44 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. 
The young man said: “My workisnowcomplete. I will return with 
you.’’ He turned the buffalo loose from the cave again and said, “All 
the buffalo will now come out from the cave and they will be scattered 
over the land.’”’ The boy went over the hills and another cave was found 
which contained deer, antelope, etc. They were turned loose. He 
brought one to the Snake den and then he returned to the heavens as 
the Morning-Star, leaving another boy in his place, who was given the 
mountain-lion quiver, bow, and arrows. The boy spoke to the Snakes 
and said: ‘You must now go all over the land. I must return to my 
people.” The boy went into the village and there he married. 
From that time on the people multiplied and had plenty toeat. They 
were saved from starvation by this young man, and because the spider- 
woman was killed the women gave birth. While the woman was among 
them the women did not give birth to any children. By getting her out 
of the way the people increased. 
9. ORIGIN OF THE BASKET DICE GAME.* 
When the creation was going on the gods made two images of man- 
kind out of mud, one a girl and the other a boy. In time they seemed 
to wake up. The bow and arrows were given to the boy, so that they 
could live by killing animals for food. The gods meditated as to their 
length of life—whether they should become old or live always—and 
whether they should have darkness to live in or light. The gods then 
sent animals and the gods said, ‘‘Let him kill one of these animals and 
whatever kind he kills let it be so.’’ The animals went past the young 
man. Some were white and some were black, but he never shot until 
the last one came by. He shot this one through the heart. This was 
done in darkness. The last animal which was shot was spotted white 
and black. As the animal died it became day,so that the boy saw that 
the animal was spotted. The young man went on his hunting journeys 
in the forest. One night while they were sitting in their grass-lodge they 
heard singing just as if many people were dancing. It was continued 
all night. The next day the young man went into the forest, and there 
he found a lodge and a small field of corn. He did not enter the lodge, 
but returned to his wife. He brought her and as they approached the 
lodge a woman came out and invited them to enter. They entered the 
1Told by Woman-Cleanse-the-People, an old Skidi woman, now the keeper of 
the Skull bundle. This tale is interesting not only for the fact that it gives the 
supposed origin of the well-known basket game among the Pawnee, but especially 
on account of the symbolism of the basket and dice as representing the seven stars 
and the moon, as well as the earth and its contents. 
