^^^^S] LEGENDS 619 



things that grow on the earth moist and meJlow and the soil as well. 

 They who are visiting us shall accompany you wherever you may 

 go; you must carefully keep them from harm, and you must show 

 them all things of interest on your journey." 



Taking up their implements and weapons, the men of the lodge 

 and their guests departed. During the course of their long journey 

 one of the hosts of the Dehaenhyowens and his men said : "You shall 

 now see the things over which we have charge. He whom you are 

 wont to call Ilawenniyo (the Ruler) is the person who has charged 

 us with all these matters, and we shall continue to have the care of 

 them so long as the earth endures. We shall tend all those things 

 which he has planted on the earth; we shall habitually cause water to 

 fall on them; we shall keep all the water in the several rivers on the 

 earth fresh at all times; and we shall water all those things upon 

 which you and your people live, so that all things which he has made 

 to be shall not perish for the need of water. And you, you human 

 beings, shall then live in health and contentment. Such are our 

 duties from day to day." 



Then it was that Deliaenhyowens and his party, looking beneath 

 them, saw another earth far below. As they proceeded they heard 

 loud noises, like the voicings of Thunder when he draws near on 

 earth: and there began to be bright flashes of lightning, and next 

 there began to be rain; and, finally, raindrops fell to the lower earth. 



As they moved onward they saw a huge serpent, which had for- 

 midable horns protruding from its head. Then one of the hosts of 

 Dehaenhyowens and his friends said: " Look at that creature moving 

 along swiftly yonder. It is known that were it to emerge per- 

 manently from the interior of the earth it would bring great mis- 

 fortune to the things that dwell on the earth ; in fact, it would bring 

 to an end the days of a large multitude of you human beings. Tf) 

 see that it never comes forth pemianently out of the ground is one 

 of the duties with which we are strictly charged." In a moment the 

 speaker continued, " Now you shall see what will take place when 

 we will kill it." As the party of Dehaenhyowens watched, their hosts 

 began to pursue the serpent. The voice of the Thunder was exceed- 

 ingly loud and the flashes of lightning amazingly vivid. Finally, 

 the huge serpent was hit by its pursuers and began to flee from them. 

 It sought unsuccessfully to hide beneath standing trees, but the.se 

 trees were struck and riven into splinters; then it fled to the moun- 

 tains, seeking to conceal itself beneath their shelter: but this also 

 was in vain, for it was repeatedly hit by the men of Thunder, and, 

 finally, was killed. 



As an explanation of this phenomenon the hosts of Dehaenhyowens 

 and his friends said : " It is verily true that beneath the surface of 

 the ground whatever is otkon (i. e., malign by nature) moves to-and- 



