72 *The American Naturalist. [January, 
different. We all have children, and if none ever die, this earth will | 
not hold us.” a 4 
On the fourth morning, one of their number died. They all looked | 
for this one, but they could not find him. Then they looked down this 
hole which they came out of a few days before, and they saw this man : 
down there combing his hair. This man looked up and said: a 
“ I am happy down here. In time, you all will be down here where 
Iam.” Then there was a famine, and about half of them died. 
: 
| 
Tue MYSTERIOUS MAIDEN. 
There was a little girl found at daylight one morning. The woman 
who found her claimed that she was the “ Mysterious Maiden,” andso 
another woman took her and raised her. This child soon grew to 
womanhood. 
This maiden conceived from a piece of petrified wood and borea — 
Giant. She conceived from a feather and bore a Large Bird. Then she i 
conceived from a horn and bore a Large Animal (something like a but — 
falo), which ate the Navajos. She next conceived from a berry and 
bore a Bear. She then rubbed herself against a rock. Behind this — 
rock wasa patch of berries. When the Navajos went to gather the 
berries, the rocks would crash together and kill them. The sides of _ 
the rocks were covered with blood. The maiden then conceived from 
a reed and bore a patch of reeds. If a Navajo went into these reeds, — 
he never was seen again. She next conceived from a battle-axe, and 
bore an Old Hag who lived among the rocks, This Old Hag would moan — 
and cry for some one to come and kill her. When a Navajo went to — 
kill her, she would blow on the battle-axe and the axe would kill the A 
Navajo. She then conceived from a hair, and bore an Animal Whose 
Hair Grew Fast tothe Rocks. This Animal stood on the brow ofa preci- _ 
pice. Over in a corner of his den were some beautiful arrows. This 
Animal would tell the Navajos to come and get those arrows, but when 
they went there he would kick them over this precipice, and his chil- 
dren, who lived down below him, would devour them. Next, this 
maiden conceived from the sand and bore a pair of Big Eyes. Atnight, — 
those Eyes shone like a big fire, and they would hollow for people to 
come over there. Then the Eyes would pierce their hearts and kill 
them. She next conceived from an antelope-hoof and bore Twelve 
Antelopes, who used to destroy Navajos. Lastly, she conceived and 
bore two sons. The oldest boy was conceived from the sun, and the 
younger one from the water. These boys were going to kill all of 
