THE COWARD, THE SON OF THE MOON. 53 
28. THE COWARD, THE SON OF THE MOON.* 
In the beginning, when the people first came out of the earth, alittle 
boy was taken out with his grandparents, but his mother and father 
were left behind in the earth. The old people loved the child dearly 
and cared for him, but because they were old they were poor, and so 
the boy was often hungry. Sometimes other little boys took him to 
their lodges and fed him, and then the old people were happy ; for 
they did not mind being hungry themselves, so long as their grandson 
had something to eat. He grew rapidly and soon became old enough 
to hunt game; then the old people always had plenty to eat, for he 
was successful on the hunt. One time, when he came home from a 
long hunt, he found his grandmother sick, and in a few days she died. 
The boy grieved for his grandmother, but remained with his grand- 
father to comfort and provide food for him. One day the grandfather, 
who was an old man, dropped dead. ‘Then the boy, left all alone, 
gave up to his grief and spent days and nights in mourning. He 
wandered far away into the timber to mourn, and in his grief and lone- 
liness he prayed that he might die. While he was praying one even- 
ing, just as the sun was going down, he heard some one calling him. 
He turned and saw a man coming, and when the man came near he 
opened out his arms to embrace the boy, and said: ‘‘I will be your 
father, and I will look upon you as my own son. One time you 
wished for me, and now I have come to claim you as my own. I am 
the Moon, who keeps watch over everything in this world. Go back 
to your people now and some time I will come for you. In the mean- 
time remember that I will always watch over you and give you power.’’ 
The young man went back to his home and wept no more, for he did 
not feel so lonely and forsaken, now that he had a father. After a 
time a girl came to his lodge and asked to become his wife. He ac- 
cepted her and they lived together. Onetime while they were at dinner 
he said: ‘‘Some one is coming with news for the chief.’’ The person 
was then several days’ journey from the village, and so his wife saw 
that her husband had great power. One time he was told by a mother 
to watch her child while she went out to get water. She told him that 
the child was asleep, and if it woke up to give it a buffalo bone to 
suck. When the mother was gone he woke the child up and cut its 
leg off. When the mother returned she saw her child lying dead upon 
the blankets, and saw the young man sitting beside it playing with its 
* Told by Caddo George. 
