🧚 The Man Who Married the Moon · page 2

The Moon, you must know, has always been just as fond of looking at herself in the water as she is to this very day, and forgetting Nah-chu-rú-chu’s warning, she came to the brink, and looked down upon her fair reflection.81 But at that very moment, the two witch-sisters pushed her head foremost into the _pozo_, and drowned her; and then filled the well with earth, and went away as happy as wicked hearts can be.82

Nah-chu-rú-chu began to look oftener from his loom to the door as the sun crept along the adobe floor, closer and closer to his seat; and when the shadows were very long, he sprang suddenly to his feet, and walked to the house of the Yellow-Corn-Maidens with long, strong strides.83

“_Ee-eh-chóo-ri-ch’áhm-nin_,” he said, very sternly, “where is my little wife?”84

“Why, isn’t she at home?” asked the wicked sisters as if in great surprise.85 “She got enough _amole_ long before we did, and started home with it.86 We supposed she had come long ago.”87

“Ah,” groaned Nah-chu-rú-chu within himself; “it is as I thought--they have done her ill.”88 But without a word to them he turned on his heel and went away.89

From that hour all went ill with Isleta, for Nah-chu-rú-chu held the well-being of all his people, even unto life and death.90 Paying no attention to what was going on about him, he sat motionless upon the very crosspiece of the _estufa_ ladder--the highest point in all the town--with his head bowed upon his hands.91 There he sat for days, never speaking, never moving.92 The children that played along the streets looked up to the motionless figure, and ceased their boisterous play.93 The old men shook their heads gravely, and muttered: “We are in evil times, for Nah-chu-rú-chu is mourning, and will not be comforted.94 And there is no more rain, so that our crops are drying in the fields.95 What shall we do?”96

At last all the councilors met together, and decided that there must be another effort made to find the lost wife.97 It was true that the great Nah-chu-rú-chu had searched for her in vain, and the people had helped him; but perhaps some one else might be more fortunate.98 So they took some of the sacred smoking-weed wrapped in a corn-husk and went to Shée-wid-deh, who has the sharpest eyes in all the world.99 Giving him the sacred gift they said:100

“Eagle-friend, we see Nah-chu-rú-chu in great trouble, for he has lost his Moon-wife.101 Come, search for her, we pray you, if she be alive or dead.”102

So the Eagle took the offering, and smoked the smoke-prayer; and then he went winging upward into the very sky.103 Higher and higher he rose, in great upward circles, while his keen eyes noted every stick, and stone, and animal on the face of all the world.104 But with all his eyes, he could see nothing of the lost wife; and at last he came back sadly, and said:105

“People-friends, I went up to where I could see the whole world, but I could not find her.”106

Then the people went with an offering to the Coyote, whose nose is sharpest in all the world; and besought him to try to find the Moon.107 The Coyote smoked the smoke-prayer, and started off with his nose to the ground, trying to find her tracks.108 He trotted all over the earth; but at last he too came back without finding what he sought.109

Then the troubled people got the Badger to search, for he is best of all the beasts at digging--and he it was whom the Trues employed to dig the caves in which the people first dwelt when they came to this world.110 The Badger trotted and pawed, and dug everywhere, but he could not find the Moon; and he came home very sad.111

Then they asked the Osprey, who can see farthest under water, and he sailed high above all the lakes and rivers in the world, till he could count the pebbles and the fish in them, but he too failed to discover the lost Moon.112

By now the crops were dead and sere in the fields, and thirsty animals walked crying along the dry river.113 Scarcely could the people themselves dig deep enough to find so much water as would keep them alive.114 They were at a loss which way to turn; but at last they thought: We will go to P’ah-kú-ee-teh-áy-deh,[37] who can find the dead--for surely she is dead, or the others would have found her.115

