,?,?7,Vy LEGENDS 703 



them so that they had no more ground on which to stand. Then 

 the ISIatron ceased talking, but kept on weeping. 



Upon hearing this statement the people assured the chief that this 

 was the first information they had recived as to the reason why 

 their Matron had been grieving so bitterly. 



Thereupon the chief called a council of his clan and laid before 

 it the remarkable statement of their Matron. The council upon 

 hearing this recital resolved that in the future whoever planted 

 either corn or beans or squashes must cover the gi'ain with suffi- 

 cient earth to give it sustenance, and must care for the growing 

 plants by properly hilling them and by digging around them to 

 loosen the earth to make it mellow, and lastly, by destroying their 

 enemies (the weeds) who grew about them so luxuriantly. 



So, in the following spring, when planting time returned, they 

 were again admonished as to the proper methods of planting the 

 corn, the beans, and the squashes. The people all agreed that they 

 ■would follow the advice of the council in this matter because of the 

 statement of their Matron as to the real cause of their withered 

 crops. 



So. in accordance with this resolution, the next springtime they 

 did place the seed corn and beans and squashes sufficiently deep in the 

 ground to give these grains sufficient covering of earth to grow well. 

 The old chief stood by the j^lanters while they were seeding tlieir 

 fields to see that the work was properly done. Later, when the 

 tender sprouts of corn and beans and squashes had reached such 

 height that they required more earth to support them, the people 

 were called together and urged to hill up their gi"owing crops and to 

 destrojr thoroughly the enemies (weeds) of these useful plants. 

 These plants were growing luxuriantly and were strong, but toward 

 harvest time something came and destroyed these growing crops. A 

 certain nation of people came and carried away the corn and the 

 beans, leaving only some squash shells. Again the people mourned 

 their loss, confessing that they must have been guilty of some other 

 form of negligence. 



So the following spring they again took great jjains in their plant- 

 ing and in their care for their crops; but just as soon as the green 

 corn was becoming fine and fit to eat a certain nation of people be- 

 gan to st«al the corn and beans and squashes. The people sus- 

 pected what people had come and carried away their corn and beans 

 and squashes. • 



So tlie chief of the people called a council to discuss the situation 

 and to suggest means to meet it. It was finally resolved that several 

 stout and alert warriors should be set to watch the planted fields 

 to see who might come to steal the ripening crops. These watchmen 

 went into the fields in the evening. Toward the dawn of day they 



