93. THE CROW AND THE HAWK. 1

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

Alíksai! At Macáhtoika the Crow was living. She had three children. South of Muñáovi lived the Hawk. He had four children. They were always hunting some food for their children, the Hawk hunting rabbits, little squirrels, etc., while the Crow hunted lizards, snakes, mice, etc. One time as they both were hunting some food for their children, they met in the valley east of Oraíbi. "Come here," the Crow said. "Very well," the Hawk replied. "What do you want with me?" "What do you think?" the Crow said, "We want to be friends, and that is the reason I have called you." "Very well," the Hawk replied. "You come and visit me to-morrow", the Crow said, and I shall prepare something good to eat for you."

Hereupon they parted and continued their hunt. In the evening they both arrived at their homes. The Hawk brought for his children a rabbit, which he cut up for them and fed them. They enjoyed the prey and then slept well all night. The Hawk was thinking about the visit that he was to make at his friend's house the next day, and he

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was thinking about the good food that the Crow had promised to prepare. Early in the morning, before he had eaten, the Hawk went over to his friend. The latter was cooking some food already, and when it was done he placed it before the Hawk. It was a lölö'okong, cut up into pieces. The lölö'okong had been very fat so that it was very fatty food, but the Hawk did not relish it. It smelled very strong. So, he only pretended to eat, reaching his hand towards the vessel and back to his mouth without taking any food. After he had done that for a while he said to his friend that he was satisfied, as he had eaten much, but he spoke a falsehood.

After they had eaten they conversed together a long time, talking especially about their hunting. The Crow had a great many lizards, snakes, grasshoppers, and beetles in her house, which filled the house with odor. The Hawk, not being used to this odor, did not enjoy his stay there at all, because it smelled so strongly. Towards evening he returned to his house, first inviting his friend, the Crow, to come and visit him the next day, and promising that he would also prepare some good food for her. In the evening, when the rabbits are out, he hunted some rabbits and brought them to his children, who were very happy over them. After they had eaten them, they slept. The Crow was thinking during the night about her visit at her friend's house, and about the good food that she was promised. Early in the morning, without having partaken of any food, she proceeded to her friend's house.

The Hawk, remembering the food that he had received at the Crow's house, and which he had not relished, only cooked the skins and intestines of the rabbits, preparing a food of these for his friend. When the latter arrived she asked: "Is somebody at home?" "Yes," the Hawk replied, "come in. Sit down." Hereupon he set the food which he had prepared before the Crow, and as the Crow likes almost anything, she relished the food very much. The Hawk had thought she would not eat any of the food, but she ate heartily of it. They talked all day together, and then in the evening the Crow returned to her house and she is still living there, hatching her young, while the Hawk is still living at the same place, where he also hatches his broods.

Footnotes

232:1 Told by Kwáyeshva (Oraíbi).