14. The Pleiades

14. THE PLEIADES (18)

Seven persons went apart, fasted, and took medicine for four days in order to prophesy. Then they came in and reported to the people what they had found out. Then the people said, "We will select seven persons and find out more." So they sent out seven persons who fasted and took medicine for seven days. At the end of this time they wondered if they should continue their fast for seven months. They fasted and took medicine until the seven months were completed. Then they asked one another if they could not observe their regulations for a whole year. They accomplished it, but when the time was completed they had become wild and feared to go near the rest of the people, so they went into the woods and stayed there, They asked one another what they should do, and finally said, "Let us turn ourselves into pine trees." At that time there were no iron axes but tools made of flint with which little wood could be cut. But when the white men came and they saw them cutting down pine trees with their axes they said. to one another, "That has cut us down." When the whites went on destroying pine trees they said, "Let us turn ourselves into rock. A rock lies undisturbed on top of the ground." But after they had turned themselves into rocks they saw the white people turn to the rocks and begin to use them in various ways. Then they made up their minds to go above, saying, "We can not escape in any other manner."' So they rose and went up into the air, where they became a constellation (probably the Pleiades).