Native American Legends
How the Gods of the Kâ'kâ counseled the Duck
A Zuni Legend
"Yes, we know him well!" replied the gods. "If our
sacred breath breathed his father and his mother when days were
new and of us shall they be numbered when time is full. See! therefore
because changed violently of his grief and sore hardships while
yet but k'yaíyuna he has become hlímna and yet unchanging,
since finished so; yes, and unceasing as one of ourselves, thus
shall he remain.
This is also true of his brother and sister who dwell with their
uncouth offspring in the mountain hard by. Go upward, now, and with
your tinkling shells entice these children to the lake shore. They
will talk loudly of the marvel as in their wilder moments they always
talk of anything new that's happened. And they will give no peace
to the old ones until these come down also in order to see you!
You will be wearing the sacred shells and strands of K'yäk'lu
with which he used to count his talks in other days when days were
new to men. When they see these, look! they will become instantly
grave and listen to your words, for they will know the things they
watched him wear and coveted when they were still little, all in
the days that were new to men.
Bid them immediately make a litter of poles alld reeds and bear
it away, the father of them all with his children (but not the Sister-mother,
to sore hurt the love of a older brother for a youngest sister,
which is why he so pitiably mourns even now) to where, in the far
plain, K'yäk'lu sits so mourning. And the greet him, and bring
him here.
They may not enter, but they may point the way and tell him how,
fearlessly, to win into our presence, for he is to become as one
even of ourselves; yes, and they are, too, save that they stayed
themselves for the ages, midway between the living and the dead,
by their own rash acts did they stay themselves so, which is why
it is become their office to point the way of the again living to
the newly dead forever. Tell the grandchild, your father, K'yäk'ku,
to mourn no longer, nor to delay, but to get himself here straightway
so that he may learn from us of his people of the meanings of past
times, and of how it shall be in times to come."
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