white] myths and tales 161 



Masewi and Oyoyewi Rescue a Girl from a Giantess 



The people went out to hunt rabbits. They went to the east. When 

 the people came home in the evening there was a girl left behind. 

 She had lots of rabbits. She got too much. She didn't Ivnow how 

 she was going to get home. She tried to cany them, but they were 

 too heavy. She couldn't carry them so she looked for a place to camp 

 that night. She found a place in a cliff — a cave. She stopped there 

 and built a fire. The war chiefs were watching the people, but they 

 didn't miss her. 



A ckoyo (giantess) saw the fire from the Sandia Moimtains (north- 

 east of Albuquerque, 70 or 80 miles away). She took 10 steps and 

 got to where the fire was. She saw the girl roastmg rabbits. She was 

 roastmg all of them to carry home next day. Ckoyo said, "Who are 

 you?" The girl told her her name. "Where did you come from?" 

 the ckoyo asked her. "We went out to hmit rabbits. I got lost, 

 that's why I camp here. And what are you doing here?" "I same. 

 I can't go home it's so late, so I came here to camp with you." 



The girl got scared. She didn't know what to do. Ckoyo was 

 sitting down. The girl then saw a great big head and face. "That 

 must be a ckoyo" (she said). "Oh, dear me, she going to get me. 

 She going to eat me up." Ckoyo said, "Oh, you got fine roasting 

 rabbits?" "Yes." Ckoyo asked for some rabbit meat. "I am 

 hungry. If you can, let me have one to eat." "Wliich one do you 

 want to eat?" "The one on the east side." "All right." The girl 

 pick it up and give it to the ckoyo. Ckoyo threw it in her mouth 

 all at once and swallow it. Ckoyo said, "Wlio is your father at 

 Acoma?" "I am the daughter of hotceni (chief)." "Which hot- 

 ceni?" "Tsatyao hotceni" ("outside chief," the war cliief). "Oh, 

 yes. I know who you are now." 



In the village they were asking about her. They waited for her 

 all night. "Yes; we saw her. There is a boy with her. They will 

 come home late," some one said. 



Ckoyo asked for another rabbit. "I'm so hungry. Give me the 

 one laying on south side." She took it and swallow it right away. 

 After wlule she asked for the one lajnng on west side. The girl give it 

 to her and she swallow it aU at once. Then the ckoyo asked for the 

 rabbit laying on the north side. Ckoyo swallow it up. Then the 

 ckoyo took rabbits two or three at a time and ate them. She ate up 

 all the rabbits. It was late in middle of night then. Before the 

 ckoyo had come the girl had taken off her leggings. "I wonder what 

 she's got," the ckoyo said. The girl was scared. She moved back in 

 the cave. "What you got in back of you? " the ckoyo ask her the girl. 

 "Those are my moccasins." "I wonder if you can let me have one? 

 I am not full j'et." So girl threw her one moccasin. Ckoyo pick it 



