diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/inwhy10.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/inwhy10.txt | 4682 |
1 files changed, 4682 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/old/inwhy10.txt b/old/inwhy10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..54737d3 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/inwhy10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4682 @@ +The Project Gutenberg Etext of Indian Why Stories, by Linderman + + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below. We need your donations. + + +Indian Why Stories + +by Frank B. Linderman + +July, 1996 [Etext #606] + + +**The Project Gutenberg Etext of Indian Why Stories Linderman** +*****This file should be named inwhy10.txt or inwhy10.zip****** + +Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, inwhy11.txt. +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, inwhy10a.txt. + + +This etext was created by Judith Boss, Omaha, Nebraska. + + +We are now trying to release all our books one month in advance +of the official release dates, for time for better editing. + +Please note: neither this list nor its contents are final till +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. To be sure you have an +up to date first edition [xxxxx10x.xxx] please check file sizes +in the first week of the next month. Since our ftp program has +a bug in it that scrambles the date [tried to fix and failed] a +look at the file size will have to do, but we will try to see a +new copy has at least one byte more or less. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +fifty hours is one conservative estimate for how long it we take +to get any etext selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. This +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If our value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $4 +million dollars per hour this year as we release some eight text +files per month: thus upping our productivity from $2 million. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext +Files by the December 31, 2001. [10,000 x 100,000,000=Trillion] +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is 10% of the expected number of computer users by the end +of the year 2001. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +All donations should be made to "Project Gutenberg/IBC", and are +tax deductible to the extent allowable by law ("IBC" is Illinois +Benedictine College). (Subscriptions to our paper newsletter go +to IBC, too) + +For these and other matters, please mail to: + +Project Gutenberg +P. O. Box 2782 +Champaign, IL 61825 + +When all other email fails try our Michael S. Hart, Executive +Director: +hart@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu (internet) hart@uiucvmd (bitnet) + +We would prefer to send you this information by email +(Internet, Bitnet, Compuserve, ATTMAIL or MCImail). + +****** +If you have an FTP program (or emulator), please +FTP directly to the Project Gutenberg archives: +[Mac users, do NOT point and click. . .type] + +ftp uiarchive.cso.uiuc.edu +login: anonymous +password: your@login +cd etext/etext90 through /etext96 +or cd etext/articles [get suggest gut for more information] +dir [to see files] +get or mget [to get files. . .set bin for zip files] +GET INDEX?00.GUT +for a list of books +and +GET NEW GUT for general information +and +MGET GUT* for newsletters. + +**Information prepared by the Project Gutenberg legal advisor** +(Three Pages) + + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this etext, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you can distribute copies of this etext if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS ETEXT +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +etext, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this etext by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this etext on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG- +tm etexts, is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor +Michael S. Hart through the Project Gutenberg Association at +Illinois Benedictine College (the "Project"). Among other +things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this etext +under the Project's "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +To create these etexts, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's etexts and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other etext medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] the Project (and any other party you may receive this +etext from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold the Project, its directors, +officers, members and agents harmless from all liability, cost +and expense, including legal fees, that arise directly or +indirectly from any of the following that you do or cause: +[1] distribution of this etext, [2] alteration, modification, +or addition to the etext, or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + etext or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this etext in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word pro- + cessing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the etext (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the + net profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Association / Illinois + Benedictine College" within the 60 days following each + date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) + your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, +scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty +free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution +you can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg +Association / Illinois Benedictine College". + +*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +INDIAN WHY +STORIES + +SPARKS FROM WAR EAGLE'S +LODGE-FIRE + +FRANK B. LINDERMAN +[CO SKEE SEE CO COT] + + +I DEDICATE THIS LITTLE BOOK TO MY FRIEND +CHARLES M. RUSSELL +THE COWBOY ARTIST +GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL +THE INDIAN'S FRIEND + +AND TO ALL OTHERS WHO HAVE KNOWN AND LOVED OLD MONTANA + +FOR I HOLD THEM ALL AS KIN +WHO HAVE BUILDED FIRES WHERE NATURE +WEARS NO MAKE-UP ON HER SKIN + + + + +PREFACE + + +THE great Northwest--that wonderful fron- +tier that called to itself a world's hardiest +spirits--is rapidly becoming a settled country; +and before the light of civilizing influences, +the blanket-Indian has trailed the buffalo over +the divide that time has set between the pioneer +and the crowd. With his passing we have lost +much of the aboriginal folk-lore, rich in its +fairy-like characters, and its relation to the +lives of a most warlike people. + +There is a wide difference between folk-lore +of the so-called Old World and that of America. +Transmitted orally through countless genera- +tions, the folk-stories of our ancestors show +many evidences of distortion and of change in +material particulars; but the Indian seems to +have been too fond of nature and too proud of +tradition to have forgotten or changed the +teachings of his forefathers. Childlike in sim- +plicity, beginning with creation itself, and +reaching to the whys and wherefores of nature's moods +and eccentricities, these tales impress +me as being well worth saving. + +The Indian has always been a lover of nature +and a close observer of her many moods. The +habits of the birds and animals, the voices of +the winds and waters, the flickering of the +shadows, and the mystic radiance of the moon- +light--all appealed to him. Gradually, he for- +mulated within himself fanciful reasons for the +myriad manifestations of the Mighty Mother +and her many children; and a poet by instinct, +he framed odd stories with which to convey his +explanations to others. And these stories were +handed down from father to son, with little +variation, through countless generations, until +the white man slaughtered the buffalo, took to +himself the open country, and left the red man +little better than a beggar. But the tribal +story-teller has passed, and only here and there +is to be found a patriarch who loves the legends +of other days. + +OLD-man, or Napa, as he is called by the +tribes of Blackfeet, is the strangest character +in Indian folk-lore. Sometimes he appears as +a god or creator, and again as a fool, a thief, +or a clown. But to the Indian, Napa is not the +Deity; he occupies a somewhat subordinate +position, possessing many attributes which have +sometimes caused him to be confounded with +Manitou, himself. In all of this there is a curi- +ous echo of the teachings of the ancient Aryans, +whose belief it was that this earth was not the +direct handiwork of the Almighty, but of a +mere member of a hierarchy of subordinate gods. +The Indian possesses the highest veneration for +the Great God, who has become familiar to the +readers of Indian literature as Manitou. No +idle tales are told of Him, nor would any Indian +mention Him irreverently. But with Napa it +is entirely different; he appears entitled to no +reverence; he is a strange mixture of the fal- +lible human and the powerful under-god. He +made many mistakes; was seldom to be trusted; +and his works and pranks run from the sub- +lime to the ridiculous. In fact, there are many +stories in which Napa figures that will not +bear telling at all. + +I propose to tell what I know of these legends, +keeping as near as possible to the Indian's +style of story-telling, and using only tales told +me by the older men of the Blackfeet, Chip- +pewa, and Cree tribes. + + + + + +CONTENTS + +WHY THE CHIPMUNK'S BACK IS STRIPED +HOW THE DUCKS GOT THEIR FINE FEATHERS +WHY THE KINGFISHER ALWAYS WEARS A WAR-BONNET + +WHY THE CURLEW S BILL IS LONG AND CROOKED +OLD-MAN REMARKS THE WORLD +WHY BLACKFEET NEVER KILL MICE +HOW THE OTTER SKIN BECAME GREAT MEDICINE +OLD-MAN STEALS THE SUN'S LEGGINGS +OLD-MAN AND HIS CONSCIENCE +OLD-MAN'S TREACHERY +WHY THE NIGHT-HAWK'S WINGS ARE BEAUTIFUL +WHY THE MOUNTAIN-LION IS LONG AND LEAN +THE FIRE-LEGGINGS +THE MOON AND THE GREAT SNAKE +WHY THE DEER HAS NO GALL +WHY INDIANS WHIP THE BUFFALO-BERRIES FROM THE BUSHES +OLD-MAN AND THE FOX +WHY THE BIRCH-TREE WEARS THE SLASHES IN ITS BARK +MISTAKES OF OLD-MAN +HOW THE MAN FOUND HIS MATE +DREAMS +RETROSPECTION + + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +It was the moon when leaves were falling, +for Napa had finished painting them for their +dance with the North wind. Just over the +ragged mountain range the big moon hung in +an almost starless sky, and in shadowy outline +every peak lay upon the plain like a giant pat- +tern. Slowly the light spread and as slowly +the shadows stole away until the October moon +looked down on the great Indian camp--a hun- +dred lodges, each as perfect in design as the +tusks of a young silver-tip, and all looking +ghostly white in the still of the autumn night. + +Back from the camp, keeping within the +ever-moving shadows, a buffalo-wolf skulked +to a hill overlooking the scene, where he stopped +to look and listen, his body silhouetted against +the sky. A dog howled occasionally, and the +weird sound of a tom-tom accompanying the +voice of a singer in the Indian village reached +the wolf's ears, but caused him no alarm; for +not until a great herd of ponies, under the eyes +of the night-herder, drifted too close, did he +steal away. + +Near the centre of the camp was the big +painted lodge of War Eagle, the medicine-man, +and inside had gathered his grandchildren, to +whom he was telling the stories of the creation +and of the strange doings of Napa, the creator. +Being a friend of the old historian, I entered un- +hindered, and with the children listened until +the hour grew late, and on the lodge-wall the +dying fire made warning shadows dance. + + + + +WHY THE CHIPMUNK'S BACK IS STRIPED + + +What a splendid lodge it was, and how +grand War Eagle looked leaning against +his back-rest in the firelight! From the tri- +pod that supported the back-rest were sus- +pended his weapons and his medicine-bundle, +each showing the wonderful skill of the maker. +The quiver that held the arrows was combined +with a case for the bow, and colored quills of +the porcupine had been deftly used to make it +a thing of beauty. All about the lodge hung +the strangely painted linings, and the fire- +light added richness to both color and design. +War Eagle's hair was white, for he had known +many snows; but his eyes were keen and bright +as a boy's, as he gazed in pride at his grand- +children across the lodge-fire. He was wise, +and had been in many battles, for his was a +warlike tribe. He knew all about the world +and the people in it. He was deeply religious, +and every Indian child loved him for his good- +ness and brave deeds. + +About the fire were Little Buffalo Calf, a +boy of eleven years; Eyes-in-the-Water, his +sister, a girl of nine; Fine Bow, a cousin of +these, aged ten, and Bluebird, his sister, who +was but eight years old. + +Not a sound did the children make while +the old warrior filled his great pipe, and only +the snapping of the lodge-fire broke the still- +ness. Solemnly War Eagle lit the tobacco +that had been mixed with the dried inner bark +of the red willow, and for several minutes +smoked in silence, while the children's eyes +grew large with expectancy. Finally he spoke: + +"Napa, OLD-man, is very old indeed. He +made this world, and all that is on it. He +came out of the south, and travelled toward +the north, making the birds and animals as +he passed. He made the perfumes for the +winds to carry about, and he even made the +war-paint for the people to use. He was a +busy worker, but a great liar and thief, as I +shall show you after I have told you more +about him. It was OLD-man who taught the +beaver all his cunning. It was OLD-man who +told the bear to go to sleep when the snow grew +deep in winter, and it was he who made the +curlew's bill so long and crooked, although it +was not that way at first. OLD-man used to +live on this world with the animals and birds. +There was no other man or woman then, and +he was chief over all the animal-people and +the bird-people. He could speak the lan- +guage of the robin, knew the words of the +bear, and understood the sign-talk of the +beaver, too. He lived with the wolves, for +they are the great hunters. Even to-day we +make the same sign for a smart man as we +make for the wolf; so you see he taught them +much while he lived with them. OLD-man +made a great many mistakes in making things, +as I shall show you after a while; yet he worked +until he had everything good. But he often +made great mischief and taught many wicked +things. These I shall tell you about some +day. Everybody was afraid of OLD-man and +his tricks and lies--even the animal-people, +before he made men and women. He used to +visit the lodges of our people and make trouble +long ago, but he got so wicked that Manitou +grew angry at him, and one day in the month +of roses, he built a lodge for OLD-man and told +him that he must stay in it forever. Of course +he had to do that, and nobody knows where +the lodge was built, nor in what country, but +that is why we never see him as our grand- +fathers did, long, long ago. + +"What I shall tell you now happened when +the world was young. It was a fine sum- +mer day, and OLD-man was travelling in the +forest. He was going north and straight as +an arrow--looking at nothing, hearing noth- +ing. No one knows what he was after, to +this day. The birds and forest-people spoke +politely to him as he passed but he answered +none of them. The Pine-squirrel, who is al- +ways trying to find out other people's business, +asked him where he was going, but OLD-man +wouldn't tell him. The woodpecker hammered +on a dead tree to make him look that way, +but he wouldn't. The Elk-people and the Deer- +people saw him pass, and all said that he +must be up to some mischief or he would stop +and talk a while. The pine-trees murmured, +and the bushes whispered their greeting, but +he kept his eyes straight ahead and went on +travelling. + +"The sun was low when OLD-man heard a +groan" (here War Eagle groaned to show the +children how it sounded), "and turning about +he saw a warrior lying bruised and bleeding +near a spring of cold water. OLD-man knelt +beside the man and asked: 'Is there war in this +country? ' + +"'Yes,' answered the man. 