49. ROOTS a
A boy was walking along in front of the houses of a very populous village early one morning when a quill fell right in front of him. The boy picked it up and started to run away, but it lifted him up into the air out of sight. After that several other people were missed, and no one knew what had become of them. Finally, however, they saw another going up very rapidly, and so discovered what was the matter. Now, the people watched very closely, and, when another was seen to be taken up, a man seized him by the legs. He, however, was also lifted into the air. Then another grasped him, and all of the people of the village kept on doing this, thinking to break the
The people did not come that day, however, and Roots was uneasy, feeling that he had been very foolish to give the quill back before his friends had returned. Next morning early, however, he heard a great noise as of people moving about, and he jumped out of bed to look. The houses throughout the village were filled with their former occupants, who had come back during the night. All were very glad to get back after their long absence, for where they had been they seemed to have suffered. All complained of the mean master that they had had, but they could not tell whether they had been made slaves or not. All were very good to Roots for having restored them.
Afterward Roots, the full form of whose name is Root-ends (XAt cugû'Lk!î), was known everywhere, and all of the strong people would go to his village to test him. Among them went a strong rock, called Itc!, who felt that he was very powerful. When they began to
Footnotes
192:a See story 13.