28 TRADITIONS OF THE CADDO. 
summers to get tothe earth. They fastened her to the end of the rope 
and then removed the potato and let her through the hole and gradually 
let the rope slip out. At first she could see nothing but darkness; then 
after a long time she could see the earth. After she had traveled 
through many waves of warm and cold air, she knew she had been on 
her way many summers and winters. Her food was almost gone and 
still she was a long way from the earth. Suddenly the rope ceased to 
slip and she hung swinging back and forth. She had come to the end 
of the rope. It was not long enough. She hung there for a long time 
and was about to die from hunger and weariness when she saw Buzzard 
circling around belowher. Shecalled to Buzzard to come and help her. 
He came, and after she had told him her story he told her to get on his 
back ; that he would take her down toearth. Buzzard flew for a long 
time and the girl was heavy, sothat he nearly gave out. Hesaw Hawk 
flying below him, and he called Hawk and asked him to help him take 
the girlhome. Hawk flew with the girl until they could see the moun- 
tains and the rivers; then he gave out. Buzzard took the girl on his 
back again, and thanking Hawk for his help, told him to go his way; that 
he could take the girl on to her home. Buzzard flew on and on until 
they could see the trees, and soon they were even with the tops of the 
highest trees. Then Buzzard told the girl to go into her lodge when 
she went home and not to let any one but her father and mother see 
her. She was so thin that she was little more than skin and bones. 
Buzzard flew to the ground and lighted very gently just outside the 
girl’s village. He pointed out her parents’ lodge to her and then said 
good-bye and flew away. 
The girl rested for a while and then began to walk very slowly to 
the lodge, for she was weak and exhausted. On the way she saw a 
woman coming toward her. She hid behind a bush, but the woman 
saw her and screamed, for the girl was so thin that she frightened her. 
The girl told the woman not to be afraid and told her who she was. 
Then the woman recognized the lost maiden and helped her to her 
lodge. Her mother did not know her at first, but when she found 
that the girl was her daughter she threw her arms about her and wept. 
The news of the girl’s return spread throughout the village, but her 
parents obeyed her wish and refused to let any one see her until after 
the tenth day. Then they came to her tipi and she told them her 
story and especially about the kindness shown her by Buzzard. 
After that the people always left one buffalo for the buzzards after a 
big killing. 
