Sacred Texts Native American California Index Previous Next
Tu-chai-pai thought to himself, "If all my sons do not have enough food and drink, what will become of them?" After he thought of that a long time he said, "Then they would die." Then he said, "What do my men want to do? I will give them three choices, to die now forever, or to live for a time and return, or to live forever."
When he had finished thinking, he called all the men together, but not the women; and he said to them, "I was thinking; there is not much food and water now. I want to know what you wish to do, and I will give you three choices; to die forever, to live for a time and return, or to live forever." Some of the people said, "We want to die now forever." Others said, "We want to live for a time and return." Others said, "We want to live forever." So they talked and they talked, and they did not know what to do.
Then the fly came and said, "Oh, you men, what are you talking so much about? Tell him you want to die forever." So they talked and they talked very much, and they made this choice, to die and to be done with life, and to die forever. This is the reason the fly rubs his hands together. He is begging forgiveness of the people for these words.