'This whole +day long we have fought to kill a Person, but +we have all been killed, I am afraid.' + +"'That is strange,' said OLD-man; 'how can +one Person kill so many men? Who is this +Person, tell me his name!' but the man didn't +answer--he was dead. When OLD-man saw +that life had left the wounded man, he drank +from the spring, and went on toward the north, +but before long he heard a noise as of men +fighting, and he stopped to look and listen. +Finally he saw the bushes bend and sway near +a creek that flowed through the forest. He +crawled toward the spot, and peering through +the brush saw a great Person near a pile of +dead men, with his back against a pine-tree. +The Person was full of arrows, and he was +pulling them from his ugly body. Calmly the +Person broke the shafts of the arrows, tossed +them aside, and stopped the blood flow with +a brush of his hairy hand. His head was +large and fierce-looking, and his eyes were +small and wicked. His great body was larger +than that of a buffalo-bull and covered with +scars of many battles. + +"OLD-man went to the creek, and with his +buffalo-horn cup brought some water to the +Person, asking as he approached: + +"'Who are you, Person? Tell me, so I +can make you a fine present, for you are great +in war.' + +"'I am Bad Sickness,' replied the Person. +'Tribes I have met remember me and always +will, for their bravest warriors are afraid when I +make war upon them. I come in the night or +I visit their camps in daylight. It is always the +same; they are frightened and I kill them easily.' + +" 'Ho!' said OLD-man, 'tell me how to make +Bad Sickness, for I often go to war myself.' +He lied; for he was never in a battle in his life. +The Person shook his ugly head and then OLD- +man said: + +" 'If you will tell me how to make Bad Sick- +ness I will make you small and handsome. +When you are big, as you now are, it is very +hard to make a living; but when you are small, +little food will make you fat. Your living +will be easy because I will make your food +grow everywhere.' + +"'Good,' said the Person, 'I will do it; +you must kill the fawns of the deer and the +calves of the elk when they first begin to live. +When you have killed enough of them you +must make a robe of their skins. Whenever +you wear that robe and sing--"now you sicken, +now you sicken," the sickness will come-- +that is all there is to it. ' + +"'Good,' said OLD-man, 'now lie down to +sleep and I will do as I promised.' + +"The Person went to sleep and OLD-man +breathed upon him until he grew so tiny that +he laughed to see how small he had made him. +Then he took out his paint sack and striped +the Person's back with black and yellow. It +looked bright and handsome and he waked the +Person, who was now a tiny animal with a +bushy tail to make him pretty. + +"'Now,' said OLD-man, 'you are the Chip- +munk, and must always wear those striped +clothes. All of your children and their chil- +dren, must wear them, too.' + +"After the Chipmunk had looked at him- +self, and thanked OLD-man for his new clothes, +he wanted to know how he could make his +living, and OLD-man told him what to eat, and +said he must cache the pine-nuts when the +leaves turned yellow, so he would not have +to work in the winter time. + +"'You are a cousin to the Pine-squirrel,' +said OLD-man, 'and you will hunt and hide +as he does. You will be spry and your living will +be easy to make if you do as I have told you.' + +"He taught the Chipmunk his language +and his signs, showed him where to live, and +then left him, going on toward the north again. +He kept looking for the cow-elk and doe-deer, +and it was not long before he had killed enough +of their young to make the robe as the Person +told him, for they were plentiful before the +white man came to live on the world. He +found a shady place near a creek, and there +made the robe that would make Bad Sick- +ness whenever he sang the queer song, but +the robe was plain, and brown in color. He +didn't like the looks of it. Suddenly he thought +how nice the back of the Chipmunk looked +after he had striped it with his paints. He +got out his old paint sack and with the same +colors made the robe look very much like +the clothes of the Chipmunk. He was proud +of the work, and liked the new robe better; +but being lazy, he wanted to save himself +work, so he sent the South-wind to tell all +the doe-deer and the cow-elk to come to him. +They came as soon as they received the mes- +sage, for they were afraid of OLD-man and +always tried to please him. When they had +all reached the place where OLD-man was he +said to them: + +"'Do you see this robe?' + +"'Yes, we see it,' they replied. + +"'Well, I have made it from the skins of +your children, and then painted it to look +like the Chipmunk's back, for I like the looks +of that Person's clothes. I shall need many +more of these robes during my life; and every +time I make one, I don't want to have to spend +my time painting it; so from now on and for- +ever your children shall be born in spotted +clothes. I want it to be that way to save me +work. On all the fawns there must be spots +of white like this (here he pointed to the spots +on Bad Sickness's robe) and on all of the elk- +calves the spots shall not be so white and +shall be in rows and look rather yellow.' Again +he showed them his robe, that they might see +just what he wanted. + +"'Remember,' he said, 'after this I don't +want to see any of your children running about +wearing plain clothing, because that +would mean more painting for me. Now go away, +and remember what I have said, lest I make +you sick. ' + +"The cow-elk and the doe-deer were glad +to know that their children's clothes would +be beautiful, and they went away to their +little ones who were hidden in the tall grass, +where the wolves and mountain-lions would +have a hard time finding them; for you know +that in the tracks of the fawn there is no scent, +and the wolf cannot trail him when he is alone. +That is the way Manitou takes care of the +weak, and all of the forest-people know about +it, too. + +"Now you know why the Chipmunk's back +is striped, and why the fawn and elk-calf wear +their pretty clothes. + +"I hear the owls, and it is time for all young +men who will some day be great warriors to +go to bed, and for all young women to seek +rest, lest beauty go away forever. Ho!" + + + + +HOW THE DUCKS GOT THEIR FINE FEATHERS + + +Another night had come, and I made +my way toward War Eagle's lodge. In +the bright moonlight the dead leaves of the +quaking-aspen fluttered down whenever the +wind shook the trees; and over the village +great flocks of ducks and geese and swan passed +in a never-ending procession, calling to each +other in strange tones as they sped away toward +the waters that never freeze. + +In the lodge War Eagle waited for his grand- +children, and when they had entered, happily, +he laid aside his pipe and said: + +"The Duck-people are travelling to-night +just as they have done since the world was +young. They are going away from winter +because they cannot make a living when ice +covers the rivers. + +"You have seen the Duck-people often. +You have noticed that they wear fine clothes +but you do not know how they got them; so +I will tell you to-night. + +"It was in the fall when leaves are yellow +that it happened, and long, long ago. The +Duck-people had gathered to go away, just as +they are doing now. The buck-deer was com- +ing down from the high ridges to visit friends +in the lowlands along the streams as they have +always done. On a lake OLD-man saw the +Duck-people getting ready to go away, and +at that time they all looked alike; that is, they +all wore the same colored clothes. The loons +and the geese and the ducks were there and +playing in the sunlight. The loons were laugh- +ing loudly and the diving was fast and merry +to see. On the hill where OLD-man stood there +was a great deal of moss, and he began to tear +it from the ground and roll it into a great ball. +When he had gathered all he needed he shoul- +dered the load and started for the shore of +the lake, staggering under the weight of the +great burden. Finally the Duck-people saw +him coming with his load of moss and began +to swim away from the shore. + +"'Wait, my brothers!' he called, 'I have a +big load here, and I am going to give you +people a dance. Come and help me get things +ready. ' + +"'Don't you do it,' said the gray goose to +the others; 'that's OLD-man and he is up to +something bad, I am sure.' + +"So the loon called to OLD-man and said +they wouldn't help him at all. + +"Right near the water OLD-man dropped his +ball of moss and then cut twenty long poles. +With the poles he built a lodge which he covered +with the moss, leaving a doorway facing the +lake. Inside the lodge he built a fire and +when it grew bright he cried: + +"'Say, brothers, why should you treat me +this way when I am here to give you a big +dance? Come into the lodge,' but they +wouldn't do that. Finally OLD-man began to +sing a song in the duck-talk, and keep time +with his drum. The Duck-people liked the +music, and swam a little nearer to the shore, +watching for trouble all the time, but OLD- +man sang so sweetly that pretty soon they +waddled up to the lodge and went inside. +The loon stopped near the door, for he be- +lieved that what the gray goose had said was +true, and that OLD-man was up to some mis- +chief. The gray goose, too, was careful to +stay close to the door but the ducks reached +all about the fire. Politely, OLD- +man passed the pipe, and they all smoked with him be- +cause it is wrong not to smoke in a person's +lodge if the pipe is offered, and the Duck- +people knew that. + +"'Well,' said Old-man, 'this is going to be +the Blind-dance, but you will have to be painted +first. + +"'Brother Mallard, name the colors--tell +how you want me to paint you.' + +"'Well,' replied the mallard drake, 'paint +my head green, and put a white circle around +my throat, like a necklace. Besides that, I +want a brown breast and yellow legs: but I +don't want my wife painted that way.' + +"OLD-man painted him just as he asked, +and his wife, too. Then the teal and the +wood-duck (it took a long time to paint the +wood-duck) and the spoonbill and the blue- +bill and the canvasback and the goose and +the brant and the loon--all chose their paint. +OLD-man painted them all just as they wanted +him to, and kept singing all the time. They +looked very pretty in the firelight, for it was +night before the painting was done. + +"'Now,' said OLD-man, 'as this is the Blind- +dance, when I beat upon my drum you must +all shut your eyes tight and circle around the +fire as I sing. Every one that peeks will have +sore eyes forever.' + +"Then the Duck-people shut their eyes and +OLD-man began to sing: 'Now you come, ducks, +now you come--tum-tum, tum; tum-tum, +tum.' + +"Around the fire they came with their eyes +still shut, and as fast as they reached OLD-man, +the rascal would seize them, and wring their +necks. Ho! things were going fine for OLD- +man, but the loon peeked a little, and saw +what was going on; several others heard the +fluttering and opened their eyes, too. The +loon cried out, 'He's killing us--let us fly,' +and they did that. There was a great squawk- +ing and quacking and fluttering as the Duck- +people escaped from the lodge. Ho! but OLD- +man was angry, and he kicked the back of +the loon-duck, and that is why his feet turn +from his body when he walks or tries to stand. +Yes, that is why he is a cripple to-day. + +"And all of the Duck-people that peeked +that night at the dance still have sore eyes-- +just as OLD-man told them they would have. +Of course they hurt and smart no more but +they stay red to pay for peeking, and always +will. You have seen the mallard and the +rest of the Duck-people. You can see that +the colors OLD-man painted so long ago are +still bright and handsome, and they will stay +that way forever and forever. Ho!" + + + + +WHY THE KINGFISHER ALWAYS +WEARS A WAR-BONNET + + + +Autumn nights on the upper Missouri +river in Montana are indescribably beau- +tiful, and under their spell imagination is a +constant companion to him who lives in wil- +derness, lending strange, weird echoes to the +voice of man or wolf, and unnatural shapes +in shadow to commonplace forms. + +The moon had not yet climbed the distant +mountain range to look down on the humbler +lands when I started for War Eagle's lodge; and +dimming the stars in its course, the milky- +way stretched across the jewelled sky. "The +wolf's trail," the Indians call this filmy streak +that foretells fair weather, and to-night it +promised much, for it seemed plainer and +brighter than ever before. + +"How--how!" greeted War Eagle, making +the sign for me to be seated near him, as I +entered his lodge. Then he passed me his +pipe and together we smoked until the chil- +dren came. + +Entering quietly, they seated themselves in +exactly the same positions they had occupied +on the previous evenings, and patiently waited +in silence. Finally War Eagle laid the pipe +away and said: "Ho! Little Buffalo Calf, +throw a big stick on the fire and I will tell +you why the Kingfisher wears a war-bonnet." + +The boy did as he was bidden. The sparks +jumped toward the smoke-hole and the blaze +lighted up the lodge until it was bright as day- +time, when War Eagle continued: + +"You have often seen Kingfisher at his fish- +ing along the rivers, I know; and you have +heard him laugh in his queer way, for he laughs +a good deal when he flies. That same laugh +nearly cost him his life once, as you will see. +I am sure none could see the Kingfisher without +noticing his great head-dress, but not many +know how he came by it because it happened +so long ago that most men have forgotten. + +"It was one day in the winter-time when +OLD-man and the Wolf were hunting. The +snow covered the land and ice was on all of the +rivers. It was so cold that OLD-man wrapped +his robe close about himself and his breath +showed white in the air. Of course the Wolf +was not cold; wolves never get cold as men +do. Both OLD-man and the Wolf were hungry +for they had travelled far and had killed no +meat. OLD-man was complaining and grum- +bling, for his heart is not very good. It is +never well to grumble when we are doing our +best, because it will do no good and makes us +weak in our hearts. When our hearts are +weak our heads sicken and our strength goes +away. Yes, it is bad to grumble. + +"When the sun was getting low OLD-man +and the Wolf came to a great river. On the +ice that covered the water, they saw four fat +Otters playing. + +"'There is meat,' said the Wolf; 'wait here +and I will try to catch one of those fellows.' + +"'No!--No!' cried OLD-man, 'do not run +after the Otter on the ice, because there are +air-holes in all ice that covers rivers, and you +may fall in the water and die.' OLD-man +didn't care much if the Wolf did drown. He +was afraid to be left alone and hungry in the +snow--that was all. + +"'Ho!' said the Wolf, 'I am swift of foot +and my teeth are white and sharp. What +chance has an Otter against me? Yes, I will +go,' and he did. + +"Away ran the Otters with the Wolf after +them, while OLD-man stood on the bank and +shivered with fright and cold. Of course the +Wolf was faster than the Otter, but he was +running on the ice, remember, and slipping +a good deal. Nearer and nearer ran the Wolf. +In fact he was just about to seize an Otter, +when SPLASH!--into an air-hole all the +Otters went. Ho ! the Wolf was going so fast +he couldn't stop, and SWOW! into the air- +hole he went like a badger after mice, and the +current carried him under the ice. The Otters +knew that hole was there. That was their +country and they were running to reach that +same hole all the time, but the Wolf didn't +know that. + +"Old-man saw it all and began to cry and +wail as women do. Ho! but he made a great +fuss. He ran along the bank of the river, +stumbling in the snowdrifts, and crying like +a woman whose child is dead; but it was be- +cause he didn't want to be left in that coun- +try alone that he cried--not because he +loved his brother, the Wolf. On and on he +ran until he came to a place where the water +was too swift to freeze, and there he waited and +watched for the Wolf to come out from under +the ice, crying and wailing and making an +awful noise, for a man. + +"Well--right there is where the thing hap- +pened. You see, Kingfisher can't fish through +the ice and he knows it, too; so he always +finds places like the one OLD-man found. He +was there that day, sitting on the limb of a +birch-tree, watching for fishes, and when OLD- +man came near to Kingfisher's tree, crying +like an old woman, it tickled the Fisher so +much that he laughed that queer, chattering +laugh. + +"OLD-man heard him and--Ho! but he was +angry. He looked about to see who was +laughing at him and that made Kingfisher +laugh again, longer and louder than before. +This time OLD-man saw him and SWOW! he +threw his war-club at Kingfisher; tried to kill +the bird for laughing. Kingfisher ducked so +quickly that OLD-man's club just grazed the +feathers on his head, making them stand up +straight. + +"'There,' said OLD-man, 'I'll teach you to +laugh at me when I'm sad. Your feathers are +standing up on the top of your head now +and they will stay that way, too. As long +as you live you must wear a head-dress, to +pay for your laughing, and all your children +must do the same. + +"This was long, long ago, but the King- +fishers have not forgotten, and they all wear +war-bonnets, and always will as long as there +are Kingfishers. + +"Now I will say good night, and when +the sun sleeps again I will tell you why the +curlew's bill is so long and crooked. Ho!" + + + + +WHY THE CURLEW'S BILL IS LONG AND CROOKED + +When we reached War Eagle's lodge +we stopped near the door, for the old +fellow was singing--singing some old, sad +song of younger days and keeping time with +his tom-tom. Somehow the music made me +sad and not until it had ceased, did we enter. + +"How! How!"