Post by Okwes on Apr 14, 2008 12:26:02 GMT -5
Ginini (Halfwit) - Cochiti
Ginini lived with his grandmother who was very old. She said to him, "Go for
wood." "All right." "Get gray wood (i. e., seasoned). It is far away. If it
gets dark, lie down wherever you are when it is too dark to travel." "All
right." On the way up to the mountains he remembered what his grandmother
said, to get "gray wood." He found the old bones of a dead horse and he
brought back a load to his grandmother. When he was nearing the house the
sun set. He was two steps up the ladder. He remembered that she had said,
"When it gets dark lie down," so he lay down and slept on the second rung.
Early in the morning she went to the fireplace to start the fire. She
gathered up a few ashes to throw out. She climbed up to the roof and then
down. She stepped on something. She turned and looked. She cried, "Goodness!
What is this? My grandchild, why are you sitting here? Did you stay here all
night?" "Yes; you told me wherever I was when the sun set, lie down." "Only
if the sun went down when you were far away. You don't understand what I
say. You are always doing things like this." "I did what you said, and I'm
always doing what you tell me."
Again that night the grandmother said to him, "Are you willing to go to Sia?
They will have a give-away dance, at Sia." "Yes." The boy started to go to
Sia. His grandmother gave him a bit of skin to carry whatever he caught (at
the dance). As he was going he thought, "Where is Sia?" He went wondering.
He came to an ant hill.[2] He watched the ants working. He said to himself,
"I guess this is what Grandmother meant; this is Sia Pueblo." So he spread
out the skin and took what the ants brought him and put it in his skin. The
ants bit him. He said, "At Sia they do nothing but bite me." Toward evening
he had gathered all the presents and he took up the skin and started toward
home. When he arrived he told his grandmother how he had passed the day. "At
Sia they were angry at me, and bit me all over my hands." He showed her what
he had brought. She began to scold him and said, "You always do foolish
things. I told you to go to Sia, not to an ant hill." "I took the ant hill
for Sia."
Again the grandmother told the boy, "It is the season for gathering locusts.
Up in the piñon trees you will find the biggest and fattest." The boy
started after locusts. He came to the hills where the piñon trees grow. He
thought to himself, "What is it grandmother means that I should gather?" He
looked and looked. He saw somebody sitting in a tree. It was a Jemez Indian
gathering pitch. Ginini' went and got a piece of wood and said, "You're a
good locust." He struck the Indian and he fell to the ground. "My, what a
meal grandmother will have!" he exclaimed. The Jemez Indian moaned,
"Ai-ai-aili-i," and died. "What do you mean by, 'ai-ai-aili-i'? You are a
good Indian locust." The boy was glad that he had killed a good locust and
started home carrying the man on his back. When he got home he called to his
grandmother, "Here come your locusts." "Yes; I hope that you have had good
luck." He let the body fall into the house. Down went his locusts. She
cried, "My grandchild, what have you done now!" "You told me that I would
find the locusts on the piñon trees. I found him on the tree and hit him
with a club and killed him." "Take the man right back!" The next day the boy
took his big locust on his shoulder and went back and put him where he had
found him.
Again his grandmother told him, "Go to the fields. I did not finish the
hoeing (i. e., 'throwing up'), I will stay home and do the grinding." "I
will go finish it." The grandmother explained everything so that he wouldn't
get into mischief. There was very little hoeing left to be done. "Throw up
the rest," she told him. The boy went out to the field. He didn't know what
to throw up. He looked and looked. "But Grandmother wants me to throw up,"
he thought. He found a snake. "I guess this is what Grandmother wants me to
throw up," he said. He caught it and all day he threw up the snake and
caught him again. In the evening the boy came home and said to his
grandmother, "I did what you said. I have thrown it up." "I am happy. I will
go down and see it." So the next morning his grandmother went down to her
little field and found that it had not been hoed. She thought, "What was my
grandson. doing all day yesterday? He must have done some mischief. He never
does what I tell him." She found the snake and thought, "I guess this is
what he must have been throwing." The snake was all bruised. In the field
she could trace where he had been jumping and running all over it. That is
the way she discovered what he had thrown up. She told him that he had done
mischief again. He said, "I looked and looked to find what to throw up and I
found a snake. It didn't die right away. That's why I trampled all over the
field throwing it up." "It was the earth that I wanted you to throw up by
hoeing." She felt pity for the snake because he had killed it.
VARIANT
The people were living on the mesa. Two men were together, one was blind and
the other lame. The blind man carried the lame man on his back when they
went hunting, and the lame man guided him. They came to a place where there
were lots of birds. The blind man put the lame man down and he gave him a
hair. He put one end in his mouth and made, bird calls (with the hair). The
birds came and he called, "Kill them, kill them!" The lame man killed lots
and took them home for dinner. He made a fire and cooked the birds. They
burst with a great noise. They were frightened. They both jumped.
The blind man could see and the lame man could walk.
