Once there was a queen who longed for a child. Desperate, she went to the Sun and asked, "Please, send me a little girl, and when she turns twelve, you may take her back." The Sun granted her wish and sent a little girl, whom the queen named Letiko. The queen cared for Letiko lovingly until she turned twelve. On her birthday, as Letiko was out gathering herbs, the Sun appeared and reminded her, "Tell your mother about the promise she made." When the queen heard this, she quickly locked all the doors and windows, sealing every crack and hole in the palace to keep the Sun from taking Letiko. However, she forgot to close the keyhole, and through it, the Sun sent a ray that seized Letiko and carried her away. Letiko then lived with the Sun, doing his bidding. One day, the Sun sent her to fetch some straw. As she sat on the pile of straw, she sighed and whispered, "As this straw sighs under my feet, so sighs my heart for my mother." She stayed so long that...