Constance Goddard Du Bois - A Myth Of The Diegueños - The Story of the Chaup (Continued) lyrics

THE STORY OF THE CHAUP (CONTINUED). The mother of the boys told them that she was just like a man, since she knew everything. She had been all around the world and knew everything in it. And she commanded them to bring her a certain tree, telling them where it grew, as she needed it for something she was going to do. Next morning the brothers went as their mother had told them, and found the tree growing right in the middle of a pond; but the water about it was so deep and there were so many animals around the pond, that they were afraid to go into the water to cut it down. Song: Ha-me-wá-me-e, Hai-wa-ha-ha, etc. Then the oldest son, who had a pipe stuck in his ears, took the pipe and smoked it, and blew the water back and frightened all the animals away, and dried up the water, so that they easily went and cut down the tree, chopped it up fine, and carried it home on their heads. When they brought it to their mother she was very glad, and she chopped the wood up fine, and took the pieces and put them out in the sun to dry. And the pieces of wood as she touched them made sweet music. Song: Kwa-la-há-le, etc. Then the old woman decorated the pieces with the colored feathers of woodpeckers and the topknots of quails, and made them into flutes for her sons to play on. Song: We-le-wha-cha-a-cha-a-cha. So the brothers sat down facing the north, and played on the flutes such sweet music that the girls from the north came to them, attracted by the sound; but the boys did not like the girls from the north. Song: We-le-wha-cha-a-tal, etc. So they sat down facing the south, and played the same music so loud and so sweet that the girls from the south came to hear it, but they did not like them either, because they ate rats, snakes, and such animals as that, and their bodies did not smell good. Song: Há-ma-kó-lu Ha-ma-we-le, etc. (Singer and Indian audience clapped hands in time.) So they sat down toward the west, and played the beautiful music again, until the girls from the west came to them, but they did not like them, because they ate all the animals that live in the ocean. Song: Há-ka-só-lu Ha-ma-we Ha-ma-ko-lu Ha-ma-we-we-le-we Ha-ma-cha. But when they played the sweet music facing the east, some girls came from there, the daughters of Ith-chin, the buzzard, and they liked them because they lived on the fruit that grows in the east and they smelled sweet. It was early in the morning when the girls first heard the music. They were on their way to a pond where they used to swim every morning, and were looking for something they wanted to eat. It was the younger sister who first heard the music; and when she told her sister to listen to the wonderful sounds, the older could hear nothing. "Come stand where I am standing," said the younger, "and you will hear it plainly," but even then the older sister could not hear it. "I must go, I must follow the music," said the younger, but her sister reproved her. "If you mean to go to get married, this is no way to do to start empty-handed. A girl who is to be married takes presents to her mother-in-law and father-in law." Their father, the turkey buzzard, knew what they were planning, and when they went home he asked what they had been doing by the pond. The girls said they had been looking for the right kind of willow peel to weave into a dress. So they went away one day towards where the boys lived, and from far away they looked back and saw their old home and sang a song of farewell. Song: Kai-o-ñe Ma-ha-qui-po-ke, etc. And they travelled very far that day, until it grew so dark they could not see; so they sat down and took the pipes from their ears and smoked upon them and blew the night away. And it shone, there was light, and they found their way. Song: Ma-ta-yan-he-peel-ya Ma-ta-yan-ee-e-e-é-l-ya, etc. Meaning, it was only the night they were afraid of, only the dark night. And they went on through brush and thorns. Song: Ma-ta-yan Ta-li-cah Ta-me, etc. The brush and thorns are hurting us, they sang. Ta-ya-wa-ha E-ka-wa-ya-ka-me, etc. There was no road, and they pushed their way through the brush suffering and crying on their way. Song: Ha-ta-mo Qua-ma-ya-whee, etc. They came at last to a growth of willows high above their heads, and the younger sister grew so tired that she lagged far behind. Song: Nau-ke-nau-me, etc. "Come quickly," said the older sister. "I am too tired," she sang. At last they came to a big sand mountain which they tried to climb, but every time they tried they slipped and fell back to the bottom again. Song: Sa-llá-lle-a-llá-lle Há-ke-pá-me, etc. Meaning, they tried in vain to climb the mountain. "What is the matter with you?" the younger sister asked the older. "You say you are a witch, and yet you cannot contrive some way for us to climb the mountain." So the older sister stood and stretched up her hands and brought something from the sky like a fur mantle or hide and covered the mountain with it, so they climbed it easily and sat down on the top to rest. In the distance