170 THE OSAGE TRIBE. [eth. Ann. 39 



505. And he spake, saying: "It is not without a purpose that I have 



hrought home tlus young willow. 



506. I have hrought it home for the little ones to use in coimting their 



o-do"', as they travel the path of life," it has been said, in 

 this house. 



Xu-tha'-wa-to°-i", from whom a nmiiber of the Tsi'-zhu Wa-no'' 

 wi'-gi-es were obtained, died before he could be questioned concerning 

 the sun-ray (crepuscular rays) count-symbols, and upon his death it 

 became doubtful as to whether any of the wi'-gi-es of his gens could 

 be secured froni another member. A member of his gens, in sjjeaking 

 of the death of Xu-tha'-wa-to"-i°, said: "All our rituals are now lost; 

 this man was the only one who knew them." It would have been 

 preferable to secure from a member of the Tsi'-zhu Wa-no" himself the 

 wi'-gi-e of the sun-ray count symbols, but the death of Xu-tha'- 

 wa-to°-i" made its possibility questionable. 



In May, 1918, since the death of Xu-tha'-wa-to"-i", Wa-xthi'-zhi, 

 who is versed in the rites, gave with some reluctance the wi'-gi-es of 

 the sun-ray coimt symbols of both the 'Tsi'-zhu Wa-no° and the 

 Mi-k'i°' Wa-no° gentes. These two wi'-gi-es, as given by Wa-xthi'- 

 zhi, are substantially the same. A paraj^hrase of the Tsi'-zhu Wa-no" 

 wi'-gi-e is here given. At the ceremony of the counting of o-do"' the 

 members of these two 'Tsi'-zhu gentes recite, simultaneously, the 

 wi'-gi-es of their gentes relating to the sun-ray comit symbols. 



Sun-ray Wi'-gi-e of the 'Tsi'-zhu Wa-no''. 



1. Verily, at that time and place, it has been said, in this house, 



2. The god that never fails to appear at the beginning of day 



3. Has ujjon its left side 



4. Six rays that are like stripes in appearance. 



5. These six rays 



6. I have made to be symbols, 



7. Symbols of the valorous deeds spoken of as o-do°'. 



8. When the little ones make of these six rays the symbols of their 



o-do''', 



9. They shall enable themselves to count with accuracy their o-do"'. 



10. Upon the right side of that god there are seven rays that are in 



appearance like stripes. 



11. These seven rays also, 



12. I have made to be symbols, 



13. Symbols of the valorous deeds spoken of as o-do"'. 



14. I have made all of these six and seven rays to be symbols of the 



valorous deeds spoken of as o-do°'. 



