TAKING AWAY THE SUN 



away in a grave box in the customary manner. 

 As soon as the mourners left his grave, he arose 

 and went out a short distance from the village, 

 where he hid his raven mask and coat in a tree. 

 Then he turned himself into a young boy and 

 went back to his father's house, where he skipped 

 about in a lively manner, and amused the parents 

 so much that the father at last became very fond 

 of him. 



When he had gotten them in the habit of in- 

 dulging him, he began to cry for the sun as a 

 plaything. He kept this up until the father went 

 to the bag and took out the sun and let him have 

 it for a while, being careful to see that it went 

 back into the bag when anyone was coming, or 

 when the boy was going out of doors. 



One day the boy played with it for a time in 

 the house, all the while watching his chance, and 

 when no one was looking, he ran outside, fled to 

 the tree where he put on his raven coat and mask 

 and flew away with it. When he was far up in 

 the sky, he heard his father's voice, sounding 

 faint and far below, saying: 



" Don't hide the sun. If you will not bring it 

 back, let it out of the bag sometimes. Don't keep 

 us always in the dark, if you mean to keep the sun 

 for yourself." 



79 



