14 TRADITIONS OF THE ARIKARA. 
back, and said, “Mother, I have been blinded by the brightness of 
that sun. I can not live upon the earth any more. I must make my 
home under the earth. All the people who wish to be with me will be 
blind, so that they can not see in the daytime, but they can see in the 
night. They shall stay under the ground in the daytime.” The Mother- 
Corn said, “Very well.” 
The Badger then dug through, making the hole larger, and, as it 
went out, the Badger closed its eyes, but, as ‘he stuck this feet out, the 
rays of the sun struck him upon the face so that he got a streak of 
black upon it, and he got black legs. The Badger went back into the 
hole, and said, “Mother, I have received these black marks upon me, 
and I wish that I might remain this way, so that people will remember 
that I was one of those who helped to get your people out.” The 
Mother-Corn said, “Very well, let it be as you say.” 
The Mother-Corn then led the way and the Mole followed, going 
out of the hole; but, as they were about to go out from the hole, there 
was a noise from the east, and thunder, which shook the earth, so that 
the earth opened. The people were put upon the top of the earth. 
There was wailing and crying, and, at the same time, the people were 
rejoicing that they were now out upon the open land. As the people 
stood upon the earth, the Mother-Corn said, “My people will now 
journey west. Before we start, any who wish to remain here, as Bad- 
gers, long-nosed Mice, or Moles, may remain.” ‘This was then done. 
Some of the people turned back to the holes of the earth and turned 
into animals, whichever kind they wanted to be. 
The journey was now begun. As they journeyed, there seemed to 
come up in front of them a mountainous country. There was a deep 
chasm. Here the people could not get down, and if they should get 
down there was, on the other side, another steep bank, and there was 
no way for the people to get up. Mother-Corn turned to the heavens, 
and cried for help, “Any of you gods, come, help.” But there was no 
one to come. Now there came from among the people a little bird, 
who said, ‘“Mother-Corn, I will be the one to point out the way for 
you.” ‘The bird was the Kingfisher. The bird flew to the other side 
of the steep bank, stuck its bill into the bank, going through the hill 
and going out on the other side, so that the earth fell into the chasm. 
The bird came back again, and flew into the side of the steep bank, 
where the people were and came out on this side, so that the earth fell 
into the chasm, so that by the bank’s falling there was formed a bridge. 
The people rejoiced, and the bird said, “All the people who want to 
join me may remain here, and we will stay and make our homes in these 
