Quarreling Chiefs

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Origin of the Saguaro and Palo Verde Cacti

              A long time ago, an Indian woman had two grandchildren that she ground wheat and corn between the grinding stones to make porridge for them.

             As she was putting the water-olla on the fire outside the house to heat water, she told the children not to fight for they might upset the olla. The children began to fight ever though they were told not to and upset the olla and spilled the water. The grandmother spanked them for their disobedience.

             The children were angered for being spanked and ran away off over into the mountains. The grandmother followed the children’s whistling as she ran after them but she could not catch up with them.

             The older boy said, “I will turn into a saguaro, so that I shall live forever and bear fruit.”

             The younger boy said, “I will turn into palo verde and stand forever. These mountains are nothing but rock, but I will make them green.”

             The old Indian woman heard the cactus whistling and recognized her grandson’s voice. She went up to it and tried to hold it in her arms, but the thorns killed her.