410 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ANN. 32 



fell, darkness came over the people. When the woman related her 

 dream all the people kept silent, because they felt that the suggestion 

 was that of a visionary and because the tree was sacred to them. In 

 the course of time the woman dreamed again, and in the dream the 

 Ongwe declared to her that a circular trench must be dug around 

 the tree, which must be pulled up by the roots; that then something 

 giving more and better light would come to them. Notwithstanding 

 this second dream, the people lemained obdurate, paying no atten- 

 tion to the advice of the Ongwe of the dream. Time went on and 

 the woman had a third dream, in which the injunctions of the 

 other two dreams were repeated, that the tree must be pulled up by 

 the roots. Then one of the men said, " I believe that if we give heed 

 to the words of the dream we may receive better light, and that the 

 people will have cause to rejoice for having obeyed the words of 

 the dream." His advice was adopted by the people at large. 



So a number of men began digging and cutting around the roots 

 of the tree. Suddenly, when the last root was cut, the tree sank into 

 the ground, disappearing from sight. Thereupon the chief of the 

 people there said, " I have never given any heed to this dream, be- 

 cause I knew that something strange would happen to the people if 

 I did." Then he ordered that the woman who had had these dreams 

 should be cast into the hole left by the tree. The order was carried 

 out. The pit seemed to have no bottom. Nothing could be seen in 

 it, for all was darkness within. The woman continued falling 

 through the hole for a long time; at last she saw that below her it 

 began to grow light. When finally she had passed through the hole 

 she emerged into bright light in our sky. Looking down, she saw 

 beneath her a great expanse of water, on which floated loons, ducks, 

 and various kinds of water folk, but no land. 



Of these the loon was the first to see the dark object falling from 

 above, at which he exclaimed, " I believe that a human being is fall- 

 ing down from above, and I think that it is best for us that all join 

 together and give aid to her, for if we do not she will sink when she 

 strikes the water." So all the water folk were notified to help save 

 the woman. They all came together — Loon, Fishhawk, Beaver, 

 Water Serpent, Turtle, and all who dwell in the water. Then Loon 

 said to Fishhawk, " Go with your warriors and meet the woman in 

 the air; receive her on your backs, and thus hold her in the air until 

 we shall be ready for you to bring her down here." Instantly this 

 request was performed. AVhile the others watched they saw the 

 ■ woman fall on the backs of the fishhawks, and they were delighted to 

 see that the fishhawks were able to hold her in the air. Then the 

 Loon said, " What are we going to do with her? " to which the Turtle 

 replied, " I will take care of the woman." But Loon answered, " You 

 can not take care of her, for you are too fond of eating flesh." Next 



