918 ZUNI KATCINAS [eth. i-jN. 47 



The Return of the Corn Maids 



(Variant) 



Long ago Bitsitsi was living in the Milky Way. Then the Corn 

 Maids ran away and many people were looking for them. Then the man 

 in the Milky Way saw everything, because he was up in the sky, and 

 he found the Corn Maids and brought them back to Itiwan'a. He saw 

 the Corn Maids and he told the priests that if they would do as he 

 told them he would bring back the com. Then the chief priest said 

 that they would do whatever he said and he told them, "You must not 

 eat or drink or talk for one night and one day until after dark, and 

 you must not sleep or go out." The chief priest said, "Very well." 

 Then they spread out a blanket for him and he sat down. 



After about two hours he went out to the southeast and after he 

 had gone about 5 miles he planted a yellow prayer stick and came 

 back. He stayed there for about three hours and then he went out 

 again to the southeast and about 3 miles beyond where he had planted 

 the yellow prayer stick he planted a blue prayer stick and then he 

 came back again. The people were still sitting there. Then he waited 

 another three hoin-s and went out again and went about 4 miles 

 farther and planted a red prayer stick. Then he came back again 

 and the people were still sitting there. After two or three hours he 

 went out again and went about 2 miles farther off and planted a white 

 prayer stick. Then he came back. The people were still sitting there. 

 He stayed there for two or three hours. The people did not talk or 

 smoke or eat or drink or go out. He said, "Poor people! You must 

 want the Corn Maids to come back." Then he went out again, about 

 3 or 4 miles beyond where he had put the white stick and here he 

 planted a prayer stick of many colors. He came back again and the 

 people were still sitting there not talking. He stayed about two or 

 three hoiu's and then he went about 4 or 5 miles farther and now he 

 was near the ocean. A little ways from the ocean he planted a black 

 prayer stick. 



The Red Corn Maid and the Speckled Corn Maid were sitting on 

 the surface of the ocean and they saw him. Then they went in and 

 told their sisters, "Some one is coming." Then Yellow Corn Maid 

 said, "Very well." 



Then the man went back to Itiwana and he stayed there a few 

 hours. The people were still sitting there. They were hungry and 

 thirsty, but they did not eat or drink; and they did not smoke or 

 talk. Then he said "Poor people! This is the last time I am going 

 out. I will surely bring back the Corn Maids." Then he went out 

 and went way off to the ocean. He came there and went right into the 

 ocean. There were many girls there and one of them said, "Let us 

 go in to our sister." So they went in and she spoke to the Yellow 

 Corn Maid, and the Yellow Corn Maid said to him, "How do you 



