, after which the
whale can be captured.

One song of the first named class relates the experiences of a young
woman. Her parents, who are growing old, are desirous that she should
choose a husband from among the young men of the village. She, refusing
to do so, selects a skull as her lover. Her mother is indignant, and
one day during the daughter's absence accuses her son-in-law of keeping
her awake the previous night by too much whispering. Taking a stick she
thrusts it into the eye socket, then tosses the skull out-of-doors. The
wind rolls it down the beach and far out into the ocean. The daughter,
on returning and finding her lover absent, eagerly inquires where he
is. On going outside the trail of the skull is discovered and followed
to the water. A mouse coming along the trail is killed and, on its
being thrown into the ocean, a path is made visible which leads down
into the shades. There the lover is found; he has grown a new body and
is living with two old women. The young woman is overjoyed at finding
her Orpheus, but he, pointing to the wound in the eye, tells her that
her mother was the cause of it and refuses to return with her. She
mournfully retraces her steps to earth and decides to choose the other
road thence leading to Paradise.

Taking the winding path that ascends toward the sky, she finds that the
scene grows more enchanting as she proceeds. At last she arrives at the
moon, where everything is found to be most beautiful. After viewing the
amazing scene, she expresses a desire to cast her eyes upon the earth
again, but the keeper refuses to open the door. Finally, however, her
earnest pleadings have the desired effect, and he concedes to her
request by opening the door a little. While she is looking down, a
great shout is heard, as the villagers cry out, "There's the new moon!"
One man, taking a cup, tosses water so high that it enters the door of
the moon; at the same time he shouts, "Send me a whale." A second man
does the same, but tosses the water only a short distance, for he has
met with disappointment in his whaling. All these scenes, with the
distinctness of the voices, have the effect of making her homesick to
return to the village. She pleads with the doorkeeper to allow her to
retrace her steps, but he declares that the path has vanished, and that
no one entering the moon can return by the same road. She, becoming
disconsolate, is at last informed that if she will braid a rope long
enoug