ropped asleep.
The third night still more went to sleep. At last, on the seventh
night, only the owl, the panther, and one or two more were still
awake. Therefore, to these were given the power to see in the dark, to
go about as if it were day, and to kill and eat the birds and animals
which must sleep during the night.

Even some of the trees went to sleep. Only the cedar, the pine, the
spruce, the holly, and the laurel were awake all seven nights.
Therefore they are always green. They are also sacred trees. But to
the other trees it was said, "Because you did not stay awake,
therefore you shall lose your hair every winter."

After the plants and the animals, men began to come to the earth. At
first there was only one man and one woman. He hit her with a fish. In
seven days a little child came down to the earth. So people came to
the earth. They came so rapidly that for a time it seemed as though
the earth could not hold them all.

THE FLOOD AND THE RAINBOW

_Delaware (Lenni-Lenapi)_

The Lenni-Lenapi are the First People, so that they know this story is
true.

After the Creation of the earth, the Mysterious One covered it with a
blue roof. Sometimes the roof was very black. Then the Manitou of
Waters became uneasy. He feared the rain would no longer be able to
pour down upon the earth through this dark roof. Therefore the Manitou
of Waters prayed to the Mysterious One that the waters from above be
not cut off.

At once the Mysterious One commanded to blow the Spirit of the Wind,
who dwells in the Darkening Land. At once thick clouds arose. They
covered all the earth, so that the dark roof could no longer be seen.

Then the voice of the Mysterious One was heard amongst the clouds. The
voice was deep and heavy, like the sound of falling rivers.

Then the Spirit of Rain, the brother of the Spirit of Waters and the
Spirit of the Winds, poured down water from above. The waters fell for
a long time. They fell until all the earth was covered. Then the
birds took refuge in the branches of the highest trees. The animals
followed the trails to the mountain peaks.

Then the Manitou of Waters feared no longer. Therefore the Mysterious
One ordered the rain to cease and the clouds to disappear. Then
Sin-go-wi-chi-na-xa, the rainbow, was seen in the sky.

Therefore the Lenni-Lenapi watch for the rainbow, because it means
that the Mysterious One is no longer angry.

THE FIRST FIRE

_Cherokee_

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