36.--WATERMELON-RIND WOMAN (HÖLÖ'KOP WUHTI).

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

Pretty maiden refuses all offers of marriage. Grandmother of young man called Piwítamni, because he patches her wrappers and blankets, tells him to ask hand of maiden in marriage. He refuses because he is poor, and his blanket much patched. Grandmother gives him two fawns and tells him to take them to maiden at certain rock. In evening he goes and finds maiden pulverizing

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some rock. She sees fawns and asks for them. He gives her fawns and she takes them home. When grandmother hears, she tells young man to go to maiden's house, and if parents talk good to bring her in evening he goes and maiden's parents recognize him. Father tells daughter to fill tray with meal and go along with young man. She goes with him, and is greeted by grandmother, who after they have eaten, shows her small room with very poor-looking couch on which to sleep. Maiden grinds corn for four days, but there is no one to prepare her bridal costume. Grandmother tells grandchild to go and cry out for relatives to come and eat. They come and have good feast, after which they give bundle containing costumes. In morning bride goes home, and people are surprised to see her dressed up in ówa. She carries second ówa and belt in front of her, and goes home to parents. Afterwards Piwítamni lives with wife, and is always poor. He proves to be lazy. His wife has to live partly on watermelon rinds thrown away by others, from which she derives her name. Young man has place in kiva. but he has little to eat. Only one old man sits by him when he eats. Others laugh at him. He tells grandmother that one man says he will feed wife with good food, and then take her away from him. Next day old man who sits near him tells him to wait until others have done. He does so, and he goes to grandmother's house and brings great many watermelons. He goes again and brings great deal of meat. He and old man eat together, and when done others come and take what is left. One man does not come, and then says they will bring their wealth to-morrow, and whoever is richest shall live with young man's wife. Next day they go for their possessions and fill kiva. Then Piwítamni goes to grandmother's house, and she gives him great many sashes. He returns and grandmother gives him buckskins in great quantities. Next time she gives him bundle of large buckskins, so that he is very rich. Old man takes all Piwítamni's things to his wife, Men want another test, and next day go around -village and examine corn piles, They find Piwítamni's house filled with corn, watermelons, and squashes, so he is ahead of them, and no one dares to take his wife from him. She is no longer called Watermelon-Rind Woman.