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Show 258 J MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [ ETH. ANN. 19 wondered and watched until the light disappeared on the other side. The next night, and the next, they saw the lights again moving along the ridge, and after talking over the matter decided to go on the morrow and try to learn the cause. In the morning they started out and went until they came to the ridge, where, after searching some time, they found two strange creatures about so large ( making a circle with outstretched arms), with round bodies covered with fine fur or downy feathers, from which small heads stuck out like the heads of terrapins. As the breeze played upon these feathers showers of sparks flew out. The hunters carried the strange creatures back to the camp, intending to take them home to the settlements on their return. They kept them several days and noticed that every night they would grow bright and shine like great stars, although bj- day they weVe only balls of gray fur, except when the wind stirred and made the sparks fly out. They kept very quiet, and no one thought of their trying to escape, when, on the seventh night, they suddenly rose from the ground like balls of fire and were soon above the tops of the trees. Higher and higher they went, while the wondering hunters watched, until at last they were only two bright points of light in the dark sky, and then the hunters knew that they were stars. 10. ORIGIN OF THE PLEIADES AND THE PINE Long ago, when the world was new, there were seven boys who used to spend all their time down by the townhouse playing the gatayfi'stl game, rolling a stone wheel along the ground and sliding a curved stick after it to strike i t Their mothers scolded, but it did no good, so one day they collected some gatayfi'stl stones and boiled them in the pot with the corn for dinner. When the boys came home hungry their mothers dipped out the stones and said, " Since you like the gatayfi'sti better than the cornfield, take the stones now for your dinner." The boys were very angry, and went down to the townhouse, saying, " As our mothers treat us this way, let us go where we shall never trouble them any more." They began a dance- some say it was the Feather dance- and went round and round the townhouse, praying to the spirits to help them. At last their mothers were afraid something was wrong and went out to look for them. They saw the boys still dancing around the townhouse, and as they watched they noticed that their feet were off the earth, and that with every round they rose higher and higher in the air. They ran to get their children, but it was too late, for they were already above the roof of the townhouse- all but one, whose mother managed to pull him down with the gatayfi'sti pole, but he struck the ground with such force that he sank into it and the earth closed over him. The other six circled higher and higher until they went up to the |