daughter in advance to
discover some favorable spot upon which to build a village. The youth
and the maiden finally ascended a peak from, which to have an extended
view of the country. "Rest here, my sister, for you are tired," said
the youth, "and I will go alone." From fatigue, the girl soon sank
into a slumber, and when the youth returned, he was impressed with the
surpassing loveliness of his sister. They remained for a time on this
mountain, and at their union they were transformed--the youth into a
hideous looking creature, the K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi (Plate XX); the
maiden into a being with snow white hair, the K[=o]-m[=o]-k[)e]t-si.
The [t]K[=o]-thl[=a]-ma (hermaphrodite) is the offspring of this
unnatural union. The youth said to his sister, "We are no longer like
our people; we will therefore make this mountain our home. But it
is not well for us to be alone; wait here and I will go and prepare
a place for our others." Descending the mountain, he swept his foot
through the sands in the plains below, and immediately a river flowed
and a lake appeared, and in the depths of this lake a group of houses,
and in the center of this group a religious assembly house, or kiva,
provided with many windows, through which those not privileged to
enter the kiva might view the dance within. After he performed this
magic deed, he again joined his sister on the mountain, from which
they could see their people approaching. The mountain has since that
time borne the name of K[=o]-k[=o]k-shi--k[=o]k-shi meaning good.
The first of the [=A]h-shi-wi, or Zuni, to cross this river were
the Aen-shi-i-que, or Bear gens; T[=o]-w[=a]-que, Corn gens; and
[t]Ko-[=o]h-l[=o]k-t[=a]-que, Sand Hill Crane gens. When in the
middle of the river the children of these gentes were transformed into
tortoises, frogs, snakes, ducks, and dragonflies. The children thus
transformed, while tightly clinging to their mother's necks, began to
bite and pinch. The mothers, trembling with fear, let them fall into
the river. [=A]h-ai-[=u]-ta and M[=a]-[=a]-s[=e]-we, missing the
children, inquired, "Where are the little ones?" The mothers replied,
"We were afraid and dropped them into the water." The war gods then
cried out to the remainder of the people, "Wait, wait until we speak
with you," and they told the women to be brave and cling tightly to
the children until they crossed the river. Obeying the gods' commands,
they carried the little ones over, though they we
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