One morning, a hunter walked through the forest carrying a spear and a clay pot. He was hungry and had not eaten a substantial meal for many days. As he followed a trail at the foot of the mountains, he spotted a deer drinking from a stream. It was a mother deer. The hunter thought she would provide enough food to satisfy his hunger, so he crept closer and raised his spear. But the deer heard him. Startled, she leapt away and raced up into the mountains. As she climbed higher and higher, she accidentally caught the Sun in her antlers. Terrified, the deer continued to run across the mountaintops, carrying the Sun with her. The hunter picked up his pot and chased after her. All the while, the deer moved farther across the sky, dragging the Sun along and making the days shorter. The hunter knew he had to stop her. If the Sun were lost, there would be no daylight left in the world. At last, he came close enough to throw his spear. Just as he aimed, the mother deer sensed his presence and sprang high into the sky to escape. As she leapt, the Sun slipped from her antlers and fell behind the mountains. Day turned to night as the Sun disappeared from sight. But the deer had not jumped quickly enough. The spear struck her, releasing the magic of the Sun that still lingered within her. As she lay dying, the deer transformed into a constellation of stars. The same magic enveloped the hunter, turning him into a star as well. There he remained, with his pot at his side and his spear forever poised to be thrown, chasing the deer across the night sky. Even today, people can see the hunter pursuing the deer among the stars. During winter, the deer appears to lie upon the horizon, as though she has finally fallen. Yet she is no ordinary creature. During the days of the great hunt, she gave birth to a calf. When the days begin to grow longer once more and the Sun returns higher into the sky, the young deer can be seen wandering near the mountains, continuing the eternal story of the Cosmic Hunt.