The lame man said, "Don't go near the fire again or you will be blind." And
the blind man said, "Don't go near the fire or you will be lame."
They were both well. The birds all flew away.
Again they went to hunt locusts. They came to a place where there were lots
of piñons. They looked up and saw a man in the tree. He was an Indian from
Jemez. The blind man called, "See the big locust.[3] Let's catch him to
eat." They struck at him and killed him. He cried out, "Ai li li yi!" "Don't
say 'ai li li yi.' We are going to eat you up, you are a locust." They took
him home and ate him. That is why locusts always say "ai li li yi."
The next day they were going hunting. They killed nothing. One of them said,
"To-morrow there is to be a feast in Sia. I'll go and get some bread at the
give away." He started out. He found an ant hill, and he saw that the ants
were all carrying something. He sat and watched them, and he thought it was
bread. He took it away and came home bringing the "bread." He was all bitten
by the, ants. "You didn't bring anything home. You have been gone all day
and have brought nothing back."
In the morning the brother said, "Go to the, field and 'throw up' (hoe)." He
went to the field and found a snake. He thought, "This is what my brother
must have meant me to throw." He picked up the snake and threw it up in the
air. The snake jumped at him and tried to bite him. He didn't hoe at all. He
went home in the evening and his brother asked, "Have you finished the
hoeing?" "You told me to 'throw up.' I found a snake and threw it up.
Finally I had to kill him. It was too hard to throw him around all day."
"You didn't do what I told you to do."
The next day his brother sent him for wood. "Bring in nice white (i. e.,
dry) sticks. If the sun sets before you get back, stay where you are." He
went out and found some old bones. He got lots and made a bundle of them and
brought it in. He got to the rungs of his ladder just as the sun set, and he
lay down and slept. His brother got up early. He came down the ladder and
stepped on him. He was scared. He scolded him hard. "You told me to stay
where I was when the sun set." He brought in the bones. His brother said,
"These are not what I sent you for." "You told me to bring in nice white
ones."
Next day his brother told him to go to the old ruins (Washushrotra--beamed
houses) to see if there was any smoke coming out. His brother said, "Hunt
around there." He went. He found an old woman firing pots. He went up and
killed her and brought her home. His brother scolded him.
Footnotes:
[2] A pun. ts'ia, the pueblo; si'a, ant.
[3] "In the spring locusts are black"; i. e., there is a suggested
resemblance.
Tales of the Cochiti Indians, by Ruth Benedict; U.S. Bureau of American
Ethnology, Bulletin no. 98; US Government Printing Office; [1931] and is now
in the public domain
Ginini lived with his grandmother who was very old. She said to him, "Go for
wood." "All right." "Get gray wood (i. e., seasoned). It is far away. If it
gets dark, lie down wherever you are when it is too dark to travel." "All
right." On the way up to the mountains he remembered what his grandmother
said, to get "gray wood." He found the old bones of a dead horse and he
brought back a load to his grandmother. When he was nearing the house the
sun set. He was two steps up the ladder. He remembered that she had said,
"When it gets dark lie down," so he lay down and slept on the second rung.
Early in the morning she went to the fireplace to start the fire. She
gathered up a few ashes to throw out. She climbed up to the roof and then
down. She stepped on something. She turned and looked. She cried, "Goodness!
What is this? My grandchild, why are you sitting here? Did you stay here all
night?" "Yes; you told me wherever I was when the sun set, lie down." "Only
if the sun went down when you were far away. You don't understand what I
say. You are always doing things like this." "I did what you said, and I'm
always doing what you tell me."
Again that night the grandmother said to him, "Are you willing to go to Sia?
They will have a give-away dance, at Sia." "Yes." The boy started to go to
Sia. His grandmother gave him a bit of skin to carry whatever he caught (at
the dance). As he was going he thought, "Where is Sia?" He went wondering.
He came to an ant hill.[2] He watched the ants working. He said to himself,
"I guess this is what Grandmother meant; this is Sia Pueblo." So he spread
out the skin and took what the ants brought him and put it in his skin. The
ants bit him. He said, "At Sia they do nothing but bite me." Toward evening
he had gathered all the presents and he took up the skin and started toward
home. When he arrived he told his grandmother how he had passed the day. "At
Sia they were angry at me, and bit me all over my hands." He showed her what
he had brought. She began to scold him and said, "You always do foolish
things. I told you to go to Sia, not to an ant hill." "I took the ant hill
for Sia."
Again the grandmother told the boy, "It is the season for gathering locusts.
