ht be a boy. Her prayer was answered and she gave birth to a
son whose name was Uacatan. He, when he had grown up, took his mother
for his wife and from this union have sprung all the Mandaya.

Quite a different account is current among the people of Mayo. From them
we learn that formerly the _limokon_,[107] although a bird, could talk
like a man. At one time it laid two eggs, one at the mouth and one at
the source of the Mayo river. These hatched and from the one at the
headwaters of the river came a woman named Mag,[108] while a man named
BEgenday[109] emerged from the one near the sea. For many years the man
dwelt alone on the bank of the river, but one day, being lonely and
dissatisfied with his location, he started to cross the stream. While he
was in deep water a long hair was swept against his legs and held him so
tightly that he narrowly escaped drowning. When he succeeded in reaching
the shore he examined the hair and at once determined to find its owner.
After wandering many days he met the woman and induced her to be his
wife. From this union came all the Mandaya.

[107] See p. 63 note.

[108] Also known as Manway.

[109] Also known as Samay.

A variant of this tale says that both eggs were laid up stream and that
one hatched a woman, the other a snake. The snake went down the current
until it arrived at the place where the sea and the river meet. There it
blew up and a man emerged from its carcass. The balance of the tale is
as just related. This close relationship of the _limokon_ to the Mandaya
is given as the reason why its calls are given such heed. A traveler on
the trail hearing the cooing of this bird at once doubles his fist and
points it in the direction from whence the sound came. If this causes
the hand to point to the right side it is a sign that success will
attend the journey.[110] If, however, it points to the left, in front,
or in back, the Mandaya knows that the omen bird is warning him of
danger or failure, and he delays or gives up his mission. The writer was
once watching some Mandaya as they were clearing a piece of land,
preparatory to the planting. They had labored about two hours when the
call of the _limokon_ was heard to the left of the owner. Without
hesitation the men gathered up their tools and left the plot, explaining
that it was useless for them to plant there for the _limokon_ had warned
them that rats would eat any crop they might try to grow in that spot.

[110] Maxey