Atondido Stories
the deer lay, and they began to cut up the body. But they had
forgotten to bring a basket or a bag. He called to his sister say-
ing, "You must weave a basket into which we can put the meat to
carry it home." And his sister said, "How can I make a basket
when I cannot see? If I am to weave a basket, I must have the
eye." The boy brought the eye to her and she made a large basket
from green twigs.
When she had finished making the basket the boy said, "I
must finish cutting up the meat. Give me the eye." So she
brought him the eye, and he proceeded to chop up the meat and
to put it in the basket. Then he said, "Why can we not have a
meal here? I am very hungry." His sister agreed that this was a
good idea, and he said, "You cook the meal while I pack the
meat." The girl made a fire, but she was afraid she would burn
the meat, so she said, "I cannot see to cook. I must have the eye."
By this time her brother had finished packing the meat into the
basket, and he brought her the eye and she went on with her
cooking. The fire was low and she said, "I must have some dry
wood. Bring me some dry pine." The boy wandered off into the
forest in search of wood, but he had not gone far when he stum-
bled over a log and fell to the ground. He called to his sister in
anger, saying, "You always want the eye for yourself. How can I
gather dry pine when I cannot see? Give me the eye at once."
His sister ran to him and helped him up and gave him the
eye. She found her way back to the fire, but as she reached it she
smelled the meat burning on the spit. She shouted, "The meat is
burning and our dinner will be spoiled. Give me the eye at once,
so that I may see if the meat is cooked." The boy was some dis-
tance away, and in his anger he threw the eye to her, saying,
"Find it. I am not going to walk to you with it if you are too lazy
to come and get it." The eye fell to the ground between them,
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