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Show ON THE TRAIL OF BEAUTY 23 stretched to the horizons on each side of her. There seemed to be no way around this big black thing. Just as she was thinking that she would run over its back, it rose up to block her path. When she tried to go around the front of it, it knocked her down. "Why are you doing this?" a voice said to her. "Don't you know that this is Endless Giant Snake, the slave of Big Bear Man. He will try to wrap himself around you and kill you. Go back, go back!" She quickly turned back the way she had come. By this time, her wanderings had made her thin from hunger. Her clothes were torn to rags. Then she heard the voice of Chipmunk telling her that she should enter a nearby cave. With the help of Talking God, she passed by the doorguards safely. These were stones of black, blue, yellow, and white fire that hissed at her as she passed. Inside she met the First World People, who pitied her for her sorry condition. They bathed her carefully and dressed her in beautiful clothes. She stayed as one of them for some time. Later she gave birth to a baby girl whose face was human, but whose body was covered with bear fur. From these people she learned the first Mountain Way ceremony, but she soon longed to have more of the mountain medicine for her people. With Talking God, she set out to visit the people of the mountains. She went to the homes of Mountain Woman, sometimes called Thin Woman or Hunger Woman, and Rock Man. She also visited the homes of Water Monster, Bird Chief, the Holy Young Men and the Holy Young Women, and Changing Bear Woman, who had married Coyote. She met the Porcupine, Bear, Bluebird, Deer, Mountain Sheep, Squirrel, Beaver, and Antelope People. Each gave her their prayersticks and songs. In the end, she knew all the medicine of the mountains. Then she decided to return to the home of her Bear husband. On the way back, Meal Sprinkler warned her not to go near White Thunder's home. When she did stray near it, she was attacked by Lightning and badly hurt. The Lightning caused her ankles and joints to swell and made it difficult for her to walk. When she stopped to drink at a spring, the water only increased the pain. When she reached her home, she was hurt so badly that her Bear husband decided he should sing over her. But others said, "No! It is not right for a husband to sing over his wife." Instead they sent for Talking God. Talking God took one look at Elder Sister and saw the cause of her pain. "Lightning has attacked you," |