a chiefs" 132
Many Tongues, or Loud Talker 133
Petroglyph in Nebraska 144
Plains Indians Dragging Brush for a Medicine Lodge 156
An Earth Lodge 157
Kansa Chief 168
Big Goose 169
Omaha Assault on a Dakota Village 186
"Killed ten men and three women" 187

MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE GREAT PLAINS

THE CREATION

_Osage (Wazha zhe group)_

Way beyond, once upon a time, some of the Osages lived in the sky.
They did not know where they came from, so they went to Sun. They
said, "From where did we come?"

He said, "You are my children."

Then they wandered still further and came to Moon.

Moon said, "I am your mother; Sun is your father. You must go away
from here. You must go down to the earth and live there."

So they came to the earth but found it covered with water. They could
not return up above. They wept, but no answer came to them. They
floated about in the air, seeking help from some god; but they found
none.

Now all the animals were with them. Elk was the finest and most
stately. They all trusted Elk. So they called to Elk, "Help us."

Then Elk dropped into the water and began to sink. Then he called to
the winds. The winds came from all sides and they blew until the
waters went upwards, as in a mist. Now before that the winds had
traveled in only two directions; they went from north to south and
from south to north. But when Elk called to them, they came from the
east, from the north, from the west, and from the south. They met at a
central place; then they carried the waters upwards.

Now at first the people could see only the rocks. So they traveled on
the rocky places. But nothing grew there and there was nothing to eat.
Then the waters continued to vanish. At last the people could see the
soft earth. When Elk saw the earth, he was so joyous, he rolled over
and over on the earth. Then all the loose hairs clung to the soil. So
the hairs grew, and from them sprang beans, corn, potatoes, and wild
turnips, and at last all the grasses and trees.

Now the people wandered over the land. They found human footsteps.
The