74. Skelã'una.
(Tcawaxamux.)
(cont.)He directed him to a hole in the ground which led to the underworld, and advised that his companions should let him down in a basket attached to the end of a rope. Here he would meet many monsters as he traveled along the trail, each one in a separate house. One was a black monster with hairy body, one had seven heads, one was a snake-like monster, and one had very large eye. There were four of the large-eyed monsters, the last one being exceedingly ferocious, and in his house he would find the four beautiful captive girls.
Skela'una was lowered down by his companions: and after traveling far and overcoming all the monsters in fierce combat, he released the women, and took them to the bottom of the shaft. Here he found that the basket was too small to contain them all: so, putting the women in it, he tugged at the rope as a signal to his companions, who proceeded to pull it up. The latter were surprised when they saw the women, and, thinking Skela'una would claim them all, they proposed to kill him. They lowered the basket down again ; but Skela'una knew their thoughts, placed a large stone in it, and tugged on the rope. When the basket was near the top, they cut the rope. The basket and stone fell, plunging out of sight in the earth beneath.
Skela'una had no means of getting up, and wandered about in a depressed mood. After a while he reached a lake, where he saw a Bald-Headed Eagle fishing. He was very poor, and his family were starving, for he had fished out the lake. Skela'una created many fish for him, caught some, and gave them to him. He told the Eagle of his plight, and the latter promised to help him as soon as he obtained strength, for he was reduced in flesh by starvation. When the Eagle was fat, Skela'una made himself small and light, took four fish with him, and sat down on the Eagle's back. The Eagle flew up, but was not strong enough, and before reaching the upper world he began to fall back. Then Skela'una fed him a fish. The Eagle gained new strength, and flew higher still. Four times he fed the Eagle, who carried him almost to the top. Here the Eagle showed signs of weakening; and Skela'una having no more food to give him, jumped off from his back and alighted on the edge of the hole. Afterwards he started in search of the young women, who being very fleet of foot, had escaped from the three men who wanted to make them their wives. After a number of further adventures, Skela'una found the four women, who recognized him as their deliverer, and became his wives of their own choice.1
1. This story is related to the Spanish rate of Juan del Oro which is known in Spain and France as well as in America. See Aurelio M. Espinosa, New-Mexican Spanish Folk-lore (Journal of American Folk-lore, XXIV, 1911) PP 437, 444; also Franz Boas, Tales from Tehuantepec (Ibid. XXV, 19l2).
