408 ZUNI CREATION MYTHS. Ieth.ann. 13 



me, therefore, tinkling shells from thy girdle and place them on my 

 neck and in my beak. Thus may I guide thee with my seeing if so be 

 thou by thy hearing grasp and hold flrmly my trail. For look, now! 

 Thy country and the way thither well I know, for I go that way each 

 year leading the wild goose and the crane, who flee thither as winter 

 ibllows." 



And so the K'yiik'lu placed his talking shells on the ueck of the Duck, 

 and in her beak placed the singing shells, which ever in bis speakings 

 and listenings K'yiik'lu had been wont to wear at his girdle; and albeit 

 paiDfidly and lamely, yet he did follow the sound she made with these 

 shells, perching lightly on his searching outstretched hand, and did all 

 too slowly follow her swift flight from place to place wherein she, auou, 

 going forth would await him and urge him, ducking her head that the 

 shells might call loudly, and dipping her beak that they might summon 

 his ears as the hand summons the eyes. By and by they came to the 

 country of thick rains and mists on the borders of the Snow World, 

 and passed from water to water, until at last, lo ! wider waters lay in 

 their way. In vain the Duck called and jingled her shells from over 

 the midst of them, K'yiik'lu could not follow. All maimed was hej 

 nor could he swim or fly as could the Duck. 



HOW THE RAINBOW-WORM BORE K'YAK'LU TO THE PLAIN 



OF KA'HLUELANE. 



Now the Eainbow-worm was near, in that land of mists and waters. 

 And when he heard the sacred sounds of the shells he listened. " Ha ! 

 these be my grandchildren, and precious be they, for they call one to 

 the other with shells of the great world-encircling waters," said he; 

 and so, with one measure of his length, he placed himself nigh them, 

 saying- 

 Why mourn ye grandcbildren, why mourn ye? 



Give me plumes of the spaces, grandchililren, 



That rehited I be to the regions, 



That uplifted I be to the cloud-heights, 



That my footsteps be countries and countries; 



So I bear ye full swift on my shoulders 



To the place of thy people and country. 



K'yak'hi took of his plume-wands the lightest and choicest; and the 

 Duck gave to him her two strong pinion-feathers that he might pendant 

 them therewith, making them far reaching and far- seeing. And the 

 Eainbow arched himself and stooped nigh to them whilst K'yak'lu, 

 breathing on the plumes, approached him and fastened them to his 

 heart side. And while with bent head, all white and glistening wet, 

 K'yiik'lu said the sacred words, not turning to one side nor to the 

 other, behold ! the Rainbow shadow gleamed full brightly on his fore- 

 head like a little rainbow, (even as the great sky itself gleams little 

 in a tiny dew-drop) and became painted thereon, and i'-hlimna. 



