﻿514 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [HTH. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  painting 
  on 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  youngest 
  child, 
  which 
  was 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  for 
  the 
  

   earth 
  and 
  the 
  stars 
  were 
  brothers; 
  he 
  bade 
  them 
  observe 
  the 
  circle 
  of 
  stars 
  (near 
  the 
  

   handle 
  of 
  the 
  Great 
  Dipper); 
  this 
  circle 
  of 
  stars 
  were 
  all 
  brothers. 
  Moreover, 
  he 
  told 
  

   them 
  that 
  the 
  shells 
  were 
  like 
  the 
  stars. 
  He 
  said 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  holy 
  bird 
  which 
  was 
  the 
  

   leader 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  animals 
  about 
  the 
  lake. 
  This 
  holy 
  bird 
  was 
  the 
  white 
  swan 
  and 
  the 
  

   birds 
  flocked 
  in 
  sevens 
  and 
  lives, 
  lie 
  said 
  that 
  the 
  down 
  near 
  the 
  left 
  wing 
  should 
  be 
  

   worn 
  on 
  the 
  head. 
  The 
  left 
  wing 
  of 
  the 
  bird 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  symbol 
  of 
  its 
  power. 
  He 
  

   bade 
  them 
  notice 
  that 
  the 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  was 
  still; 
  so 
  the 
  mind 
  of 
  man, 
  he 
  said, 
  

   must 
  be 
  quiet, 
  like 
  to 
  the 
  lake, 
  where 
  dwell 
  the 
  mysterious 
  animals, 
  that 
  they 
  could 
  

   give 
  to 
  man 
  of 
  their 
  powers 
  and 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  this 
  magic 
  bestowal 
  he 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  

   perform 
  strange 
  and 
  mysterious 
  acts. 
  He 
  told 
  the 
  father 
  and 
  mother 
  they 
  wore 
  to 
  

   remain 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  four 
  days. 
  When 
  the 
  stranger 
  had 
  finished 
  his 
  instructions 
  

   li«- 
  sang 
  two 
  songs 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  animals 
  about 
  the 
  lake 
  joined 
  in 
  the 
  singing 
  and 
  those 
  

   on 
  the 
  rock 
  struck 
  the 
  drum. 
  When 
  the 
  singing 
  was 
  over 
  the 
  stranger 
  bade 
  the 
  father 
  

   and 
  mother 
  take 
  up 
  the 
  eldest 
  boy, 
  cany 
  him 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  lodge, 
  and 
  lay 
  him 
  on 
  the 
  

   beach, 
  face 
  downward, 
  his 
  head 
  toward 
  trie 
  water. 
  When 
  they 
  had 
  done 
  so, 
  he 
  bade 
  

   them 
  bring 
  the 
  second 
  son 
  and 
  lay 
  him 
  down 
  so 
  that 
  his 
  head 
  would 
  be 
  at 
  the 
  feet 
  of 
  

   his 
  elder 
  brother. 
  When 
  they 
  had 
  done 
  so. 
  he 
  bade 
  them 
  bring 
  the 
  girl 
  and 
  lay 
  her, 
  

   like 
  the 
  others, 
  face 
  downward, 
  her 
  head 
  to 
  the 
  feet 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  son. 
  When 
  they 
  

   had 
  done 
  so, 
  he 
  told 
  them 
  to 
  bring 
  out 
  the 
  youngest 
  child 
  and 
  place 
  him 
  face 
  down- 
  

   ward, 
  with 
  his 
  head 
  at 
  the 
  feet 
  of 
  his 
  sister. 
  Then 
  the 
  stranger 
  entered 
  the 
  tent 
  and 
  

   left 
  there 
  his 
  robe 
  and 
  came 
  forth 
  and 
  walked 
  on 
  the 
  w-ater 
  to 
  the 
  place 
  where 
  the 
  sky 
  

   and 
  water 
  meet 
  and 
  disappeared 
  beyond. 
  Soon 
  a 
  great 
  wave 
  arose 
  and 
  rolled 
  over 
  

   the 
  quiet 
  waters 
  until 
  it 
  reached 
  the 
  shore 
  where 
  the 
  children 
  lay. 
  It 
  covered 
  the 
  

   body 
  of 
  the 
  eldest 
  boy 
  and 
  drew 
  it 
  in. 
  The 
  parents 
  stood 
  silently 
  watching 
  and 
  as 
  

   they 
  looked, 
  in 
  the 
  far 
  distance 
  they 
  saw 
  the 
  stranger 
  loom 
  up 
  and 
  disappear. 
  Then 
  

