8. The Orphan and the Origin of Corn (Second Version)

8. THE ORPHAN AND THE ORIGIN OF CORN (6)

(THIRD VERSION)

(Tuggle collection)

An old woman lived alone. She walked along a certain path until it became hard and smooth. At one place a log lay across the trail. One day as she stepped over this log she saw a drop of blood in her track. Stooping down, she carefully scraped up the dirt around the blood and carried it home. She put the blood and dirt

p. 16

in a jar. She looked in the jar occasionally and discovered that the blood clot was growing. After several months she saw that it was beginning to look like a human being. In 10 months it was developed into a boy. She took him out of the jar and dressed him.

The boy grew. She made him a bow and arrows and told him to go and kill birds. He went and killed birds.

When he grew older she said, "Go and kill squirrels." He went and killed squirrels. Again she said, "Go and kill deer." He went and killed deer.

One day on his return from hunting she gave him new food to eat. The boy wondered where she had obtained this delightful food. He asked her, but she refused to tell him.

One day she warned him not to go beyond the mountain which could be seen from their house.

He thought there must be something strange beyond the mountain. He went there. He beheld a lovely sight in the valley beyond the mountain.

When he returned home he sat by himself and looked lonesome.

The old woman said: "You have been beyond the mountain. I will make you a garment and let you go. Go to the woods and bring me a singing bird."

He brought the singing bird. She made him a flute and taught him how to play on it. She made him a headdress and put it on his head. He played on the flute and the singing bird flew on the headdress singing to the music of the flute.

She said: "When you go beyond the mountain you will come to a stream, and the first house beyond the stream is the home of three women. The woman who cooks something for you will become your wife. Marry her, and when you come back to see me all will be changed. You will not see me; you will see something growing where my house stood. When you come again it will be ripe. Build a rock house and gather it. Come when you need something to eat and take your food out of the rock house."

He went across the mountain. He crossed the stream, stopped at the first house and saw three women. One of them offered him food which she had cooked. She became his wife. He lived with her people. He saw that the people were suffering for food. He said: "Follow me to the stream." They followed him. He took some pieces of an old log and threw them into the stream. He played on his flute and the bird sang.

Soon the fish came to the surface of the water and the people shot them with arrows and had a great feast.

Chufee (Rabbit) saw the young man lay aside his flute and headdress and stole them and ran away.

p. 17

The people pursued him and found him trying to play on the flute, but he made no music. Because it refused to sing he struck at the singing bird and injured its feathers.

Chufee thought he could win a wife if he could only make music. He failed. The people took from him the headdress, with the singing bird, and gave it back to the young man.

One day the youth and his wife went to his old home. Behold, all was changed. The house was gone. Where it had stood were some tall green stalks. The old woman was not there.

Again he and his wife returned. The stalks were dry and the grain was hard. He built a rock house and gathered the grain and put it into the house.

Again he returned and found all the birds gathered around the house. They were trying to tear the house down.

The Owl said: "Let me knock it down," He flew at the house and struck it with his head. He made himself humpshouldered by the blow. He could not knock it down.

The Eagle said: "Let me knock it over," He sailed at the house, but flew over it.

The Hawk said: "I can knock it down." He flew at the house. He knocked it down. The blow drove his neck in and ever since he has had a short neck.

The birds all came and ate up the grain. The man saw some crows flying and fighting in the air. They lot some grains fall. He took them and carried them to his new home. He planted the grains and from them sprang corn.