 I cannot help myself"
"Well," said Jupka, "if you must go, I will go with you; you would be lost without me. I must save you, my nephew. I will make myself small; you can put me on your head, you can tie me up in your hair easily."
The old man made himself small, and Juiwaiyu put him on the top of his head, bound him firmly in his hair, bound him so that no one could see him. Then he went up on the sweat-house and turned toward the sun.
"Sun, O Sun, I wish you to be slow," said he. "I must go very far; I wish the day to last long."
"I will tell you now of the road," said Jupka. "When you come near a small mountain east of Wahkalu, there will be three roads there before you; one on the right hand very narrow. You can hardly see that road, it is so little beaten, but you must find it, for you cannot go by another. There is a middle road, smooth and wide; you will see fresh clover scattered on the road, just as if women had carried some over and dropped a little here and there. If you go over that road, you will be killed by lice and wind. On the left hand is a road; if you take that, you will lose yourself and never reach any place."
"I will sing now," said Juiwaiyu, "and my song will be heard everywhere, north, south, east, and west."
He began, and rose in the air as he sang; he rose, and as he moved forward, the whole world heard him; every one looked up to see who was singing, but no one saw anything.
"That sounds like the song of Juiwaiyu," said some of the people. "I think that is the voice of Periwiriwaiyu's son," said others; "I think that is he, for that's how he sings when he travels."
They tried to see who was singing, but saw no one. The song seemed just above them, but it was high up, very high in the air.
"Hurry, my nephew, hurry," said Jupka; "I don't like to camp on the journey, I want to be at that place before sunset."
Juiwaiyu sang faster now; he could not move without singing. He moved swiftly, and soon they were east of Wahkalu.
"Look down carefully," said Jupka; "if you see clover scattered on a road, you must not go over it. Go over that road on the right, do not look at the other."
Damhauja had sent people to scatter clover on the middle road and entice men, make them think that the road was to his sweat-house.
"The middle road lies straight toward the mountain," said Jupka; "all people die who try to pass over it. A great many lie dead on that road now, my nephew; do not go near it."
Juiwaiyu kept on; soon they heard laughter ahead on the small mountain, loud laughter.
"You are on the wrong road," said Jupka. "Turn back, my nephew; if not, you will die
surely. That was the laughter of people sent by Damhauja to kill all who go over the middle road."
Juiwaiyu kept on; he would not listen to his uncle. Soon a great wind came, bringing clouds of lice with it; the air was filled with them. They fell on Juiwaiyu, and ate the flesh off his body. The wind drove him far back on his journey, and blew the beads from his neck. The people of the mountain did this,--people put there and kept by Damhauja.
Juiwaiyu was angry. He rushed forward a second time.
"I will pass, I will go through this time," said he.
"I told you of this trouble," said Jupka, "I warned you. I said that this was an evil road over which no one can pass. Stop, or you will be dead before night comes. Stop! Let me down; I will save you.
Juiwaiyu came to the ground, and took out his uncle.
"I will save you," said Jupka; "I will give you back flesh and strength."
The old man took his pipe and drew smoke through it. The wind went away; the lice disappeared, not one was left anywhere. Jupka took up a rose-twig. With this he whipped Juiwaiyu, and he was as sound and strong as ever. He had all his flesh back in a moment.
The people of the mountain saw this. "We cannot kill him," said they; "he has too much power for us."
"You must turn back and start where the roads part," said Jupka. "On the right is a small narrow trail; you can barely see it, but you must find this trail. You cannot go to Damhauja's house by another way."
Juiwaiyu went back to w