cusHiNol CORN MAIDENS SOUGHT BY THE RAVEN 439 



owu head. "Go ye before, then," siiid he, and lie followed them 

 closely into the court of dancers. 



Not ill to look upon was he, for upon his shoulders were bands of 

 cotton, white, and his back was bhie and gleaming as the tresses of a 

 maiden dancer in sunlight. When the warriors had spoken to the fath- 

 ers, the master priest of them, rising, came forward and greeted the 

 Raven, bidding him sit and smoke. 



"Ila! there is corn in this, else why the stalk thereof!" said the 

 Raven as, taking the cane cigarette of the far-spaces, he noticed the 

 joint thereof. Therefore, forthwith, as he had seen the master do, so 

 did he, only more greedily. He sucked in such a throatful of the 

 smoke, fire and all, that it well nigh strangled him, and he coughed 

 and grew giddy and sick to such a pass that the smoke, all hot and 

 stinging, went through every part of him, and filled all his feathers, 

 making even his brown eyes bluer and blacker in rings! It is not to 

 be wondered at, this blueness of flesh, blackness of dress and tearful- 

 ness, yea and skinniness, of eye which we see in his kindred today. 

 Nay, nor is it matter of wonder, either, that for all that, they are as 

 greedy of corn-food as ever, for look now — no sooner had the old Raven 

 recovered than he espied one of the ears of corn half hidden under the 

 mantle-covers of the trays. He leapt from his sitting i)lace laughing 

 (as they always do when they find anything, these ravens), then catch- 

 ing up the ear of corn, he made ofl' witli it over tlie heads of the people 

 and the tops of the houses, saying, "Ha! ha! in this wise and in no 

 other meseems will ye find thy Seed maidens!'" 



Nevertheless, after some absence, became back, saying, "A sharp eye 

 have I for the tlesh of the maidens, but of their breathing-beings, who 

 might see them, ye dolts, save by help of the Father of Dawn Mist him- 

 self, whose breath makes others of breath seen as itself; " whereupon 

 he flew away again kawkling. 



THE BESEECHING OF PAfYATUMA, AND HIS REVERSAL OF THE 



PEOPLE'S EVIL. 



"Truly now, truly." said the elders to one another; "but how shall 

 we find, and how prevail on our father Paiyatuma to aid us, when so 

 grievous is ours the fault ? Which same, moreover, he warned us of 

 in the old time." 



Of a sudden, for the sun was rising, they heard Paiyatuma in his 

 daylight mood and ^hltmnan. Thoughtless and loud, uncouth of mouth, 

 was he, as he took his way along the outskirts of the village. Joking 

 was he, as today joke fearlessly of the fearful, his children the Newe- 

 kwe, for all his words and deeds were reversals (ii/at'i^hlna penaire) of 

 themselves and of his sacred being. Thus, when quickly the warrior 

 priests were sped to meet him, and had given to him their greetings 

 and messages, he sat him down on a heap of vile refuse, saying that 

 he was about to make festival thereof, and could in no wise l)e 



