38. THE MAIDEN WHO STOLE THE YOUTH'S COSTUME. 1

The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth, [1905], at sacred-texts.com

Halíksai! A long time ago the people were living in Shupaúlavi. In the north-east corner of the village lived a maiden, and in another part of the village lived a grandmother with her grandson. One time this grandson wanted to practice running. His grandmother dressed him up in a kilt, beads, bunch of parrot feathers, and tied a little bell to his back, etc. She told him, that when he had made his circuit and returned to the village he should never pass by the house of that maiden, because she was dangerous, but he should come up another trail. So he ran towards Mishóngnovi and descended the mesa southeast of Mishóngnovi, then made a large circuit in the valley.

He was thinking why his grandmother had forbidden him to pass by that maiden's house. Early the next morning he again ran, again descending south-east of Mishóngnovi. Passing down the trail eastward, he turned in the valley, ran north, turned to the mesa south of Páchkovi, ascended the mesa, and came to the village from the north. When he ascended to the village the maiden was standing on her kiva. "Aha, some one is running there," she said. "Run! run! You are beautifully dressed up," she continued, "let me dress up in your costume and dance for you."

Hereupon the youth ascended to the village and stopped in front

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of the mána's kiva. "You are nicely costumed," she again said. Let me dress up in your costume and dance for you, and when I an, through I shall return your costume to you again." So he was willing, laid off his costume and handed it to her. She dressed up in it, putting on the kilt, beads, ear-pendants, bell, feathers, etc., and then danced for him on top of her kiva, singing the following song:

As she was singing the last words she jumped into the kiva through the opening, closing it up quickly, and called out to the young man: "You can go, I shall not give you back your costume." The youth was very sad and went home. When his grandmother saw him she was angry. "There," she said, "I told you not to go there, but you did not believe me, and you went there anyway. That maiden is wicked. She always takes away the things from the young men in that way, but you would not believe me, and you went there. But let us eat now and then you go on the hunt. That maiden is always hungry for meat, and if you bring some game we shall go over with that and offer it to her and see what she has to say. She is hungry after meat."

So when they were through eating he dressed up and went hunting. The youth had a dog that could run very fast. This dog accompanied him. They were hunting east of the village in the valley. Soon they detected a rabbit, followed him, tracked him into a hole and dug him out, killed him, and returned to the village. When he came to his grandmother's house she was very happy. "Thanks, thanks," she said, one time after another. ''With this we shall go over now and find out what she thinks about it." Hereupon they ate. When they were through the grandmother told him to take this rabbit, go over to the maiden, and invite her to dance for him again, offering her the rabbit if she did so. "She will certainly come out then," the grandmother said, "but do not he afraid now; cover that opening with the trapdoor quickly, so that she cannot get back again.''

So he proceeded to the kiva of the maiden. When she saw him she saw the game that he had in his hand. and said, "Oh, where did you get that?" "Yes." he said, "I killed that just now." "Give it to me," she replied. "As soon as you will dance for me again I shall give it to you." he said. "Now, you listen to me," he said, "as

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soon as you get through dancing I shall give it to you." So she came out and performed her dance at the edge of the kiva opening, apparently ready to slip in again when she would be through. She sang the same song that she had been singing before. As she sang the last word the youth threw the game towards her, but quite a distance from the kiva, as he had been instructed by his grandmother. The mána rushed for the game, and while she did so the youth closed the opening. The mána was very quick, but when she saw that she had been defeated she laid off the entire costume, one piece after the other, saving, ."Here is your costume." The youth picked it up and went to his grandmother's house, who was very happy. "Thanks," she said, "that you were not too late, and that you were successful." Hereafter he had his costume again. "Thanks, thanks," the grand in other said, one time after another. "Do not go that way again, that mána is dangerous. She always takes away the things from the youths of the village. I told you so, but you would not believe me. Now since she has given your costume back to us, do not go again,"

Footnotes

141:1 Told by Sik'áhpik'i (Shupaúlavi).