198 THE HAKO, A PAWNEE CEREMONY [kth.ann.23 



Long ago ;i Kii'ialius went with a Ilako party to a distant tribe to 

 make a Son. On the hist niylit of iho, t-ereniony he said to tlio people: 

 "Children, tliere is a powei' al)ove wliicli knows all tliinj;s, all that is 

 coming' to pass. I (h) not know what will hapixMi, hut I liopt^ good 

 will eonu! to yon. I have prayed thati loiig lifti and children and 

 ph^nty may l)e given to you, bnt I know not if my xjrayers are heard 

 or if they will be answered." 



He went with the Ilako a second time to the same tribe, bnt he said 

 nothing. lie went a third time, but he said nothing. He went the 

 fourth time, and he was then a very old man. On the last night of 

 the ceremony he spoke and said: " Children, I look over you and see 

 the little boys whom I held in my arms wdien they were painted" now 

 grown to manhood. I see that many children have been given to 

 them; I see that your people liave iJrospered and now I know that my 

 prayers for you when I first came with the Hako have been answered. 

 I know and am sure that the great power to which I prayed hears and 

 answers the praj'ers of a man." 



The first stanza refers to the prayer of th(^ Ku'i'ahus when he first 

 carried the Ilako to the Children. 



The second stanza s|)eaks of the od'spring that had been given to the 

 Children, that he saw when he went the fourth time with tlie Ilako. 



We sing these stanzas on the last night of tiie ceremony, because 

 it was on tiie last nighir that the Ku'rahus spoki^ to the Children. As 

 we sing we remember what he said he had been taught, tiiat Tira wa 

 atins hears us pray for the Cliildren and will ;uiswer oui' prayers. 



We now begin the last four circuits of the lodge. The first song 

 refers to Tira'wa atius, the father of all. The second speaks of the 

 lesser powers, those which can l)e seen or heard or felt by man. 



Wo have sung these two songs befoi-e; the first time was on the 

 first day, when we made t he first circuit of the lodge, in the presence 

 of all the (Hiildren, before they partook of the food prepared for 

 them (eighth ritual). We sang them a second time on the third 

 day, after the saered feast of corn, and before we sang to jNIother 

 Earth and made the offering of smoke (thirteenth ritual). Now 

 we sing them for the tliird time, at the close of the fourth and last 

 night. They are our apix'ul before we begin tlie secret ceremonies 

 IJertaining to the little child. 



«Tliis is a reference to the ceremonies with the little child which take place on the fifth 

 morning. 



