r last two fingers, and as he did so a
beautiful baby boy popped out. They named him Takyayen, and he grew
very fast and was strong.

All this time Aponitolau had never forgotten Aponibolinayen who, he
knew, was searching for him on the earth, but he had been afraid to
mention her to the stars. When the boy was three months old, however,
he ventured to tell Gaygayoma of his wish to return to the earth.

At first she would not listen to him, but he pleaded so hard that
at last she consented to let him go for one moon [46]. If he did not
return at the end of that time, she said, she would send the stars to
eat him. Then she called for the basket again, and they were lowered
to the earth. There Aponitolau got out, but Gaygayoma and the baby
returned to the sky.

Aponibolinayen was filled with joy at the sight of her husband once
more, for she had believed him dead, and she was very thin from not
eating while he was away. Never did she tire of listening to his
stories of his life among the stars, and so happy was she to have
him again that when the time came for him to leave she refused to
let him go.

That night many stars came to the house. Some stood in the windows,
while others stayed outside by the walls; and they were so bright
that the house appeared to be on fire.

Aponitolau was greatly frightened, and he cried out to his wife:

"You have done wrong to keep me when I should have gone. I feared
that the stars would eat me if I did not obey their command, and now
they have come. Hide me, or they will get me."

But before Aponibolinayen could answer, Bagbagak himself called out:

"Do not hide from us, Aponitolau, for we know that you are in the
corner of the house. Come out or we shall eat you."

Trembling with fear, Aponitolau appeared, and when the stars asked
him if he was willing to go with them he dared not refuse.

Now Gaygayoma had grown very fond of Aponitolau, and she had commanded
the stars not to harm him if he was willing to return to her. So
when he gave his consent, they put him in the basket and flew away
with him, leaving Aponibolinayen very sad and lonely. After that
Aponitolau made many trips to the earth, but at Gaygayoma's command
he always returned to the sky to spend part of the time with her.

One day when Takyayen was a little boy, Aponitolau took him down to the
earth to see his half-brother, Kanag. The world was full of wonders to
the boy from the sky, and he wanted to stay there