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still,” she moaned.
    The medicine eased her enough that she finally slept normally while her relatives sat around her all night. Early next morning the first person she saw was her stepfather, Rainbow. Never had he spoken directly to her till now; always at a distance had he provided her wants dutifully. Waterlily, closer to his mother and father, felt herself a stranger to her silent stepfather. But now his worried eyes said he was very much affected. “Daughter,” he spoke to her, “I have tried in my humble way to provide for you because I do not want any child in my tipi to grow up in want. Yesterday you gave me a great fright, but if you will hurry and get well, then by and by you shall wear a gown and put red paint on your face.”
    It was not a very exciting promise to Waterlily. What was so extraordinary about wearing a gown, when one had always worn a gown? And red paint? She had worn that, too. But to the adults who understood the significance it was very important, for Rainbow was saying he would arrange and pay for a hunka ceremony for Waterlily. To become a hunka (child-beloved) was to be elevated to a high station in the tribe, and that was an honor that did not come to everyone.
    Rainbow began at once to hunt for elk and to watch the hunting of other men so that he might buy from those who shot an elk the teeth that would be needed to decorate Waterlily’s ceremonial gown. People were much impressed and spread thenews about. “Have you heard? Rainbow is pledged to a great undertaking. He is making that little daughter of his wife a ‘beloved.’ Right now he is collecting elk teeth for her gown.”
    Everyone helped. But it was slow work because each animal yielded only two teeth that could be used. Moreover they must come only from the female elk. So widespread was the interest that even hunters from other camp circles saved elk teeth for Rainbow and sent or brought them to him from time to time. For these that were proffered he gave suitable presents in return. Only where he asked for teeth outright did he buy them.
    When enough elk teeth were on hand, his sister Dream Woman made the gown; and it was something to behold. Many women, especially those who fancied themselves to be inspired artists, as Dream Woman was believed to be though she never said, came in to examine the finished gown and went away marveling at its beauty of material and workmanship. As usual, Dream Woman had dreamed an original design. It was worked into the wide border of embroidery that topped the heavy fringe around the bottom of the skirt and of the loose, open sleeves. The matched teeth, which had been painstakingly polished to a high luster by the grandfather, who was happy to help to that extent, were appliquéed in pleasing groups all over the upper half of the gown, above the belt and down over the sleeves. The gown was exactly alike both front and back.
    Two whole years were spent in getting ready for the ceremony, and meantime Waterlily was preoccupied with a new baby sister, to the extent that she often forgot for long periods the great event awaiting her. The baby was named Mysterious Hand, and that was in compliment to her aunt Dream Woman, whose hands turned out unvarying beauty “too perfect to be human,” as people said. But Mysterious Hand would be the ceremonial name, not to be spoken carelessly. Waterlily’s descriptive term for the baby became her nickname, Smiling One.
    But at last the great day arrived. At dawn Gloku began to prepare special foods for the hunka candidate and fed her as the sun appeared. Then Blue Bird bathed her at the stream and washed and oiled her long hair until it shone. She braided it in two long braids in the usual style and tied on the new hair ties that were part of the special outfit. They were fragrant, forDream Woman had made colorfully embroidered balls and stuffed them with perfume leaf, and these were attached to the ties.
    The new