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Updated: May 2, 2025
"Nobody must take me away from you to keep me from being hungry," said gentle Cleeta, hiding her face in her mother's lap. "If I were Chinigchinich," said Payuchi, "I would not let so many people die, just because they needed a little more rain. I would not be that kind of a god." "Hush, my child," said the mother, sternly. "He will hear and punish you. If it is our fate, we must bend to it."
"Payuchi," she said, "put away this basket of grasshopper meal. And, Gesnip, go to the jacal and find me the coils for basket weaving." "What shall I bring?" asked Gesnip. "The large bundle of chippa that is soaking in a basket, and the big coil of yellow kah-hoom and the little one of black tsuwish which are hanging up, and bring me my needle and bone awl." "Do you want the coil of millay?"
The Indians who had gone after the elk had skinned and cut them up where they lay, as they were so large that the burden had to be distributed among a number of carriers. Macana found Sholoc busy portioning out parts of the elk. As he had a fine seal-skin suit himself, he gladly gave her the skin of the deer which he had shot. "Isn't that a big one?" said Payuchi.
"But come now and help me gather tules. Father is going to burn down our house and build a new one for winter, and I must make a tule rug for each one of you for beds in the new home. It will take a great many tule stems." "It is cold to wade," said Payuchi, stepping into the water at the edge of the river. "Yes," answered Gesnip, "I don't like to gather tules in winter."
"The hawk next flew back for another ball to rule the night, but the coyote had no tule gathered, and the hawk hurried him so that some damp stems were mixed in. The hawk flew with this ball into the sky and set it afire but because of the green tules it burned with only a dim light; and this, children, is our moon, ruler of the night." "That is a fine story," said Payuchi.
"But we won't let them find us out, stupid one," replied his brother, impatiently. "What if Chinigchinich should be angry with us? He does not like to have children in the ceremony of the offering," said Payuchi. "I will give him my humming-bird skin, and you shall give him your mountain quail head; then he will be pleased with us," answered Nopal.
"All right," said the boy; "I do not like very well to part with that quail head, but perhaps it is a good thing to do." Creeping softly from the jacal, the boys crouched in the shade of a willow bush and watched the men by the camp fire. "They are standing up. They are just going," said Payuchi, "and every one has something in his hand. Father has two bows; I wonder why."
When they reached the river, which was really a lagoon or arm of the sea, the children stopped to watch the men at work. A large log, washed down from the mountains by some flood, lay on the bank. It was good hard wood, and the children saw that it was smoking in three places. "This is going to make two canoes, but neither one will be so big, as uncle's," said Payuchi.
Payuchi shivered and drew a long breath. "We must get away now; Nihie will be back soon to get the offerings," said Nopal. "But first we must offer our gifts, or Chinigchinich will be angry," said Payuchi.
"Hush, do not waken mother," said Nopal, speaking very softly. "I know that the men will make an offering to Chinigchinich. I am going to watch them. We are old enough, at least I am. Do you want to come?" A star shone in at the top of the jacal, and Payuchi gazed up at it, blinking, while he pulled his thoughts together. "They will punish us if they find us out," said he at length.
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