^IZ'^] LEGENDS 651 



" Know this, too, that when mankind give attention to lis, when we 

 are born (sprout) out of the earth, and when tliey till the ground 

 whereon we stand, we give thanks for this attention. Again, when 

 they form the hills of earth around us, we also rejoice; then, too, 

 when they enlarge the hills to accommodate our growing bodies we 

 regularly give thanks by singing and dancing the Corn dances; and 

 when they pluck the ears of corn, gather them in heaps in the middle 

 of the field, husk them, and braid them into oste'^'sas (corn-strings), 

 and hang these on frames or lintels of poles, we also give thanks in 

 like manner; and as soon as these strings have dried and they bring 

 us into the lodges we give thanks and I'ejoice by singing and dancing 

 Corn dances. 



" Now, I bid you do this. Tell all human beings whom you shall 

 meet that they, too, must sing and dance the Corn dances when they 

 wish to express their thanksgiving at the time they are pleased to 

 see us come to maturity again; and this is the reason that they 

 must perform this ceremony. It is we, of course, who continue to 

 assist you by furnishing that on which you human beings subsist. 

 So be of good courage and cherish my words." 



Then the ill man awoke and verily he saw a rainstorm on the 

 horizon which was approaching. He arose, and taking a bark bowl 

 he set it outside of the lodge where the raindrops would fall into it. 

 In a short time it began to rain and the raindrops soon filled the 

 bowl. He proceeded at once to drink the rain water and began to 

 recover his health. 



The following night as he lay on his couch he heard the voices 

 of women singing. He noticed that there had come on the drying 

 poles in the lodge several strings of ears of corn and further that 

 these strings swayed slightly to and fro, and that the singing pro- 

 ceeded from the grains of corn, in the guise of women, on the ears. 

 Some of the words employed in these songs were: "Among the 

 Flowers I am moving reverently," "Among the Flowers I am singing 

 and dancing;" and the women's voices he heard saying: "The Fruit 

 or Berries are ripe, the Fruit or Berries are ripe," and many other 

 songs of the Corn dances. Thereafter the sick man rapidly regained 

 his wonted health and again traveled over the earth. 



In time the man returned to his own people and related to them 

 all his experiences, and he sang for them the songs that he had heard 

 sung by the Corn women. It was at this time that the Council of 

 Ancients — the Elders — of the people said publicly : " We are indeed 

 fortunate to learn of this matter; and we must regularly perform 

 this ceremony in the time to come." 



Xot long after this event the man who had been ill again heard 

 the singing of the Corn women ; he heard them singing in the place 



