THE ORIGIN OF THE ARIKARA, 13 
killed by the flood. The people who were taken in under the ground 
knew nothing of the flood, for they were not people; they were grains 
of corn. 
Nesaru in the heavens planted corn in the heavens, to remind him 
that this people were put under ground. As soon as the corn in the 
heavens had matured, Nesaru took from the field an ear of corn. This 
corn the turned into a woman and Nesaru said, “You must go down to 
the earth and bring my people from the earth.”” She went down to the 
earth and she roamed over the land for many, many years, not know- 
ing where to find the people. At last the thunders sounded in the east. 
She followed the sound, and she found the people underground in the 
east. By the power of Nesaru himself this woman was taken under 
ground, and when the people and the animals saw her they rejoiced. 
They knew her, for she was the Mother-Corn. ‘ihe people and the 
animals also knew that she had the consent of all the gods to take 
them out. 
Mother-Corn then called upon the gods to assist her to lead her 
people out of the earth. There was none who could assist ‘her. She 
turned around to the people, and said: “We must leave this place, 
this darkness; there is light above the earth. Who will come to help 
me take my people out of the earth?’ The Badger came forth, and 
said, “Mother, I will help.” A Mole also stood up, and said, “TI will 
assist the Badger to dig through the ground, that we may see the light.” 
The long-nosed Mouse came, and said, “I will assist these other two to 
dig through.” 
The Badger began to dig upwards. He became tired, and said, 
“Mother, I am tired.” Then the Mole began to dig. The Mole became 
tired. Then the long-nosed Mouse came and dug until it became tired. 
It came back. The long-nosed Mouse said, “Mother, I am tired.” The 
Badger began to dig upward. When he became tired the Mole went 
up. The Mole said, “I was just about to go through when I became 
tired.” The long-nosed Mouse then ran up, and said, “I will try.” 
The long-nosed Mouse stuck its nose through the earth until it reached 
up to its ears, and it could see just a little light. It went back, and 
said, “Mother, I ran my nose through the earth, and it has made my 
nose small; all the people that I shall belong to shall have these long 
noses, just like mine, so that all the animals will know that it was I 
who dug through the earth first, making my nose small and pointed.” 
The Mole was so glad that it tried again. It went up to the hole, 
dug through the hole and went through. The sun had come up from 
the east. It was so bright that it blinded the Mole. The Mole ran 
