CHILDREN'S STORIES 

 Magpietail Boy and His Wife 



Once upon a time the people were dwelling at Picurfs Pueblo. 

 And Magpietail Boy and his wife, Yellow Corn Woman, dwelt there. 

 Yellow Corn Woman belonged to the Society of Wizards. Down 

 below at Yawatcoke'ai they had their estufa. Yellow Corn Woman 

 went there every night where the Wizards were doing their sacred 

 ceremonies. Magpietail Boy liked to sleep so much that he did not 

 know where his wife went in the evenings nor at what time of the 

 night she returned. As soon as it got dark. Yellow Corn Woman 

 went over to where the Wizards had their estufa, to take part in their 

 sacred ceremonies. At times she would come home after midnight, 

 and at other times she would come home when it was already day- 

 light, in the early morning. But her husband, Magpietail Boy, was 

 such a sleepyhead that he did not know at what tmie his wife came 

 home; neither did he know where she was going every night. 



But one time he said to hunself, "Suppose I do not sleep to-night, 

 in order to see where it is that my wife is going out to nightly. To- 

 night I will follow her. When I lie down in bed this evening I will 

 pretend that I am asleep. As soon as she goes out of the house I 

 will follow right behind her wherever she goes." 



And that evenmg, after liis wife had given hun his supper, she said 

 to him: "My husband, you must be lying down, for the time has 

 come for you to sleep." Magpietail Boy made believe that he was 

 very sleepy and said: "All right, my wife. I am really very sleepy, 

 so now I am going to lie down." And so saying, he lay down. He 

 was tying in bed pretending that he was asleep. He was snoring 

 away. 



His wife, Yellow Corn Woman, began to hurry to get ready to 



leave. Shortly somebody knocked at the door. Y''ellow Corn 



Woman opened the door. And Magpietail Boy heard someone 



telling his wife, "Hurry. You are the only one who is late." Mag- 



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