Indians of the Yosemite Valley and Vicinity - Their History, Customs and Traditions by Galen Clark
page 66 of 82 (80%)
page 66 of 82 (80%)
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NORTH DOME (TO-KO´-YA). 3,725 Feet.
This rock is believed by the Indians to represent Tis-sa´-ack's husband, turned into stone for beating his wife. The lower dome to the right is the basket which she threw at him. See "Legend of Tis-sa´-ack."] Then all the animals assembled to bring down the little boys from the top of the great rock. Each animal sprang up the face of the rock as far as he could. The mouse could only spring a hand's breadth, the rat two hands' breadths, the raccoon a little more, and so on. The grizzly bear made a great leap up the wall, but fell back like all the others, without reaching the top. Finally came the lion, who jumped up farther than any of the others, but even he fell back and could not reach the top. Then came the _tul-tok´-a-na,_ the insignificant measuring worm, who was despised by all the other creatures, and began to creep up the face of the rock. Step by step, little by little, he measured his way up until he was soon above the lion's jump, and still farther and farther, until presently he was out of sight; and still he crawled up and up, day and night, through many moons, and at length he reached the top, and took the little boys and brought them safely down to the ground. And therefore the rock was named for the measuring worm, and was called Tu-tok-a-nu´-la. LEGEND OF GROUSE LAKE. I will here relate a personal experience which occurred in |
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