In the beginning there was water everywhere, and God was born in a
lotus-leaf and lived alone. One day he rubbed his arm and from the
rubbing made a crow, which sat on his shoulder; he also made a crab,
which swam out over the waters. God then ordered the crow to fly
over the world and bring some earth. The crow flew about and could
find no earth, but it saw the crab, which was supporting itself with
one leg resting on the bottom of the sea. The crow was very tired
and perched on the crab's back, which was soft so that the crow's
feet made marks on it, which are still visible on the bodies of all
crabs at present. The crow asked the crab where any earth could be
found. The crab said that if God would make its body hard it would
find some earth. God said he would make part of the crab's body hard,
and he made its back hard, as it still remains. The crab then dived
to the bottom of the sea, where it found Kenchna, the earth-worm. It
caught hold of Kenchna by the neck with its claws and the mark thus
made is still to be seen on the earth-worm's neck. Then the earth-worm
brought up earth out of its mouth and the crab brought this to God,
and God scattered it over the sea and patches of land appeared. God
then walked over the earth and a boil came on his hand, and out of
it Mahadeo and Parvati were born.