FLETCHER] TWENTIETH RITUAL 259 



sevtsuth aud eighth times, making the same movements and touches; 

 and tlien we return to the front of the ehild. These movements are 

 all descending movements; thej' are following the breath line drawn 

 on the face of the child. 



The rattles which belong to the feathered stems are used alone 

 with this song. 



The pnrport of this song is hidden from the people, but this is 

 what it means: All that I have been doing to you, little child, has been 

 a prayer to call down the breath of Tira'wa atius to give you long life 

 and strength and to teach j'ou that you belong to him — that you are 

 his child and not mine. 



When we have finished singing the chief steps back, and the Ku'ra- 

 hus, taking the two feathered stems, folds tlie white-eagle within the 

 feathers of the bronn-eagle featliered stem and, without singing, goes 

 through the same two movements, the feint and the touch, fii-st on 

 the front of the child, then on its right side, then on the back and then 

 on the left side, after which he spreads the feathered stems, laying the 

 brown-eagle stem to the left and the white-eagle feathered stem to 

 the right of the child. 



The chief goes in front of the child and kneels befoz-e it. lie takes 

 the riglit leg of the wildcat skin and witli the soft hair near its thigh 

 he lightly wipes the blue lines from the child's face, and then the red 

 paint. 



He spi-eads the wildcat skin between the two stems, lays the ear of 

 corn upon it, places the two featliered stems beside the ear of corn, 

 with the crotched stick, the two rattles, the two eagle wings, and the 

 pipe which has been us-^d by the Children. He removes the black 

 covering from the head of the child, takes off the white down and the 

 downy feather, wraps them in the covering, and lays them also on the 

 wildcat skin. He rolls the skin into a l)undle, holding it in his arms 

 while he stands before the child and talks to it of the good which will 

 come thi-ough this ceremony. 



Part II. Presenting the Hako to the Son and Thanks to the Children 

 ExphnuifiiDi In/ fhe Klndliua 



When the chief has finished speaking he puts the bundle in the 

 arms of the little child and leads it to its father, tlie Son, who receives 

 it, and the child runs off" to play. 



Another bundle, containing the bowl wliicli lield the water into 

 which the child looked and other things that have been used, and all 

 the mats on which the people have been sitting, are brought to the 

 Son and presented to him. 



The chief, the leader of the Father's party, stands at the doorway 

 with the Son, making the movements of thanks. He .strokes the Son's 

 head and arms, and, holding his hands, talks to Inm. The Ku'rahus 



