176 THE ZUNl INDIANS [eth. anx. 23 



Banked up clouds [cumuli] cover the earth. 

 All come four times with your showers, 

 Descend to the base of the ladder and stand still; 

 Bring your showers and great rains. 

 All, all come, all ascend, all come in, all sit down.« 



[The above stanza is repeated four times. ] 



II 



I throw out to you my sacred meal that you may all come. 



Hold your gaming-stick; throw it forward; all come. 



Hold your gaming-ring; throw it forward; all come. 



All come out and give us your showers and great rains; all come, 



That the seeds may be strong and come up, that all seed plants may come 



up and be strong. 

 Come you that all trees and seeds may come up and be strong. 

 Come you hither; all come. 



Ill 



Cover my earth mother four times with many flowers. 



Let the heavens be covered with the banked up clouds. 



Let the earth be covered with fog; cover the earth with rains. 



Great waters, rains, cover the earth. Lightning cover the earth. 



Let thunder be heard over the earth; let thunder be heard; 



Let thunder be heard over the six regions of the earth. 



IV 



Rain-makers, come out from all roads that great rivers may cover the earth; 



That stones may be moved by the torrents; 



That trees may be uprooted and moved by the torrents. 



Great rain-makers, come out from all roads, carry the sands of our earth 

 mother of the place. 



Cover the earth with her heart, b that all seeds may develop, 



That my children may have all things to eat and be happy; 



That the people of the outlying villages may all laugh and be happj'; 



That the growing children may all have things to eat and be happy. 



This way our great father *kia'6tton6 wishes you to come. 



This way <^ our great mother chu^6tton6 wishes you to come; 



That we may have all kinds of seeds and all things good; 



That we may inhale the sacred breath of life; 



That our fathers *kia'ettowe and our mothers chu^ettowe may 1 )ring us happy 

 days. 



Let our children live and be happy., 



Send us the good south winds. 



Send us your breath over the lakes that our great world may be made beau- 

 tiful and our people may live. 



n At these words the A'shiwanni sprinkle meal up the line of fetishes, symbolic of the rain-makers 

 passing over the meal line. 

 & Reference to rains. Tlie unexpressed idea is, water is the heart and life of the earth. 

 "Reference to tlie spirits of the rain-makers passing over the meal line to the et'tonfi. 



