HEmiT] MYTH OF THE EARTH-GRASPER 517 



The old woman replied and said, "At the same time it is a small 

 matter that thou shouldst spare me the undeveloped end." De'- 

 hae°'hiya\va"kho'" said, "It is known that it is not a custom that sO' 

 it should come to pass." She persisted in the matter and said, "So 

 wouldst thou consent that one and I should take a small quantity 

 away with us when it is cooked?" He replied and said, "Verily 

 that is not the custom that so it should come to pass. It must be, 

 it is known, that we shall be together when we feed ourselves. That 

 is the cause that so it shall come to pass because verily all we, it is 

 known, have an equal right to it. So thus it shall continue to be here 

 on the earth present here. All we severally shall have an equal right 

 to it." 



Now at that time the old woman said, "Verily, it is an extremely 

 astonishing thing how stingy thou art." And then she went thither 

 and there she took a stand beside the fire. Now verily she stood 

 beside the fire and she picked up a handful of ashes and she 

 threw them on his roasting corn. As quickly as she threw them 

 thereon and the ashes fell on it, then verily the appetizing odor ceased 

 and also the outflowing of the fatness, and now also she said, "Is it 

 only human beings who shall be pleased? Is it not possible that I 

 myself should be pleased?" 



Now De'hae°'hiyawa"kho'" said, "What you have done is not 

 good. Thou hast spoiled that which would give comfort to the 

 minds of the human beings who shall dwell here upon this earth." 



When it was cooked they all together ate it. As soon as they had 

 finished eating then De'hae°'hiyawa"kho'" said, "Now we will go 

 out and that shall be first that we shall eat the fruit of the tree 

 standing close by." 



Then they went out. There not far away they saw a growing 

 shrub which bore fruit which was slightly sweet, which were like 

 drops of syrup. Then De'hae'"hiyawa"kho°' said, "This growing 

 tree is called large fruit (apple). One each shall we pluck off and 

 then we shall eat it together." 



Now verily they plucked one off and then they ate the fruit. At 

 this time the old woman said, "Wouldst thou consent that I should 

 pluck off still another which one and I should take away with us?" 

 Then De'hae""hiyawa"kho°' said, "Verily that is not the custom 

 that so it should come to pass until the time of its ripening. Then at 

 that time it matters not that thou shouldst take it up. Thus too is 

 it that the game animals they will take up the fruit after that." 



Then the old woman turned herself around and she reentered the 

 lodge, and there took up a handful of ashes from the fire and came out 

 carrying the handful of ashes, and she took her stand beside the grow- 

 ing tree there and she cast the ashes there on the growing fruit and 

 at once it turned black all over and was covered over with ashes, and 



