Page:Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society V.djvu/155

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The Navaho Origin Legend.
127

"These people are rude; they respect no one. Heed them not. Here are seats for you. Be seated." Saying this, he offered the brothers a seat of shell and a seat of turquoise; but Nĭ′ltsi told the brothers not to take them. "These are seats of peace," he said; "you still want help in war. Nayénĕzgani, take the seat of red stone, which is the warrior's seat; and you, T‘obadzĭstsíni, stand." They did as the Wind bade them.

355. "My children, why do you come to me again?" asked Tsóhanoai, the bearer of the sun. "We come for no special purpose; we come only to pass away the time," Nayénĕzgani answered. Three times he asked this question and got the same reply. When he asked for the fourth time, he added, "Speak the truth. When you came to me before I gave you all you asked for." Now it was T‘obadzĭstsíni who replied: "Oh, father! there are still many of the anáye left, and they are increasing. We wish to destroy them." "My children," said Tsóhanoai, "when I helped you before, I asked you for nothing in return. I am willing to help you again; but I wish to know, first, if you are willing to do something for me. I have a long way to travel every day, and often, in the long summer days, I do not get through in time, and then I have no place to rest or eat till I get back to my home in the east. I wish you to send your mother to the west that she may make a new home for me." "I will do it," said Nayénĕzgani; "I will send her there." But T‘obadzĭstsíni said: "No, Estsanatlehi is under the power of none; we cannot make promises for her, she must speak for herself, she is her own mistress; but I shall tell her your wishes and plead for you." The room they were in had four curtains which closed the ways leading into other apartments. Tsóhanoai lifted the curtain in the east, which was black, and took out of the room in the east five hoops: one of these was colored black, another blue, a third yellow, and a fourth white, the fifth was many-colored and shining. Each hoop had attached to it a knife of the same color as itself. He took out also four great hailstones, colored like the four first hoops. He gave all these to his sons and said: "Your mother will know what to do with these things."

356. When they got their gifts they set out on their homeward journey. As they went on their way they beheld a wonderful vision. The gods spread before them the country of the Navahoes as it was to be in the future when men increased in the land and became rich and happy. They spoke to one another of their father, of what he had said to them, of what they had seen in his house, and of all the strange things that had happened. When they got near their journey's end they sang this song:—