Upon reaching the opposite shore, they were again
restored to their natural forms, excepting their hands, which were
duck-webbed. These webs were cut with [=A]h-ai-[=u]-ta's stone knife
and thus restored to perfect hands.
The mothers whose children fell into the waters were grieved and
refused to be comforted. The Priest Doctor was also grieved, and
said, "Alas, where have the little ones gone?" [=A]h-ai-[=u]-ta and
M[=a]-[=a]-s[=e]-we replied, "We will go and learn something of them,"
and upon descending into the lake they found the beautiful kiva, in
which the children were assembled; but again they had been changed;
they were no longer reptiles, but were of a similar type to the
K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi and K[=o]-m[=o]-k[)e]t-si, and since that
time they have been worshiped as ancestral gods, bearing the name
of K[=o]k-k[=o]; but the little war gods knew them, and addressed
them as "My children," and they replied, "Sit down and tell us of
our mothers." When they told them that their mothers refused to be
comforted at their loss, they said, "Tell our mothers we are not dead,
but live and sing in this beautiful place, which is the home for them
when they sleep. They will wake here and be always happy. And we are
here to intercede with the Sun, our father, that he may give to our
people rain, and the fruits of the earth, and all that is good for
them." The [=A]h-shi-wi then journeyed on, led by [=A]h-ai-[=u]-ta
and M[=a]-[=a]-s[=e]-we, to the present site of Zuni.
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