e Chunet,
the Arrow, he flew, straight, and as Heen, the River, swift.
Twice ten moons, and another, flew Yaeethl without rest of
wing before he drew near the cabin of the Wise Man. Away from
the lodge he alighted, by the edge of the spring were his
white wings folded, by the spring where the daughter of the
Wise Man would come for water.

"Then, with the power that was his, Yaeethl, the God, changed
the shape that was his, the shape of the raven; into a small
white pebble did he change, and lay in the water of the
spring, and in the water waited for the coming of the girl.

"Long waited Yaeethl, the Pebble, with the patience of wisdom
and great desire. And the girl came.

"Beautiful in her maidenhood, graceful in the dawning of her
womanhood, came the girl, the virgin, the daughter of
Yakootsekaya-ka, the Keeper of the Worlds of Light. Stooping,
she dipped her cup into the cool water. From the edge of the
spring rolled Yaeethl, into the cup he rolled, and lay quiet
in the shadow of her hand. Quiet he lay, but full of the Great
Desire.

"And the girl saw him not.

"To the lodge returned the maiden, bearing the cup, the water,
and the Pebble. Into the lodge entered the maiden. In the
lodge where lay the Sun, Moon, and Stars, was Yaeethl.

"From the cup the Wise Man drank, but Yaeethl moved not. From
the cup the Mother drank, and Yaeethl was motionless. When the
Daughter raised the cup to her lips, toward her lips rolled
Yaeethl. Softly he rolled, but the Mother, ever careful, heard
the sound of the pebble on the cup-side, and the keen eyes of
the Father saw the white pebble shine.

"'Do not drink, Daughter,' said the Wise Man, laying his hand
on the maiden's arm. 'Small things sometimes contain great
evils. A white pebble it may be, and only a white pebble.
Yaeethl it may be, Yaeethl the Raven, Yaeethl the Father of
Thieves.'

[Illustration]

"Then the Mother took the cup and out through the door cast
the water. Through the door cast the pebble. And when the door
of the lodge was closed behind him Yaeethl, the Disappointed,
once more took his own form, the shape of the raven, white of
wing and white of feather.

"Back to earth flew Yaeethl, angry, ashamed, but more than
ever filled with a great longi