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Show 44 III. HAASHCH'EEH DINE'E BIT was everywhere. Then Younger Brother decided he should leave the complaining women and strike out on his own again. After some days' travel, he returned to camp and found that someone had stolen his two wives. As he searched for them, he soon came across Spider, who told him that White Butterfly (K'alogiil'gai) had taken the girls. As he continued on, Younger Brother found Toad (Ch'al) hoeing his cornfield. Toad gave his hoe to Younger Brother, saying that he would need it in a fight that he would have with White Butterfly. "You must use my hoe instead of White Butterfly's magic axe," he told Younger Brother. "That magic axe returns to destroy its thrower." When Younger Brother approached the house of White Butterfly, he sent Whippoorwill ahead to cast White Butterfly into a deep sleep. Whippoorwill did so by showering White Butterfly with his scale-like feathers. When White Butterfly awoke, he was surprised to see Younger Brother standing in front of him. Though very angry, he pretended to be friendly. "Let us gamble together as friends," Butterfly offered. But whether it was spearing a hoop or throwing a ball through a hole, Younger Brother won every game. This only angered White Butterfly more, though he still pretended not to be angry. "You are so good at these games, and yet no one has ever beaten me in a race. Shall we run against each other?" Butterfly asked. For a long time the race was even, but then Younger Brother started moving out in front. Then Butterfly began to shoot arrows at Younger Brother's neck, hips, knees, and ankles. Warned by Spirit Wind, Younger Brother turned the arrows back against their sender. In this way, he dashed across the finish line, the winner. White Butterfly painfully hobbled across, crippled by his own arrows. "I am defeated and as good as dead," the Butterfly said. "You might as well finish me off with my own stone axe." But Toad had warned Younger Brother about this treachery. So Younger Brother said, "I will do it only if you close your eyes." When Butterfly had closed his eyes, Younger Brother picked up the hoe Toad had given him instead of Butterfly's axe. He brought the hoe down heavily, splitting White Butterfly's skull. With a loud fluttering sound, thousands of moths suddenly flew out of the skull. As the moths filled the heavens, Younger Brother saw his two wives reappear. They had been freed from their captivity by the death of White Butterfly. But Younger Brother remembered the |