uissELLl MYTHS 209 



Out ill the west beneath the toahafs bush the moon gave birth to 

 Coyote and then wont down. Coyote grew apace, and when large and 

 strong he came to the land where lived the Pima nation. 



After a time the earth gave birth to one who was afterwards known 

 as Itany and later as vSiurhft, EUler Brother. He came to Earth 

 Doctor and spoke roughly to him, and Earth Doctor trembled before 

 his power. The people increased in numbers, but Elder Brother 

 shortened their lives, and they did not overrun the earth as they 

 had done before. But this did not satisfy Elder Brother, who 

 announced to Earth Doctor that he would destroy the latter's peo- 

 ple, and this is how he accomplished the second destruction of the 

 world : 



Elder Brother created a handsome j^outh, whom he directed to go 

 among the Pimas, where he should wed whomsoever he wished. 



He must live with her mitil liis first cliild was bom, then leave her 

 and go to another, and so on until liis purpose was accomplished. 

 His first wife gave birth to a child four months after marriage and 

 conception. The youth then went and took a second wife, to whom 

 a child was bom in less time than the first. The period was yet 

 shorter in the case of the third wife, and with her successors it grew 

 shorter still, until at last the cliild was bom from the young man at the 

 time of the marriage. This was the child that caused the flood which 

 destroyed the people and fvdfilled the plans of Elder Brother. Several 

 years were necessarj' to accomplish these things, and during this time 

 the people were amazed and frightened at the signs of Elder Brother's 

 power and at the deeds of his agent. At the time of the commence- 

 ment of these strange events Elder Brother began to make a jar or olla 

 of some substance, either bush or gum. Wlien this should be finished 

 the flood would come. How? This is the way in which it came: 

 The handsome 3'oung man, wht)m Elder Brother sent about among 

 the people to marrj^ and beget children in so short a period of time, 

 came at last to the home of Vakolo Makai, South Doctor, who 

 lived somewhere in the south, and who had power similar to that of 

 Elder Brother. South Doctor was noted for liis knowledge of all 

 things and his skill in reading signs. He declared that he would 

 put an end to Elder Brother's schemes. One da}- South Doctor 

 asked his beautiful young daughter why she cried all the time. She 

 replied tluit she was afraid of tlie handsome young man who went 

 al)out marrying tlie j'oung women and begetting sons and daughters. 

 Her father told her that it was her tluty to marry the young man in 

 oriler that a divine plan iniglit be accomplished. But .she continued 

 crying, so her father told lier to fetch some of the topmost thorns of a 

 cholla cactus. Wlien she had obeyed him he placed the thorns upon 

 her, telling iier not to be afraid of the young man, but that when he 

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