🧚 The Ants That Pushed on the Sky · page 2

KAHP-TOO-ÓO-YOO.]83

“No,” groaned Kahp-too-óo-yoo; “I am here because of the jealousy of him who was as my brother, with whom I shared my food and labor, whose home was my home, and my home his.84 He is the cause, for he was jealous and bewitched me hither.85 And now I am dying of famine.”86

“If that is so,” said the Little Black Ant, “I will be the one to help you”; and he ran down to the world as fast as he could.87 When he got there he sent out the crier to summon all his nation, and also that of the _In-toon_, the Big Red Ants.88 Soon all the armies of the Little Black Ants and the Big Red Ants met at the foot of the pine, and held a council.89 They smoked the _weer_ and deliberated what should be done.90

“You Big Red Ants are stronger than we who are small,” said the War-Captain of the Little Black Ants, “and for that you ought to take the top of the tree to work.”91

“_Een-dah!92 _” (No) said the War-Captain of the Big Red Ants.93 “If you think we are the stronger, give us the bottom, where we can work more, and you go to the top.”94

So it was agreed, and the captains made their armies ready.95 But first the Little Black Ants got the cup of an acorn, and mixed in it corn-meal and water and honey, and carried it up the tree.96 They were so many that they covered its trunk all the way to the sky.97

When Kahp-too-óo-yoo saw, his heart was heavy, and he thought: “But what good will that very little do me, for I am dying of hunger and thirst?”98 “Nay, friend,” answered the Captain of the Little Black Ants, who knew his thought.99 “A person should not think so.100 This little is enough, and there will be some left.”101

And it was so; for when Kahp-too-óo-yoo had eaten all he could, the acorn-cup was still nearly full.102 Then the ants carried the cup to the ground and came back to him.103

“Now, friend,” said the Captain, “we will do our best.104 But now you must shut your eyes till I say ‘_Ahw!105

Kahp-too-óo-yoo shut his eyes, and the Captain sent signals down to those at the foot of the tree.106 And the Little Black Ants above put their feet against the sky and pushed with all their might on the top of the pine; and the Big Red Ants below caught the trunk and pulled as hard as they could; and the very first tug drove the great pine a quarter of its length into the earth.107

“_Ahw!108 _” shouted the Captain of the Little Black Ants, and Kahp-too-óo-yoo opened his eyes; but he could see nothing below.109

“Shut your eyes again,” said the Captain, giving the signal.110 Again the Little Black Ants pushed mightily against the sky, and the Big Red Ants pulled mightily from below; and the pine was driven another fourth of its length into the earth.111

“_Ahw!112 _” cried the Captain; and when Kahp-too-óo-yoo opened his eyes he could just see the big, brown world.113

Again he closed his eyes.114 There was another great push and pull, and only a quarter of the pine was left above the ground.115 Now Kahp-too-óo-yoo could see, far below, the parched fields strewn with dead animals, and his own village full of dying people.116

Again the Little Black Ants pushed and the Big Red Ants pulled, and this time the tree was driven clear out of sight, and Kahp-too-óo-yoo was left sitting on the ground.117 He hastily made a bow and arrows and soon killed a fat deer, which he brought and divided among the Little Black Ants and the Big Red Ants, thanking them for their kindness.118

Then he made all his clothing to be new, for he had been four years a prisoner in the bewitched tree, and was all in rags.119 Making for himself a flute from the bark of a young tree, he played upon it as he strode homeward and sang:120

_Kahp-too-óo-yoo tú-mah-quee, Nah-chóor kwé-shay-tin, Nah-shúr kwé-shay-tin; Kahp-too-óo-yoo tú-mah-quee!121

(Kahp-too-óo-yoo has come to life again, Is back to his home coming, Blowing the yellow and the blue; Kahp-too-óo-yoo has come to life again!)122

As he walked and sang, the forgotten clouds came over him, and the soft rain began to fall, and all was green and good.123 But only so far as his voice reached came the rain; and beyond all was still death and drought.124 When he came to the end of the wet, he played and sang again; and again the rain fell as far as his voice was heard.125 This time the Fool-Boy, who was wandering outside the dying village, saw the far storm and heard the singing.126 He ran to tell Kahp-too-óo-yoo’s parents; but nobody would believe a Foolish, and they sent him away.127

When the Fool-Boy went out again, the rain fell on him and gave him strength, and he came running a second time to tell.128 Then the sisters came out of the house and saw the rain and heard the song; and they cried for joy, and told their parents to rise and meet him.129 But the poor old people were dying of weakness, and could not rise; and the sisters went alone.130 When they met him they fell on their knees, weeping; but Kahp-too-óo-yoo lifted them up and blessed them, gave an ear of blue corn to Blue-Corn-Maiden, and to Yellow-Corn-Maiden an ear of yellow corn, and brought them home.131

As he sang again, the rain fell in the village; and when it touched the pinched faces of the dead they sat up and opened their mouths to catch it.132 And the dying crawled out to drink, and were strong again; and the withered fields grew green and glad.133

When they came to the house, Kahp-too-óo-yoo blessed his parents, and then said:134

“Little sisters, give us to eat.”135

But they answered, “How?136 For you have been gone these four years, and there was none to give us rain.137 We planted, but nothing came, and to-day we ate the last grain.”138

“Nay, little sisters,” he said.139 “A person should not think so.140 Look now in the store-rooms, if there be not something there.”141

“But we have looked and looked, and turned over everything to try to find one grain.”142

“Yet look once more,” he said; and when they opened the door, lo! there was the store-room piled to the roof with corn, and another room was full of wheat.143 Then they cried for joy, and began to roast the blue ears, for they were dying of hunger.144

At the sweet smell of the roasting corn came the starving neighbors, crowding at the door, and crying:145

“O Kahp-too-óo-yoo!146 Give us to taste one grain of corn, and then we will go home and die.”147

But Kahp-too-óo-yoo handed to each an ear, and said:148

“Fathers, brothers, go now to your own houses, for there you will find corn as much as here.”149 And when they went, it was so.150 All began to roast corn and to eat; and the dead in the houses awoke and were strong again, and all the Village sang and danced.151

From that time there was plenty of rain, for he who had the power of the clouds was at home again.152 In the spring the people planted, and in the fall the crops were so great that all the town could not hold them; so that which was left they brought to Shee-eh-whíb-bak (Isleta), where we enjoy it to this day.153

As for the false friend, he died of shame in his house, not daring to come out; and no one wept for him.154

XXIII155