drew up enough water to drink. But he did not swallow
the cooling water. He held it in his mouth and flew with it over the
whole earth which was void of form.

"He spat forth a drop of this water and it became the source of the
River Nass. Another drop from his mouth became the Stikine River, and
the third drop became the Taku River. Then followed the Chilkat, the
Alsek, and finally, all the great rivers of the North.

"But Raven found he would need more water for seas and oceans and lakes,
so he sat again, and by thinking and thinking he received the idea.

"It was not according to his wish to send a sunbeam to the pool of
eternal water in the House of Light, to bring up more of that pure water
to him, and he was happy when he conceived the idea that came to him.
And this it was:

"'If the rivers I made, run on eternally because their source came from
the House of Light, why shall I not guide them all to one great
meeting-place and call that the Ocean? But as they run to this one rest,
even so will I give them smaller rests along the way, and at these
resting-places they may spread out upon the bosom of the earth. These
rests will I call Lakes. Then there will come times when the Ocean,
which is continually filled from the eternal source of the Rivers, must
needs overflow its boundaries. And these overflows will fill up the
great holes in the earth. So these I will call Seas.

"'Even as the Sun sent his ray to carry me the drink from the pool that
is in the House of Light, so will I command the Sun and the Moon and the
Stars to govern the waters of the earth, and thus the Lights in the
Firmament of the Heavens will draw up any surplus overflows, that these
may turn to moisture in the cloudy coverings that wrapped the Lights
before they became fixed in the Firmament. The Clouds will rain down
refreshing drink upon all lands on the earth, that all things may
replenish themselves and so live eternally, in one grand bond of
Brotherhood, loving and helping each other, from the Great to the Small,
and from Small to Great.'

"And it was as Raven desired. So to this day, the Sun and Moon and all
the Stars work together in harmony to keep the Rivers and Lakes, and
Seas, and Ocean within their bounds and to replenish all things.

"But Raven found afterwhile that so much water flowing ceaselessly from
the Source, and the rain that fell from the Clouds upon the land, made
the earth so wet that it was not a good place to dwe