8. How Water Was Lost and Recovered

8. HOW WATER WAS LOST AND RECOVERED (13)

There is a game called låkålu'nka (the moccasin game) which is played with four square pieces of deer hide placed upon a big bearskin laid down hair side up. The players having formed two sides, a man on one side takes a bullet, moves it about in his hands and after pretending to put it under various pieces of deer hide finally deposits it under one of them when he thinks the fact will escape observation. One of the opponents then guesses under which skin it has been placed, and if he is successful his party takes the bullet; if he fails he guesses again, and if he fails two or three times another of his party tries his skill.

One time a man who was very fond of this game and who had a very considerable family was so unfortunate as to lose all of his possessions, down to his very clothes. Finally he wagered the water of the world and lost that, upon which all of the streams, ponds, and other reservoirs of water dried up and everyone was dying of thirst. All were seeking water but did not know how they could get it.

By and by a Bicici'hka (a small speckled woodpecker with a red head) discovered a cane as big as a tree, lighted upon it, and began

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pecking. But before he had made much of a hole he heard a noise inside which frightened him and he flew away. He found some one and said to him, "Something is making a noise inside of a cane." The person answered, "It is water," so he went back to the place and pecked a hole all the way through, when the water gushed out and all of the creeks were overflowed. All the creatures drank and were very happy.