14 ZUNI FETICHES. 



another in anguish, and fell down, and covered their eyes with their 

 bare hands and arms, for men were black then, like the caves they came 

 from, and naked, save for a covering at the loins of rush, like yucca 

 fiber, and sandals of the same, and their eyes, like the owl's, were unused 

 to the daylight. 



Eastward the two children began to lead them, toward the Home of 

 the Sun-father. 



Now, it happened that the two children saw that the earth must be 

 dried and hardened, for wherever the foot touched the soil water 

 gathered — as may be seen even in the rocks to-day — and the monsters 

 which rose forth from the deep devoured the children of men. There- 

 fore they consulted together and sought the advice of their creator, the 

 Sun-father. By his directions, they placed their magic shield upon the 

 wet earth. They drew fotir lines a step apart upon the soft sands. 

 Then the older brother said to the younger, "Wilt thou, or shall I, take 

 the lead?" 



" [ will take the lead," said the younger. 



"Stand thou upon the last line," said the older. 



And when they had laid upon the magic shield the rainbow, and 

 across it the arrows of lightning, toward all the quarters of the world, 

 the younger brother took his station facing toward the right. The older 

 brother took his station facing toward the left. When all was ready, 

 both braced themselves to run. The older brother drew his arrow to 

 the head, let fly, and struck the rainbow and the lightning arrows mid- 

 way, where they crossed. Instantly, thlu-tchu ! shot the arrows of light- 

 ning in every direction, and fire rolled over the face of the earth, and 

 the two gods followed the courses of their arrows of lightning. 



Now that the surface of the earth was hardened, even the animals 

 of prey, powerful and like the fathers (gods} themselves, would have 

 devoured the children of men ; and the Two thought it was not well that 

 they should all be permitted to live, " for," said they, " alike will the 

 children of men and the children of the animals of prey multiply them- 

 selves. The animals of prey are provided with talons and teeth ; men 

 are but poor, the finished beings of earth, therefore the weaker." 



Whenever they came across the pathway of one of these animals, were 

 he great mountain lion or but a mere mole, they struck him with the 

 fire of lightning which they carried in their magic shield. Thlu! and 

 instantly he was shriveled and burnt iuto stone. 



Then said they to the animals that they had thus changed to stone, 

 " That ye may not be evil unto men, but that ye may be a great good 

 unto them, have we changed you into rock everlasting. By the magic 

 breath of prey, by the heart that shall endure forever within you, shall 

 ye be made to serve instead of to devour mankind." 



Thus was the surface of the earth hardened and scorched and many 

 of all kinds of beings changed to stone. Thus, too, it happens that we 

 find, here and there throughout the world,'their forms, sometimes large 



