﻿570 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [ETH. 
  ANN. 
  27, 
  

  

  31. 
  T 
  n 
  sha'ge, 
  old 
  men; 
  we'utha, 
  example; 
  ga'xa 
  M, 
  they 
  made; 
  

   ego 
  n 
  , 
  like. 
  

  

  Free 
  translation 
  

  

  1 
  . 
  Toward 
  the 
  coming 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  

  

  2. 
  There 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  every 
  kind 
  gathered, 
  

  

  3. 
  And 
  great 
  animals 
  of 
  every 
  kind. 
  

  

  4. 
  Verily 
  all 
  gathered 
  together, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  people. 
  

  

  5. 
  Insects 
  also 
  of 
  every 
  description, 
  

  

  6. 
  Verily 
  all 
  gathered 
  there 
  together, 
  

  

  7. 
  By 
  what 
  means 
  or 
  manner 
  we 
  know 
  not. 
  

  

  8. 
  Verily, 
  one 
  alone 
  of 
  all 
  these 
  was 
  the 
  greatest, 
  

  

  9. 
  Inspiring 
  to 
  all 
  minds, 
  

  

  10. 
  The 
  great 
  white 
  rock, 
  

  

  11. 
  Standing 
  and 
  reaching 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  the 
  heavens, 
  enwrapped 
  in 
  mist, 
  

  

  12. 
  Verily 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  the 
  heavens. 
  

  

  13. 
  Thus 
  my 
  little 
  ones 
  shall 
  speak 
  of 
  me, 
  

  

  14. 
  As 
  long 
  as 
  they 
  shall 
  travel 
  in 
  life's 
  path, 
  thus 
  they 
  shall 
  speak 
  of 
  me. 
  

  

  15. 
  Such 
  were 
  the 
  words, 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  said. 
  

  

  16. 
  Then 
  next 
  in 
  rank 
  

  

  17. 
  Thou, 
  male 
  of 
  the 
  crane, 
  stoodst 
  with 
  thy 
  long 
  beak 
  

  

  18. 
  And 
  thy 
  neck, 
  none 
  like 
  to 
  it 
  in 
  length, 
  

  

  19. 
  There 
  with 
  thy 
  beak 
  didst 
  thou 
  strike 
  the 
  earth. 
  

  

  ******* 
  

  

  20. 
  This 
  shall 
  be 
  the 
  legend 
  

  

  21. 
  Of 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  yore, 
  the 
  red 
  people, 
  

  

  22. 
  Thus 
  my 
  little 
  ones 
  shall 
  speak 
  of 
  me. 
  

  

  23. 
  Then 
  next 
  in 
  rank 
  stood 
  the 
  male 
  gray 
  wolf, 
  whose 
  cry, 
  

  

  24. 
  Though 
  uttered 
  without 
  effort, 
  verily 
  made 
  the 
  earth 
  to 
  tremble, 
  

  

  25. 
  Even 
  the 
  stable 
  earth 
  to 
  tremble. 
  

  

  26. 
  Such 
  shall 
  be 
  the 
  legend 
  of 
  the 
  people. 
  

  

  27. 
  Then 
  next 
  in 
  rank 
  stood 
  Hega, 
  the 
  buzzard, 
  with 
  his 
  red 
  neck. 
  

  

  28. 
  Calmly 
  he 
  stood, 
  his 
  great 
  wings 
  spread, 
  letting 
  the 
  heat 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  straighten 
  his 
  

  

  feathers. 
  

  

  29. 
  Slowly 
  he 
  flapped 
  his 
  wings, 
  

  

  30. 
  Then 
  floated 
  away, 
  as 
  though 
  without 
  effort, 
  

  

  31. 
  Thus 
  displaying 
  a 
  power 
  (a 
  gift 
  of 
  \Yako 
  n 
  'da) 
  often 
  to 
  be 
  spoken 
  of 
  by 
  the 
  old 
  

  

  men 
  in 
  their 
  teachings. 
  

  

  The 
  above, 
  which 
  beats 
  the 
  marks 
  of 
  antiquity, 
  is 
  unfortunately 
  

   incomplete. 
  

  

  The 
  old 
  leader 
  gave 
  the 
  following 
  explanation 
  of 
  the 
  teachings 
  of 
  

   the 
  Pebble 
  society, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  a 
  paraphrase 
  of 
  a 
  ritual: 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  beginning 
  all 
  things 
  were 
  in 
  the 
  mind 
  of 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da. 
  All 
  creatures, 
  includ- 
  

   ing 
  man, 
  were 
  spirits. 
  They 
  moved 
  about 
  in 
  space 
  between 
  the 
  earth 
  and 
  the 
  stars 
  

   (the 
  heavens). 
  They 
  were 
  seeking 
  a 
  place 
  where 
  they 
  could 
  come 
  into 
  a 
  bodily 
  

   existence. 
  They 
  ascended 
  to 
  the 
  sun, 
  but 
  the 
  sun 
  was 
  not 
  fitted 
  for 
  their 
  abode. 
  

   They 
  moved 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  moon 
  and 
  found 
  that 
  it 
  also 
  was 
  not 
  good 
  for 
  their 
  home. 
  

   Then 
  they 
  descended 
  to 
  the 
  earth. 
  They 
  saw 
  it 
  was 
  covered 
  with 
  water. 
  They 
  

   floated 
  through 
  the 
  air 
  to 
  the 
  north, 
  tin- 
  east, 
  the 
  south, 
  ami 
  the 
  west, 
  and 
  found 
  no 
  

   dry 
  land. 
  They 
  were 
  sorely 
  grieved. 
  Suddenly 
  from 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  uprose 
  

   a 
  great 
  rock. 
  It 
  burst 
  into 
  flames 
  and 
  the 
  waters 
  floated 
  into 
  tin- 
  air 
  in 
  i 
  louds. 
  

  

  

  