The making of the robes begins on the morning of the nuptial hair washing. The father or uncle of the groom (in our case Susie's
father) took a bag of cotton and, passing through the village, stopped at each house. He was expected, and each housewife opened her door and extended a plaque to receive some cotton (everyone was required to wash his hands before touching the cotton). Immediately all hands went to work cleaning the cotton of seeds, burrs, and little sticks. It was all cleaned that same day. In the evening the uncles, godfather, and men who wished to help, gathered at the groom's house to card the cotton. The cards were a pair of flat wire-toothed brushes, four by twelve inches, with wooden handles at a slight angle, on the long side. They were bought from the trader and used for both wool and cotton. I watched my father and my grandfather use them in my time.
A small handful of cotton was spread over all the teeth of one card; with the second card, the cotton was combed back and forth until all the lumps were out and it became fluffy. Another motion made it into a strip as long as the card, which strip was put aside and another one started. The men worked late carding big piles of white cotton. Coal-oil lamps lighted their work. During this time the men told stories, with the bride sitting nearby, along with the kinswomen. From time to time the bride thanked the workers for their service. Everyone enjoyed the stories, and before they realized it, it was midnight and quitting time. The men were served refreshments and everyone went home to bed. It took several nights to do the carding.
Reprinted by permission from Helen Sekaquaptewa, "Marriage" in Me and Mine: The Life Story of Helen Sekaquaptewa, edited by Louise Udall, Tucson: University of Arizona Press, copyright 1969.
3
Select the correct answer.
Which group of events from the plot is in the correct order?
A.
The men were served refreshment; the people cleaned the cotton; the groom's father or uncle distributed the cotton; the men told stories during the carding of the cotton.
B.
The people cleaned the cotton; the men told stories during the carding of the cotton; the men were served refreshments; the groom's father or uncle distributed the cotton.
C.
The groom's father or uncle distributed the cotton; the people cleaned the cotton; the men told stories during the carding of the cotton; the men were served refreshments.
