246 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [eth.ann.19 



tracks and set tire to tlie grass and bushes and burned up nearly all 

 the other Wolves. Only two or three gotawa}% and from these have 

 come all the wolves that are now in the world. 



Soon afterward some strangers from a distance, who had heard that 

 the brothers had a wonderful grain from which they made bread, came 

 to ask for some, for none but Selu and her family had ever known 

 corn before. The boys gave them seven grains of corn, which they 

 told them to plant the next night on their way home, sitting up all 

 night to watch the corn, which would have .seven ripe ears in the 

 morning. These they were to plant the next night and watch in 

 the same way, and so on every night until they reached home, when 

 they would have corn enough to supply the whole people. The 

 strangers lived .seven days" journey away. They took the seven grains 

 and watched all through the darkness until morning, when they saw 

 seven tall stalks, each stalk bearing a ripened ear. They gath(>red the 

 ears and went on their way. The next night the}' planted all their 

 corn, and guarded it as before until daybreak, when they found an 

 abundant increase. But the way was long and the sun was hot, and 

 the people grew tired. On the last night before reaching home they 

 fell a.sleep, and in the morning the corn they had planted had not even 

 sprouted. They brought with them to their settlement what corn 

 they had left and planted it, and with cai'c and attention were able to 

 raise a crop. But ever since the corn must be watched and tended 

 through half the year, which liefore would grow and ripen in a night. 



As Kana'ti did not return, the boj's at last con'cluded to go and find 

 him. The Wild Boy took a gaming wheel and rolled it toward the 

 Darkening land. In a little while the wheel came rolling back, and 

 the boys knew their father was not there. He rolled it to the south 

 and to the north, and each time the wheel came back to him, and they 

 knew their father was not there. Then he rolled it toward the Sun- 

 land, and it did not return. "Our father is there," said the Wild 

 Boy, "let us go and find him." So the two brothers .set off toward 

 the east, and after traveling a long time they came upon Kana'ti walk- 

 ing along with a little dog by his side. "You bad boys," said their 

 father, " have you come here? " "Yes," they answered, " we always 

 acconiplisli what we start out to do — we are men." "This dog over- 

 took me four daj's ago," then said Kana'ti, Init the boys knew that the 

 dog was the wheel which thej' had sent after him to find him. "Well," 

 said Kana'ti, " as you have found me, we may as well travel together, 

 but 1 shall take the lead." 



Soon they came to a swamp, and Kana'ti told tliem there was some- 

 thing dangerous there and they nuist keej) away from it. He went 

 on ahead, )mt as soon as he was out of sight the Wild Boy said to 

 his brother, "Come and let us see what is in the swamp." They 

 went in together, and in the middle of the swamp they found a large 



