402 ISLETA, NEW MEXICO [eth. ann. 47 



could go in and see the son of God.'^ He answered, "There is nobody 

 in the world who could ever see him or talk to him." He asked how 

 did they get there where nobody ever came. The older boy answered 

 they were sent over there by the people in the blue water,'^ and told 

 they were the sons of the sun, and they were looking for him, and 

 they wanted to talk with him. 



So the guard (wilawe) went in and told Sun that two boys were 

 looldng for him and claimed they were his sons, and what should he 

 do with them? Sun said, "If they claim they are my sons, you let 

 them stay Avith you and see if they can stand the heat I am going to 

 give for them." So the guard came out from Sun's house and told the 

 little boys, "Sun says for you to stand out here until he is ready for 

 you." So they stayed there, and for three days they slept; they 

 never woke up. They did not feel the heat of Sun, although the 

 ground was as if boiling; it was so hot. They slept soundly as if 

 under a tree. On the fourth day in the morning the wood which the 

 guard had been gathering was all ready. Then the little boys were 

 put in the oven where there was fire. Should they not bum, they 

 were the sons of God. If they burned, they were of no account. 

 The next day when they opened the oven the little boys were as 

 happy as birds pla3^ng on top of snow. So Smi said, "Well, these are 

 surely my children. Bring them in here! " When they got in, their 

 father said to them they were his sons. He took them to be his 

 helpers. The one from the blue water came up with a little bow and 

 arrow, and that bow is the rainbow which comes out after it rains, 

 and the little boy who cried for his mother was the little rainbow'^ 

 that stands by the sun when he goes down. He was a little coward, 

 so he had to stand close to his father. 



15. .Sun and His Sons 



Long ago our father Sun had two sons. After he started in the 

 morning, after he arose, he went on all the long way to Welimai. He 

 went imderground on his way to the east again. He would get there 

 early in the morning. When he was ready to come out, he would 

 meet his son to say good-bye. He said, "We shall see each other 

 again to-morrow morning." There should be the two boys standing 

 at the door, one on each side. The older son would say, "Father, 

 we are ready to go with you to-day and help you all the way to 

 WeUmai." "Allright, sons, we will all start. When we get to Welimai 

 I will say to your grandmother and grandfather that you are my 

 sons. Then grandmother will want you to stay with her in Welimai, 

 and I will go along by myself to the east again, and I will tell my wife 



" Our father Sun (kikaawei luride) was regularly so referred to. 



"< Wenin, from whom the liwan get their power. 



'i It is not shaped like a bow, but it has rainbow colors. 



