Sk^^^] FICTION 253 



stop and I will give you more. It is I whom people down below 

 call the Moon." When they entered her lodge, she was sewing 

 skins. She continued : " It is the order of Hawenniyo that I make 

 light for people on the earth, so that they can see at night. It is 

 only at certain times that you see me completely. I tell you now 

 that you must be on your guard, for the path before you is full of 

 danger and difficulties. You must be brave and must never look at 

 anything not in your path, for your enemy is outside of it; never 

 heed anything you see or hear, for if you do, you are lost. You 

 will soon pass this dangerous path, but remember my advice." 



As the young men traveled on they saw all kinds of fruit and game. 

 The first would call out,"" " Stop ! come and eat; this is very good." 

 But keeping in mind the old woman's words, they paid no heed. 

 Each fruit had a phrase of its own, with which it begged the young 

 men to come and eat it. After they had passed this place, they said, 

 " Perhajas we are out of trouble now ; we shall soon come to the lodge 

 where the old woman told us to stop." 



After passing the first place they came to another. The first fruit 

 was full of witchcraft or enchantment; if the}' had eaten of it, they 

 would have become bewitched. At the second place, however, after 

 eating plums and huckleberries they felt refreshed. The old woman 

 had told them that animals were numerous along their path, but they 

 passed these without harm. 



After a while they saw another lodge in the distance, whereupon 

 one of the j'oung men said : " We are now in the place where we shall 

 meet the greatest difficulty. We have no idea of our own except to 

 follow the advice given ; since we have set out to come and are here, 

 we must endure what we meet." They talked in this way until they 

 came to the lodge. Finding a man who called himself their uncle, 

 they saluted him. He said : " I am glad that your brother has sent 

 you. You are going to a large assembly, but you can not join it 

 unless I transform j'ou." "' One of the young men responded : " How 

 so? We ai'e men. Why should we be transformed? We have come 

 here in our proper forms. Why should we change?" "You have 

 come here as you are, but it is my duty to prepare you to enter the 

 assembly of this upper world," replied the man. 



The other young man, looking steadfastly at his uncle, was not 

 frightened nor discouraged. The old man, going to another part 

 of the lodge, brought a long strip of bark, which he laid out length- 

 wise, saying, " The first that came shall be transformed first." There- 

 upon he called him to come and lie on the bark. When the latter 

 had done so, the man asked, "Are you ready ? " " Yes," was the 

 young man's reply. At that moment the uncle blew through his hand 

 on the young man's head, separating the bones and flesh, which fell 

 in two heaps. The other nephew, who stood looking on, saw that tlie 