they saw a pond of water, so they said they would rest a while and then go drink the water, and from there start on to the boys' home, which was not far away. Half way to the pond they met a rattlesnake, whose back was very prettily painted. And they stood and watched him until he looked up and saw them. "How did you happen to come over here, my nieces?" he asked. "We heard some sweet music and came to follow it," they said. "I am the one who played that music," said the snake. "Then play it again," they told him; and the rattlesnake tried his best to make music, but all he could do was to rattle his rattles. Song: Ha-we-chu-me Ha-ha-we-e-e-e, etc. "You are too good a man to lie like that," they sang. "The best thing you can do is to keep quiet, or else you are likely to get hurt." (Indian auditors laugh.) So they made mocking gestures and went on their way. And they came to a house where the coon lived. "What are you doing here?" said the coon; and the girls told him they were looking for the man who made the sweetest music they ever heard. "I made the music," said the coon. "Then make it again," they said; but all he could do was to run into his house and bring out a big gopher snake, which he promised to cook for supper if they would stay and eat it. "We do not eat such things," they said, and they left him railing at them, and went on till they came to the horned owl's house, and he asked the same question, and at their answer told them that he was the one who made the music; but when they asked him to play it for them he could not do it, but promised them a snake for their supper if they would stay and share his meal. They laughed at him and went on their way. Song: Ho-sá-lu-la-ta-kwa, etc. At last they came to the water which they had seen in the distance, and in the water was a tremendous frog that frightened them so they were afraid to drink; but they took the little baskets they wore on their heads and drove the frog away and drank the water. Song: Mau-ha-ta-kum-ho-o-o-ma, etc. They sang about the frog splashing in the water. E-han-a-ta-ka-han-a, etc. They sang to drive the frog away. It was getting dark, and one of the plants they pa**ed was making a curious noise. They stood and watched it and sang a song about it. Song: Ha-mai-ko-te-e-hay-cha, etc. The mother of the boys knew that the girls were coming, and she told her sons that when the girls came they must not allow themselves to care for them, or make any motion to greet them. If they were perfectly cold and silent to them, the girls would go away again to their home where they belonged. That night the owls and coyotes howled and hooted around the house where the boys lived, and the mother said that something must be going to happen. It was an evil omen, for she never heard the owls and coyotes make such a noise before. She told the older son to go out towards the south and see what was going to happen; but he came back declaring that there was nothing to be seen. But the coyotes and owls howled and hooted the more because the girls were coming, and the mother told her younger son to go out towards the north and see what was the matter. He took his bows and arrows and went out of the house; but when he came back he said there was nothing anywhere about. Just as he entered the house the girls came, and the mother was lying by the door inside the house. So the girls came and sat down in silence in front of the door where the mother could see them. "Who are you?" asked the mother. "Are you my nieces--my sisters--my aunts--or any of my relations?" To each of these questions the girls made no reply. "Are you my daughters-in-law?" she asked at last; and to this question the girls replied very softly, "Yes." "Then there are your husbands sleeping in the house. Go to them if you choose." So the older and the younger sister went each to the bed of her husband and lay down beside him; but the elder son remembered his mother's command, and would not greet his wife; and when vexed at his silence she sent fleas and bugs to bite him, he would not move or stir. Song (sung by the mother-in-law). Song (sung by the sisters). And in the morning the brothers rose very early and went out to saddle their horses, and the girls went out and sat outside. The mother-in-law told them that they could go to the pond to bathe, While they sat there the older sister said to the younger, "You are now a relative of the old woman since your husband loves you, but I am not, and I shall go back to my home." "I shall be too lonely to stay without you," said her sister. "If you go I shall go with you." So they went to the pond, bathed their faces and went home. The younger son was sick with grief for the loss of his wife. The older brother would go hunting and bring something home to his mother to eat, but she would give nothing to the younger son. "I told you not to care for the girl or to speak to her," she said. "Now you are pining away for her, and may die of your disobedience." He pined and fasted for many days, until he was too weak to hunt anything but lizards and little animals on the hills, though