Miscellaneous Papers. 263 



water and filled it nearly full. Then, to complete the filling, she 

 took a gourd cup, as we all do, and commenced dipping up cups of 

 water to put into the jar. Once, as she was leaning over to fill the 

 cup, a bear, which had approached unnoticed, seized her from behind 

 and carried her to his great cave in the mountains. In the en- 

 trance he then rolled a big rock, so that she could not escape, and 

 there he kept her, bringing her food to eat each day. 



"After she had been there a great while she gave birth to a male 

 child, the son of the god of day. This child grew to his full ma- 

 turity in this cave. He could not get out, because on leaving in 

 the morning to search for food the bear always rolled the rock in 

 the entrance, and on his returning he closed it behind him with 

 the same rock. But, after obtaining his full power, this offspring 

 of the parents of all things was able to roll the stone away and go 

 where and whenever he pleased. He always contrived, however, 

 to go out after the bear had departed in the pursuit of game and to 

 return before that animal returned at the close of day. 



"At first this son of the moon mother thought that he was the 

 offspring of the bear, but his mother told him who his true father 

 was, and related to him how it happened that she was in that mis- 

 erable condition. From that time on the mother and son talked 

 over plans of escape. At last they made up their minds what to 

 do, and at the first opportunity they failed not to put their plans 

 into execution. 



"As soon as the bear was out of sight and hearing one morning, 

 the son of the great mother rolled the stone from the cave entrance, 

 put his mother on his back, and ran and ran and ran all day toward 

 the place where the sun sets, because he knew that the sun touches 

 the earth on all sides of the great hole at his going down. Towards 

 night they could hear the growling bear coming in the distance. 

 Harder and harder ran our first brother with our mother. Nearer 

 and nearer came the bear. With open mouth he got so close to 

 them that his breath blew in our mother's face. With a horrifying 

 growl, the animal sprang to seize her. At the same moment our 

 brother, with one great leap, reached the palace of the sun. The 

 great gate closed and shut the bear out. 



"But the terrible beast charged upon the gate and would have 

 broken it in pieces had not our brother left his mother and drove 

 him from the palace front with his mighty war-club. Bent upon 

 having his wife, as the bear styled our mother, he then attacked the 

 palace from the rear. On this side another one of our brothers, a 

 son of those above, defended the edifice and drove the infuriated 

 animal away. 



