n
the edges of high rocks where it was difficult to follow.

"Here, safe and quiet, she would sit for hours. Sometimes in her
loneliness she raised her arms above her head and cried aloud.

"The people of the tiny Eskimo village often saw the lonely figure on
the cliffs. They noticed that the old woman stayed less and less in
her little snow hut in the village.

"Then one morning an Eskimo child, looking up, thought she saw the old
woman sitting as usual on the rocks. But the child's brother said that
he saw only a strange bird with a very short neck.

"At that moment the bird raised its wings and flapped them above its
head.

"'Kea! Kea! Kea!' cried the strange new bird. 'Kea! Kea! Kea! who
was it called me short neck?'

"'Ah,' said the children's father, looking up from his fishing-nets, 'I
think you both were right.'"

ORIGIN OF THE RAVEN AND THE MACAW

(ZUNI CREATION MYTH)

Long, long ago there were but few Indians on the earth. The world was
not as it is now. The earth people did not understand things as they
now understand them.

It therefore happened that a beautiful Indian prince came to live with
the earth people.

In his hand he carried a plume stick. It was a magic wand and was
covered with feathers of beautiful colours.

There were yellow feathers. There were red feathers. There were
blue-green feathers. There were black and white and gray feathers.

Fastened to this magic wand were also many strange shells and charms
which the earth children did not understand and which the strange
prince did not explain fully.

"What is this strange plume stick?" asked the earth children.

"It is the magic wand which tests the hearts of earth children," was
the reply.

The earth children wondered, but they did not understand.

"Ah, but show us what you mean!" they cried, eagerly.

"Look!" replied the strange prince.

Then amid the plumes and charms of the magic wand there appeared four
round things.

"They are eggs!" cried the earth children. "Two are blue like the sky.
Two are red-brown like the dust of our own pleasant earth!"

Then the earth children asked many questions which the strange prince
tried patiently to explain.

"Now," said the strange prince, "choose whichever eggs you will. By
and bye they will hatch. From them will come birds such as you never
before have seen. From each pair of eggs will come a pair of birds."

"You who choose the blue eggs shall fol