this and turned the world upside down, and water spouted up through the
kivas and through the fireplaces in the houses. The earth was rent in
great chasms, and water covered everything except one narrow ridge of
mud; and across this the serpent deity told all the people to travel. As
they journeyed across, the feet of the bad slipped and they fell into
the dark water, but the good, after many days, reached dry land. While
the water, rising around the village, came higher, the old people got on
the tops of the houses, for they thought they could not struggle across
with the younger people. But Baholikonga clothed them with the skins of
turkeys, and they spread out their wings and floated in the air just
above the surface of the water, and in this way they got across. There
were saved of our people, Water, Corn, Lizard, Horned Toad, Sand, two
families of Rabbit, and Tobacco. The turkeys' tails dragged in the
water--hence the white on the turkey tail now. Wearing these turkey
skins is the reason why old people have dewlaps under the chin like a
turkey; it is also the reason why old people use turkey feathers at the
religious ceremonies."

[Footnote 31: Mindeleff, Victor, Op. cit. (Myths by Cosmos Mindeleff
after Stephen), p. 31.]

Hough[32] says that in accord with the belief that the markings on the
tail feathers were caused by the foam and slime of an ancient deluge,
the feathers are prescribed for all pahos, since through their mythical
association with water they have great power in bringing rain.

[Footnote 32: Hough, Walter, Op. cit, p. 172.]