The Girl Who Married the Moon by Joseph Bruchac

Author:Joseph Bruchac
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing
Published: 2006-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

The Girl Who Gave Birth to Water-Jar Boy

Cochiti Pueblo

The courtship of Wai’oca began in the usual way. Like other young men, her suitor, Mo-kaite, would stand next to the river road and play his flute for Wai’oca as she walked to the river with all the young women to fill her water jar. There were many flute players, but for Wai’oca, there was something special in Mo-kaite’s song. Still Wai’oca followed pueblo law and never looked at Mo-kaite’s face or into his eyes. To do so was to promise marriage, and Wai’oca was not yet ready for this.

For many days, Mo-kaite played his flute for Wai’oca. At last, she spoke to her father about this young man. Her father went to the elders of the pueblo to ask about Mo-kaite. “He is a fine young man,” the wise ones said. “A good provider with a strong heart—but he may not marry Wai’oca.” The elders explained that Mo-kaite, Mountain Lion Hunter, was of the hunting clans. Wai’oca, Duck Woman, belonged to the water clans. And the two clans could not be joined. The elders’ word was law.

Sadly, Wai’oca obeyed the words of her father and the elders. She would not look at Mo-kaite when he came to play his flute for her as she walked to the river. His affection for her grew, however, and she came to care very deeply for him as well.

Finally, Mo-kaite sought the elders himself and asked if there was some way he could prove that he would be a good husband for Wai’oca in spite of their clans. “Can I not be tested,” asked Mo-kaite, “to show that I am worthy?”

The elders went to speak to Wai’oca’s father. When she heard of this, Wai’oca asked that she be tested, too. “If we do this together,” she said to her father, “then the elders will know that our hearts are true and our spirits are strong. Surely, the marriage will be blessed.”

And so it began. On the first day, Mo-kaite was told to gather enough wood for all the elders in the pueblo, and Wai’oca was set to work sweeping the plaza with a small broom made of pine branches. They were to work without looking at or speaking to each other, and the tasks had to be completed before sundown. This they did.

The second day, Mo-kaite was sent to track and snare several small game animals through a maze of false trails laid down in the night by the other men of his clan. Wai’oca was given the task of washing the women elders’ hair in the ritual way. She began by digging for the yucca root and grinding it to make soap. After the washing, she plaited each woman’s hair the way the woman wanted. It was a very long day for both Wai’oca and Mo-kaite, but the tests were done.

On the third day, Mo-kaite was given a great pouch and told to fill it with birds’ feathers, which were used in the ceremonial dances.

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