Up in the piñon trees you will find the biggest and fattest." The boy
started after locusts. He came to the hills where the piñon trees grow. He
thought to himself, "What is it grandmother means that I should gather?" He
looked and looked. He saw somebody sitting in a tree. It was a Jemez Indian
gathering pitch. Ginini' went and got a piece of wood and said, "You're a
good locust." He struck the Indian and he fell to the ground. "My, what a
meal grandmother will have!" he exclaimed. The Jemez Indian moaned,
"Ai-ai-aili-i," and died. "What do you mean by, 'ai-ai-aili-i'? You are a
good Indian locust." The boy was glad that he had killed a good locust and
started home carrying the man on his back. When he got home he called to his
grandmother, "Here come your locusts." "Yes; I hope that you have had good
luck." He let the body fall into the house. Down went his locusts. She
cried, "My grandchild, what have you done now!" "You told me that I would
find the locusts on the piñon trees. I found him on the tree and hit him
with a club and killed him." "Take the man right back!" The next day the boy
took his big locust on his shoulder and went back and put him where he had
found him.
Again his grandmother told him, "Go to the fields. I did not finish the
hoeing (i. e., 'throwing up'), I will stay home and do the grinding." "I
will go finish it." The grandmother explained everything so that he wouldn't
get into mischief. There was very little hoeing left to be done. "Throw up
the rest," she told him. The boy went out to the field. He didn't know what
to throw up. He looked and looked. "But Grandmother wants me to throw up,"
he thought. He found a snake. "I guess this is what Grandmother wants me to
throw up," he said. He caught it and all day he threw up the snake and
caught him again. In the evening the boy came home and said to his
grandmother, "I did what you said. I have thrown it up." "I am happy. I will
go down and see it." So the next morning his grandmother went down to her
little field and found that it had not been hoed. She thought, "What was my
grandson. doing all day yesterday? He must have done some mischief. He never
does what I tell him." She found the snake and thought, "I guess this is
what he must have been throwing." The snake was all bruised. In the field
she could trace where he had been jumping and running all over it. That is
the way she discovered what he had thrown up. She told him that he had done
mischief again. He said, "I looked and looked to find what to throw up and I
found a snake. It didn't die right away. That's why I trampled all over the
field throwing it up." "It was the earth that I wanted you to throw up by
hoeing." She felt pity for the snake because he had killed it.
VARIANT
The people were living on the mesa. Two men were together, one was blind and
the other lame. The blind man carried the lame man on his back when they
went hunting, and the lame man guided him. They came to a place where there
were lots of birds. The blind man put the lame man down and he gave him a
hair. He put one end in his mouth and made, bird calls (with the hair). The
birds came and he called, "Kill them, kill them!" The lame man killed lots
and took them home for dinner. He made a fire and cooked the birds. They
burst with a great noise. They were frightened. They both jumped.
The blind man could see and the lame man could walk.
The lame man said, "Don't go near the fire again or you will be blind." And
the blind man said, "Don't go near the fire or you will be lame."
They were both well. The birds all flew away.
Again they went to hunt locusts. They came to a place where there were lots
of piñons. They looked up and saw a man in the tree. He was an Indian from
Jemez. The blind man called, "See the big locust.[3] Let's catch him to
eat." They struck at him and killed him. He cried out, "Ai li li yi!" "Don't
say 'ai li li yi.' We are going to eat you up, you are a locust." They took
him home and ate him. That is why locusts always say "ai li li yi."
The next day they were going hunting. They killed nothing. One of them said,
"To-morrow there is to be a feast in Sia. I'll go and get some bread at the
give away." He started out. He found an ant hill, and he saw that the ants
were all carrying something. He sat and watched them, and he thought it was
bread. He took it away and came home bringing the "bread." He was all bitten
by the, ants. "You didn't bring anything home. You have been gone all day
and have brought nothing back."
In the morning the brother said, "Go to the, field and 'throw up' (hoe)." He
went to the field and found a snake. He thought, "This is what my brother
must have meant me to throw." He picked up the snake and threw it up in the
air. The snake jumped at him and tried to bite him. He didn't hoe at all. He
went home in the evening and his brother asked, "Have you finished the
hoeing?" "You told me to 'throw up.' I found a snake and threw it up.
Finally I had to kill him. It was too hard to throw him around all day."
"You didn't do what I told you to do."
The next day his brother sent him for wood. "Bring in nice white (i. e.,
dry) sticks. If the sun sets before you get back, stay where you are." He
went out and found some old bones. He got lots and made a bundle of them and
brought it in. He got to the rungs of his ladder just as the sun set, and he
lay down and slept. His brother got up early. He came down the ladder and
stepped on him. He was scared. He scolded him hard. "You told me to stay
where I was when the sun set." He brought in the bones. His brother said,
"These are not what I sent you for." "You told me to bring in nice white
ones."
Next day his brother told him to go to the old ruins (Washushrotra--beamed
houses) to see if there was any smoke coming out. His brother said, "Hunt
around there." He went. He found an old woman firing pots. He went up and
killed her and brought her home. His brother scolded him.
Footnotes:
[2] A pun. ts'ia, the pueblo; si'a, ant.
[3] "In the spring locusts are black"; i. e., there is a suggested
resemblance.
Tales of the Cochiti Indians, by Ruth Benedict; U.S. Bureau of American
Ethnology, Bulletin no. 98; US Government Printing Office; [1931] and is now
in the public domain