harrington] children's stories 355 



The Woman and the Wolf 



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

 women, after it got dark, were to remain inside their houses. 



And one woman in the night had no water. She took the water 

 jar and went down to J'ainon to get water. As she was pouring the 

 water with her gourd, a Wolf came to her. "What are you domg?" 

 he said. "I am pouring water," the woman said to the Wolf. "Get 

 on my back, then," the Wolf said to her. "I am already about to 

 take the water to my house," said the woman. "Get on my back, 

 I said to you, or I will eat you up right here." The woman got 

 afraid, left the water jar, and got on the Wolf's back. 



And the Wolf took the woman up to the mountains. When he 

 had brought her to the mountain top, the Wolf went northeast, 

 northwest, southwest, and southeast, to call the other wolves. The 

 woman then climbed a tall pinyon tree. 



Her husband, when his wife did not come up from below quickly, 

 yelled as a signal from the top of the house. And shortly men with 

 their weapons arrived. 



When the Old Wolf arrived from his summoning [the other wolves], 

 the woman was sitting in the top of the pinyon tree. 



The men all gathered for search. And then at about midnight one 

 man found the woman. Then the man gave a yell. After the rest 

 came they took the woman home again. The woman was scolded 

 verj^ much by the men. And this is why the women, after it gets 

 dark, do not go forth from inside the houses alone, for something 

 might happen to them. 



The Ants 



Once upon a time at Komgithotha dwelt the Ants. No birds 

 came around there, and so they lived without fear. They went 

 wherever they pleased without fear, for there was not even a little 

 Hummingbird around near where they lived. 



One day their leader told them at a meeting: "My people, in 

 four days from to-day we are going to dance here in this land of 

 ours; we will entertain the other people. So you must be looking 

 for such things as red paint, beads, war bonnets, and whatever dress 

 you may need. And we will call the flying animals of aU kinds 

 here to look on." As their leader instructed them thus, they said: 

 "It seems all right the way you say, we will get ready to dance four 

 days from to-day." And the Ants were getting ready within that 

 time. They went around borrowing things from their neighbors 

 whom they knew. 



