THE STORY OF BEKOTSIDI.

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Békotsïdi and Sun Bearer (Tsínihanoai) made all the animals while they were sitting together in the same room,-- Békotsïdi in the north, Tsínihanoai in the south. While the former was making a horse, the latter was making an antelope, and this is why the antelope is so much like a horse. It has a mane and no small back toes as the deer has.

Both of the gods sang while they were at work, and this was the song that Békotsïdi sang to bless all that he was making. It was the first song which he sang at this work.

1. Now Békotsïdi, that am I. For them I make.
2. Now child of Day Bearer am I. For them I make.
3. Now Day Bearer's beam of blue. For them I make.
4. Shines on my feet and your feet too. For them I make.
5. Horses of all kinds now increase. For them I make.
6. At my finger's tips and yours. For them I make.
7. Beasts of all kinds now increase. For them I make.
S. The bluebirds now increase. For them I make.
9. Soft goods of all kinds now increase. For them I make.
10. Now with the pollen they increase. For them I make.
11. Increasing now, they will last forever. For them I make.
12. In old age wandering on the trail of beauty. For them I make.
13. To form them fair, for them I labor. For them I make.

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After he had made the animals, he sang another song the refrain of which is "Kat hadzídila`, now they are made." As the animals began to breed, he sang another song appropriate to this, and when they were multiplying abundantly, he sang a fourth song, the burden of which was Keanádildzïsi, which means, they are multiplying.

While Day Bearer was making the horse and domestic sheep, Békotsïdi was making antelope and bighorn. While Day Bearer was making a goat, Békotsïdi was making a cow. While the former was making a deer, the latter was making an elk. Then Day Bearer began to make a mule and Bekotsidi began to make a donkey, and the former said: "I shall stop with this; I shall make no more." But Békotsïdi said, "I shall continue my work." Then he made the jack-rabbit, the small rabbit, the prairie-dog, the wood-rat, and many more animals. ²⁵

No pictures were drawn of Bekotsidi and no one masquerades in his form. His appearance is not known. ²⁶

Four songs and no more belong to this tale. If you want a fine horse, sing the second and third songs, say a prayer, and you will get the horse. In your prayer specify the color and kind of a horse you desire., It will come to you from the house of Day Bearer.

The name Békotsïdi signifies "He tries to catch it." He got his name while he was out hunting. An indecent story is told to account for this.

The first iron-gray horse was made of turquoise, the first red (sorrel) horse of red stone (carnelian ?), the first black horse of cannel coal, the first white horse of white shell, and the first piebald horse of haliotis shell. So horses are now, according to their color, called after the different substances of which the first horses were made, Thus the Navahoes speak of dolï'zi lin. (turquoise or gray horse), bástsïli lin (red stone or sorrel hors e), bászïni lin (cannel coal or black horse), yolkaí lin (haliotis or spotted horse).

The hoofs of the first horse were made of tse`hadáhonige, or mirage stone, a stone on which paints are ground. Such stones

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are added to earth from six sacred mountains to form their most potent medicine. A shaman will not treat a diseased horse without this. It is used, too, when they pray for increase of stock and increase of wealth.

TEXT AND INTERLINEAR TRANSLATION.

SONG A.

PRELUDE.

E'ya aíya éya aíya ai eena

E'ya aíya éya aíya ai Bahatsidïlés
| | | | | For them I make.

1. Kat Békotsïdi kat si nïslín Bahatsidïlés
Now | Békotsïdi | now | I | am. | For them I make.

2. Kat Tsínihanoai bigé kat si nïslin'go Bahatsidïlés
Now | Day Bearer | his son | now | I | am. | For them I make.

3. Kat Tsínihanoai bitlól(el) dolï'zigo Bahatsidïlés
Now | Day Bearer | his beams | blue. | For them I make.

4. Sïké latá kat niké níti Bahatsidïlés
My feet | ends of | now | | your feet run into. | For them I make.

5. Lin altasaí kat la nadïldzï'si Bahatsidïlés
Horses | of all kinds | now | | are increasing. | For them I make.

6. Sïla latá kat nïlá níti Bahatsidïlés
My hands | ends of | now | your hands | run into. | For them I make.

7. Díni altasaí kat la nadïldzï'si Bahatsidïlés
Animals | of all kinds | now | | are increasing. | For them I make.

8. Kat ayás dolï'zi kat la nadïldzï'si Bahatsidïlés
Now | birds | blue | now | | are increasing. | For them I make.

9. Yúdi altasaí kat la nadïldzï'si Bahatsidïlés
Soft goods | of all kinds | now | | are increasing. | For them I make.

10. Kat bïtadïtdín bïl la nadïldzï'si Bahatsidïlés
Now | its pollen | with | | are increasing. | For them I make.

11. Kéa` nadïldzï'si kat dóni`dïnës Bahatsidïlés
More and more | are increasing | now | they will last forever. | For them I make.

12. Kat sáan nagaí kat bike hozóni. Bahatsidïlés
Now | in old age | wandering | now | its trail | beautiful. | For them I make.

13. Tentíngo ²⁷ la` baanïslé Bahatsidïlés
To make them well | | for them I do it. | For them I make.

REFRAIN.

Baanaslési en an etc.
For them I make. | |

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Footnotes

59:25 Hatáli Natlói does not know in what order these small animals were made, and does not know if Bekotsidi made snakes and fish.

59:26 Hatáli Natlói does not know where he lives; but thinks he dwells either in the sky or in Estsánatlehi's house in the western ocean.

60:27 The author was uncertain about this word. An informant has suggested dantingo, "several paths."