he would tell his elder brother stories of the deer he pretended to have k**ed. At last his mother took pity on him when he was wasted nearly to d**h, and she threw him in the pond, and he grew well and fat again. The younger brother used to beg the older to go away with him to seek their wives. His wife, he said, was going to have a baby, and lie must go to her; but the older brother, who cared nothing for his wife, would not at first agree to undertake the journey. At last he yielded to his brother's wishes, and told his mother that he was going on a long journey. He took off a feather headdress that he wore and hung it up in the house. "Watch this every day that I am away," he said. "While I am living the feathers will remain as they are, but when I die they will move back and forth." The younger son said farewell in the same way, and took a feather rope which he had made and stretched it across the house. "Watch this carefully," he said, "for while I live it will remain as it is, but when I die it will be cut in two." And he promised that some day lie would come back to her again. Song: Hay-a-ka-whin-ya, etc. But the mother was sick with grief for the loss of her sons; she refused to let them go; and holding up her hands to the sky she brought down hailstones for them and told them to stay at home with her and play with the hailstones as they did when they were little. But already they were far away; and they looked back and said to her that when they were young she never brought hailstones down for them. Now they were old and must go away. They went on till they came to a large grove of trees, and here they made stuffed figures of gra** and put feathers around the head and waist of each, and stood them up and left them there. The old woman was in her bed, but looking out of the door she thought she saw her sons, and she ran to meet them and put her arms around them; but it was, only withered gra** that she held in her arms. She fainted and fell to the ground. She did not know what to do. Song: Ho-cha-ma-ta-we-wha, etc. The boys went on looking for the track of the girls. They could only see a faint trace of their footsteps. The night came and they found a place to rest. The owls and coyotes howled very much. There was no road through the brush. Song: Kwa-o-o-yo-o, etc. All night the younger brother slept soundly, but the older could not sleep. He sat up and tied bunches of feathers on sticks which he stuck in a circle on the ground; and he sat down in the middle singing about the owls and coyotes that were hooting and howling around. Song: Har-o-twa-me, etc. At last he woke his brother and told him that he was afraid that something was going to happen, for the owls and the coyotes made such a noise. "Why are you afraid?" asked his brother. "When the coyotes howl and the owls hoot it is a sign that they are beginning to get ready for the summer-time. There is no need to be afraid." In the morning they travelled towards the girls' house, and they came to the same pool of water where the frog used to be. The older brother had gotten up first in the morning, and he said to the younger, "Make haste, it is getting late." So the older came first to the pond, and drank there and waited for his brother. Then the younger came to the water. "Take a drink of the water," said the older. "No," answered his brother, "that is not a good place to drink. They used to k** people here." "Lie flat on your stomach, and shut your eyes while you drink," said the older. He meant to drown his brother while his eyes were shut by pushing him into the water, and then go back to his home again. Song: Whi-le-wi-ya-han Whi-le-wi-ya-han, etc. The younger brother lay down to drink, but he did not shut his eyes. He was looking in the water, and just as he was getting ready to drink he saw in the water the reflection of his brother, who bent over to push him in; and jumping up quickly asked if he was meaning to drown him. "I was only k**ing a fly upon your neck," said his brother. "I know well enough you want to k** me," said the younger, and he got up without drinking the water. From there they travelled till they came to the top of a high mountain, and the elder came first to the top and sat down, and then the younger came, and they watched the people in the valley where a large crowd was playing a game of ball. "Look at all those people," said the older. "How are we going to be able to get to the place in safety?" So the younger stood up and held up to his hands to the sky, and got a lot of stars and put them all over his body. And his brother did the same, and they sat down and were watching the people. They were shining like stars. Song: Ha-mai-nau-e-chak-om-whi-i-i, etc. They rose as if they had wings, and flew over to where they wanted to go. Song: Ha-che-nau-e-cha-kom-whi-i-i, etc. I am going to fly to the girls' house," said the younger. "Watch me very closely and you will see where I go in among the crowds of people." "We will die for the sake of the girls," said the older. "And we shall never see our home again." The older watched his brother