--- title: The Man Who Married the Moon — The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo I… · full text with trees description: The Man Who Married the Moon, «The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories» by Charles Fletcher Lummis: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: AMONG the principal heroes of the Tée-wahn folk-lore, I hear of none more frequently in --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/10/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [The man who married the moon, and othe…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/) / The Man Who Married the Moon # The Man Who Married the Moon The Man Who Married the Moon of «The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories» by Charles Fletcher Lummis: the whole text, 166 sentences and 3575 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/10/page/2/) AMONG the principal heroes of the Tée-wahn folk-lore, I hear of none more frequently in the winter story-tellings to which my aboriginal neighbors admit me, than the mighty Nah-chu-rú-chu.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") To this day his name, which means “The Bluish Light of Dawn,” is deeply revered by the quaint people who claim him as one of their forefathers.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") He had no parents, for he was created by the Trues themselves, and by them was given such extraordinary powers as were second only to their own.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") His wonderful feats and startling adventures--as still related by the believing Isleteños--would fill a volume.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") One of these fanciful myths has interested me particularly, not only for its important bearing on certain ethnological matters, but for its intrinsic qualities as well.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") It is a thoroughly characteristic leaf from the legendary lore of the Southwest.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Long before the first Spaniards came to New Mexico (and \_that\_ was three hundred and fifty years ago) Isleta stood where it stands to-day--on a lava ridge that defies the gnawing current of the Rio Grande.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") \[31\] In those far days, Nah-chu-rú-chu dwelt in Isleta, and was a leader of his people.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") A weaver by trade,\[32\] his rude loom hung from the dark rafters of his room; and in it he wove the strong black \_mantas\_ which are the dress of Pueblo women to this day.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") \[31\] Bandelier has published a contrary opinion, to which I do not think he would now cling.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") The folk-lore and the very name of the town fully prove to me that its site has not changed in historic times.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") \[32\] In the ancient days, weaving was practised only by the men, among the Pueblos.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") This old usage is now reversed, and it is the women who weave, except in the pueblos of Moqui.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Besides being very wise in medicine, Nah-chu-rú-chu was young, and tall, and strong, and handsome; and all the girls of the village thought it a shame that he did not care to take a wife.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") For him the shyest dimples played, for him the whitest teeth flashed out, as the owners passed him in the plaza; but he had no eyes for them.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") Then, in the naïve custom of the Tée-wahn, bashful fingers worked wondrous fringed shirts of buckskin, or gay awl-sheaths, which found their way to his house by unknown messengers--each as much as to say, “She who made this is yours, if you will have her.”[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") But Nah-chu-rú-chu paid no more attention to the gifts than to the smiles, and just kept weaving and weaving such \_mantas\_ as were never seen in the land of the Tée-wahn before or since.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") The most persistent of his admirers were two sisters who were called \_Ee-eh-chóo-ri-ch’áhm-nin\_--the Yellow-Corn-Maidens.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") They were both young and pretty, but they “had the evil road”--which is the Indian way of saying that they were possessed of a magic power which they always used for ill.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") When all the other girls gave up, discouraged at Nah-chu-rú-chu’s indifference, the Yellow-Corn-Maidens kept coming day after day, trying to attract him.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") At last the matter became such a nuisance to Nah-chu-rú-chu that he hired the deep-voiced town-crier to go through all the streets and announce that in four days Nah-chu-rú-chu would choose a wife.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") For dippers, to take water from the big earthen \_tinajas\_, the Tée-wahn used then, as they use to-day, queer little ladle-shaped \_omates\_ made of a gourd; but Nah-chu-rú-chu, being a great medicine-man and very rich, had a dipper of pure pearl, shaped like the gourds, but wonderfully precious.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") “On the fourth day,” proclaimed the crier, “Nah-chu-rú-chu will hang his pearl \_omate\_ at his door, where every girl who will may throw a handful of corn-meal at it.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") And she whose meal is so well ground that it sticks to the \_omate\_, she shall be the wife of Nah-chu-rú-chu!”[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") When this strange news came rolling down the still evening air, there was a great scampering of little moccasined feet.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") The girls ran out from hundreds of gray adobe houses to catch every word; and when the crier had passed on, they ran back into the store-rooms and began to ransack the corn-bins for the biggest, evenest, and most perfect ears.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Shelling the choicest, each took her few handfuls of kernels to the sloping \_metate\_,\[33\] and with the \_mano\_, or hand-stone, scrubbed the grist up and down, and up and down, till the hard corn was a soft, blue meal.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") All the next day, and the next, and the next, they ground it over and over again, until it grew finer than ever flour was before; and every girl felt sure that her meal would stick to the \_omate\_ of the handsome young weaver.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") The Yellow-Corn-Maidens worked hardest of all; day and night for four days they ground and ground, with all the magic spells they knew.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") \[33\] The slab of lava which still serves as a hand-mill in Pueblo houses.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") ON THE “METATE.”\][31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, in those far-off days the Moon had not gone up into the sky to live, but was a maiden of Shee-eh-whíb-bak.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") And a very beautiful girl she was, though blind of one eye.