# Zuni Folktales — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for Zuni Folktales by Frank Hamilton Cushing.

- [Zuni Folktales](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/zuni-folktales.md): A collection of Zuni folktales featuring various characters and moral lessons, including stories of courtship, trickery, and supernatural events.
- [The Trial of Lovers](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-trial-of-lovers.md): A young man from Hálonawan seeks the hand of the Maiden of Mátsaki, who tests her suitors by releasing insects into her chamber. The poor youth succeeds where others fail, wins the maiden, but later tragically kills her 
- [Told the First Night](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/told-the-first-night.md): The beautiful maiden of Mátsaki, after testing her suitor with insects, finally believes in his love and prepares to meet him. However, her jealous witch sister impersonates her, leading to a fatal confrontation where th
- [Told the Second Night](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/told-the-second-night.md): The young man pursues his wife's spirit westward, guided by a red plume, enduring great hardship. He reaches the Lake of the Dead where she enters the spirit world. An Owl offers counsel and uses medicine of sleep to reu
- [The Youth and His Eagle](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-youth-and-his-eagle.md): The youth, unable to bear separation from his Eagle, insists on following her into the sky despite warnings. They journey together, but his faithlessness and fascination with Death lead to tragedy: his Eagle wife strips 
- [The Poor Turkey Girl](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-poor-turkey-girl.md): A poor, neglected girl who herds turkeys for a living longs to attend the Dance of the Sacred Bird. Her turkeys, understanding her desire, transform her ragged clothes into beautiful garments and adorn her with ornaments
- [How the Summer Birds Came](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/how-the-summer-birds-came.md): A beautiful maiden in Kʻiákime is secretly married to a Rain God and bears a miraculous son who grows rapidly and becomes a great hunter. The boy, seeking better weapons, defies his mother's warnings and ventures out to 
- [The Serpent of the Sea](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-serpent-of-the-sea.md): A maiden defiles a sacred spring, leading to the appearance of a sea serpent as a child, which brings consequences to the community.
- [The Tale](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-tale.md): In the ancient village of K'iákime, the priest-chief's daughter, obsessed with cleanliness, defiles a sacred spring belonging to Kólowissi, the Serpent of the Sea. Kólowissi appears as a child, is taken in by the maiden,
- [The Maiden of the Yellow Rocks](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-maiden-of-the-yellow-rocks.md): A beautiful but selfish maiden, daughter of the high priest, uses her magical knowledge to corral all game animals, causing hardship for her village's hunters. Suitors come to court her, but she sets impossible tasks. Th
- [The Foster-Child of the Deer](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-foster-child-of-the-deer.md): A beautiful maiden, devoted to sacred things, is visited by the Sun and becomes pregnant. She gives birth to a son and abandons him on a refuse-heap. A Deer finds the infant, raises him as her own, and he grows supernatu
- [The Boy Hunter Who Never Sacrificed to the Deer He Had Slain](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-boy-hunter-who-never-sacrificed-to-the-deer-he-had-slain.md): A young hunter, cast into the river by his uncles, is rescued by a serpent maiden who guides him through a perilous journey in a hollow log to the Sun-father's mountain. There, he presents sacred plumes, receives blessin
- [How Áhaiyúta and Mátsailéma Stole the Thunder-Stone and the Lightning-Shaft](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/how-haiy-ta-and-m-tsail-ma-stole-the-thunder-stone-and-the-lightning-shaft.md): The War-gods Áhaiyúta and Mátsailéma enlist the Centipede to steal the thunder-stone and lightning-shaft from the Rain-gods' altar. They play recklessly with these sacred objects, causing a storm that floods their grandm
- [The Warrior Suitor of Moki](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-warrior-suitor-of-moki.md): A poor, outcast youth from Moki, inspired by the challenge of a beautiful maiden who will only marry a hero, resolves to win her by raiding the Zuni for scalps. He befriends the town's dogs, leads them on a successful at