and saw him fly towards the houses in the midst of all the people. Among all the houses he did not know where to go; but he came to one of the houses where there was a crowd of people about it, and the roof opened and lie went in shining like a star. As he flew over their heads the people looked up and saw the Chaup. They wanted to catch him, but they could not. The father of the girls was there, and he told the people not to catch him, as that was not a star but a person. When the roof opened he went into the house, and here he found his wife. Song: Ha-che-nau-e-cha-kom-whi-i-i, etc. The older brother, left alone on the mountain, flew after his brother shining like Chaup. People tried to catch him in the same way, but the girls' father warned them again, and he too went into the house, where he found his wife. The girls were glad to see their husbands, and laughed so loud that their father heard them from outside and said: "I wonder what is the matter with my daughters. They never make a noise like that. Go and see what is the matter with them," he said to his .grandson; and he gave him a shell full of wheat to eat on the way. The little boy went along eating and playing till he finished all the wheat, and then he came back without any news. So the old man gave him a shell full of corn, and the little boy went along eating the corn till he came to the house, and peeped inside and saw the brothers there with eyes shining like fire; and he was afraid of them, they shone so bright and clear. So he ran back as fast as he could. "What is the matter?" asked the grandfather. "There is something like stars in the house. They have eyes of fire, and I was afraid." When the old man heard this he wanted to k** the Chaups; so he went to the house of the coyote and asked him if he was willing to k** them for him. The coyote took up his bow and arrow and went to the house; but when he saw the brothers they were shining so bright he could not go near them. So he went back and told the old man that nothing could hurt them. They were great wizards with eyes of fire that made him afraid. So the old man could not find any one to k** them until he went to a place where there were a great many hawks, and he asked if they were willing to k** the Chaups. They agreed and said that they would tear them in pieces with their beaks. Song: Mi-kan-ám-a-ha, etc. So the hawks flew to the house where the Chaups were and tried to k** them; but they were afraid, and they met the old man on the way home and told him they could not do anything. So then he went to the bear's house, and asked him if he would k** them. He consented and said that he would scratch them and tear them in pieces with his claws. The bear went to the house and scratched around the door, but did not dare to touch the Chaups, and told the old man he'd better find some one else to do it for him. So the old man went home determined to do it himself, since no one else would dare to. So he dug a pa**age underground from his house towards the girls' house, and when he dug under the house it began to fall with a loud noise; and the brothers flew out among the people, who followed them saying they were Chaups and trying to k** them; but since they were witches no one could hurt them. So they all returned home and met the old man going out alone with his bow and arrow. "Where are you going?" they asked him. "You are too old to do anything by yourself." "I am going to look at them," he said; and he went on till he caught up with the Chaups. He was a wizard too; and as he came up to the younger brother he k**ed him first. Then the younger called out to the older to save himself; but when the older looked back and saw his brother dead, he said he might as well die too. He would be so lonely. So he sat down on the ground, and the old man came and k**ed him too. And he called out very loud to the people to come and see his dead enemies. "I think I hear some one calling," said the coyote; and when he saw the Chaups were dead he called to the people and said it was he who had k**ed them. And all the people left their houses and gathered together and told the two sisters to sing about the dead Chaups, Song: To-mé-to-mí, etc. and they sang that they had k**ed them under the trees. But the old man pushed them aside and sang by himself. Song: A-llan-a-hi, etc. He stood on the breast of the dead Chaups and sang that it was he who had k**ed them. Song: Ha-whai-cha-hi-i-i-i, etc. Then he told the people to cut them in pieces and eat them. And the people gathered together and cut them up and ate them. The wife of the dead Chaup knew that as soon as her baby was born, if it was a son the old man would k** it and eat its brains. He had a little olla ready to put the brains in; but when the child was born the mother pretended that it was a girl; and the old man was so angry that he took the olla and threw it at the mother and broke it on her head. The baby boy grew so fast that while the people were still eating his father's body he cried for a piece, which they would not give him. He did not know it was his father. His