380 ZUXI CREATION MYTHS. (eth.ann.13 



one another, "shall our children, when brought forth, know one place 

 from another, even by the white light of the Sun-father '?" 



Now like all the surpassiug beings {pikwaiyin cihai) the Earth- 

 mother and the Sky-father were ^hlimna (changeable), even as smoke 

 in the wind; transmutable at thought, manifesting themselves iu any 

 form at will, like as dancers may by mask-making. 



Thus, as a man and woman, spake they, one to the other. " Behold ! " 

 said the Earth-mother as a great terraced bowl appeared at hand 

 and within it water, "this is as upon me the homes of my tiny chil- 

 dren shall be. On the rim of each world-couutry they wander in, ter- 

 raced mountains shall stand, making in one region many, whereby 

 country shall be known from country, and within each, place from place. 

 Behold, again ! " said she as she spat on the water and rapidly smote 

 and stirred it with her fingers. Foam formed, gathering about the 

 terraced rim, mounting higher and higher. "Yea," said she, "and from 

 my bosom they shall draw nourishment, for iu such as this shall they 

 find the substance of life whence we were ourselves sustained, for see ! " 

 Then with her warm breath she blew across the terraces ; white flecks of 

 the foam broke away, and, floating over above the water, were shattei-ed 

 by the cold breath of the Sky-father attending, and forthwith shed 

 downward abundantly fine mist and spray! "Even so, shall white 

 clouds float up from the great waters at the borders of the world, and 

 clustering about the mountain terraces of the horizons be borne aloft 

 and abroad by the breaths of the surpassing of soul-beings, and of the 

 children, and shall hardened and broken be by thy cold, shedding 

 downward, in rain-si^ray, the water of life, even into the hollow places 

 of my lap! For therein chiefly shall nestle our children mankind and 

 creature kind, for warmth in thy coldness." 



Lo! even the trees on high mountains near the clouds and the Sky- 

 father crouch low toward the Earth-mother for warmth and protection! 

 Warm is the Earth-mother, cold the Sky-father, even as woman is the 

 warm, man the cold being! 



"Even so !" said the Sky-father; "Yet not alone shalt thou helpful 

 be unto our children, for behold ! " and he spread his hand abroad with 

 the palm downward and into all the wrinkles and crevices thereof he 

 set the semblance of shining yellow corn grains; in the dark of the 

 early world-dawn they gleamed like sparks of fire, and moved as his 

 hand was moved over the bowl, shining up from and also moving in 

 tlie depths of the water therein. " See ! " said he, pointing to the seven 

 grains clasped by his thumb and four fingers, "by such shall our 

 children be guided; for behold, when the Suu-father is not nigh, and 

 thy terraces are as the dark itself (being all hidden therein), then shall 

 our children be guided by lights — like to these lights of all the six 

 regions turning round the midmost one — as in and around the mid- 

 most place, where these our children shall abide, lie all the other 

 regions of space! Yea! and even as these grains gleam up fiom the 



