240 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [eth. an-.n. I'.i 



conjurers put the sun another hand-breadth higher in the air, but it was 

 still too hot. They i"aised it another time, and another, until it was 

 seven handbreadths high and just under the sky arch. Then it was 

 right, and they left it so. This is why the conjurers call the highest 

 place (Tillkwa'gine Di'galun'latiyufi', "the seventh height," because it is 

 seven hand-breadths above the earth. Every day the sun goes along 

 under this arch, and returns at night on the upper side to the starting 

 place. 



There is another world under this, and it is like ours in every- 

 thing — animals, plants, and people — save that the seasons are different. 

 The streams that come down from the mountains are the trails by 

 which we reach this underworld, and the springs at their heads are 

 the doorways by which we enter it, but to do this one must fast and 

 go to water and have one of the underground people for a guide. We 

 know that the seasons in the underworld are different from ours, 

 because the water in the. springs is always warmer in winter and 

 cooler in summer than the outer air. 



When the animals and plants were first made — we do not know by 

 whom — they were told to watch and keep awake for seven nights, 

 just as young men now fast and keep awake when they pray to their 

 medicine. They tried to do this, and nearly- all were awake through 

 the first night, but the next night several dropped off to sleep, and the 

 third night others were asleep, and then others, until, on the seventh 

 night, of all the animals only the owl, the panther, and one or two 

 more were still awake. To these were given the power to see and to 

 go about in the dark, and to make prey of the birds and animals which 

 must sleep at night. Of the trees only the cedar, the pine, the spruce, 

 the holly, and the laurel were awake to the end, and to them it was 

 given to l)e always green and to be greatest for medicine, but to the 

 others it was said: "Because you have not endured to the end you 

 shall lose your hair eveiy winter." 



Men came after the animals and plants. At first there were only a 

 brother and sister until he struck her with a fish and told her to mul- 

 tiply, and so it was. In seven days a child was born to her, and 

 thereafter every seven days another, and they increased very fast until 

 there was danger that the world could not keep them. Then it was 

 made that a woman should have only one child in a year, and it has 

 been so ever since. 



2. THE FIRST FIRE 



In the beginning there was no fire, and the world was cold, until the 

 Thunders (Ani'-Hyun'tikwiila'ski), who lived up in GilluiTlati. sent their 

 lightning and put fire into the bottom of a hollow .sycamore tree which 

 grew on an island. The animals knew it was there, because they could 

 see the smoke coming out at the top, l)ut they could not get to it on 



