42 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. 
7. THE DAUGHTER OF THE EVENING-STAR AND HER SACRED BUNDLE. 
(See Abstracts. ) 
[Told by Woman-Ready-to-Give, a Skidi woman whose grandmother was for- 
merly keeper of the second of the two Morning-Star bundles among the Skidi. This 
tale is presumably a variant of tale No. 6. It should be noted, however, that there 
are two Morning-Star bundles among the Skidi, and that the tale just referred to 
was told by one who represents one of these bundles, whereas the teller of this tale 
represents the other bundle. This story not only relates to the origin of a sacred 
bundle, but also relates to the construction of the earth-lodge of the Pawnee. It 
is especially interesting to note in this connection that, according to both tales, 
the earliest homes of the Skidi were not earth but grass lodges.] 
8. CONTEST BETWEEN THE MORNING-STAR AND THE MOON.’ 
A long time ago the people had their village in a bottom. There was 
one young man who had his lodge in the hills. The people from the bot- 
tom could see him entering and leaving his lodge. Every day the young 
man left his lodge and went over the hills and in a very short time they 
would see him coming again with a deer, an antelope, or a buffalo upon 
his back. He would take the meat into his lodge and then would come 
out with it and scatter it all around. 
One year the crops of the people failed. They became hungry. The 
people said, ‘‘We are to speak to that young man in the lodge and he may 
help us.’’ But no one would go to his lodge, for the people had often 
tried to go to it but always found that there were snake dens all around 
it. In the village was a Spider-Woman who said that she knew his 
power; that she was going to challenge him, and if he beat her the people 
could have buffalo. Several of the men in the village went to the chief 
and told him that he ought to visit the young man and invite him to come 
and live with his daughter as his wife, so that the people might get some- 
thing to eat. The chief said he could not go into the lodge of the young 
man. The people said, ‘‘Watch and as soon as he comes out and goes ~ 
away from it you must meet him.”’” The chief said that that was good. 
The chief walked out a long distance and watched for the young man. 
When the young man came out with his bow and arrows, the chief met 
him and said, ‘“My son, I want you to come to my tipi and live with 
me as my son-in-law.’’ The young man said that he could not do that, 
as he was in the lodge to feed the snakes. He said he would go and 
consult with the snakes and if they were willing he would let him know 
the next day at the same hour. The chief went home feeling happy. 
The young man disappeared over the hills and in a few minutes came 
up again with a whole deer on his shoulder. He took the deer into the 
tTold by Little-Chief, Chaui. 