   a 
  second 
  wave 
  rolled 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  east 
  and 
  swept 
  over 
  the 
  lake, 
  which 
  had 
  become 
  tran- 
  

   quil 
  again. 
  On 
  it 
  rolled 
  until 
  it 
  came 
  to 
  the 
  beach, 
  when 
  it 
  lapped 
  over 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  

   the 
  second 
  child 
  and 
  drew 
  it 
  in. 
  As 
  the 
  wave 
  receded 
  and 
  the 
  lake 
  became 
  still, 
  the 
  

   stranger 
  rose 
  and 
  looked 
  at 
  the 
  parents 
  and 
  disappeared. 
  Then 
  came 
  another 
  wave 
  

   that 
  rolled 
  on 
  and 
  on 
  until 
  it 
  reached 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  girl, 
  covered 
  it, 
  and 
  drew 
  it 
  in; 
  

   ami 
  once 
  more 
  the 
  lake 
  became 
  quiet 
  as 
  at 
  first, 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  distance 
  rose 
  the 
  form 
  

   of 
  the 
  stranger. 
  As 
  he 
  disappeared 
  a 
  mighty 
  wave 
  uprose 
  and 
  rolled 
  over 
  the 
  lake, 
  

   reached 
  the 
  beach, 
  and 
  swept 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  youngest 
  child 
  from 
  the 
  beach 
  where 
  it 
  

   lay, 
  and 
  again 
  the 
  lake 
  became 
  still. 
  The 
  father 
  and 
  the 
  mother 
  had 
  watched 
  these 
  

   proceedings 
  in 
  a 
  wondering 
  state 
  of 
  mind. 
  They 
  made 
  no 
  sound 
  nor 
  did 
  they 
  speak. 
  

   The 
  silence 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  and 
  of 
  all 
  sounds, 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  stranger, 
  the 
  empty 
  place 
  

   where 
  the 
  children 
  had 
  lain, 
  brought 
  an 
  overpowering 
  sense 
  of 
  desolation 
  to 
  the 
  par- 
  

   ents 
  and 
  they 
  gave 
  way 
  to 
  violent 
  demonstrations 
  of 
  grief. 
  They 
  cut 
  their 
  hair, 
  

   threw 
  away 
  then' 
  clothing, 
  and 
  wailed 
  as 
  they 
  walked 
  beside 
  the 
  placid 
  silent 
  

   lake 
  Night 
  came 
  on: 
  still 
  the 
  man 
  and 
  woman 
  wailed, 
  until 
  from 
  exhaustion 
  

   they 
  slept. 
  Before 
  the 
  sun 
  was 
  up 
  the 
  woman 
  arose 
  and 
  began 
  to 
  wail 
  afresh. 
  Her 
  

   husband 
  joined 
  her, 
  wailing 
  as 
  he 
  came. 
  The 
  lake 
  lay 
  quiet, 
  but 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  mist. 
  

   As 
  the 
  woman 
  walked 
  she 
  remembered 
  the 
  words 
  of 
  the 
  stranger 
  and 
  began 
  to 
  search, 
  

   hoping 
  she 
  might 
  find 
  something 
  as 
  he 
  had 
  said 
  she 
  would. 
  Her 
  eye 
  caught 
  sight 
  of 
  a 
  

   gleam 
  in 
  the 
  water. 
  She 
  stooped 
  and 
  took 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  a 
  white 
  shell, 
  exclaiming 
  as 
  

   she 
  did 
  so: 
  "I 
  have 
  found 
  it 
  ! 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  it 
  ! 
  '' 
  Her 
  husband 
  heard 
  her 
  cry 
  of 
  joy, 
  

   and 
  he 
  began 
  to 
  search. 
  By 
  and 
  by 
  he 
  saw 
  a 
  dark 
  object 
  in 
  the 
  water; 
  he 
  stooped 
  and 
  

   took 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  a 
  dark 
  shell. 
  Then 
  he 
  exclaimed: 
  "I 
  have 
  found 
  it!" 
  Just 
  then 
  

   as 
  they 
  stood 
  holding 
  their 
  shells, 
  the 
  mist 
  parted, 
  making 
  an 
  opening 
  down 
  the 
  lake 
  

   like 
  a 
  path 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  path 
  stood 
  the 
  four 
  children, 
  well 
  and 
  happy. 
  As 
  the 
  parents 
  

   stood 
  gazing 
  in 
  wonder, 
  the 
  children 
  spoke, 
  and 
  said: 
  "Do 
  not 
  grieve 
  for 
  us. 
  We 
  are 
  

   content. 
  Death 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  dreaded. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  as 
  you 
  think 
  it 
  to 
  be. 
  In 
  course 
  of 
  

  

  