416 ISLETA, NEW MEXICO [eth, ann. 47 



he had gone back to his rock where the herder sought and found him. 

 This time he carried the saint to Picuris for all to see. But from 

 there, too, the morning after, the saint disappeared. The herder 

 returned to the rock and there was the saint. So the herder thought 

 there was no use carrying the saint away and on that spot he built 

 a shade for him. Later in some way the Mexicans got possession of 

 this place. 



27. Gum Man (Tar Baby) 



Nato'ai, an old man, and an old woman were living in a little house. 

 They had a little garden they were taldng care of, a Kttle chiU patch, 

 and they planted melons and watermelons. When the chili was ripe, 

 every morning when they went to the garden, to hoe, they always 

 found some c hili gone. Rabbit was breaking the melons and making 

 holes in them. Rabbit would do this at nighttime when the moon 

 shone, or sometimes in the morning. The old man (lulili) did not 

 know who was stealing the chili or eating the watermelons, so he 

 said to the old woman (Huu), "Liuu, I am going to watch to-night to 

 see who comes round and eats our melons." He left the old woman 

 in the house and took a blanket and lay down in the chili patch to 

 watch who was going to come there. The moon was shining and he 

 was watching. So whUe he was watcliing, at midnight a little rabbit 

 was walldng to the chili patch. When he saw Mm coming, he got 

 up and said, "You are the man eating my chili and my melons. I 

 am going to kiU you now." The little rabbit ran back to his hole. 

 The old man ran after him wdth his stick to hit him. But he got to 

 his hole and sat there scratchmg liis face with his paw. The old man 

 was mad, he thought he was maldng fun of him. He said, "I am 

 going to catch you and lull you, so you will pay me back for the 

 chili and melons." He went back to the old woman. "Old woman," 

 he said, "I found out who is eating the chili and melons. He is a 

 young man (owari) coming to steal." The old woman said to the 

 old man, "Why didn't you catch him and bring him so we could 

 punish him?" "I ran after him, but he ran to liis house and I could 

 not catch him. I am going to get another young boy to catch him 

 for me. I know a young man who could catch liim right away. I 

 am going to get him." 



So they went to bed. Early in the morning he got up early and 

 put up his lunch and went to the mountain and picked up some gum 

 (kwii) and made it into the form of a man. He took it to his house. 

 When he got to his house, the old woman said, "Old man, have you 

 come back?" "Yes, I have come back." "Did you find the boy?" 

 "Yes, he is coming." He had it hidden. "Well, the young man 

 is going to come around about noontime." About noontinre he said, 

 "Well, old woman, give me some lunch. I am going out to hoe the 



