There were once two little boys living in the Valley of
Ah-wah´-nee, who went down to the river to swim. When they had
finished their bath they went on shore and lay down on a large
boulder to dry themselves in the sun. While lying there they fell
asleep, and slept so soundly that they never woke up again.
Through many moons and many snows they slept, and while they
slept the great rock [El Capitan] on which they lay was slowly
rising, little by little, until it soon lifted them up out of
sight, and their friends searched for them everywhere without
success. Thus they were carried up into the blue sky, until
they scraped their faces against the moon; and still they slept
on.
[Illustration: _Photograph by Fiske_.
NORTH DOME (TO-KO´-YA). 3,725 Feet.
This rock is believed by the Indians to represent Tis-sa´-ack's
husband, turned into stone for beating his wife. The lower dome
to the right is the basket which she threw at him. See "Legend of
Tis-sa´-ack."]
Then all the animals assembled to bring down the little boys from
the top of the great rock. Each animal sprang up the face of the
rock as far as he could. The mouse could only spring a hand's
breadth, the rat two hands' breadths, the raccoon a little more,
and so on. The grizzly bear made a great leap up the wall, but
fell back like all the others, without reaching the top. Finally
came the lion, who jumped up farther than any of the others, but
even he fell back and could not reach the top.
Then came the _tul-tok´-a-na,_ the insignificant measuring
worm, who was despised by all the other creatures, and began to
creep up the face of the rock. Step by step, little by little, he
measured his way up until he was soon above the lion's jump, and
still farther and farther, until presently he was out of sight;
and still he crawled up and up, day and night, through many
moons, and at length he reached the top, and took the little boys
and brought them safely down to the ground. And therefore the
rock was named for the measuring worm, and was called
Tu-tok-a-nu´-la.