o be found in the
modern Zuni. It is to be regretted that the original diction cannot here
be preserved. I have been unable, however, to record literally even
portions of this piece of aboriginal literature, as it is jealously
guarded by the priests, who are its keepers, and is publicly repeated by
them only once in four years, and then only in the presence of the
priests of the various orders. As a member of one of the latter, I was
enabled to listen to one-fourth of it during the last recitation,
which occurred in February, 1881. I therefore give mere abstracts,
mostly furnished from memory, and greatly condensed, but pronounced
correct, so far as they go, by one of the above-mentioned priests.

THE DRYING OF THE WORLD.

In the days when all was new, men lived in the four caverns of the lower
regions (A-wi-ten te-huthl-na-kwin=the "Four Wombs of the World"). In
the lowermost one of these men first came to know of their existence. It
was dark, and as men increased they began to crowd one another and were
very unhappy. Wise men came into existence among them, whose children
supplicated them that they should obtain deliverance from such a
condition of life.

It was then that the "Holder of the Paths of Life," the Sun-father,
created from his own being two children, who fell to earth for the good
of all beings (U-a-nam atch-pi-ah-k'oa). The Sun-father endowed these
children with immortal youth, with power even as his own power, and
created for them a bow (A-mi-to-lan-ne,=the Rain Bow) and an arrow
(Wi-lo-lo-a-ne,=Lightning). For them he made also a shield like unto his
own, of magic power, and a knife of flint, the great magic war knife
(Sa-wa-ni-k'ia ae[']-tchi-e-ne). The shield (Pi-al-lan-ne) was a mere
network of sacred cords (Pi-tsau-pi-wi,=cotton) on a hoop of wood, and
to the center of this net-shield was attached the magic knife.

These children cut the face of the world with their magic knife, and
were borne down upon their shield into the caverns in which all men
dwelt. There, as the leaders of men, they lived with their children,
mankind.

They listened to the supplications of the priests. They built a ladder
to the roof of the first cave and widened with their flint knife and
shield the aperture through which they had entered. Then they led men
forth into the second cavern, which was larger and not quite so dark.

Ere long men multiplied and bemoaned their condition as before. Again
they besought their p