow and arrows, reached the hill or di- 

 vide, and saw a creek with plenty of timber. The atmosphere was 

 hazy. He came to a well-tanned tipi, but he knew who lived there, 

 and the danger at the tipi. Light-Stone went around, but the old wo- 

 man saw him. "Say, Light-Stone, grandchild, come over here! I 

 want you to tramp on my backbone. I have been sick for some time, 

 and you will do me a favor if you will just tramp on my backbone for 

 a while." Light-Stone consented, first resting a while. 



The old woman was lying with her back to the fire. She lay down, 

 face to the ground. Light-Stone then walked up to her back, barely 

 pressing his weight. "That will not do, Light-Stone," she said, "put 

 both your feet on me, and it will do much good." "Well, grand- 

 mother, I don't want to do that, because I do not wish to hurt you," 

 said the boy. Light-Stone was standing near her, and used the bow 

 as a cane, and barely put his foot on the old woman's back. "Say, 

 grandchild, get on with both your feet and give me some relief," said 

 the old woman. So Light-Stone got on tup of her back and walked 

 about. He stepped on the sharp spike, but since his body came from 

 the stone, it overpowered the sting and the young man was like a heavy 

 stone, having an enormous weight, llie old woman said to him, 

 "Say, my grandchild, I have had enough tramping on my body. Please 

 get off, fof I am all right now," said the old w^oman. "No, I will not 

 get off," said Light-Stone, increasing his weight and crushing her 