grandmother, the mother of his mother, told him that that was his father's body they were eating. When the boy grew older the old grandfather tried many ways to k** him, but could not because the boy was a witch. The grandfather once dug a big hole in the ground and filled it full of water and set up sharp stakes in it under the water and told the little boy that he had made it for him to swim and dive in. The boy knew that he wished to k** him, but he swam about in it and nothing hurt him. Another time the grandfather took a big rock and told the boy to play with it by throwing it up in the air, expecting that it would fall upon him and k** him; but the boy knew his purpose, and he threw the rock up in the air but got out of its way when it came down. His grandmother used to take the bones of his father and put feathers with them and put them upon her body and go out and dance by herself. The little boy used to see her dance, and one day the thought came to him that these were the bones of his father. He had an uncle who loved him very much, and he asked this uncle for a bow and arrow; and when his uncle gave it to him, he went to the place where his grandmother used to dance, and he asked his uncle to dig him a hole in the ground, as he wanted to play in it. The uncle did this to please him, and just as the sun was setting the boy went into the hole and hid there. The old woman came as usual to the place to sing and dance; and the little boy shot and k**ed her. When the people came running to the dead woman, he said it was he who had k**ed his grandmother. When they tried to seize him he went into the ground, and they could not find him. He came out again in another place, but they could not hurt him because he was a witch. One day he saw the bone of his father's heel made into a painted ball, and the people played with it for a shinny-ball. The boy knew it was his father's bone, and so he stood far away and whistled and sang, and the ball rolled to his feet and he took it up and threw it far out into the ocean. When he threw that ball away they brought out another ball of the same kind; and he knew it was his uncle's bone, that of the older Chaup, and he was very sorry. And he stood towards the east and the ball came rolling to his feet, and with his feet he threw it far away to the east. Then he was glad and sang and danced. Song: Cuy-a-ho-marr, etc. He sang that he was the Chaup because he was the son of Chaup. His mother called him by this name, Cuy-a-ho-marr. He used to sleep with his grandfather, and one time his grandfather told him that the chief must lead the people, and they must be willing to obey him. So he told him to get up on the housetop and proclaim that Cuy-a-ho-marr was to lead them, and command them to bring their bows; and if the people called out and accepted him he could live, but if they kept silent he must die. The boy agreed, and in the morning the new chief got upon the housetop, and all the people agreed to his words, so he knew he was to live and not die. One day all the people went to another place to play peon 1 with the people there, and they got beaten. The grandfather went, and the little boy went afterwards and told his grandfather that he was going to play the game, and he would beat all the people of the other pueblo. But his grandfather forbade him to play with the strangers, saying that he would be k**ed by them. But the boy played and won, and burned all their houses and fields. In the morning after he had beaten the game they all went home. As they were going along, the old man had a little basket full of wheat, but the little boy's basket was empty. He asked his grandfather for some of his wheat, but the grandfather would not give him any. The boy said he was going to grind. So he did, and ate. As they went on the way, the people who had k**ed his father were ahead with his grandfather. He was behind and got lost. His uncle was looking for his nephew, fearing that some one might have k**ed him. He was with them, but they could not see him. When they saw him his uncle called out to him, and they asked him to lead the way. So he went ahead and came first to a big rock. He made a path through the rock, and then climbed on top of it. The people went through the rock, and as they went in one by one the rock shut tip and k**ed all the people that had k**ed his father. He jumped down to see if any were left alive, but there was not one. Song: Po-co-bo-kim, etc. When the little boy came to his house he told all the people who had remained at home that those who were coming back were thirsty and wanted water. He told them to get water and go to meet them. And all the people, young and old, that were at home went with water to look for the others and all died on the way. He had k**ed every one from that place except his grandfather, his aunt, his uncle, and mother. These were the only ones left. And now he thinks of going to his old grandmother, the one left away off, the mother of his father. His mother and aunt used to make him sleep with them so they could watch him; but for three days he got