vents account for the thick cap of erect feathers which the owl
wears to this day, and also for the enmity between the owl and the
rat.--(Written down from memory. Told by Ishanashte, 25th November,
1886.)

[B] The Aino name here used (_ahunrashambe_) denotes a horned species.

ii.--_The Loves of the Thunder-Gods._

Two young thunder-gods, sons of the chief thunder-god, fell violently in
love with the same Aino woman. Said one of them to the other, in a
joking way: "I will become a flea, so as to be able to hop into her
bosom." Said the other: "I will become a louse, so as to be able to stay
always in her bosom."

"Are those your wishes?" cried their father, the chief thunder-god. "You
shall be taken at your word"; and forthwith the one of them who had said
he would become a flea was turned into a flea, while he who said he
would become a louse was turned into a louse. Hence all the fleas and
lice that exist at the present day.

This accounts for the fact that, whenever there is a thunder-storm,
fleas jump out of all sorts of places where there were none to be seen
before.--(Written down from memory. Told by Ishanashte, 27th November,
1886.)

iii.--_Why Dogs cannot speak._

Formerly dogs could speak. Now they cannot. The reason is that a dog,
belonging to a certain man a long time ago, inveigled his master into
the forest under the pretext of showing him game, and there caused him
to be devoured by a bear. Then the dog went home to his master's widow,
and lied to her, saying: "My master has been killed by a bear. But when
he was dying he commanded me to tell you to marry me in his stead." The
widow knew that the dog was lying. But he kept on urging her to marry
him. So at last, in her grief and rage, she threw a handful of dust into
his open mouth. This made him unable to speak any more, and therefore no
dogs can speak even to this very day.--(Written down from memory. Told
by Ishanashte, 29th November, 1886.)

iv.--_Why the Cock cannot fly._

When the Creator had finished creating the world, and had returned to
the sky, he sent down the cock to see whether the world was good or not,
with orders to come back at once. But the world was so beautiful, that
the cock, unable to tear himself away, kept lingering on from day to
day. At last, after a long time, he was on his way flying back up to the
sky. But God, angry with him for his disobedience, stretched forth his
hand, and beat him down to earth, saying: