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How the Children of He-le'-jah became People

Fragment of Creation Story of the Northern Mewuk
As told at Wal'-le and Hā’-cha-nah

How the Children of He-le'-jah became People

He-le'-jah the Cougar or Mountain Lion had two wives, Oo-soo'-ma-te the Grizzly Bear-woman and Paht'-ki-yu the Raccoon-woman. Their children looked a little like people but still were not people. Every year there were more children, and as they grew up and had children of their own, the children came to look more and more like people, only they had no fingers.

Then Pe-tā’-le the Lizard gave them five fingers and they became real people (Me'wuk).

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