--he greeted us, with no trace +of the sadness in his voice that I de- +tected in his song. + +"You have come here to-night to learn why +the Curlew's bill is so long and crooked. I +will tell you, as I promised, but first I must +smoke." + +In silence we waited until the pipe was laid +aside, then War Eagle began: + +"By this time you know that OLD-man was +not always wise, even if he did make the +world, and all that is on it. He often got into +trouble but something always happened to get +him out of it. What I shall tell you now +will show you that it is not well to try to do +things just because others do them. They +may be right for others, and wrong for us, but +OLD-man didn't understand that, you see. + +"One day he saw some mice playing and +went near to watch them. It was spring- +time, and the frost was just coming out of +the ground. A big flat rock was sticking +out of a bank near a creek, and the sun had +melted the frost from the earth about it, loos- +ening it, so that it was about to fall. The Chief- +Mouse would sing a song, while all the other +mice danced, and then the chief would cry +'now!' and all the mice would run past the +big rock. On the other side, the Chief-Mouse +would sing again, and then say 'now!'--back +they would come--right under the danger- +ous rock. Sometimes little bits of dirt would +crumble and fall near the rock. as though +warning the mice that the rock was going to +fall, but they paid no attention to the warn- +ing, and kept at their playing. Finally OLD- +man said: + +"'Say, Chief-Mouse, I want to try that. +I want to play that game. I am a good run- +ner. ' + +"He wasn't, you know, but he thought he +could run. That is often where we make +great mistakes--when we try to do things +we were not intended to do. + +"'No--no!' cried the Chief-Mouse, as OLD- +man prepared to make the race past the rock. +'No!--No!--you will shake the ground. +You are too heavy, and the rock may fall and +kill you. My people are light of foot and +fast. We are having a good time, but if you +should try to do as we are doing you might +get hurt, and that would spoil our fun.' + +"'Ho!' said OLD-man, 'stand back! I'll +show you what a runner I am.' + +"He ran like a grizzly bear, and shook the +ground with his weight. Swow!--came the +great rock on top of OLD-man and held him +fast in the mud. My! how he screamed and +called for aid. All the Mice-people ran away +to find help. It was a long time before the +Mice-people found anybody, but they finally +found the Coyote, and told him what had +happened. Coyote didn't like OLD-man very +much, but he said he would go and see what +he could do, and he did. The Mice-people +showed him the way, and when they all reached +the spot--there was OLD-man deep in the +mud, with the big rock on his back. He was +angry and was saying things people should not +say, for they do no good and make the mind +wicked. + +"Coyote said: 'Keep still, you big baby. +Quit kicking about so. You are splashing +mud in my eyes. How can I see with my eyes +full of mud? Tell me that. I am going to +try to help you out of your trouble.' He +tried but OLD-man insulted Coyote. and called +him a name that is not good, so the Coyote +said, 'Well, stay there,' and went away. + +"Again OLD-man began to call for helpers, +and the Curlew, who was flying over, saw the +trouble, and came down to the ground to help. +In those days Curlew had a short, stubby bill, +and he thought that he could break the rock +by pecking it. He pecked and pecked away +without making any headway, till OLD-man +grew angry at him, as he did at the Coyote. +The harder the Curlew worked, the worse OLD- +man scolded him. OLD-man lost his temper +altogether, you see, which is a bad thing to do, +for we lose our friends with it, often. Temper +is like a bad dog about a lodge--no friends +will come to see us when he is about. + +"Curlew did his best but finally said: 'I'll +go and try to find somebody else to help you. +I guess I am too small and weak. I shall come +back to you.' He was standing close to OLD- +man when he spoke, and OLD-man reached out +and grabbed the Curlew by the bill. Curlew +began to scream--oh, my--oh, my--oh, +my--as you still hear them in the air when it +is morning. OLD-man hung onto the bill and +finally pulled it out long and slim, and bent +it downward, as it is to-day. Then he let go +and laughed at the Curlew. + +"'You are a queer-looking bird now. That +is a homely bill, but you shall always wear it +and so shall all of your children, as long as +there are Curlews in the world.' + +"I have forgotten who it was that got OLD- +man out of his trouble, but it seems to me it +was the bear. Anyhow he did get out some- +how, and lived to make trouble, until Mani- +tou grew tired of him. + +"There are good things that OLD-man did +and to-morrow night, if you will come early, +I will tell you how OLD-man made the world +over after the water made its war on the land, +scaring all the animal-people and the bird- +people. I will also tell you how he made +the first man and the first woman and who +they were. But now the grouse is fast asleep; +nobody is stirring but those who were made to +see in the dark, like the owl and the wolf.-- Ho!" + + + + +OLD-MAN REMAKES THE WORLD + +The sun was just sinking behind the hills +when we started for War Eagle's lodge. + +"To-morrow will be a fine day," said Other- +person, "for grandfather says that a red sky +is always the sun's promise of fine weather, +and the sun cannot lie." + +"Yes," said Bluebird, "and he said that +when this moon was new it travelled well +south for this time of year and its points were +up. That means fine, warm weather." + +"I wish I knew as much as grandfather," +said Fine-bow with pride. + +The pipe was laid aside at once upon our +entering the lodge and the old warrior said: + +"I have told you that OLD-man taught the +animals and the birds all they know. He +made them and therefore knew just what +each would have to understand in order to +make his living. They have never forgotten +anything he told them--even to this day. +Their grandfathers told the young ones what +they had been told, just as I am telling you +the things you should know. Be like the +birds and animals--tell your children and +grandchildren what I have told you, that +our people may always know how things were +made, and why strange things are true. + +"Yes--OLD-man taught the Beaver how to +build his dams to make the water deeper; +taught the Squirrel to plant the pine-nut so +that another tree might grow and have nuts +for his children; told the Bear to go to sleep +in the winter, when the snow made hard travel- +ling for his short legs--told him to sleep, and +promised him that he would need no meat +while he slept. All winter long the Bear +sleeps and eats nothing, because OLD- +man told him that he could. He sleeps so much in the +winter that he spends most of his time in +summer hunting. + +"It was OLD-man who showed the Owl how +to hunt at night and it was OLD-man that +taught the Weasel all his wonderful ways-- +his bloodthirsty ways--for the Weasel is +the bravest of the animal-people, considering +his size. He taught the Beaver one strange +thing that you have noticed, and that is to +lay sticks on the creek-bottoms, so that they +will stay there as long as he wants them to. + +"Whenever the animal-people got into +trouble they always sought OLD-man and told +him about it. All were busy working and +making a living, when one day it commenced +to rain. That was nothing, of course, but it +didn't stop as it had always done before. No, +it kept right on raining until the rivers over- +ran their banks, and the water chased the +Weasel out of his hole in the ground. Yes, +and it found the Rabbit's hiding-place and +made him leave it. It crept into the lodge +of the Wolf at night and frightened his wife +and children. It poured into the den of the +Bear among the rocks and he had to move. It +crawled under the logs in the forest and +found the Mice-people. Out it went to the +plains and chased them out of their homes in +the buffalo skulls. At last the Beavers' dams +broke under the strain and that made every- +thing worse. It was bad--very bad, indeed. +Everybody except the fish-people were fright- +ened and all went to find OLD-man that they +might tell him what had happened. Finally +they found his fire, far up on a timbered bench, +and they said that they wanted a council +right away. + +"It was a strange sight to see the Eagle +sitting next to the Grouse; the Rabbit sitting +close to the Lynx; the Mouse right under the +very nose of the Bobcat, and the tiny Hum- +ming-bird talking to the Hawk in a whisper, +as though they had always been great friends. +All about OLD-man's fire they sat and whispered +or talked in signs. Even the Deer spoke to +the Mountain-lion, and the Antelope told the +Wolf that he was glad to see him, because fear +had made them all friends. + +"The whispering and the sign-making stopped +when OLD-man raised his hand-like that" +(here War Eagle raised his hand with the palm +outward)--"and asked them what was troubling +them. + +"The Bear spoke first, of course, and told +how the water had made him move his camp. +He said all the animal-people were moving +their homes, and he was afraid they would be +unable to find good camping-places, because +of the water. Then the Beaver spoke, be- +cause he is wise and all the forest-people know +it. He said his dams would not hold back the +water that came against them; that the whole +world was a lake, and that he thought they +were on an island. He said he could live in +the water longer than most people, but that +as far as he could see they would all die except, +perhaps, the fish-people, who stayed in the +water all the time, anyhow. He said he +couldn't think of a thing to do--then he +sat down and the sign-talking and whispering +commenced again. + +"OLD-man smoked a long time--smoked +and thought hard. Finally he grabbed his +magic stone axe, and began to sing his war- +song. Then the rest knew he had made up his +mind and knew what he would do. Swow! +he struck a mighty pine-tree a blow, and it +fell down. Swow! down went another and +another, until he had ten times ten of the +longest, straightest, and largest trees in all +the world lying side by side before him. Then +OLD-man chopped off the limbs, and with the aid +of magic rolled the great logs tight together. +With withes of willow that he told the Beaver +to cut for him, he bound the logs fast together +until they were all as one. It was a monstrous +raft that OLD-man had built, as he sang his song +in the darkness. At last he cried, 'Ho! every- +body hurry and sit on this raft I have made'; +and they did hurry. + +"It was not long till the water had reached +the logs; then it crept in between them, and +finally it went on past the raft and off into the +forest, looking for more trouble. + +"By and by the raft began to groan, and the +willow withes squeaked and cried out as though +ghost-people were crying in the night. That +was when the great logs began to tremble as +the water lifted them from the ground. Rain +was falling--night was there, and fear made +cowards of the bravest on the raft. All through +the forest there were bad noises--noises that +make the heart cold--as the raft bumped against +great trees rising from the earth that they +were leaving forever. + +"Higher and higher went the raft; higher +than the bushes; higher than the limbs on the +trees; higher than the Woodpecker's nest; +higher than the tree tops, and even higher +than the mountains. Then the world was no +more, for the water had whipped the land in +the war it made against it. + +"Day came, and still the rain was falling. +Night returned, and yet the rain came down. +For many days and nights they drifted in the +falling rain; whirling and twisting about while +the water played with the great raft, as a Bear +would play with a Mouse. It was bad, and +they were all afraid--even OLD-man himself +was scared. + +"At last the sun came but there was no +land. All was water. The water was the +world. It reached even to the sky and touched +it all about the edges. All were hungry, and +some of them were grumbling, too. There +are always grumblers when there is great +trouble, but they are not the ones who become +great chiefs--ever. + +"OLD-man sat in the middle of the raft and +thought. He knew that something must be +done, but he didn't know what. Finally he +said: 'Ho! Chipmunk, bring me the Spotted +Loon. Tell him I want him.' + +"The Chipmunk found the Spotted Loon +and told him that OLD-man wanted him, so the +Loon went to where OLD-man sat. When he +got there, OLD-man said: + +"'Spotted Loon you are a great diver. No- +body can dive as you can. I made you that +way and I know. If you will dive and swim +down to the world I think you might bring me +some of the dirt that it is made of--then +I am sure I can make another world.' + +"'It is too deep, this water,' replied the +Loon, 'I am afraid I shall drown.' + +"'Well, what if you do?' said OLD-man. 'I +gave you life, and if you lose it this way I +will return it to you. You shall live again!' + +"'All right, OLD-man,' he answered, 'I am +willing to try'; so he waddled to the edge of the +raft. He is a poor walker--the Loon, and +you know I told you why. It was all because +OLD-man kicked him in the back the night he +painted all the Duck-people. + +"Down went the Spotted Loon, and long +he stayed beneath the water. All waited and +watched, and longed for good luck, but when +he came to the top he was dead. Everybody +groaned--all felt badly, I can tell you, as +OLD-man laid the dead Loon on the logs. The +Loon's wife was crying, but OLD-man told her to +shut up and she did. + +"Then OLD-man blew his own breath into +the Loon's bill, and he came back to life. + +"'What did you see, Brother Loon?' asked +OLD-man, while everybody crowded as close +as he could. + +"'Nothing but water,' answered the Loon, +'we shall all die here, I cannot reach the world +by swimming. My heart stops working.' + +"There were many brave ones on the raft, +and the Otter tried to reach the world by +diving; and the Beaver, and the Gray Goose, +and the Gray Goose's wife; but all died in +trying, and all were given a new life by OLD- +man. Things were bad and getting worse. +Everybody was cross, and all wondered what +OLD-man would do next, when somebody laughed. + +"All turned to see what there could be to +laugh at, at such a time, and OLD-man turned +about just in time to see the Muskrat bid +good-by to his wife--that was what they +were laughing at. But he paid no attention +to OLD-man or the rest, and slipped from the +raft to the water. Flip!