Atondido Stories
many-coloured path over the hills and the forests and the
streams, and be not afraid, and you will soon reach Turtle's
home in the sky." Deer did as he was told, and soon he reached
the sky. Turtle was glad to see him, and Deer liked the country
so well that he decided to stay for ever. And he roamed over the
sky everywhere, moving like the wind from place to place.
When midsummer had passed and the harvest-moon had
come and the Great Council again met together, Deer was absent
for the first time in his life. The animals waited long for him to
appear, for they needed his advice, but he did not come. They
sent the Birds out to find him. Black Hawk and Woodpecker and
Bluejay all sought him in the forest, but they could not find a
trace of him. Then Wolf and Fox scoured the woods far and near,
but they came back and reported that he could not be found any-
where. At last Turtle arrived at the meeting of the Great Council,
as was his custom, coming in his Black Cloud, in which were the
ponds and lakes and streams and springs of water. And Bear
said, "Deer is absent from the Council meeting. Where is Deer?
We cannot meet without him, for we need his advice." And Tur-
tle replied, "Deer is in the sky. Have you not heard? Rainbow
made a wonderful pathway for him of many varied colours, and
by that he came to the sky. There he is now," and he pointed to a
golden cloud scurrying across the sky overhead.
Turtle advised that the animals should all go to the sky to
live until they could be sure that the new race of creatures would
bring them no harm. And he showed them the pathway that
Rainbow had made, stretching from the earth in wonderful col-
ours. The animals all agreed at the Great Council to take Turtle's
advice. But they were all very angry at Deer for leaving them
without warning, for they thought that all the animals should ei-
ther stay together faithfully on the earth or go all together to the
21