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很久以前，世界分为两部分。 动物住在下面的部分，这里到处都被水覆盖，没有陆地和土壤；上面是天界，天上的人们住在那里。 天界有大量的土壤，上面有美丽的山川和河谷。一天，天界里的一个小女孩走了很长的路，累得疲惫不堪。 "我太累了，需要休息。”她说。于是她在一棵苹果树伸展开的树枝下坐了下来，很快就睡着了。 突然传来一声雷鸣般的隆隆巨响，大地裂开了，苹果树的旁边出现了一个大洞。 “发生了什么事啊？”女孩吓得尖叫道。她想跑开，但是已经来不及了。她和苹果树一起滑进了洞里，不停地翻滚，跌到了下面被水覆盖着的世界里。 "救命啊！救命啊！’’女孩尖叫道。幸运的是两只天鹅正在下面游泳，他们看到女孩从天上掉了下来。 “快来！"一只天鹅大叫，"我们在她入水前接住她。” "好的！"另一只天鹅叫道。 天鹅一起展开翅膀，用他们覆盖着柔软羽毛的背接住了女孩。 “哇！太幸运了。”女孩说道，"但是现在我该怎么做呢？我没法回到天界去，也不能一直呆在你们的背上。” "我们会把你带到大海龟那儿。”天鹅说，"他知道该怎么办。” 大海龟听完所发生的事情后，召集所有水界的动物开了一个会。他讲述了一个古老的故事，说在深深的水下能找到土壤。 "如果我们可以弄到一些那样的土壤，就可以在我的背上建一座岛屿，你、就可以在上面生活了。”大海龟说道。 “听起来不错。"年轻的女孩说道。 水獭、海狸和麝鼠开始争论谁该潜下水去找寻土壤。 "我去。"圆滑的水獭一边说，一边刷了刷他光泽的皮毛。 “不，我去。”海狸说道，一边用他扁平的大尾巴拍打着水花。 "我是最棒的游泳健将，”縻鼠说，“我去吧。" “阿嚏！”女孩打了一个喷嚏，“伙计们，你们只能一个人去。天鹅的羽毛碰着我鼻子了，痒得我打起喷嚏来。” “抱歉。”天鹤说道。 “没关系。"年轻的天界女孩说。 这时小蟾餘特什克维跳出水面：“我去。我潜水能潜得很深。”她说。 其他的动物们都指着蟾蜍笑道：“就你！你太小了，也太丑了，根本帮不上忙。"动物们都哈哈大笑。 “安静："大海龟用洪亮、严厉的声音说，"每个人都是平等的，每个人都有机会试一试。” 圆滑的水獭顺了顺他光泽的皮毛，深深地吸了一口气，滑进水中。他去了很长一段时间才出来喘了口气。 “水太深了，”他说道，“我潜不了那么深。" “现在轮到我了。"海狸说。他用尾巴拍打着水消失了，过了很长一段时间，他又浮出了水面。 "太深了。”他气喘吁吁地说，“没有人可以潜那么深。” 麋鼠紧接着也试了试，但是他也失败了。 "阿嚏！’’女孩打了一个喷嚏，“看起来情况很不妙啊。" “现在该我了。”小蟾蜍特什克维说完，便深吸一口气跳进水中。她去的时间特别长，所有人都想他们可能再也见不到她了。 突然，水獭指着水面大叫道：“快看！快看！水泡！” 特什克维丑陋的小面孔浮出了水面，她把几粒土壤吐到大海龟的背上，然后掉进水里、死了。大海龟下令其他动物们磨碎土壤粒，铺在他的龟壳上。土壤粒变得越来越大，最后形成了一个大岛屿——大得足够女孩在上面生活了。 正如我们现在知道的，这座岛屿变成了我们的世界，天界女孩的后代成了地球上的人。 今天，还有一些人说我们整个世界都在大海龟的背上，当他累了，换一个姿势的时候，就会发生地震。 蟾餘也没有被忘记。美国土著印第安人称她为“玛淑塔哈”，意思是“我们的祖母'没有人可以伤害她。 Many years ago the world had two parts. Animals lived in the lower part, which was completely covered in water and had no land or soil. Above was the Sky World, where the sky people lived. The Sky World had lots of soil, with beautiful mountains and valleys. One day a girl from the Sky World went for a long walk and became very tired. “I，m so tired, I need to rest.” she said. She sat down under the spreading branches of an apple tree and quickly fell asleep. Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound like thunder and the ground began to crack. A big hole opened up next to the apple tree. “What’s happening?” screamed the frightened girl. She tried to move but it was too late. She and the tree slid through the hole and tumbled1 over and over towards the watery world below. “Help me! Help me!” screamed the girl. Luckily two swans were swimming below and saw the girl tumbling down from the sky. “Come on!” yelled one swan. “Let’s catch her before she hits the water.” “Okay!” yelled the other. The swans spread their wings together and caught the girl on their soft feather backs. “Whew! That was lucky!” said the girl. “But what do I do now? I can’t get back up to the Sky World and I can’t stay on your backs forever.” “We’ll take you to Big turtle.” said the swans. “He knows everything.” After hearing what happened, the Big Turtle called all the animals in the water world to a meeting. He told them an old story about soil being found deep under the water. “If we can get some of that soil, we can build an island on my back for you to live on.” said the Big Turtle. “Sounds good to me!” said the young girl. The Otter, Beaver and Muskrat started arguing over who would dive for the soil. “I’ll go!” said the sleek Otter, brushing his glossy dir. “No! I’ll go!” said Beaver, slapping the water with his big flat tail. “I’m the best swimmer!” said Muskrat “I’ll go.” “Aaaachooo!” sneezed the young girl. “Guys，guys, would just one of you go. These swan feathers are getting up my nose and making me sneeze.” “Sorry.” said the swans. “That’s alright.” said the young Sky girl. Then Toskwaye the little Toad, popped up2 out of the water. “I’ll go. I can dive very deep.” she said. The other animals started laughing and pointing at Toskwaye. “You! You’re too small and ugly to help.” cried the others, laughing. “Be quiet!” said Big Turtle in a loud, stem voice. “Everyone is equal and everyone will have a chance to try.” The sleek Otter smoothed his glossy fur, took a deep breath and slid into the water. He was gone for a long time before he came up gasping for air. “It was too deep.” he said. “I couldn’t dive that far.” ‘"Now it’s my turn.” said Beaver. He slapped the water with his tail as he disappeared. After a long time he came to the surface again. “It’s too far.” he gasped. “No one can dive that deep.” Muskrat tried next and failed. “Aaaachoo!” sneezed the young girl. “This is not looking good.” “Now it’s my turn.” said little Toskwaye the Toad. She took a deep breath and jumped into the water. She was gone a very long time and everyone thought they wouldn’t see her again. Suddenly Otter pointed at the water, shouting “Look, look! Bubbles!” Toskwaye’s small, ugly face appeared through the water. She spat a few grains of soil onto the Big Turtle’s back, then fell back into the water — dead. The Turtle ordered the others to rub the soil grains and spread them around on his shell. The grains grew and grew, until a large island was formed — big enough for the girl to live on. It grew into our world as we know it today. And the descendants of the Sky girl became the Earth’s people. Today, some people say the whole world still rests on Big Turtles back. When he gets tired and changes his position, we have earthquakes. Toad has not been forgotten either. American native Indians call her “Mashutaha”，which means “Our Grandmother55. No one is allowed to harm her. |