--his tail cut the +water like a knife, and he was gone. Some +laughed again, but all wondered at his daring, +and waited with little hope in their hearts; +for the Muskrat wasn't very great, they +thought. + +"He was gone longer than the Loon, longer +than the Beaver, longer than the Otter or +the Gray Goose or his wife, but when he +came to the surface of the water he was +dead. + +"OLD-man brought Muskrat back to life, +and asked him what he had seen on his journey. +Muskrat said: 'I saw trees, OLD-man, but I +died before I got to them.' + +"OLD-man told him he was brave. He said +his people should forever be great if he suc- +ceeded in bringing some dirt to the raft; so +just as soon as the Muskrat was rested he +dove again. + +"When he came up he was dead, but clinched +in his tiny hand OLD-man found some dirt-- +not much, but a little. A second time OLD-man +gave the Muskrat his breath, and told him +that he must go once more, and bring dirt. +He said there was not quite enough in the first +lot, so after resting a while the Muskrat tried +a third time and a third time he died, but +brought up a little more dirt. + +"Everybody on the raft was anxious now, +and they were all crowding about OLD-man; +but he told them to stand back, and they did. +Then he blew his breath in Muskrat's mouth +a third time, and a third time he lived and +joined his wife. + +"OLD-man then dried the dirt in his hands, +rubbing it slowly and singing a queer song. +Finally it was dry; then he settled the hand that +held the dirt in the water slowly, until the +water touched the dirt. The dry dirt began to +whirl about and then OLD-man blew upon it. +Hard he blew and waved his hands, and the +dirt began to grow in size right before their +eyes. OLD-man kept blowing and waving his +hands until the dirt became real land, and the +trees began to grow. So large it grew that +none could see across it. Then he stopped +his blowing and sang some more. Everybody wanted +to get off the raft, but OLD-man said 'no.' + +"'Come here, Wolf,' he said, and the Wolf +came to him. + +"'You are swift of foot and brave. Run +around this land I have made, that I may +know how large it is.' + +"The Wolf started, and it took him half a +year to get back to the raft. He was very +poor from much running, too, but OLD-man +said the world wasn't big enough yet so he +blew some more, and again sent the Wolf out +to run around the land. He never came back +--no, the OLD-man had made it so big that the +Wolf died of old age before he got back to the +raft. Then all the people went out upon the +land to make their living, and they were +happy, there, too. + +"After they had been on the land for a long +time OLD-man said: 'Now I shall make a man +and a woman, for I am lonesome living with +you people. He took two or three handfuls +of mud from the world he had made, and +moulded both a man and a woman. Then he +set them side by side and breathed upon them. +They lived!--and he made them very strong +and healthy--very beautiful to look upon. +Chippewas, he called these people, and they +lived happily on that world until a white man +saw an Eagle sailing over the land and came to +look about. He stole the woman--that white +man did; and that is where all the tribes came +from that we know to-day. None are pure of +blood but the two humans he made of clay, +and their own children. And they are the +Chippewas! + +"That is a long story and now you must +hurry to bed. To-morrow night I will tell +you another story--Ho!" + + + + +WHY BLACKFEET NEVER KILL MICE + +Muskrat and his grandmother were +gathering wood for the camp the next +morning, when they came to an old buffalo +skull. The plains were dotted with these relics +of the chase, for already the hide-hunting +white man had played havoc with the great +herds of buffalo. This skull was in a grove +of cottonwood-trees near the river, and as +they approached two Mice scampered into +it to hide. Muskrat, in great glee, secured a +stick and was about to turn the skull over +and kill the Mice, when his grandmother +said: "No, our people never kill Mice. Your +grandfather will tell you why if you ask him. +The Mice-people are our friends and we treat +them as such. Even small people can be good +friends, you know--remember that." + +All the day the boy wondered why the Mice- +people should not be harmed; and just at dark +he came for me to accompany him to War +Eagle's lodge. On the way he told me what +his grandmother had said, and that he intended +to ask for the reason, as soon as we arrived. +We found the other children already there, +and almost before we had seated ourselves, +Muskrat asked: + +"Grandfather, why must we never kill the +Mice-people? Grandmother said that you +knew." + +"Yes," replied War Eagle, "I do know +and you must know. Therefore I shall tell +you all to-night why the Mice-people must +be let alone and allowed to do as they please, +for we owe them much; much more than we +can ever pay. Yes--they are great people, +as you will see. + +" It happened long, long ago, when there +were few men and women on the world. OLD- +man was chief of all then, and the animal- +people and the bird-people were greater than +our people, because we had not been on earth +long and were not wise. + +"There was much quarrelling among the +animals and the birds. You see the Bear +wanted to be chief, under OLD-man, and so +did the Beaver. Almost every night they +would have a council and quarrel over it. +Beside the Bear and Beaver, there were other +animals, and also birds, that thought they had +the right to be chief. They couldn't agree and +the quarrelling grew worse as time went on. +Some said the greatest thief should be chosen. +Others thought the wisest one should be the +leader; while some said the swiftest traveller +was the one they wanted. So it went on and +on until they were most all enemies instead of +friends, and you could hear them quarrelling +almost every night, until OLD-man came along +that way. + +"He heard about the trouble. I forget +who told him, but I think it was the Rabbit. +Anyhow he visited the council where the +quarrelling was going on and listened to what +each one had to say. It took until almost +daylight, too. He listened to it all--every +bit. When they had finished talking and the +quarrelling commenced as usual, he said, 'stop!' +and they did stop. + +"Then he said to them: 'I will settle this +thing right here and right now, so that there +will be no more rows over it, forever.' + +"He opened his paint sack and took from +it a small, polished bone. This he held up in +the firelight, so that they might all see it, and +he said: + +"'This will settle the quarrel. You all see +this bone in my right hand, don't you?' + +"'Yes,' they replied. + +"'Well, now you watch the bone and my +hands, too, for they are quick and cunning.' + +"OLD-man began to sing the gambling song +and to slip the bone from one hand to the other +so rapidly and smoothly that they were all +puzzled. Finally he stopped singing and held +out his hands--both shut tight, and both +with their backs up. + +"'Which of my hands holds the bone now?' +he asked them. + +"Some said it was in the right hand and +others claimed that it was the left hand that +held it. OLD-man asked the Bear to name the +hand that held the bone, and the Bear did; +but when OLD-man opened that hand it was +empty--the bone was not there. Then every- +body laughed at the Bear. OLD-man smiled +a little and began to sing and again pass the +bone. + +"'Beaver, you are smart; name the hand +that holds the bone this time.' + +"The Beaver said: 'It's in your right hand. +I saw you put it there.' + +"OLD-man opened that hand right before +the Beaver's eyes, but the bone wasn't there, +and again everybody laughed--especially the +Bear. + +"'Now, you see,' said OLD-man, 'that this +is not so easy as it looks, but I am going to +teach you all to play the game; and when you +have all learned it, you must play it until you +find out who is the cleverest at the playing. +Whoever that is, he shall be chief under me, +forever.' + +"Some were awkward and said they didn't +care much who was chief, but most all of them +learned to play pretty well. First the Bear +and the Beaver tried it, but the Beaver beat +the Bear easily and held the bone for ever so +long. Finally the Buffalo beat the Beaver +and started to play with the Mouse. Of +course the Mouse had small hands and was +quicker than the Buffalo--quicker to see the +bone. The Buffalo tried hard for he didn't +want the Mouse to be chief but it didn't do +him any good; for the Mouse won in the end. + +"It was a fair game and the Mouse was +chief under the agreement. He looked quite +small among the rest but he walked right +out to the centre of the council and said: + +"'Listen, brothers--what is mine to keep +is mine to give away. I am too small to be +your chief and I know it. I am not warlike. +I want to live in peace with my wife and fam- +ily. I know nothing of war. I get my living +easily. I don't like to have enemies. I am +going to give my right to be chief to the man +that OLD-man has made like himself.' + +"That settled it. That made the man chief +forever, and that is why he is greater than the +animals and the birds. That is why we never +kill the Mice-people. + +"You saw the Mice run into the buffalo +skull, of course. There is where they have +lived and brought up their families ever since +the night the Mouse beat the Buffalo playing +the bone game. Yes--the Mice-people al- +ways make their nests in the heads of the +dead Buffalo-people, ever since that night. + +"Our people play the same game, even to- +day. See," and War Eagle took from his +paint sack a small, polished bone. Then he +sang just as OLD-man did so long ago. He +let the children try to guess the hand that +held the bone, as the animal-people did that +fateful night; but, like the animals, they al- +ways guessed wrong. Laughingly War Eagle +said: + +"Now go to your beds and come to see me +to-morrow night. Ho!" + + + + +HOW THE OTTER SKIN BECAME GREAT "MEDICINE" + +It was rather late when we left War Eagle's +lodge after having learned why the Indians +never kill the Mice-people; and the milky +way was white and plain, dimming the stars +with its mist. The children all stopped to +say good night to little Sees-in-the-dark, a +brand-new baby sister of Bluebird's; then +they all went to bed. + +The next day the boys played at war, just +as white boys do; and the girls played with +dolls dressed in buckskin clothes, until it grew +tiresome, when they visited relatives until +it came time for us all to go to their grand- +father's lodge. He was smoking when we +entered, but soon laid aside the pipe and said: + +"You know that the otter skin is big medi- +cine, no doubt. You have noticed that our +warriors wear it sometimes and you know +that we all think it very lucky to wear the +skin of the Otter. But you don't know how +it came to be great; so I shall tell you. + +"One time, long before my grandfather was +born, a young-man of our tribe was unlucky +in everything. No woman wanted to marry +him, because he couldn't kill enough meat to +keep her in food and clothes. Whenever he +went hunting, his bow always broke or he +would lose his lance. If these things didn't +happen, his horse would fall and hurt him. +Everybody talked about him and his bad +luck, and although he was fine-looking, he +had no close friends, because of his ill fortune. +He tried to dream and get his medicine but +no dream would come. He grew sour and +people were sorry for him all the time. Finally +his name was changed to 'The Unlucky-one,' +which sounds bad to the ear. He used to +wander about alone a good deal, and one +morning he saw an old woman gathering wood +by the side of a River. The Unlucky-one +was about to pass the old woman when she +stopped him and asked: + +"'Why are you so sad in your handsome +face? Why is that sorry look in your fine +eyes?' + +"'Because,' replied the young-man, 'I am +the Unlucky-one. Everything goes wrong with +me, always. I don't want to live any longer, +for my heart is growing wicked.' + +"'Come with me,' said the old woman, +and he followed her until she told him to sit +down. Then she said: 'Listen to me. First +you must learn a song to sing, and this is it.' +Then she sang a queer song over and over +again until the young-man had learned it +well. + +"'Now do what I tell you, and your heart +shall be glad some day.' She drew from +her robe a pair of moccasins and a small sack +of dried meat. 'Here,' she said, 'put these +moccasins on your feet and take this sack of +meat for food, for you must travel far. Go +on down this river until you come to a great +beaver village. Their lodges will be large and +fine-looking and you will know the village by +the great size of the lodges. When you get +to the place, you must stand still for a long +time, and then sing the song I taught you. +When you have finished the singing, a great +white Beaver, chief of all the Beavers in the +world, will come to you. He is wise and can +tell you what to do to change your luck. After +that I cannot help you; but do what the white +Beaver tells you, without asking why. Now +go, and be brave!' + +"The young-man started at once. Long +his steps were, for he was young and strong. +Far he travelled down the river--saw many +beaver villages, too, but he did not stop, be- +cause the lodges were not big, as the old woman +told him they would be in the right village. +His feet grew tired for he travelled day and +night without resting, but his heart was brave +and he believed what the old woman had told him. + +"It was late on the third day when he came +to a mighty beaver village and here the lodges +were greater than any he had ever seen before. +In the centre of the camp was a monstrous +lodge built of great sticks and towering above +the rest. All about, the ground was neat +and clean and bare as your hand. The Un- +lucky-one knew this was the white Beaver's +lodge--knew that at last he had found the +chief of all the Beavers in the world; so he +stood still for a long time, and then sang that +song. + +"Soon a great white Beaver--white as +the snows of winter--came to him and asked: +'Why do you sing that song, my brother? +What do you want of me? I have never +heard a man sing that song before. You +must be in trouble.' + +"'I am the Unlucky-one, ' the young-man +replied. 'I can do nothing well. I can find +no woman who will marry me. In the hunt +my bow will often break or my lance is poor. +My medicine is bad and I cannot dream. +The people do not love me, and they pity me +as they do a sick child.' + +"'I am sorry for you, ' said the white Beaver +--chief of all the Beavers in the world--'but +you must find my brother the Coyote, who +knows where OLD-man's lodge is. The Coyote +will do your bidding if you sing that song +when you see him. Take this stick with you, +because you will have a long journey, and +with the stick you may cross any river and +not drown, if you keep it always in your hand. +That is all I can do for you, myself.' + +"On down the river the Unlucky-one +travelled and the sun was low in the west on +the fourth day, when he saw the Coyote on +a hillside near by. After looking at Coyote +for a long time, the young-man commenced +to sing the song the old woman had taught +him. When he had finished the singing, the +Coyote came up close and asked: + +"'What is the matter? Why do you sing +that song? I never heard a man sing it be- +fore. What is it you want of me?' + +"Then the Unlucky-one told the Coyote +what he had told the white Beaver, and showed +the stick the Beaver-chief had given him, +to prove it. + +"'I am hungry, too,' said the Unlucky-one, +'for I have eaten all the dried meat the old +woman gave me.' + +"'Wait here,' said the Coyote, 'my brother +the Wolf has just killed a fat Doe, and per- +haps he will give me a little of the meat when +I tell him about you and your troubles.' + +"Away went the Coyote to beg for meat, +and while he was gone the young-man bathed +his tired feet in a cool creek. Soon the Coyote +came back with meat, and young-man built +a fire and ate some of it, even before it was +warm, for he was starving. When he had +finished the Coyote said: + +"'Now I shall take you to OLD-man's lodge, +come.' + +"They started, even though it was getting +dark. Long they travelled without stopping +--over plains and mountains--through great +forests and across rivers, until they came to a +cave in the rough rocks on the side of a mighty +mountain. + +"'In there,' said the Coyote, 'you will find +OLD-man and he can tell you what you want +to know.' + +"The Unlucky-one stood before the black +hole in the rocks for a long time, because he +was afraid; but when he turned to speak to +the Coyote he found himself to be alone. The +Coyote had gone about his own business-- +had silently slipped away in the night. + +"Slowly and carefully the young-man be- +gan to creep into the cave, feeling his way +in the darkness. His heart was beating like +a tom-tom at a dance. Finally he saw a fire +away back in the cave. + +"The shadows danced about the stone sides +of the cave as men say the ghosts do; and +they frightened him. But looking, he saw a +man sitting on the far side of the fire. The +man's hair was like the snow and very long. +His face was wrinkled with the seams left by +many years of life and he was naked in the +firelight that played about him. + +"Slowly the young-man stood upon his feet +and began to walk toward the fire with great +fear in his heart. When he had reached the +place where the firelight fell upon him, the +OLD-man looked up and said: + +"'How, young-man, I am OLD-man. Why +did you come here? What is it you want?' + +"Then the Unlucky-one told OLD-man just +what he had told the old woman and the white +Beaver and the Coyote, and showed the stick +the Beaver had given him, to prove it. + +"'Smoke,' said OLD-man, and passed the +pipe to his visitor. After they had smoked +OLD-man said: + +"'I will tell you what to do. On the top of +this great mountain there live many ghost- +people and their chief is a great Owl. This +Owl is the only one who knows how you can +change your luck, and he will tell you if you +are not afraid. Take this arrow and go among +those people, without fear. Show them you +are unarmed as soon as they see you. Now +go!' + +"Out into the night went the Unlucky-one +and on up the mountain. The way was rough +and the wind blew from the north, chilling his +limbs and stinging his face, but on he went +toward the mountain-top, where the storm- +clouds sleep and the winter always stays. +Drifts of snow were piled all about, and the +wind gathered it up and hurled it at the young- +man as though it were angry at him. The +clouds waked and gathered around him, making +the night darker and the world lonelier than +before, but on the very top of the mountain +he stopped and tried to look through the +clouds. Then he heard strange singing all +about him; but for a long time there was no +singer in sight. Finally the clouds parted +and he saw a great circle of ghost-people with +large and ugly heads. They were seated on +the icy ground and on the drifts of snow and +on the rocks, singing a warlike song that made +the heart of the young-man stand still, in +dread. In the centre of the circle there sat +a mighty Owl--their chief. Ho!