_From Copyright Photograph 1904 by E.S. Curtis_
After his return from the home of the Sun, Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani and his mother,
Yolkai Estsan, went over to the pueblo of Taos, where in a lake lived a
monster Turtle which had destroyed many people by dragging them beneath
the water. Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani went into the village and asked for food, but
the people refused him, not knowing who he was. In the night he sent worms
into their corn, spoiling it all; and in the morning, when they discovered
it, they were filled with fear, and said:
"You must be some great man. In the west is a large lake, and in it a
being which has dragged many of our people into the water. Will you go and
kill it?"
"I will kill it," replied Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani, "but first you must give me as
much turquoise as I now have in my suit."
This they did, and Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani asked Chunnaai how he should kill this
creature. His father gave him four wheels--white, blue, yellow, and
all-colors. Then from the east he threw the white one into the middle of
the lake, and the water receded a little. From the south he threw the blue
wheel, from the west the yellow, from the north the wheel of all-colors,
and each time the water decreased a little more, until a ladder leading
downward was exposed. From the centre in four directions led rows of large
stones, upon which Turtle walked in going to his house. Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani
went out on one of these stone-trails and down the ladder. At the bottom
he found two mountain lions, which he quieted by giving them eagle
feathers. He went through a long passage and successively met two fierce
bears, two snakes, and two spotted wildcats, but each in turn was pacified
with eagle feathers. At the end of the passage was a door, which
Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani burst open, coming suddenly upon the great Turtle. The
monster tried in vain to seize and kill him, but Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani took out
his fire-stick, and said:
"Release the people you have here, or I will destroy you with my fire!"
"I have only one," said Turtle, "and you may take him."
When the one came out Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani asked him if there were any more
captives in the house, and the man said there were many more. So again he
threatened Turtle, and other prisoners were released; but these were not
all, and he compelled Turtle to free still more. On the fourth demand,
however, the monster refused to give up any more of his prisoners,
whereupon Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani killed him with his fire and smoke. Then going
through the rooms he released all the people he found. There were two
young Turtles, whom he told not to grow any larger, nor to kill people or
animals; and small Turtles yet inhabit the land.
Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani heard that to the east of the mountains of the Haisndayin
lived Tzes, the enormous Elk, in the midst of a great high plain, which no
one could approach unseen. So he journeyed thither, thinking to ascend the
eastern side; but Elk saw him, and he went no closer. Then he tried from
the south, the west, and the north, but always Elk saw him. At the
northern side of the plain Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani heard someone ask, "What are you
doing here?"
It was Mainelin, the Gopher; and when he learned what Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani
wished to do, he promised his help. So he burrowed into the ground and
came up under the spot where Elk was lying, and just behind the shoulder
gnawed away the thick hair that protected the monster's heart. Elk felt
the gnawing, and cried out, "Who is doing that?"