spring had come,
and all the earth children were glad,--except the maiden. Her heart grew
more heavy and sad, as the face of the sun grew brighter.

Then the Planting Moon came. The maiden watched the moon hang her horn
in the sky. Then she ran swiftly to the great river that flowed not far
from the lodge. Lightly she sprang into her canoe. A few quick strokes,
and the canoe was in midstream.

The current ran swift and strong. The little craft was carried swiftly
down the river toward the great falls known as Niagara Falls. As the
canoe neared the falls, the maiden was seen to rise and stretch out her
arms, as though about to leap. A smile was on her face, and a song was
on her lips, as the canoe shot into the mist that overhung the water.

Then, from the caverns below a dark blanket floated upward, as though
spread to catch the maiden. It was Heno, the Thunder Spirit, who dwelt
behind the falls. He had caught her in the folds of his blanket, and
had saved her from the great rocks below.

[Illustration]

Heno took the maiden to live with him, in his lodge behind the falls.
There she was very happy, so happy that her smile shone through the
mist, and the Indians cried, "See! A rainbow!"

In her new home the maiden learned many wonderful things. She found she
possessed strange powers, not known to her before. She could float on a
cloud at will, and she seemed filled with a strange fire.

One day, the young woman was given a son. Heno and she were very happy.
Many moons the mother and child played together. When Heno was away on
one of his journeys through the sky, they would ride the great bubbles
of foam that went dashing through the rocks. Sometimes they would catch
sunbeams in a net, as they sat on the edge of a cloud and fished.

One day, Heno asked the young woman if she would like to visit her
people.

"If you wish," he said, "you shall return for a time, taking our son
with you. But remember, both of you possess powers unknown to the earth
children. Be careful how you use them. Never let another child strike
the boy, for that child would at once wither and die. Never strike the
boy yourself, for he would fall stunned to earth."

[Illustration: CRADLE BOARD]

The woman listened to Heno's words. Soon they were wrapped in his great
cloud blanket, and were floating over the river. When they came to the
home of her people, Heno left the woman and the boy by the river, and
went on further to the east.

The