--when the +ghost-people saw the Unlucky-one they rushed +at him with many lances and would have killed +him but the Owl-chief cried, 'Stop!' + +"The young-man folded his arms and said: +'I am unarmed--come and see how a Black- +foot dies. I am not afraid of you.' + +"'Ho!' said the Owl-chief, 'we kill no un- +armed man. Sit down, my son, and tell me +what you want. Why do you come here? +You must be in trouble. You must smoke +with me.' + +"The Unlucky-one told the Owl-chief just +what he had told the old woman and the Beaver +and the Coyote and OLD-man, and showed the +stick that the white Beaver had given him +and the arrow that OLD-man had given to +him to prove it. + +"'Good,' said the Owl-chief, 'I can help +you, but first you must help yourself. Take +this bow. It is a medicine-bow; then you +will have a bow that will not break and an +arrow that is good and straight. Now go +down this mountain until you come to a +river. It will be dark when you reach this +river, but you will know the way. There +will be a great cottonwood-tree on the bank +of the stream where you first come to the +water. At this tree, you must turn down the +stream and keep on travelling without rest, +until you hear a splashing in the water near +you. When you hear the splashing, you must +shoot this arrow at the sound. Shoot quickly, +for if you do not you can never have any good +luck. If you do as I have told you the splasher +will be killed and you must then take his hide +and wear it always. The skin that the splasher +wears will make you a lucky man. It will +make anybody lucky and you may tell your +people that it is so. + +"'Now go, for it is nearly day and we must +sleep.' + +"The young-man took his bow and arrow +and the stick the white Beaver had given him +and started on his journey. All the day he +travelled, and far into the night. At last he +came to a river and on the bank he saw the +great cottonwood-tree, just as the ghost Owl +had told him. At the tree the young-man +turned down the stream and in the dark easily +found his way along the bank. Very soon he +heard a great splashing in the water near him, +and--zipp--he let the arrow go at the +sound--then all was still again. He stood +and looked and listened, but for a long time +could see nothing--hear nothing. + +"Then the moon came out from under a +cloud and just where her light struck the +river, he saw some animal floating--dead. +With the magic stick the young-man walked +out on the water, seized the animal by the +legs and drew it ashore. It was an Otter, +and the young-man took his hide, right there. + +"A Wolf waited in the brush for the body +of the Otter, and the young-man gave it to +him willingly, because he remembered the +meat the Wolf had given the Coyote. As +soon as the young-man had skinned the Otter +he threw the hide over his shoulder and started +for his own country with a light heart, but +at the first good place he made a camp, and +slept. That night he dreamed and all was +well with him. + +"After days of travel he found his tribe +again, and told what had happened. He be- +came a great hunter and a great chief among +us. He married the most beautiful woman in +the tribe and was good to her always. They +had many children, and we remember his +name as one that was great in war. That is +all--Ho!" + + + + + +OLD-MAN STEALS THE SUN'S LEGGINGS + +Firelight--what a charm it adds to +story-telling. How its moods seem to +keep pace with situations pictured by the +oracle, offering shadows when dread is abroad, +and light when a pleasing climax is reached; +for interest undoubtedly tends the blaze, while +sympathy contributes or withholds fuel, ac- +cording to its dictates. + +The lodge was alight when I approached +and I could hear the children singing in a +happy mood, but upon entering, the singing +ceased and embarrassed smiles on the young +faces greeted me; nor could I coax a continua- +tion of the song. + +Seated beside War Eagle was a very old +Indian whose name was Red Robe, and as +soon as I was seated. the host explained that +he was an honored guest; that he was a Sioux +and a friend of long standing. Then War +Eagle lighted the pipe, passing it to the dis- +tinguished friend, who in turn passed it to +me, after first offering it to the Sun, the father, +and the Earth, the mother of all that is. + +In a lodge of the Blackfeet the pipe must +never be passed across the doorway. To do +so would insult the host and bring bad luck +to all who assembled. Therefore if there be +a large number of guests ranged about the +lodge, the pipe is passed first to the left from +guest to guest until it reaches the door, when +it goes back, unsmoked, to the host, to be +refilled ere it is passed to those on his right +hand. + +Briefly War Eagle explained my presence +to Red Robe and said: + +"Once the Moon made the Sun a pair of +leggings. Such beautiful work had never been +seen before. They were worked with the col- +ored quills of the Porcupine and were covered +with strange signs, which none but the Sun +and the Moon could read. No man ever saw +such leggings as they were, and it took the +Moon many snows to make them. Yes, they +were wonderful leggings and the Sun always +wore them on fine days, for they were bright +to look upon. + +"Every night when the Sun went to sleep +in his lodge away in the west, he used the +leggings for a pillow, because there was a +thief in the world, even then. That thief and +rascal was OLD-man, and of course the Sun +knew all about him. That is why he always +put his fine leggings under his head when +he slept. When he worked he almost always +wore them, as I have told you, so that there +was no danger of losing them in the daytime; +but the Sun was careful of his leggings when +night came and he slept. + +"You wouldn't think that a person would +be so foolish as to steal from the Sun, but +one night OLD-man--who is the only person +who ever knew just where the Sun's lodge +was--crept near enough to look in, and +saw the leggings under the Sun's head. + +"We have all travelled a great deal but +no man ever found the Sun's lodge. No +man knows in what country it is. Of course +we know it is located somewhere west of here, +for we see him going that way every after- +noon, but OLD-man knew everything--except +that he could not fool the Sun. + +"Yes--OLD-man looked into the lodge of +the Sun and saw the leggings there--saw +the Sun, too, and the Sun was asleep. He +made up his mind that he would steal the +leggings so he crept through the door of the +lodge. There was no one at home but the +Sun, for the Moon has work to do at night +just as the children, the Stars, do, so he thought +he could slip the leggings from under the +sleeper's head and get away. + +"He got down on his hands and knees to +walk like the Bear-people and crept into the +lodge, but in the black darkness he put his +knee upon a dry stick near the Sun's bed. +The stick snapped under his weight with so +great a noise that the Sun turned over and +snorted, scaring OLD-man so badly that he +couldn't move for a minute. His heart was +not strong--wickedness makes every heart +weaker--and after making sure that the Sun +had not seen him, he crept silently out of the +lodge and ran away. + +"On the top of a hill OLD-man stopped to +look and listen, but all was still; so he sat down +and thought. + +"'I'll get them to-morrow night when he +sleeps again'; he said to himself. 'I need +those leggings myself, and I'm going to get +them, because they will make me handsome +as the Sun.' + +"He watched the Moon come home to camp +and saw the Sun go to work, but he did not +go very far away because he wanted to be +near the lodge when night came again. + +"It was not long to wait, for all the OLD- +man had to do was to make mischief, and only +those who have work to do measure time. +He was close to the lodge when the Moon +came out, and there he waited until the Sun +went inside. From the bushes OLD-man saw +the Sun take off his leggings and his eyes +glittered with greed as he saw their owner +fold them and put them under his head as +he had always done. Then he waited a +while before creeping closer. Little by little +the old rascal crawled toward the lodge, +till finally his head was inside the door. Then +he waited a long, long time, even after the +Sun was snoring. + +"The strange noises of the night bothered +him, for he knew he was doing wrong, and +when a Loon cried on a lake near by, he shivered +as with cold, but finally crept to the sleeper's +side. Cautiously his fingers felt about the +precious leggings until he knew just how they +could best be removed without waking the +Sun. His breath was short and his heart was +beating as a war-drum beats, in the black dark +of the lodge. Sweat--cold sweat, that great +fear always brings to the weak-hearted--was +dripping from his body, and once he thought +that he would wait for another night, but +greed whispered again, and listening to its +voice, he stole the leggings from under the +Sun's head. + +"Carefully he crept out of the lodge, look- +ing over his shoulder as he went through the +door. Then he ran away as fast as he could +go. Over hills and valleys, across rivers and +creeks, toward the east. He wasted much +breath laughing at his smartness as he ran, +and soon he grew tired. + +"'Ho!' he said to himself, 'I am far enough +now and I shall sleep. It's easy to steal from +the Sun--just as easy as stealing from the +Bear or the Beaver.' + +"He folded the leggings and put them under +his head as the Sun had done, and went to +sleep. He had a dream and it waked him with +a start. Bad deeds bring bad dreams to us +all. OLD-man sat up and there was the Sun +looking right in his face and laughing. He +was frightened and ran away, leaving the +leggings behind him. + +"Laughingly the Sun put on the leggings +and went on toward the west, for he is al- +ways busy. He thought he would see OLD- +man no more, but it takes more than one +lesson to teach a fool to be wise, and OLD- +man hid in the timber until the Sun had +travelled out of sight. Then he ran westward +and hid himself near the Sun's lodge again, +intending to wait for the night and steal the +leggings a second time. + +"He was much afraid this time, but as soon +as the Sun was asleep he crept to the lodge +and peeked inside. Here he stopped and looked +about, for he was afraid the Sun would hear +his heart beating. Finally he started toward +the Sun's bed and just then a great white +Owl flew from off the lodge poles, and this +scared him more, for that is very bad luck +and he knew it; but he kept on creeping until +he could almost touch the Sun. + +"All about the lodge were beautiful linings, +tanned and painted by the Moon, and the +queer signs on them made the old coward +tremble. He heard a night-bird call outside +and he thought it would surely wake the Sun; +so he hastened to the bed and with cunning +fingers stole the leggings, as he had done the +night before, without waking the great sleeper. +Then he crept out of the lodge, talking bravely +to himself as cowards do when they are afraid. + +"'Now,' he said to himself, 'I shall run +faster and farther than before. I shall not +stop running while the night lasts, and I +shall stay in the mountains all the time when +the Sun is at work in the daytime!' + +"Away he went--running as the Buffalo +runs--straight ahead, looking at nothing, +hearing nothing, stopping at nothing. When +day began to break OLD-man was far from +the Sun's lodge and he hid himself in a deep +gulch among some bushes that grew there. +He listened a long time before he dared to go +to sleep, but finally he did. He was tired +from his great run and slept soundly and for a +long time, but when he opened his eyes-- +there was the Sun looking straight at him, +and this time he was scowling. OLD-man +started to run away but the Sun grabbed +him and threw him down upon his back. +My! but the Sun was angry, and he said: + +"'OLD-man, you are a clever thief but a +mighty fool as well, for you steal from me and +expect to hide away. Twice you have stolen +the leggings my wife made for me, and twice +I have found you easily. Don't you know +that the whole world is my lodge and that +you can never get outside of it, if you run +your foolish legs off? Don't you know that +I light all of my lodge every day and search +it carefully? Don't you know that nothing +can hide from me and live? I shall not harm +you this time, but I warn you now, that if +you ever steal from me again, I will hurt you +badly. Now go, and don't let me catch you +stealing again!' + +"Away went OLD-man, and on toward the +west went the busy Sun. That is all. + +"Now go to bed; for I would talk of other +things with my friend, who knows of war as +I do. Ho! " + + + + +OLD-MAN AND HIS CONSCIENCE + +Not so many miles away from the village, +the great mountain range so divides +the streams that are born there, that their +waters are offered as tribute to the Atlantic, +Pacific, and Arctic Oceans. In this wonder- +ful range the Indians believe the winds are +made, and that they battle for supremacy +over Gunsight Pass. I have heard an old +story, too, that is said to have been generally +believed by the Blackfeet, in which a monster +bull-elk that lives in Gunsight Pass lords it +over the winds. This elk creates the North +wind by "flapping" one of his ears, and the +South wind by the same use of his other. I +am inclined to believe that the winds are +made in that Pass, myself, for there they are +seldom at rest, especially at this season of +the year. + +To-night the wind was blowing from the +north, and filmy white clouds were driven +across the face of the nearly full moon, mo- +mentarily veiling her light. Lodge poles +creaked and strained at every heavy gust, +and sparks from the fires inside the lodges +sped down the wind, to fade and die. + +In his lodge War Eagle waited for us, and +when we entered he greeted us warmly, but +failed to mention the gale. "I have been +waiting," he said. "You are late and the +story I shall tell you is longer than many of +the others." Without further delay the story- +telling commenced. + +"Once OLD-man came upon a lodge in the +forest. It was a fine one, and painted with +strange signs. Smoke was curling from the +top, and thus he knew that the person who +lived there was at home. Without calling +or speaking, he entered the lodge and saw a +man sitting by the fire smoking his pipe. The +man didn't speak, nor did he offer his pipe +to OLD-man, as our people do when they are +glad to see visitors. He didn't even look at +his guest, but OLD-man has no good manners +at all. He couldn't see that he wasn't wanted, +as he looked about the man's lodge and made +himself at home. The linings were beautiful +and were painted with fine skill. The lodge +was clean and the fire was bright, but there +was no woman about. + +"Leaning against a fine back-rest, OLD-man +filled his own pipe and lighted it with a coal +from the man's fire. Then he began to smoke +and look around, wondering why the man +acted so queerly. He saw a star that shone +down through the smoke-hole, and the tops +of several trees that were near the lodge. Then +he saw a woman--way up in a tree top and +right over the lodge. She looked young and +beautiful and tall. + +"'Whose woman is that up there in the +tree top?' asked OLD-man. + +"'She's your woman if you can catch her +and will marry her,' growled the man; 'but +you will have to live here and help me make +a living.' + +"'I'll try to catch her, and if I do I will +marry her and stay here, for I am a great +hunter and can easily kill what meat we want,' +said Old-man. + +"He went out of the lodge and climbed the +tree after the woman. She screamed, but he +caught her and held her, although she scratched +him badly. He carried her into the lodge +and there renewed his promise to stay there +always. The man married them, and they +were happy for four days, but on the fifth +morning OLD-man was gone--gone with all +the dried meat in the lodge--the thief. + +"When they were sure that the rascal had +run away the woman began to cry, but not +so the man. He got his bow and arrows +and left the lodge in anger. There was snow +on the ground and the man took the track +of OLD-man, intending to catch and kill him. + +"The track was fresh and the man started +on a run, for he was a good hunter and as +fast as a Deer. Of course he gained on OLD- +man, who was a much slower traveller; and +the Sun was not very high when the old thief +stopped on a hilltop to look back. He saw +the man coming fast. + +"'This will never do,' he said to himself. +'That queer person will catch me. I know +what I shall do; I shall turn myself into a +dead Bull-Elk and lie down. Then he will pass +me and I can go where I please.' + +"He took off his moccasins and said to +them: 'Moccasins, go on toward the west. +Keep going and making plain tracks in the +snow toward the big-water where the Sun +sleeps. The queer-one will follow you, and +when you pass out of the snowy country, +you can lose him. Go quickly for he is close +upon us.' + +"The moccasins ran away as OLD-man wanted +them to, and they made plain tracks in the +snow leading away toward the big-water. OLD- +man turned into a dead Bull-Elk and stretched +himself near the tracks the moccasins had +made. + +"Up the hill came the man, his breath short +from running. He saw the dead Elk, and +thought it might be OLD-man playing a trick. +He was about to shoot an arrow into the dead +Elk to make sure; but just as he was about to +let the arrow go, he saw the tracks the moc- +casins had made. Of course he thought the +moccasins were on OLD-man's feet, and that +the carcass was really that of a dead Elk. He +was badly fooled and took the tracks again. +On and on he went, following the moccasins +over hills and rivers. Faster than before went +the man, and still faster travelled the empty +moccasins, the trail growing dimmer and dim- +mer as the daylight faded. All day long, +and all of the night the man followed the +tracks without rest or food, and just at day- +break he came to the shore of the big-water. +There, right by the water's edge, stood the +empty moccasins, side by side. + +"The man turned and looked back. His +eyes were red and his legs were trembling. +'Caw--caw, caw,' he heard a Crow say. Right +over his head he saw the black bird and knew +him, too. + +"'Ho! OLD-man, you were in that dead +Bull-Elk. You fooled me, and now you are a +Crow. You think you will escape me, do you? +Well, you will not; for I, too, know magic, +and am wise.' + +"With a stick the man drew a cricle in the +sand. Then he stood within the ring and +sang a song. OLD-man was worried and +watched the strange doings from the air over- +head. Inside the circle the man began to +whirl about so rapidly that he faded from +sight, and from the centre of the circle there +came an Eagle. Straight at the Crow flew the +Eagle, and away toward the mountains sped +the Crow, in fright. + +"The Crow knew that the Eagle would catch +him, so that as soon as he reached the trees +on the mountains he turned himself into a +Wren and sought the small bushes under the +tall trees. The Eagle saw the change, and +at once began turning over and over in the +air. When he had reached the ground, in- +stead of an Eagle a Sparrow-hawk chased the +Wren. Now the chase was fast indeed, for no +place could the Wren find in which to hide +from the Sparrow-hawk. Through the brush, +into trees, among the weeds and grass, flew +the Wren with the Hawk close behind. Once +the Sparrow-hawk picked a feather from the +Wren's tail--so close was he to his victim. +It was nearly over with the Wren, when he +suddenly came to a park along a river's side. +In this park were a hundred lodges of our +people, and before a fine lodge there sat the +daughter of the chief. It was growing dark +and chilly, but still she sat there looking at +the river. The Sparrow-hawk was striking at +the Wren with his beak and talons, when the +Wren saw the young-woman and flew straight +to her. So swift he flew that the young-woman +didn't see him at all, but she felt something +strike her hand, and when she looked she +saw a bone ring on her finger. This frightened +her, and she ran inside the lodge, where the +fire kept the shadows from coming. OLD- +man had changed into the ring, of course, +and the Sparrow-hawk didn't dare to go into +the lodge; so he stopped outside and listened. +This is what he heard OLD-man say: + +"'Don't be frightened, young-woman, I +am neither a Wren nor a ring. I am OLD-man +and that Sparrow-hawk has chased me all the +day and for nothing. I have never done him +harm, and he bothers me without reason.' + +"'Liar--forked-tongue,' cried the Sparrow- +hawk. 'Believe him not, young-woman. He +has done wrong. He is wicked and I am not +a Sparrow-hawk, but conscience. Like an ar- +row I travel, straight and fast. When he +lies or steals from his friends I follow him. +I talk all the time and he hears me, but lies to +himself, and says he does not hear. You +know who I am, young-woman, I am what +talks inside a person.' + +"OLD-man heard what the Sparrow-hawk +said, and he was ashamed for once in his life. +He crawled out of the lodge. Into the shadows +he ran away--away into the night, and the +darkness--away from himself! + +"You see," said War Eagle, as he reached +for his pipe," OLD-man knew that he had done +wrong, and his heart troubled him, just as +yours will bother you if you do not listen to +the voice that speaks within yourselves. When- +ever that voice says a thing is wicked, it is +wicked--no matter who says it is not. Yes +--it is very hard for a man to hide from him- +self. Ho!" + + + + +OLD-MAN'S TREACHERY + + +The next afternoon Muskrat and Fine +Bow went hunting. They hid them- +selves in some brush which grew beside an +old game trail that followed the river, and +there waited for a chance deer. + +Chickadees hopped and called, "chick-a-de- +de-de" in the willows and wild-rose bushes that +grew near their hiding-place; and the gentle +little birds with their pretty coats were often +within a few inches of the hands of the young +hunters. In perfect silence they watched and +admired these little friends, while glance or +smile conveyed their appreciation of the bird- +visits to each other. + +The wind was coming down the stream, and +therefore the eyes of the boys seldom left the +trail in that direction; for from that quarter +an approaching deer would be unwarned by +the ever-busy breeze. A rabbit came hopping +down the game trail in believed perfect se- +curity, passing so close to Fine Bow that he +could not resist the desire to strike at him with +an arrow. Both boys were obliged to cover +their mouths with their open hands to keep +from laughing aloud at the surprise and speed +shown by the frightened bunny, as he scurried +around a bend in the trail, with his white, +pudgy tail bobbing rapidly. + They had scarcely regained their compo- +sure and silence when, "snap!" went a dry +stick. The sharp sound sent a thrill through +the hearts of the boys, and instantly they +became rigidly watchful. Not a leaf could +move on the ground now--not a bush might +bend or a bird pass and escape being seen by +the four sharp eyes that peered from the brush +in the direction indicated by the sound of +the breaking stick. Two hearts beat loudly +as Fine Bow fitted his arrow to the bowstring. +Tense and expectant they waited--yes, it +was a deer--a buck, too, and he was coming +down the trail, alert and watchful--down +the trail that he had often travelled and knew +so well. Yes, he had followed his mother +along that trail when he was but a spotted +fawn--now he wore antlers, and was master +of his own ways. On he came--nearly to the +brush that hid the hunters, when, throwing +his beautiful head high in the air, he stopped, +turning his side a trifle. + +Zipp--went the arrow and, kicking out +behind, away went the buck, crashing through +willows and alders that grew in his way, until +he was out of sight. Then all was still, save +the chick-a-de-de-de, chick-a-de-de-de, that +came constantly from the bushes about them. + +Out from the cover came the hunters, and +with ready bow they followed along the trail. +Yes--there was blood on a log, and more +on the dead leaves. The arrow had found its +mark and they must go slowly in their trailing, +lest they lose the meat. For two hours they +followed the wounded animal, and at last +came upon him in a willow thicket--sick +unto death, for the arrow was deep in his +paunch. His sufferings were ended by another +arrow, and the chase was done. + +With their knives the boys dressed the buck, +and then went back to the camp to tell the +women where the meat could be found--just +as the men do. It was their first deer; and +pride shone in their faces as they told their +grandfather that night in the lodge. + +"That is good," War Eagle replied, as the +boys finished telling of their success. "That +is good, if your mother needed the meat, but +it is wrong to kill when you have plenty, lest +Manitou be angry. There is always enough, +but none to waste, and the hunter who kills +more than he needs is wicked. To-night I shall +tell you what happened to OLD-man when he did +that. Yes, and he got into trouble over it. + +"One day in the fall when the leaves were +yellow, and the Deer-people were dressed in +their blue robes--when the Geese and Duck- +people were travelling to the country where +water does not freeze, and where flowers never +die, OLD-man was travelling on the plains. + +"Near sundown he saw two Buffalo-Bulls +feeding on a steep hillside; but he had no +bow and arrow with him. He was hungry, +and began to think of some way to kill one +of the Bulls for meat. Very soon he thought +out a plan, for he is cunning always. + +"He ran around the hill out of sight of the +Bulls, and there made two men out of grass +and sage-brush. They were dummies, of +course, but he made them to look just like real +men, and then armed each with a wooden +knife of great length. Then he set them in +the position of fighting; made them look as +though they were about to fight each other +with the knives. When he had them both +fixed to suit, he ran back to the place where +the Buffalo were calling: + +"'Ho! brothers, wait for me--do not run +away. There are two fine men on the other +side of this hill, and they are quarrelling. +They will surely fight unless we stop them. +It all started over you two Bulls, too. One +of the men says you are fat and fine, and the +other claims you are poor and skinny. Don't +let our brothers fight over such a foolish thing +as that. It would be wicked. Now I can +decide it, if you will let me feel all over you +to see if you are fat or poor. Then I will go +back to the men and settle the trouble by tell- +ing them the truth. Stand still and let me feel +your sides--quick, lest the fight begin while +I am away.' + +"'All right,' said the Bulls, 'but don't you +tickle us.' Then OLD-man walked up close +and commenced to feel about the Bulls' sides; +but his heart was bad. From his robe he +slipped his great knife, and slyly felt about +till he found the spot where the heart beats, +and then stabbed the knife into the place, +clear up to the hilt. + +"Both of the Bulls died right away, and +OLD-man laughed at the trick he had played +upon them. Then he gave a knife to both of +his hands, and said: + +"'Get to work, both of you! Skin these +Bulls while I sit here and boss you.' + +"Both hands commenced to skin the Buf- +falo, but the right hand was much the swifter +worker. It gained upon the left hand rapidly, +and this made the left hand angry. Finally the +left hand called the right hand 'dog-face.' +That is the very worst thing you can call a +person in our language, you know, and of +course it made the right hand angry. So +crazy and angry was the right hand that it +stabbed the left hand, and then they began to +fight in earnest. + +"Both cut and slashed till blood covered +the animals they were skinning. All this fight- +ing hurt OLD-man badly, of course, and he +commenced to cry, as women do sometimes. +This stopped the fight; but still OLD-man cried, +till, drying his tears, he saw a Red Fox sitting +near the Bulls, watching him. 'Hi, there, you +--go away from there ! If you want meat +you go and kill it, as I did.' + +"Red Fox laughed--'Ha!--Ha!--Ha!-- +foolish OLD-man--Ha!--ha!' Then he ran +away and told the other Foxes and the Wolves +and the Coyotes about OLD-man's meat. Told +them that his own hands couldn't get along +with themselves and that it would be easy +to steal it from him. + +"They all followed the Red Fox back to +the place where OLD-man was, and there they +ate all of the meat--every bit, and polished +the bones. + +"OLD-man couldn't stop them, because he +was hurt, you see; but it all came about through +lying and killing more meat than he needed. +Yes--he lied and that is bad, but his hands +got to quarrelling between themselves, and +family quarrels are always bad. Do not lie; +do not quarrel. It is bad. Ho!" + + + + + +WHY THE NIGHT-HAWK'S WINGS ARE BEAUTIFUL + + +I was awakened by the voice of the camp- +crier, and although it was yet dark I listened +to his message. + +The camp was to move. All were to go to +the mouth of the Maria's--"The River That +Scolds at the Other"--the Indians call this +stream, that disturbs the waters of the Mis- +souri with its swifter flood. + +On through the camp the crier rode, and +behind him the lodge-fires glowed in answer +to his call. The village was awake, and soon +the thunder of hundreds of hoofs told me that +the pony-bands were being driven into camp, +where the faithful were being roped for the +journey. Fires flickered in the now fading +darkness, and down came the lodges as though +wizard hands had touched them. Before the +sun had come to light the world, we were +on our way to "The River That Scolds at the +Other." + +Not a cloud was in the sky, and the wind +was still. The sun came and touched the +plains and hilltops with the light that makes +all wild things glad. Here and there a jack- +rabbit scurried away, often followed by a +pack of dogs, and sometimes, though not often, +they were overtaken and devoured on the +spot. Bands of graceful antelope bounded out +of our way, stopping on a knoll to watch the +strange procession with wondering eyes, and +once we saw a dust-cloud raised by a moving +herd of buffalo, in the distance. + +So the day wore on, the scene constantly +changing as we travelled. Wolves and coyotes +looked at us from almost every knoll and hill- +top; and sage-hens sneaked to cover among +the patches of sage-brush, scarcely ten feet +away from our ponies. Toward sundown we +reached a grove of cottonwoods near the mouth +of the Maria's, and in an incredibly short +space of time the lodges took form. Soon, +from out the tops of a hundred camps, smoke +was curling just as though the lodges had +been there always, and would forever remain. + +As soon as supper was over I found the +children, and together we sought War Eagle's +lodge. He was in a happy mood and insisted +upon smoking two pipes before commencing +his story-telling. At last he said: + +"To-night I shall tell you why the Night- +hawk wears fine clothes. My grandfather told +me about it when I was young. I am sure +you have seen the Night-hawk sailing over +you, dipping and making that strange noise. +Of course there is a reason for it. + +"OLD-man was travelling one day in the +springtime; but the weather was fine for that +time of year. He stopped often and spoke to +the bird-people and to the animal-people, for +he was in good humor that day. He talked +pleasantly with the trees, and his heart grew +tender. That is, he had good thoughts; and +of course they made him happy. Finally he +felt tired and sat down to rest on a big, round +stone--the kind of stone our white friend +there calls a bowlder. Here he rested for a +while, but the stone was cold, and he felt it +through his robe; so he said: + +"'Stone, you seem cold to-day. You may +have my robe. I have hundreds of robes in +my camp, and I don't need this one at all.' +That was a lie he told about having so many +robes. All he had was the one he wore. + +"He spread his robe over the stone, and +then started down the hill, naked, for it was +really a fine day. But storms hide in the +mountains, and are never far away when it is +springtime. Soon it began to snow--then +the wind blew from the north with a good +strength behind it. OLD-man said: + +"'Well, I guess I do need that robe myself, +after all. That stone never did anything for +me anyhow. Nobody is ever good to a stone. +I'll just go back and get my robe.' + +"Back he went and found the stone. Then +he pulled the robe away, and wrapped it about +himself. Ho! but that made the stone angry +--Ho! OLD-man started to run down the +hill, and the stone ran after him. Ho! it +was a funny race they made, over the grass, +over smaller stones, and over logs that lay +in the way, but OLD-man managed to keep +ahead until he stubbed his toe on a big +sage-brush, and fell--swow! + +"'Now I have you!' cried the stone--'now +I'll kill you, too! Now I will teach you to +give presents and then take them away,' +and the stone rolled right on top of OLD-man, +and sat on his back. + +"It was a big stone, you see, and OLD-man +couldn't move it at all. He tried to throw +off the stone but failed. He squirmed and +twisted--no use--the stone held him fast. +He called the stone some names that are not +good; but that never helps any. At last he +began to call: + +"'Help!