- [How the Corn-Pests Were Ensnared](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/how-the-corn-pests-were-ensnared.md): The Burrowing-owls perform a sacred Foam-dance, which the Coyote observes and wishes to join. The old Owl tricks him into killing his own grandmother and breaking his legs to imitate the dance. The Coyote is humiliated a
- [The Coyote Who Killed the Demon Síuiuki](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-coyote-who-killed-the-demon-s-uiuki.md): The Coyote overhears the Gods of Prey offering their sister in marriage to anyone who kills the Demon Síuiuki. He tricks the Demon into breaking his own leg with a stone, kills him, and presents his heart and war-badge t
- [How the Coyotes Tried to Steal the Children of the Sacred Dance](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/how-the-coyotes-tried-to-steal-the-children-of-the-sacred-dance.md): The old Coyote of Cedar Canyon discovers the children of the god K'yamakwe playing on Thunder Mountain and plots to steal them. After consulting his wife, he rallies four tribes of Coyotes to help. They attempt to form a
- [The Coyote and the Beetle](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-coyote-and-the-beetle.md): In ancient times, a Coyote encounters a Tip-beetle on a path near Fat Mountain. The Coyote threatens to bite the Beetle, but the Beetle tricks him by pretending to hear a warning from underground that those who defile th
- [How the Coyote Danced with the Blackbirds](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/how-the-coyote-danced-with-the-blackbirds.md): A Coyote, enchanted by the Blackbirds' dance on Gorge Mountain, convinces them to let him join. The Blackbirds attach feathers to his forelegs and tail so he can fly, but after a successful flight, they grow annoyed with
- [How the Turtle Out Hunting Duped the Coyote](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/how-the-turtle-out-hunting-duped-the-coyote.md): The old Turtle kills a deer but lacks a knife to skin it. He sings a magic song to find a flint, attracting a Coyote who helps skin the deer in exchange for the stomach and liver. The Coyote demands half, but the Turtle 
- [The Coyote and the Locust](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-coyote-and-the-locust.md): An old Coyote, enchanted by a Locust's song, repeatedly learns and forgets the tune due to interruptions. After several failed attempts, the Locust tricks the Coyote by leaving a stone-filled skin in his place. When the 
- [The Coyote and the Ravens Who Raced Their Eyes](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-coyote-and-the-ravens-who-raced-their-eyes.md): The Coyote encounters two Ravens who can pop their eyes out of their sockets and send them flying around distant rocks before calling them back. Envious, the Coyote begs to try, but the Ravens trick him by plucking out h
- [The Prairie-Dogs and Their Priest, the Burrowing-Owl](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-prairie-dogs-and-their-priest-the-burrowing-owl.md): The Prairie-Dogs suffer from relentless rain that floods their food supply. They hold a council and send a messenger to the Burrowing-Owl, their priest, who agrees to help. The Owl captures a Tip-beetle, feeds it beans u
- [How the Gopher Raced with the Runners of Kʻiákime](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/how-the-gopher-raced-with-the-runners-of-k-i-kime.md): The runners of Kʻiákime are unbeaten in the kicked-stick race, having defeated all challengers from neighboring towns. The people of Shíwina and Mátsaki, desperate and stripped of their possessions, seek the help of an o
- [How the Rattlesnakes Came to Be What They Are](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/how-the-rattlesnakes-came-to-be-what-they-are.md): A long time ago, the Rattlesnakes were a people living at Yathlpewʻnan. One day, children took their little sister to play on sandbanks, but an accident caused her death. Their mourning song and the parents' grief caused
- [How the Corn-Pests Were Ensnared](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/how-the-corn-pests-were-ensnared.md): A rich maiden, troubled by pests destroying her cornfields and by persistent suitors, offers to marry any man who can rid her fields of the pests. An ugly but clever poor young man accepts the challenge, digs a pit trap,
- [Jackrabbit and Cottontail](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/jackrabbit-and-cottontail.md): The Jackrabbit and the Cottontail rabbit each sing for different weather—snow and rain respectively—and their songs determine the conditions under which each runs to this day.