[37] Turkey-buzzard; literally, “water-goose-grandfather.”116

So they went to him and besought him.117 The Turkey-buzzard wept when he saw Nah-chu-rú-chu still sitting there upon the ladder, and said: “Truly it is sad for our great friend; but for me, I am afraid to go, since they who are more mighty than I have already failed; but I will try.”118 And spreading his broad wings he went climbing up the spiral ladder of the sky.119 Higher he wheeled, and higher, till at last not even the Eagle could see him.120 Up and up, till the hot sun began to singe his head, and not even the Eagle had ever been so high.121 He cried with pain, but still he kept mounting--until he was so close to the sun that all the feathers were burned from his head and neck.122 But he could see nothing; and at last, frantic with the burning, he came wheeling downward.123 When he got back to the _estufa_ where all the people were waiting, they saw that his head and neck had been burnt bare of feathers--and from that day to this the feathers would never grow out again.124

“And did you see nothing?” they all asked, when they had bathed his burns.125

“Nothing,” he answered, “except that when I was half-way down I saw in the middle of yon cottonwood forest a little mound covered with all the beautiful flowers in the world.”126

“Oh!” cried Nah-chu-rú-chu, speaking for the first time.127 “Go, friend, and bring me one flower from the very middle of that mound.”128

Off flew the Buzzard, and in a few minutes returned with a little white flower.129 Nah-chu-rú-chu took it, and descending from the ladder in silence, walked to his house, while all the wondering people followed.130

When Nah-chu-rú-chu came inside his home once more, he took a new _manta_ and spread it in the middle of the room; and laying the wee white flower tenderly in its center, he put another new _manta_ above it.131 Then, dressing himself in the splendid buckskin suit the lost wife had made him, and taking in his right hand the sacred _guaje_ (rattle), he seated himself at the head of the _mantas_ and sang:132

“_Shú-nah, shú-nah!133 Aí-ay-ay, aí-ay-ay, aí-ay-ay!134

(Seeking her, seeking her!135 There-away, there-away!)136

When he had finished the song, all could see that the flower had begun to grow, so that it lifted the upper _manta_ a little.137 Again he sang, shaking his gourd; and still the flower kept growing.138 Again and again he sang; and when he had finished for the fourth time, it was plain to all that a human form lay between the two _mantas_.139 And when he sang his song the fifth time, the form sat up and moved.140 Tenderly he lifted away the over-cloth, and there sat his sweet Moon-wife, fairer than ever, and alive as before!141 [38]142

[38] Nah-chu-rú-chu’s incantation followed the exact form still used by the Indian conjurors of the Southwest in their wonderful trick of making corn grow and mature from the kernel in one day.143

For four days the people danced and sang in the public square.144 Nah-chu-rú-chu was happy again; and now the rain began to fall.145 The choked earth drank and was glad and green, and the dead crops came to life.146

When his wife told him how the witch-sisters had done, he was very angry; and that very day he made a beautiful hoop to play the _mah-khúr_.147 He painted it, and put strings across it, decorated with beaded buckskin.148

“Now,” said he, “the wicked Yellow-Corn-Maidens will come to congratulate you, and will pretend not to know where you were.149 You must not speak of that, but invite them to go out and play a game with you.”150

In a day or two the witch-sisters did come, with deceitful words; and the Moon invited them to go out and play a game.151 They went up to the edge of the _llano_, and there she let them get a glimpse of the pretty hoop.152

“Oh, give us that, Moon-friend,” they teased.153 But she refused.154 At last, however, she said:155

“Well, we will play the hoop-game.156 I will stand here, and you there; and if, when I roll it to you, you catch it before it falls upon its side, you may have it.”157

So the witch-sisters stood a little way down the hill, and she rolled the bright hoop.158 As it came trundling to them, both grasped it at the same instant; and lo! instead of the Yellow-Corn-Maidens, there were two great snakes, with tears rolling down ugly faces.159 The Moon came and put upon their heads a little of the pollen of the corn-blossom (still used by Pueblo snake-charmers) to tame them, and a pinch of the sacred meal for their food.160

“Now,” said she, “you have the reward of treacherous friends.161 Here shall be your home among these rocks and cliffs forever, but you must never be found upon the prairie; and you must never bite a person.162 Remember you are women, and must be gentle.”163

And then the Moon went home to her husband, and they were very happy together.164 As for the sister snakes, they still dwell where she bade them, and never venture away; though sometimes the people bring them to their houses to catch the mice, for these snakes never hurt a person.165

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