--Help!--Help!' but nobody +heard him except the Night-hawk, and he +told the OLD-man that he would help him all +he could; so he flew away up in the air--so +far that he looked like a black speck. Then +he came down straight and struck that rock +an awful blow--'swow!'--and broke it in +two pieces. Indeed he did. The blow was +so great that it spoiled the Night-hawk's bill, +forever--made it queer in shape, and jammed +his head, so that it is queer, too. But he +broke the rock, and OLD-man stood upon his +feet. + +"'Thank you, Brother Night-hawk, ' said OLD- +man, 'now I will do something for you. I +am going to make you different from other +birds--make you so people will always notice +you.' + +"You know that when you break a rock +the powdered stone is white, like snow; and +there is always some of the white powder +whenever you break a rock, by pounding it. +Well, Old-man took some of the fine powdered +stone and shook it on the Night-hawk's wings +in spots and stripes--made the great white +stripes you have seen on his wings, and told +him that no other bird could have such marks +on his clothes. + +"All the Night-hawk's children dress the +same way now; and they always will as long +as there are Night-hawks. Of course their +clothes make them proud; and that is why they +keep at flying over people's heads--soaring +and dipping and turning all the time, to show +off their pretty wings. + +"That is all for to-night. Muskrat, tell +your father I would run Buffalo with him to- +morrow--Ho!" + + + + + +WHY THE MOUNTAIN-LION IS LONG AND LEAN + +Have you ever seen the plains in the +morning--a June morning, when the +spurred lark soars and sings--when the plover +calls, and the curlew pipes his shriller notes +to the rising sun? Then is there music, in- +deed, for no bird outsings the spurred lark; +and thanks to OLD-man he is not wanting in +numbers, either. The plains are wonderful +then--more wonderful than they are at this +season of the year; but at all times they beckon +and hold one as in a spell, especially when +they are backed or bordered by a snow-capped +mountain range. Looking toward the east +they are boundless, but on their western edge +superb mountains rear themselves. + +All over this vast country the Indians +roamed, following the great buffalo herds as +did the wolves, and making their living with +the bow and lance, since the horse came to +them. In the very old days the "piskun" +was used, and buffalo were enticed to follow +a fantastically dressed man toward a cliff, far +enough to get the herd moving in that direc- +tion, when the "buffalo-man" gained cover, +and hidden Indians raised from their hiding +places behind the animals, and drove them +over the cliff, where they were killed in large +numbers. + +Not until Cortez came with his cavalry from +Spain, were there horses on this continent, and +then generations passed ere the plains tribes +possessed this valuable animal, that so ma- +terially changed their lives. Dogs dragged +the Indian's travois or packed his household +goods in the days before the horse came, and +for hundreds--perhaps thousands of years, +these people had no other means of trans- +porting their goods and chattels. As the Indian +is slow to forget or change the ways of his +father, we should pause before we brand him +as wholly improvident, I think. + +He has always been a family-man, has the +Indian, and small children had to be carried, as +well as his camp equipage. Wolf-dogs had +to be fed, too, in some way, thus adding to his +burden; for it took a great many to make it +possible for him to travel at all. + +When the night came and we visited War +Eagle, we found he had other company--so +we waited until their visit was ended before +settling ourselves to hear the story that he +might tell us. + +"The Crows have stolen some of our best +horses," said War Eagle, as soon as the other +guests had gone. "That is all right--we +shall get them back, and more, too. The +Crows have only borrowed those horses and +will pay for their use with others of their own. +To-night I shall tell you why the Mountain +lion is so long and thin and why he wears +hair that looks singed. I shall also tell you +why that person's nose is black, because it +is part of the story. + +"A long time ago the Mountain-lion was +a short, thick-set person. I am sure you +didn't guess that. He was always a great +thief like OLD-man, but once he went too far, +as you shall see. + +"One day OLD-man was on a hilltop, and +saw smoke curling up through the trees, away +off on the far side of a gulch. 'Ho!' he said, +'I wonder who builds fires except me. I guess +I will go and find out.' + +"He crossed the gulch and crept carefully +toward the smoke. When he got quite near +where the fire was, he stopped and listened. +He heard some loud laughing but could not +see who it was that felt so glad and gay. +Finally he crawled closer and peeked through +the brush toward the fire. Then he saw some +Squirrel-people, and they were playing some +sort of game. They were running and laugh- +ing, and having a big time, too. What do +you think they were doing? They were run- +ning about the fire--all chasing one Squirrel. +As soon as the Squirrel was caught, they would +bury him in the ashes near the fire until he +cried; then they would dig him out in a hurry. +Then another Squirrel would take the lead +and run until he was caught, as the other +had been. In turn the captive would sub- +mit to being buried, and so on--while the +racing and laughing continued. They never +left the buried one in the ashes after he cried, +but always kept their promise and dug him +out, right away. + +"'Say, let me play, won't you?' asked +OLD-man. But the Squirrel-people all ran +away, and he had a hard time getting them +to return to the fire. + +"'You can't play this game,' replied the +Chief-Squirrel, after they had returned to the +fire. + +"'Yes, I can,' declared OLD-man, 'and you +may bury me first, but be sure to dig me out +when I cry, and not let me burn, for those +ashes are hot near the fire.' + +"'All right,' said the Chief-Squirrel, 'we +will let you play. Lie down,'--and OLD- +Man did lie down near the fire. Then the +Squirrels began to laugh and bury OLD-man +in the ashes, as they did their own kind. In +no time at all OLD-man cried: 'Ouch!--you +are burning me--quick!--dig me out.' + +"True to their promise, the Squirrel-people +dug OLD-man out of the ashes, and laughed +at him because he cried so quickly. + +"'Now, it is my turn to cover the captive,' +said OLD-man, 'and as there are so many of +you, I have a scheme that will make the game +funnier and shorter. All of you lie down at +once in a row. Then I will cover you all at +one time. When you cry--I will dig you +out right away and the game will be over.' + +"They didn't know OLD-man very well; so +they said, 'all right,' and then they all laid +down in a row about the fire. + +"OLD-man buried them all in the ashes-- +then he threw some more wood on the fire +and went away and left them. Every Squirrel +there was in the world was buried in the ashes +except one woman Squirrel, and she told OLD- +man she couldn't play and had to go home. +If she hadn't gone, there might not be any +Squirrels in this world right now. Yes, it +is lucky that she went home. + +"For a minute or so OLD-man watched the +fire as it grew hotter, and then went down to +a creek where willows grew and made him- +self a great plate by weaving them together. +When he had finished making the plate, he +returned to the fire, and it had burned low +again. He laughed at his wicked work, and +a Raven, flying over just then, called him +'forked-tongue,' or liar, but he didn't mind +that at all. OLD-man cut a long stick and +began to dig out the Squirrel-people. One +by one he fished them out of the hot ashes; +and they were roasted fine and were ready to +eat. As he fished them out he counted them, +and laid them on the willow plate he had +made. When he had dug out the last one, +he took the plate to the creek and there sat +down to eat the Squirrels, for he was hungry, +as usual. OLD-man is a big eater, but he +couldn't eat all of the Squirrels at once, and +while eating he fell asleep with the great plate +in his lap. + +"Nobody knows how long it was that he +slept, but when he waked his plate of Squirrels +was gone--gone completely. He looked be- +hind him; he looked about him; but the plate +was surely gone. Ho! But he was angry. +He stamped about in the brush and called +aloud to those who might hear him; but no- +body answered, and then he started to look +for the thief. OLD-man has sharp eyes, and he +found the trail in the grass where somebody +had passed while he slept. 'Ho!' he said, +'the Mountain-lion has stolen my Squirrels. +I see his footprints; see where he has mashed +the grass as he walked with those soft feet +of his; but I shall find him, for I made him +and know all his ways.' + +"OLD-man got down on his hands and knees +to walk as the Bear-people do, just as he did +that night in the Sun's lodge, and followed +the trail of the Mountain-lion over the hills +and through the swamps. At last he came +to a place where the grass was all bent down, +and there he found his willow plate, but it +was empty. That was the place where the +Mountain-lion had stopped to eat the rest +of the Squirrels, you know; but he didn't stay +there long because he expected that OLD-man +would try to follow him. + +"The Mountain-lion had eaten so much +that he was sleepy and, after travelling a while +after he had eaten the Squirrels, he thought +he would rest. He hadn't intended to go +to sleep; but he crawled upon a big stone near +the foot of a hill and sat down where he could +see a long way. Here his eyes began to wink, +and his head began to nod, and finally he +slept. + +"Without stopping once, OLD-man kept on +the trail. That is what counts--sticking right +to the thing you are doing--and just before +sundown OLD-man saw the sleeping Lion. Care- +fully, lest he wake the sleeper, OLD-man crept +close, being particular not to move a stone or +break a twig; for the Mountain-lion is much +faster than men are, you see; and if OLD-man +had wakened the Lion, he would never have +caught him again, perhaps. Little by little +he crept to the stone where the Mountain- +lion was dreaming, and at last grabbed him +by the tail. It wasn't much of a tail then, +but enough for OLD-man to hold to. Ho! +The Lion was scared and begged hard, saying: + +"'Spare me, OLD-man. You were full and +I was hungry. I had to have something to +eat; had to get my living. Please let me go +and do not hurt me.' Ho! OLD-man was +angry--more angry than he was when he +waked and found that he had been robbed, +because he had travelled so far on his hands +and knees. + +"'I'll show you. I'll teach you. I'll fix +you, right now. Steal from me, will you? +Steal from the man that made you, you night- +prowling rascal!' + +"OLD-man put his foot behind the Moun- +tain-lion's head, and, still holding the tail, +pulled hard and long, stretching the Lion +out to great length. He squalled and cried, +but OLD-man kept pulling until he nearly +broke the Mountain-lion in two pieces-- +until he couldn't stretch him any more. Then +OLD-man put his foot on the Mountain-lion's +back, and, still holding the tail, stretched +that out until the tail was nearly as long as +the body. + +"'There, you thief--now you are too long +and lean to get fat, and you shall always look +just like that. Your children shall all grow +to look the same way, just to pay you for your +stealing from the man that made you. Come +on with me'; and he dragged the poor Lion +back to the place where the fire was, and +there rolled him in the hot ashes, singeing his +robe till it looked a great deal like burnt +hair. Then OLD-man stuck the Lion's nose +against the burnt logs and blackened it some +--that is why his face looks as it does to-day. + +"The Mountain-lion was lame and sore, +but OLD-man scolded him some more and +told him that it would take lots more food to +keep him after that, and that he would have +to work harder to get his living, to pay for +what he had done. Then he said, 'go now, +and remember all the Mountain-lions that ever +live shall look just as you do.' And they +do, too! + +"That is the story--that is why the Moun- +tain-lion is so long and lean, but he is no +bigger thief than OLD-man, nor does he tell any +more lies. Ho!" + + + + +THE FIRE-LEGGINGS + +There had been a sudden change in the +weather. A cold rain was falling, and the +night comes early when the clouds hang low. +The children loved a bright fire, and +to-night War Eagle's lodge was light as day. +Away off on the plains a wolf was howling, and +the rain pattered upon the lodge as though +it never intended to quit. It was a splendid +night for story-telling, and War Eagle filled and +lighted the great stone pipe, while the children +made themselves comfortable about the fire. + +A spark sprang from the burning sticks, and +fell upon Fine Bow's bare leg. They all laughed +heartily at the boy's antics to rid himself of +the burning coal; and as soon as the laughing +ceased War Eagle laid aside the pipe. An +Indian's pipe is large to look at, but holds +little tobacco. + +"See your shadows on the lodge wall?" +asked the old warrior. The children said they +saw them, and he continued: + +"Some day I will tell you a story about them, +and how they drew the arrows of our enemies, +but to-night I am going to tell you of the great +fire-leggings. + +"It was long before there were men and +women on the world, but my grandfather told +me what I shall now tell you. + +"The gray light that hides the night-stars +was creeping through the forests, and the +wind the Sun sends to warn the people of his +coming was among the fir tops. Flowers, on +slender stems, bent their heads out of respect +for the herald-wind's Master, and from the +dead top of a pine-tree the Yellowhammer +beat upon his drum and called 'the Sun is +awake--all hail the Sun!' + +"Then the bush-birds began to sing the song +of the morning, and from alders the Robins +joined, until all live things were awakened by +the great music. Where the tall ferns grew, +the Doe waked her Fawns, and taught them +to do homage to the Great Light. In the +creeks, where the water was still and clear, +and where throughout the day, like a delicate +damaskeen, the shadows of leaves that over- +hang would lie, the Speckled Trout broke the +surface of the pool in his gladness of the com- +ing day. Pine-squirrels chattered gayly, and +loudly proclaimed what the wind had told; +and all the shadows were preparing for a great +journey to the Sand Hills, where the ghost- +people dwell. + +"Under a great spruce-tree--where the +ground was soft and dry, OLD-man slept. The +joy that thrilled creation disturbed him not, +although the Sun was near. The