THE ORIGIN OF THE PLEIADES


 A young man was out fasting. His fasting lodge stood at a place where no one ever ventured, near the end of a lake. Just below, a fine and broad beach stretched on both sides.

 When his fast was almost over, one evening, the young man was sitting in the entrance of his lodge. He heard something. The faint and distant sound of songs came to his ear. He did not know what it was. Looking around everywhere, he could not tell whence it came. Soon the sounds got clearer and seemed to fall from the sky, over the lake. The boy listened. Now he thought that the voices came from the beach near by. So he started and slowly crept down to the lake, through the grasses and reeds that grew along the beach. As he crawled ahead, the singing grew more distinct. Upon reaching the shore, he moved the reeds apart with his hands and looked around. There, on the beach, seven young girls were singing and dancing around, hand in hand, surrounded with an unearthly glimmer, in the light of the stars.  One of them was still more beautiful than the others.  He became enamored of her.

 As he was still creeping forward, a pebble slipped from under his hand and made a noise. The maidens started off at once, and, climbing into a large basket, they vanished in the sky.  The young man went back to his fasting lodge, and, all the next day, wondered as to whether they would ever come back. In the evening he watched and listened. The sound of distant songs he again perceived after a while. The maidens were now returning to the lake. So he crept down to the edge of the reeds and grasses.  While they came out of the sky, he was there, looking at them. Their big basket then landed on the beach. Stepping out of it, they again began to sing and dance around. As lie was watching them, his delight was so great at this beautiful sight that lie did not move or do anything to disturb them. After having danced together for a long time, they began to dance one at a time. Then the fairest of the seven sisters danced all by herself, as it was now her turn.  Never had her youthful admirer beheld anything so beautiful. Without his even heeding it, his voice rose and expressed his delight. They all vanished in an instant, as the first time.

 And, every evening, he came down there in the same way. It grew upon him, in the end, that he should try and capture the maiden whom he so admired. As they were dancing there. one evening, he rushed in their midst.  They ran to their basket

swinging there, in the air. The maiden whom he loved happened to be the last to climb into the basket; so he seized her by her girdle, as she had just laid a hand on the edge of the basket.  He clung fast to her, and was lifted into the air.  But the girl had to quit her hold; and they both fell to the ground.  The young  man told her about his love and begged her to become his wife. The maiden was grieved, but not truly angry. She said to him, "We are the Seven Sisters, and have always been living together. We are the group of stars which you have often seen in the sky. It has always been our custom, at this time of the year, to come down to the earth to dance and play."  And she explained to him that she could not become his wife unless he would first get into the sky with them.

 So they both ascended into the sky land, where everything was wonderful.  All of one's wishes were at once realized, without the slightest effort.

 Now then, the young man and the maiden returned from the sky. Henceforth they lived together as husband and wife.  This is why, nowadays, we can see among the Pleiades only six of the maiden sisters.  Sometimes the shadow of the seventh one may just be perceived.