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Show Jliiiii.iiiiiiiii)lllliilHlllllllllllllllllllllli: Indian j 1 Lodge Tales 1 By I I Ford C. Frick 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 m 1 1 ii 1 1 1 1 1 ii 1 1 1 : 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ii i f m 1 1 1 1 ii 1 1 1 1 THE NAVAJO LEGEND OF CREATION nHE Indian trjlx-s of tlie great mountain region left no written history his-tory of their goings and coinings. But their life wns rich in legend and tradition tra-dition stories handed down from generation gen-eration to generation until they came to be a part of that great mass of material ma-terial which, for lack of hotter name, we must call aboriginal literature. These ancient warriors knew nothing noth-ing of reading and writing. But they were philosophers In their way, even as they were students of nature and keen observers of everything about them. Like children they were curious curi-ous and lacking fact they wove their own theories concerning the life they lived and the environment which they knew. Today the Indian rapidly is disappearing. disap-pearing. Swept away from his nat-ral nat-ral haunts by the white man, he remains re-mains a mere remnant of the great race which once knew- no superior in all the great region. But the legends still live; monuments to the philosophies philoso-phies of the tribesmen who gave them birth. Of all the Indian legends now tve-lstent, tve-lstent, none Is more Interesting than the Navajo legend of cfeatlon. Here It is as told the writer by Navajo BUI, who In turn had it from the Navajo chieftains whom he knew lifty years ago when first he visited the reservation reserva-tion which has since been his home. In the dim and distant ages when time was young the Navajos lived In a world of darkness, deep underground. under-ground. Then there was no sunlight to bring warmth and joy ; no bright rays of sunshine to make the corn grow or the fruit ripen. There was no night and no day, for all was darkness and even the beasts and the birds were unable to see their way about ; but could only wander in darkness,- knowing know-ing not whither they went or how they came. In those days the Navajos were unhappy, un-happy, but they knew not how or , where to turn to become happy. But one day a warrior, more hold than the others, set out on a journey to find a new home for himself and his people. Long he urged the other f liieftnins to accompany him hut tljey were afraid, so finally he went out alone mid unaccompanied. unac-companied. For many da.vs he waud.'i'cil in "the darkness, srunihliii'.' over hill and dale, through water and over hiudi places, until he was nearly exhausted. But still he kept on, and finally he looked up, and there, far above him. was n hole, and throujdi the hole a faint light was shining and a single star looked down upon him in all Its radiance. And the warrior was much pleased. So, with the light of the single siar to guide him, he gathered together many trees. And he killed a deer and with the skin of the deer he bound the trees together until he had made for himself a greatl,adder ; and then, climbing the ladder, he finally reached the celling of darkness and through the hole he looked into a new world. When he had rested, he climbed through the hole and Into a new world a world of silver light and shadow where all was not darkness, but where he was able to see objects about him. In this world there was a moon, and stars to light the way and there was no darkness, hut a silver light from the stars and the moon that made a world of twilight and evening. But the warrior was much pleased for he had never known a greater light than this. So he rested and feasted and slept for many days until he became lonely and bethought himself of his tribesmen who had remained behind. So he gathered together a great bundle bun-dle of moonbeams and, with these on on his back to light the way, he descended de-scended again Into the world of darkness, dark-ness, and with a llghl heart went In search of his tribesmen. When bo hail returned again hi tribesmen gave him a great w.'lcoine, for they thought him lost, mid Iht'y made him chief of the tribe, and when he had told them his story, appointed him a guide In lead llicin to the new world where there was moon and stars and light and happiness. When, by ami by, I he tribe had reached the ladder, they climbed inie the new world one by one. until they were all there warriors and sipus and elilMn n ; and all the beasts and the birds, too, they lifted up with then! into the new world; and they were very happy. The name of the new world they called "Kalclao," and to the warrior who had led them there they gave the name of "( 'bis- 'hil-IC-Co.-' |