OCR Text |
Show WITH THE HOLY PEOPLE 45 women's grumblings. He remembered the family he had let slip into Coyote's hands when he first went to the sky. Most of all he remembered his search for his brother. So he turned away and left the women. As he headed homeward, he looked back over his shoulder. The thousands of moths were returning to earth as drops of rain. Younger Brother found Elder Brother hunting deer on a ridge covered with bulging sagebrush. Though this was forbidden territory, the two continued to hunt. Finally Elder Brother killed a large buck; Younger Brother got a doe. After they had butchered the animals, they began to roast them over the coals. Younger Brother helped himself to the plentiful meat, but Elder Brother took up the big intestine of the deer and began to eat it. Younger Brother noticed that it seemed to be alive as it wiggled down his brother's throat. After the meal, they quickly fell asleep. But, during the night, Elder Brother awoke, groaning and writhing by the fire. By sunrise Elder Brother had been transformed into a Big Snake. Younger Brother returned home for help. Offerings were made to the Winds, especially to Dark Wind, and they came to the place where Elder Brother lay twisted in pain. Each of the Winds brought a hoop of its own color. As Elder Brother passed through each of the hoops, more and more of Big Snake's skin came off. At last Elder Brother was entirely free of it. Elder Brother, however, still had not learned to avoid forbidden territory. Walking through a sacred place, he heard a noise behind him and turned around just in time to see a whirlwind rush by him. It knocked him to the ground. Angered at this, the Elder Brother drew his bow and shot at the whirlwind. But, as the arrow passed through it, the dust disappeared and a human form fell to the ground. Elder Brother ran up to the form, who was really Whirlwind Boy, and pulled out his arrow. Then Elder Brother set off again, but he had not gone far when another, greater whirlwind attacked him. This wind twisted him into the ground up to his neck. When Elder Brother did not return, Younger Brother was sent out after him. When the youth found Elder Brother, only his face, painted white and yellow and covered with sparkling dust, remained above ground. Younger Brother made offerings to all the Winds, especially Dark Wind. The Winds came and pried Elder Brother out of the ground with their long flints. Then Elder Brother was placed on an unwounded buckskin. Talking God |