Sometimes, only if I
try, that is the only way I can know if it can be done or not.
There was a young
man named Kimana. He wanted to marry the Sky Maiden. He wrote a letter to her
father, the Sun Chief.
Kimana went to
Rabbit. "Will you take this letter?"
Rabbit said, "I
cannot go to Heaven." Kimana went to Antelope.
"Will you take
this letter?" Antelope said, "I cannot go to Heaven."
Kimana went to Hawk.
"Will you take this letter?"
Hawk said, "I
can go halfway. But I cannot go to Heaven."
Then Frog came to
Kimana.
"Why do you not
take the letter yourself?"
Kimana said,
"This I cannot do."
Frog said,
"Then I will take it for you."
Kimana laughed.
"Can a frog take a letter to Heaven?"
Frog said,
"Whatever it is, I can do it. But only if I try."
Now, Frog lived by a
well. Every day, the girls who served the Sun Chief came to this well. They
climbed down from Heaven on a web made by Spider. Then they filled their water
jugs and went home. Frog put the letter in his mouth and hid in the well. The girls
from Heaven came for water, singing their song.
Good day to you, my
sister.
Good day to you.
They lowered their
jugs into the well, and Frog jumped into one. The girls did not see. Then the
girls climbed back up the web of Spider. They went into the house of the Sun
Chief and left the jugs in a room.
Frog was alone. He
jumped out of the jug and spit the letter out on a bench. Then he hid in a
corner. The Sun Chief came for a drink of water. He saw the letter and opened
it.
He read,"I,
Kimana, a man of earth, wish to marry the Sky Maiden, your daughter."
The Sun Chief said,
"How can this
be?"
He went to the girls
who fetched water.
"Did you bring
this letter?"
The girls said,
"We did not."
He went to his wife,
the Moon Lady, and read it to her.
"What should we
do?"
The Moon Lady said,
"Don't ask me!
Ask your daughter!"
He went to his
daughter. The Sky Maiden said,
"Let us see if
he can bring a wedding gift."
So the Sun Chief
wrote a letter and set it on the bench. Then he went away. Frog came out and
put the letter in his mouth. Then he climbed into an empty jug.
The next day, the
girls took the jugs and climbed down to earth, singing their song.
Good day to you, my
sister.
Good day to you.
They lowered their
jugs into the well, and Frog jumped out. The girls did not see.Then the girls
went back to Heaven.
Frog took the letter
to Kimana, and Kimana read it. "You may marry my daughter if you bring a
purse of money."
Kimana said,
"This I cannot do."
Frog said,
"Then I will bring it for you."
Kimana laughed.
"You took a letter to Heaven. But can you bring a purse of money?"
Frog said,
"Whatever it is, I can do it. But only if I try."
Kimana gave Frog a
purse of money. Frog took hold of it with his mouth and carried it to the well.
He climbed in and waited.
The girls from
Heaven came to the well.
Good day to you, my
sister.
Good day to you.
Frog got into one of
the jugs. The girls returned to Heaven and left him in the room. Frog set the
money on the bench. Then he hid.
The Sun Chief came
and found the purse.
"How can this
be?"
He went to the
girls.
"Did you bring
this money?"
The girls said,
"We did not."
He went to his wife.
The Moon Lady said,
"Don't ask me!
Ask your daughter!"
He went to his
daughter. The Sky Maiden said,
"Let us see if
he can come fetch me."
So the Sun Chief
wrote a letter and left it on the bench.
Frog put the letter
in his mouth and climbed into an empty jug. The next day, the girls carried him
to earth.
Good day to you, my
sister.
Good day to you.
He jumped back into
the well, and the girls went back to Heaven. Frog brought the letter to Kimana,
and Kimana read it.
"You may marry
my daughter if you come and fetch her."
Kimana said,
"This I cannot do."
Frog said,
"Then I will fetch her for you."
Kimana laughed.
"You took a letter to Heaven. You brought a purse of money. But can you
fetch a bride?"
Frog said,
"Whatever it is, I can do it. But only if I try."
Frog climbed back
into the well. The girls came with their jugs.
Good day to you, my
sister.
Good day to you.
They carried him to
Heaven. Frog jumped out. He spit in all the jugs of water. Ptui. Ptui. Ptui.
Then he hid in an empty jug. The people of the house came and drank the water.
They all got sick.
The Sun Chief called
for the spirit doctor. The doctor told him,
"You promised
your daughter to a man of earth, but she has not gone. He has sent an evil
spirit with a sickness. The evil spirit is in the shape of a frog."
The Sun Chief went
to his wife. The Moon Lady said, "Don't ask me! Ask your daughter!"
He went to his
daughter. The Sky Maiden said, "I will go."
The next day, the
Sky Maiden went with the girls down to the well.
Good day to you, my
sister.
Good day to you.
The girls filled
their jugs, and Frog jumped out. Then the girls left the Sky Maiden and went
home.
Frog jumped out of
the well. "I will lead you to your husband."
The Sky Maiden
laughed. "Can a frog lead a woman?"
Frog said, "I
took a letter to Heaven. I brought a purse of money. I fetched a bride.
Whatever it was, I could do it. But only if I try."
The Sky Maiden said,
"Then it is you I will marry."
She took Frog back
to Heaven and married him. They lived on and on. And Kimana is still waiting
for his bride.
