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Show "Chuarruumpurunkunt and the Yukuts" Chuarruumpurunkunt (He who dug the roots of the yucca) was digging the roots of the great yucca. Seeing two deer, a buck and a doe, he hid himself in the reeds. Then, taking a leaf of the cotton-wood tree, he made a whistle with which he imitated the cry of a young fawn. This attracted the old deer, and when they came nearby Chuarruumpurunkunt killed them with his arrows. Looking around, he found two yu\uts (fawns). He came up to them and pretended to be their friend. "There are some bad people around here," he said; "they have killed your father and mother. So come with me; I will show you where to hide." He took them to a pit nearby and put them in and went away. Three days later he returned to kill and eat the fawns, but seeing that they were very poor he thought of a plan to get them to eat grass for a few months and become fat and large. So he told them that the wicked people had gone away, but that they would return soon. He told them to eat grass nearby every day and not to wander far away. They were to go no further than the spring which was nearby. Whenever they had eaten enough, they were to hide again in the pit. In time these fawns grew and became fine fat deer. When they were older, they said to each other, "Who knows, this man may have killed our parents, and maybe he will come back and kill us. They talked between themselves until they decided to go and get advice from their grandfather, Togoav (Rattlesnake). Now when Togoav heard their story, he said: "My children, you were very foolish in believing the words of Chuarruumpurunkunt; he is a great deceiver. When you are in trouble, do not listen to a stranger but go to your friends for advice." Then he led them up to the Markagunt Kaivwavi (Markagunt Plateau) and showed them the rich grasses which they could eat, and took them to the clear spring where they could drink, and led them to the aspen groves * Op. Cit., Powell, "Ute and Painte Legends." 90 |