- [The Rabbit Huntress and Her Adventures](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-rabbit-huntress-and-her-adventures.md): A poor maiden from K'yawana Tehua-tsana, determined to provide meat for her aging parents, defies tradition and goes rabbit hunting. After a successful hunt, she takes shelter in a cave where a Cannibal Demon devours her
- [The Ugly Wild Boy Who Drove the Bear Away from Southeastern Mesa](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-ugly-wild-boy-who-drove-the-bear-away-from-southeastern-mesa.md): A frightfully ugly boy, despite his grandmother's warnings, confronts a bear that has been hoarding the resources of the Southeastern Mesa. Through a contest of fright and the use of a magic axe, he drives the bear away,
- [The Revenge of the Two Brothers on the Háwikuhkwe, or the Two Little Ones and Their Turkeys](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-revenge-of-the-two-brothers-on-the-h-wikuhkwe-or-the-two-little-ones-and-their-turkeys.md): Áhaiyúta and his younger brother live with their grandmother on Twin Mountain, tending a large flock of turkeys. After the turkeys stray into Háwikuh territory, the people of Háwikuh hunt and kill most of them. The survi
- [The Young Swift-Runner Who Was Stripped of His Clothing by the Aged Tarantula](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-young-swift-runner-who-was-stripped-of-his-clothing-by-the-aged-tarantula.md): A young man, Swift-runner, is tricked by Old Tarantula into giving up his beautiful clothing. The community attempts to recover the garments by digging and by enlisting Great Kingfisher and Great Eagle, but Old Tarantula
- [Átahsaia, the Cannibal Demon](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/tahsaia-the-cannibal-demon.md): Two sisters, daughters of a master-chief, go to wash clothes at a pool despite the younger's fears. The cannibal demon Átahsaia sees them and descends, pretending to be a kind grandfather. He lures them to his cave, but 
- [The Hermit Mítsina](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-hermit-m-tsina.md): The chapter tells the story of Mítsina, a hermit of evil understanding who lives alone in the Canyon of the Pines. He lures young men into gambling games, winning all their possessions. The War-gods Áhaiyúta and Mátsailé
- [How the Twins of War and Chance, Áhaiyúta and Mátsailéma, Fared with the Unborn-Made Men of the Underworld](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/how-the-twins-of-war-and-chance-haiy-ta-and-m-tsail-ma-fared-with-the-unborn-made-men-of-the-underworld.md): The chapter recounts the adventures of the twin heroes Áhaiyúta and Mátsailéma as they journey to the underworld and confront the Unborn-Made Men, testing their strength and cunning.
- [Translator's Introduction](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/translator-s-introduction.md): The translator explains his decision to withhold Zuni folklore for a complete collection with proper context, and recounts a conversation with Waíhusiwa, his chief storyteller, who initially resists telling another tale 
- [Zuni Introduction](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/zuni-introduction.md): The introduction describes the Zuni belief in an Underworld where unfinished, ghost-like beings existed before the emergence of daylight people. These beings were soft, pliable, and lacked solid bodies, subsisting only o
- [The Tale](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-tale.md): The Twain, Áhaiyúta and Mátsailéma, descend into the Underworld to investigate strange sounds and find a village of people who cannot eat solid food, only savor its steam. They teach the people to eat, catch and eat dead
- [The Cock and the Mouse](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-cock-and-the-mouse.md): The chapter tells the story of a Cock and a Mouse who live together and share adventures, highlighting their friendship and the challenges they face.
- [Italian Version](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/italian-version.md): A cock and a mouse go to eat nuts. The mouse climbs the tree easily, but the cock cannot reach the nuts. The mouse throws a nut that hits the cock on the head, injuring him. The cock then seeks help from an old woman, a 
- [Zuni Version](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/zuni-version.md): An old woman of the Italia-kwe keeps a Tâkâkâ Cock in a corral. A mouse, stealing food, has its tail bitten off by the cock. The mouse feigns friendship, tricks the cock into escaping, then drops a nut on his head, knock
- [The Giant Cloud-Swallower](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-giant-cloud-swallower.md): A tale set in Canyon de Chelly about a giant creature that swallows clouds, exploring themes of nature and the supernatural.
- [Translator's Introduction](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/translator-s-introduction.md): The translator describes the awe-inspiring rock formations of the Southwest, particularly the towering stone needles of the canyons, and explains how the Zuni people have woven imaginative legends around these natural fe
- [The Tale of Häki Suto](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-tale.md): The story of Häki Suto, a giant who devoured men and drank the clouds, causing drought and famine. The Twin War Gods, with the help of Grandmother Spider, defeat him by sewing his eyes shut and striking him down. His bod
- [The Maiden the Sun Made Love To, and Her Boys](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/the-maiden-the-sun-made-love-to-and-her-boys.md): The Sun fathers twin boys with a secluded priest-chief's daughter. After the maiden is killed during a dance meant to draw her out, the twins are raised by Badgers. The Sun later reveals their origin and sends them to re
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/endnotes.md): This chapter provides extensive endnotes and explanatory commentary on the Zuni folktales, covering linguistic, cultural, and mythological details such as the symbolism of terraces, the classification of states of being,

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters