"You are not wanted in the sky
any more."

That is why, to this very day, the cock cannot fly high.--(Written down
from memory. Told by Penri, 18th July, 1886.)

v.--_The Origin of the Hare._

Suddenly there was a large house on the top of a mountain, wherein were
six people beautifully arrayed, but constantly quarrelling. Whence they
came was unknown. Thereupon Okikurumi came and said: "Oh! you bad hares!
you wicked hares! who does not know your origin? The children in the sky
were pelting each other with snowballs, and the snowballs fell into the
world of men. As it would be a pity to waste anything that falls from
the sky, the snowballs were turned into hares, and those hares are you.
You, who dwell in this world, which belongs to me, should not quarrel.
What is it that you are making such a noise about?"

With these words, Okikurumi seized a fire-brand, and beat each of the
six with it in turn. Thereupon all the hares ran away. This is the
origin of the hare[-god]; and for this reason the body of the hare is
white because made of snow, while its ears--which are the place where it
was charred by the fire-brand,--are black.--(Translated literally. Told
by Penri, 10th July, 1886.)

vi.--_The Position of the Private Parts._

At the beginning of the world it had been the Creator's intention to
place both men's and women's genitals on their foreheads so that they
might be able to procreate children easily. But the otter made a mistake
in conveying the message to that effect; and that is how the genitals
come to be in the inconvenient place they are now in.--(Written down
from memory. Told by Ishanashte, 11th July, 1886.)

vii.--_The Reason for there being no Fixed Time for Human Beings to
copulate._

Anciently the Creator summoned all the birds and beasts, the gods and
devils together, in order to instruct them on the subject of copulation.
So the birds and all the others of every sort assembled, and learnt from
the Creator when to copulate, and when to give birth to their young.

Then the Creator said to the horse: "Oh! thou divine ancestor of horses!
It will be well for thee to copulate one spring, and to give birth to
thy young in the spring of the following year; and thou mayest eat any
of the grass that may grow in any land." At these words, the horse was
delighted, and forthwith trotted out. But, as he rose, he kicked God in
the forehead. So God was very angry, and pressed his hand to his head,
so