436 ZUSi CREATION MYTHS. [eth axx. 13 



were shaken — but all in vaiu. Nu iiiaideus came forth from the bower. 

 Theu eagerly the leaders sought all through the bower. Naught found 

 they save the precious wands and the garments all softly laid there- 

 upon, of their beloved Maidens of the Seed. Deep was their grief aud 

 all silent were the people. Theu s^jake the fathers: "Look ye now; 

 ye have watched ill, ye matrons and elders, and therein grievously have 

 ye sinned, wherefore lost be our beloved maidens, mothers of the Seed 

 of Seed, for some amongst our children have dared to hold them less 

 than precious, and look upon them as upon maidens of the people they 

 look! Wherefoi-e arise, and brush away from thy persons and spit 

 forth from thy mouths the evil of this night, that the day find ye not 

 shame-darkened, and further ill befall ye not than the grievous loss of 

 our beautiful maidens; for the rash forwardness of our youths, and the 

 negligence ye have proven guilty of in failing to watch all things well 

 are sore, and are punished full meetly as was warned us aforetime by 

 this our grievous loss ! " 



Theu said they to one another, "We nmst seek (but how?) the 

 maidens; and we must summon them forth from their hiding with 

 solemn xJi'omise, if only that we may look upon them once more aud 

 see that they go forth at least content with those who have not wrought 

 this evil, and content with us, not wroth; and that they be not thus 

 wroth or sad hearted, and therefore withhold not from us their sacred 

 breaths of blessing, lacking which the corn seed, life of tiesh, can not 

 flourish. But who shall seek them for us? They left no trail behind 

 and far must have instant journeyed, being now of other-being — as may 

 be seen by their cast-ofl' garments, left here with us. O, woe! woe 

 the day when we heeded not well their preciousness ! If woe to us, woe 

 indeed to our murmuring children who know not what they want, and 

 lightly consider too many of the things they have, therein lightly 

 holding them!" 



THE SEEKING OF THE MAIDENS OF CORN BY THE EAGLE. 



Again, therefore, called they forth the two master-priests, and said : 

 "Who, now, think ye, should journey to seek our precious maidens! 

 Bethink ye, strong of will, who amongst the beings is even as ye are, 

 strong of will aud good of eyes? 



" There is our great elder brother and father, the Eagle, he of the side 

 floating down (sulahaiyaii Idtane) and the terraced tail-fan (dwi'-hhdyan 

 k^ydtine) ; surely he is enduring of will aud surpassing of sight." 



" Tea, most surely," said the fathers. " Go ye forth and beseech 

 him." 



Then northward fared the twain swiftly to Twiu mountain, where 

 dwelt with his mate and his young, in a grotto high up among the 

 crags, the Eagle of the White Bonnet. 



And when they climbed the mountain aud spake in at the entrance 

 of the grotto, behold ! only the eaglets were there, who. frightened. 