up very early every morning; and, when they missed him, he said he was hunting. But his grandfather knew what he was planning to do. One day he went away and never came back. When the boy had gone his grandfather looked for him and went in all the houses of the others, and asked if they could not find him. The coyote hunted for him for four days, each day in a different direction, till at last he found tracks that went towards the east. He came home and told them that he had found tracks going to the east where the old grandmother lived; and they all went after him, following the tracks of the boy. At last they found marks upon the ground which showed that he had been playing there, and then they knew that they were on the right road, Song: E-ña-me-wha, etc. Those that followed were singing this. His aunt, uncle, and mother started together, and his uncle caught up with him first, tired and worn out, and asked his nephew why he had run away from his home. He said he was going away and would never come back again, and he advised his uncle to go back to his house. Song: E-wan-i-chau-ah-wa, etc. Then his aunt caught up with him and asked him the same question, and he made her the same answer that he was never going back. Song: In-i-si-in-i-si Han-a-mak-a-ha, etc. Then he went on again towards the home of his grandmother. On the way he came to a big cañon where they had k**ed his father and uncle, and an owl went hooting before him. He tried to shoot it but could not hit it, and it kept on flying in front of him till it led him to the spot. Red ants, flies, and all sorts of insects were thick there. The ants had made paths where they went back and forth. Song: Ah-yó-na-ki-yó-na-ki, etc. He was standing there when his father's voice spoke to him, and told him that his bones were all broken in pieces and he could not do anything; so the boy sat down and tried to fit the bones into their places. He put all too-ether but the leg; and that he could not join so it would stand up. He could not do anything with it. Song: Na-wa-mi-he-cha-whai-o, etc. He was sorry and cried and went away. Song: Nau-wa-ri-nau-i-i, etc. After he left that place he came to a house where there were lots of lions. He stood at a distance and was thinking how he could get by. So he made himself into an old man, thinking that perhaps they would not k** him in that shape; but not being sure of that, he made himself into a young man, and then into a little boy; and he took fire and burned his head and made sores on his head, and went to the lions' house, where he found no one but a little boy of his own size. The little boy said nothing to him, but went and told the lions that his cousin had come to see him. He was still there when the lions came back. They brought rabbits and other kinds of game and began cooking them, but gave nothing to the little boy, who was picking up little bits of meat. There was a red-hot olla on the fire, and they put it on his head when he did not know it. He fainted and fell back. He was sick, and when he got up he asked the old man to doctor him. The old man said all the people must come together in one house and he would doctor him there. So all the people got together in one house. Song: Kwi-nau-wi, etc. After they doctored him he left the house, and there was a big stone before the house, and he shut the door with it and got on top of the house. The house fell and k**ed all the people. From there he came to a pond where there were lots of blackbirds by the water, and he was afraid of them; and as he came nearer he heard the birds say, "Who is that? k** him." When he heard them say that, he threw a big stick and hit them on the legs and k**ed some, and the others flew away. And he went on and came to a wide lake, and just as he came to the other side of it he turned back and saw his mother following him, and she was tired; and he took his bow and it spread out long, and he told her to walk on it across the lake. Just as she came near to him he took the bow away, and she fell into the water and was drowned. He had k**ed his mother. He went on till he came to a big water, and he saw a big crane standing in the water, and the crane took hold of him and swallowed him by the feet; and just as his head was going down he called to a buzzard for help; and the buzzard flew down and took hold of him and dragged him out. He came to a hill and stood on the hill and saw his grandmother, who was sitting there and looking towards him. He came to her, but she could not see him. She was blind. He sat on her lap, and she put her arms around him, and they both cried. When he came to the house it was full of heaps of dirt, and he cleaned it and burned the house down. "Where shall we go now?" asked his grand-mother. "I have no house." "Where do you want to go?" he asked. "I will take you wherever you choose." "I will go anywhere with you," she said. So he sat down and she climbed upon his back, and he flew with her far away to the north to the San Bernardino Mountains, and Chaup lives there now with his grandmother. Constance Goddard Du Bois. WATERBURY, CONN.