194 THE OSAGE TRIBE. 



[BTH. ANN. 39 



your thoughts to the warrior who has gone against the enemy car- 

 rying your Wa-xo'-be. In tliis way j\m will give him aid. Refrain 

 from sleeping, eating, or drinking water through the day. When the 

 shadow of evening comes, making indistinguishable the faces of men, 

 then remove from your head the soil of the earth. In doing so 

 remember to repeat these words: 'My grandfather bade me to say, 

 when doing this, ' ' I remove from my head the soil of the earth and 

 wipe my hands upon the body of the chief of our enemies, that he 

 may come to his death at the hands of our warriors.'" You will 

 repeat this rite for a period of four days, when your duty to your 

 Wa-xo'-be and to the warrior will be fulfilled." 



The A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka next proceeds to instruct the woman as to 

 her tluties as a mother. 



SYMBOLIC PAINTING OF ROBE. 



"You have a child. Other cliildren are yet to be born to you. 

 There is in you the same desire that there is in all good mothers to 

 bring your children successfully to maturity. In this you need the 

 aid of a power that is greater than that of the human being. There 

 is a rite by which an appeal can be made to this power. It is this: 

 Let the father of your child secure the skin of an old male buffalo. 

 You will dress and soften the skin with your own hands. When you 

 have made it soft and pliable take some red paint and with it draw 

 a straight, narrow line from the head, through the length of the body 

 of the skin, to the tip of the tail. This straight line represents the 

 path of the god of day that liveth forever. You will paint all four 

 legs of the robe red, to represent the dawn, the coming of the god of 

 day and of life. Let each child to whom you have given birth sleep 

 in the consecrated robe and you will have aid in bringing to maturity 

 your children." 



The A'-ki-ho" Xo'-ka continues liis instructions to the woman as 

 to the ceremonial planting of the corn. 



SYMBOLIC PLANTING OF THE FIELD. 



"The planting of the field is also a responsibility that has been 

 bestowed upon you and has to do with the feeding of your children. 

 In this duty al^o you need aid such as no human effort can give you. 

 There is a way by which you can appeal for aid in performing this 

 duty and reach the power that controls all things. When the time 

 for planting has come, aim to rise with the sun so that your task will 

 begin at the same time the sim begins to take its course. The parting 

 of your hair must be painted red for this work. The red line will 

 represent the path of the god of day and will make the paths of all the 

 animals converge toward you, for upon them you and your children 