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") She had long admired Nah-chu-rú-chu, but was always too maidenly to try to attract his attention as other girls had done; and at the time when the crier made his proclamation, she happened to be away at her father’s ranch.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") It was only upon the fourth day that she returned to town, and in a few moments the girls were to go with their meal to test it upon the magic dipper.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") The two Yellow-Corn-Maidens were just coming from their house as she passed, and told her of what was to be done.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") They were very confident of success, and told the Moon-girl only to pain her; and laughed derisively as she went running to her home.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") By this time a long file of girls was coming to Nah-chu-rú-chu’s house, outside whose door hung the pearl \_omate\_.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") Each girl carried in her left hand a little jar of meal; and as they passed the door one by one, each took from the jar a handful and threw it against the magic dipper.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") But each time the meal dropped to the ground, and left the pure pearl undimmed and radiant as ever.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") At last came the Yellow-Corn-Maidens, who had waited to watch the failure of the others.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") As they came where they could see Nah-chu-rú-chu sitting at his loom, they called: “Ah\![42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Here we have the meal that will stick!” and each threw a handful at the \_omate\_.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") But it did not stick at all; and still from his seat Nah-chu-rú-chu could see, in that mirror-like surface, all that went on outside.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") The Yellow-Corn-Maidens were very angry, and instead of passing on as the others had done, they stood there and kept throwing and throwing at the \_omate\_, which smiled back at them with undiminished luster.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") Just then, last of all, came the Moon, with a single handful of meal which she had hastily ground.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") The two sisters were in a fine rage by this time, and mocked her, saying:[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") “Hoh\![48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") \_P’áh-hlee-oh\_,\[34\] you poor thing, we are very sorry for you\![49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Here we have been grinding our meal four days and still it will not stick, and you we did not tell till to-day.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") How, then, can you ever hope to win Nah-chu-rú-chu?[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") Pooh, you silly little thing!”[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") \[34\] Tée-wahn name of the moon; literally, “Water-Maiden.”[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") But the Moon paid no attention whatever to their taunts.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Drawing back her little dimpled hand, she threw the meal gently against the pearl \_omate\_, and so fine was it ground that every tiniest bit of it clung to the polished shell, and not a particle fell to the ground.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") PEARL “OMATE.”\][56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") When Nah-chu-rú-chu saw that, he rose up quickly from his loom and came and took the Moon by the hand, saying, “You are she who shall be my wife.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") You shall never want for anything, since I have very much.”[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") And he gave her many beautiful \_mantas\_, and cotton wraps, and fat boots of buckskin that wrap round and round, that she might dress as the wife of a rich chief.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") But the Yellow-Corn-Maidens, who had seen it all, went away vowing vengeance on the Moon.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") Nah-chu-rú-chu and his sweet Moon-wife were very happy together.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") There was no other such housekeeper in all the pueblo as she, and no other hunter brought home so much buffalo-meat from the vast plains to the east, nor so many antelopes, and black-tailed deer, and jack-rabbits from the Manzanos as did Nah-chu-rú-chu.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") But he constantly was saying to her:[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") “Moon-wife, beware of the Yellow-Corn-Maidens, for they have the evil road and will try to do you harm, but you must always refuse to do whatever they propose.”[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") And always the young wife promised.[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") One day the Yellow-Corn-Maidens came to the house and said:[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") “Friend Nah-chu-rú-chu, we are going to the \_llano\_\[35\] to gather \_amole\_.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") \[36\] Will you not let your wife go with us?”[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") \[35\] Plain.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") \[36\] The soapy root of the palmilla, used for washing.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, yes, she may go,” said Nah-chu-rú-chu; but taking her aside, he said, “Now be sure that you refuse whatever they may propose.”[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") The Moon promised, and started away with the Yellow-Corn-Maidens.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") In those days there was only a thick forest of cottonwoods where are now the smiling vineyards, and gardens, and orchards of Isleta, and to reach the \_llano\_ the three women had to go through this forest.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") In the very center of it they came to a deep \_pozo\_--a square well, with steps at one side leading down to the water’s edge.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ay!” said the Yellow-Corn-Maidens, “how hot and thirsty is our walk\![75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") Come, let us get a drink of water.”[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") But the Moon, remembering her husband’s words, said politely that she did not wish to drink.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") They urged in vain, but at last, looking down into the \_pozo\_, called:[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, Moon-friend\![79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") Come and look in this still water, and see how pretty you are!”[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/10/page/2/) - ← previous: [The Coyote and the Woodpecker](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/9/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/10/page/2/) - ↑ back to [The man who married the moon, and other Pueblo Indian folk-stories](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77804/)