bird-people +looked at the sleeper in wonder, but the Pine +squirrel climbed the great spruce-tree with a +pine-cone in his mouth. Quickly he ran out +on the limb that spread over OLD-man, and +dropped the cone on the sleeper's face. Then +he scolded OLD-man, saying: 'Get up--get +up--lazy one--lazy one--get up--get up.' + +"Rubbing his eyes in anger, OLD-man sat +up and saw the Sun coming--his hunting leg- +gings slipping through the thickets--setting +them afire, till all the Deer and Elk ran out +and sought new places to hide. + +"'Ho, Sun!' called OLD-man, 'those are mighty +leggings you wear. No wonder you are a great +hunter. Your leggings set fire to all the thick- +ets, and by the light you can easily see the +Deer and Elk; they cannot hide. Ho! Give +them to me and I shall then be the great hunter +and never be hungry.' + +"'Good,' said the Sun, 'take them, and let +me see you wear my leggings.' + +"OLD-man was glad in his heart, for he was +lazy, and now he thought he could kill the +game without much work, and that he could +be a great hunter--as great as the Sun. He +put on the leggings and at once began to hunt +the thickets, for he was hungry. Very soon +the leggings began to burn his legs. The faster +he travelled the hotter they grew, until in pain +he cried out to the Sun to come and take back +his leggings; but the Sun would not hear him. +On and on OLD-man ran. Faster and faster he +flew through the country, setting fire to the +brush and grass as he passed. Finally he came +to a great river, and jumped in. Sizzzzzzz-- +the water said, when OLD-man's legs touched it. +It cried out, as it does when it is sprinkled upon +hot stones in the sweat-lodge, for the leggings +were very hot. But standing in the cool water +OLD-man took off the leggings and threw them +out upon the shore, where the Sun found them +later in the day. + +"The Sun's clothes were too big for OLD- +man, and his work too great. + +"We should never ask to do the things which +Manitou did not intend us to do. If we keep +this always in mind we shall never get into +trouble. + +"Be yourselves always. That is what Man- +tou intended. Never blame the Wolf for what +he does. He was made to do such things. +Now I want you to go to your fathers' lodges +and sleep. To-morrow night I will tell you +why there are so many snakes in the world. +Ho!" + + + + + +THE MOON AND THE GREAT SNAKE + +The rain had passed; the moon looked +down from a clear sky, and the bushes +and dead grass smelled wet, after the heavy +storm. A cottontail ran into a clump of +wild-rose bushes near War Eagle's lodge, and +some dogs were close behind the frightened +animal, as he gained cover. Little Buffalo Calf +threw a stone into the bushes, scaring the +rabbit from his hiding-place, and away went +bunny, followed by the yelping pack. We +stood and listened until the noise of the chase +died away, and then went into the lodge, where +we were greeted, as usual, by War Eagle. +To-night he smoked; but with greater cere- +mony, and I suspected that it had something +to do with the forthcoming story. Finally he +said: + +"You have seen many Snakes, I suppose?" +"Yes," replied the children, "we have seen +a great many. In the summer we see them +every day." + +"Well," continued the story-teller, "once +there was only one Snake on the whole world, +and he was a big one, I tell you. He was pretty +to look at, and was painted with all the colors +we know. This snake was proud of his clothes +and had a wicked heart. Most Snakes are +wicked, because they are his relations. + +"Now, I have not told you all about it yet, +nor will I tell you to-night, but the Moon is +the Sun's wife, and some day I shall tell you +that story, but to-night I am telling you about +the Snakes. + +"You know that the Sun goes early to bed, +and that the Moon most always leaves before +he gets to the lodge. Sometimes this is not so, +but that is part of another story. + +"This big Snake used to crawl up a high hill +and watch the Moon in the sky. He was in +love with her, and she knew it; but she paid +no attention to him. She liked his looks, for +his clothes were fine, and he was always slick +and smooth. This went on for a long time, +but she never talked to him at all. The Snake +thought maybe the hill wasn't high enough, so +he found a higher one, and watched the Moon +pass, from the top. Every night he climbed +this high hill and motioned to her. She began +to pay more attention to the big Snake, and +one morning early, she loafed at her work a +little, and spoke to him. He was flattered, +and so was she, because he said many nice +things to her, but she went on to the Sun's +lodge, and left the Snake. + +"The next morning very early she saw the +Snake again, and this time she stopped a long +time--so long that the Sun had started out +from the lodge before she reached home. He +wondered what kept her so long, and became +suspicious of the Snake. He made up his +mind to watch, and try to catch them together. +So every morning the Sun left the lodge a little +earlier than before; and one morning, just as +he climbed a mountain, he saw the big Snake +talking to the Moon. That made him angry, +and you can't blame him, because his wife +was spending her time loafing with a Snake. + +"She ran away; ran to the Sun's lodge and +left the Snake on the hill. In no time the +Sun had grabbed him. My, the Sun was +angry! The big Snake begged, and promised +never to speak to the Moon again, but the Sun +had him; and he smashed him into thousands +of little pieces, all of different colors from the +different parts of his painted body. The little +pieces each turned into a little snake, just as you +see them now, but they were all too small for +the Moon to notice after that. That is how so +many Snakes came into the world; and that is +why they are all small, nowadays. + +"Our people do not like the Snake-people +very well, but we know that they were made +to do something on this world, and that they +do it, or they wouldn't live here. + +"That was a short story, but to-morrow night +I will tell you why the Deer-people have no +gall on their livers; and why the Antelope- +people do not wear dew-claws, for you should +know that there are no other animals with +cloven hoofs that are like them in this. + +"I am tired to-night, and I will ask that +you go to your lodges, that I may sleep, for I +am getting old. Ho!" + + + + + +WHY THE DEER HAS NO GALL + +Bright and early the next morning the +children were playing on the bank of "The +River That Scolds the Other," when Fine Bow +said: + +"Let us find a Deer's foot, and the foot of +an Antelope and look at them, for to-night +grandfather will tell us why the Deer has the +dew-claws, and why the Antelope has none." + +"Yes, and let us ask mother if the Deer has +no gall on its liver. Maybe she can show both +the liver of a Deer and that of an Antelope; +then we can see for ourselves," said Blue- +bird. + +So they began to look about where the hides +had been grained for tanning; and sure enough, +there were the feet of both the antelope and +the deer. On the deer's feet, or legs, they +found the dew-claws, but on the antelope there +were none. This made them all anxious to +know why these animals, so nearly alike, should +differ in this way. + +Bluebird's mother passed the children on her +way to the river for water, and the little girl +asked: "Say, mother, does the Deer have gall +on his liver?" + +"No, my child, but the Antelope does; and +your grandfather will tell you why if you ask +him." + +That night in the lodge War Eagle placed +before his grandchildren the leg of a deer and +the leg of an antelope, as well as the liver of a +deer and the liver of an antelope. + +"See for yourselves that this thing is true, +before I tell you why it is so, and how it hap- +pened." + +"We see," they replied, "and to-day we found +that these strange things are true, but we don't +know why, grandfather." + +"Of course you don't know why. Nobody +knows that until he is told, and now I shall tell +you, so you will always know, and tell your +children, that they, too, may know. + +"It was long, long ago, of course. All these +things happened long ago when the world was +young, as you are now. It was on a summer +morning, and the Deer was travelling across +the plains country to reach the mountains on +the far-off side, where he had relatives. He +grew thirsty, for it was very warm, and stopped +to drink from a water-hole on the plains. When +he had finished drinking he looked up, and there +was his own cousin, the Antelope, drinking near +him. + +"'Good morning, cousin,' said the Deer. +'It is a warm morning and water tastes good, +doesn't it?' + +"'Yes,' replied the Antelope, 'it is warm +to-day, but I can beat you running, just the +same.' + +"'Ha-ha!' laughed the Deer--'you beat me +running? Why, you can't run half as fast as +I can, but if you want to run a race let us bet +something. What shall it be?' + +"'I will bet you my gall-sack,' replied the +Antelope. + +"'Good,' said the Deer, 'but let us run to- +ward that range of mountains, for I am going +that way, anyhow, to see my relations.' + +"'All right,' said the Antelope. 'All ready, +and here we go.' + +"Away they ran toward the far-off range. +All the way the Antelope was far ahead of the +Deer; and just at the foot of the mountains +he stopped to wait for him to catch up. + +"Both were out of breath from running, but +both declared they had done their best, and the +Deer, being beaten, gave the Antelope his sack +of gall. + +"'This ground is too flat for me,' said the +Deer. 'Come up the hillside where the gulches +cut the country, and rocks are in our way, +and I will show you how to run. I can't run +on flat ground. It's too easy for me.' +another race with you on your own ground, and +I think I can beat you there, too.' + +"Together they climbed the hill until they +reached a rough country, when the Deer +said: + +"'This is my kind of country. Let us run a +race here. Whoever gets ahead and stays +there, must keep on running until the other +calls on him to stop.' + +"'That suits me,' replied the Antelope, 'but +what shall we bet this time? I don't want to +waste my breath for nothing. I'll tell you-- +let us bet our dew-claws.' + +"'Good. I'll bet you my dew-claws against +your own, that I can beat you again. Are you +all ready?--Go!' + +"Away they went over logs, over stones and +across great gulches that cut the hills in two. +On and on they ran, with the Deer far ahead +of the Antelope. Both were getting tired, +when the Antelope called: + +"'Hi, there--you! Stop, you can beat me. +I give up.' + +"So the Deer stopped and waited until the +Antelope came up to him, and they both laughed +over the fun, but the Antelope had to give the +Deer his dew-claws, and now he goes without +himself. The Deer wears dew-claws and always +will, because of that race, but on his liver there +is no gall, while the Antelope carries a gall- +sack like the other animals with cloven hoofs. + +"That is all of that story, but it is too late +to tell you another to-night. If you will come +to-morrow evening, I will tell you of some trouble +that OLD-man got into once. He deserved it, +for he was wicked, as you shall see. Ho!" + + + + + +WHY THE INDIANS WHIP THE BUFFALO-BERRIES FROM THE BUSHES + +The Indian believes that all things live +again; that all were created by one and +the same power; that nothing was created in +vain; and that in the life beyond the grave he +will know all things that he knew here. In +that other world he expects to make his living +easier, and not suffer from hunger or cold; +therefore, all things that die must go to his +heaven, in order that he may be supplied with +the necessities of life. + +The sun is not the Indian's God, but a per- +sonification of the Deity; His greatest mani- +festation; His light. + +The Indian believes that to each of His crea- +tions God gave some peculiar power, and that +the possessors of these special favors are His +lieutenants and keepers of the several special +attributes; such as wisdom, cunning, speed, +and the knowledge of healing wounds. These +wonderful gifts, he knew, were bestowed as +favors by a common God, and therefore he re- +vered these powers, and, without jealousy, paid +tribute thereto. + +The bear was great in war, because before +the horse came, he would sometimes charge the +camps and kill or wound many people. Al- +though many arrows were sent into his huge +carcass, he seldom died. Hence the Indian was +sure that the bear could heal his wounds. +That the bear possessed a great knowledge of +roots and berries, the Indian knew, for he often +saw him digging the one and stripping the oth- +ers from the bushes. The buffalo, the beaver, +the wolf, and the eagle--each possessed strange +powers that commanded the Indian's admira- +tion and respect, as did many other things in +creation. + +If about to go to war, the Indian did not +ask his God for aid--oh, no. He realized that +God made his enemy, too; and that if He de- +sired that enemy's destruction, it would be ac- +complished without man's aid. So the Indian +sang his song to the bear, prayed to the bear, +and thus invoked aid from a brute, and not his +God, when he sought to destroy his fellows. + +Whenever the Indian addressed the Great +God, his prayer was for life, and life alone. He +is the most religious man I have ever known, +as well as the most superstitious; and there are +stories dealing with his religious faith that are +startling, indeed. + +"It is the wrong time of year to talk about +berries," said War Eagle, that night in the +lodge, "but I shall tell you why your mothers +whip the buffalo-berries from the bushes. OLD- +man was the one who started it, and our people +have followed his example ever since. Ho! +OLD-man made a fool of himself that day. + +"It was the time when buffalo-berries are +red and ripe. All of the bushes along the rivers +were loaded with them, and our people were +about to gather what they needed, when OLD- +man changed things, as far as the gathering +was concerned. + +"He was travelling along a river, and hungry, +as he always was. Standing on the bank of +that river, he saw great clusters of red, ripe +buffalo-berries in the water. They were larger +than any berries he had ever seen, and he +said: + +"'I guess I will get those berries. They look +fine, and I need them. Besides, some of the +people will see them and get them, if I don't.' + +"He jumped into the water; looked for the +berries; but they were not there. For a time +Old-man stood in the river and looked for the +berries, but they were gone. + +"After a while he climbed out on the bank +again, and when the water got smooth once +more there were the berries--the same berries, +in the same spot in the water. + +"'Ho!--that is a funny thing. I wonder +where they hid that time. I must have those +berries!' he said to himself. + +"In he went again--splashing the water like +a Grizzly Bear. He looked about him and the +berries were gone again. The water was rip- +pling about him, but there were no berries at +all. He felt on the bottom of the river but +they were not there. + +"'Well,' he said, 'I will climb out and +watch to see where they come from; then I +shall grab them when I hit the water next +time.' + +"He did that; but he couldn't tell where +the berries came from. As soon as the water +settled and became smooth--there were the +berries--the same as before. Ho!--OLD-man +was wild; he was angry, I tell you. And in he +went flat on his stomach! He made an awful +splash and mussed the water greatly; but there +were no berries. + +"'I know what I shall do. I will stay right +here and wait for those berries; that is what +I shall do'; and he did. + +"He thought maybe somebody was looking +at him and would laugh, so he glanced along +the bank. And there, right over the water, he +saw the same bunch of berries on some tall +bushes. Don't you see? OLD-man saw the +shadow of the berry-bunch; not the berries. +He saw the red shadow-berries on the water; +that was all, and he was such a fool he didn't +know they were not real. + +"Well, now he was angry in truth. Now he +was ready for war. He climbed out on the +bank again and cut a club. Then he went at +the buffalo-berry bushes and pounded them till +all of the red berries fell upon the ground-- +till the branches were bare of berries. + +"'There,' he said, 'that's what you get for +making a fool of the man who made you. You +shall be beaten every year as long as you live, +to pay for what you have done; you and your +children, too.' + +"That is how it all came about, and that is +why your mothers whip the buffalo-berry bushes +and then pick the berries from the ground. +Ho!" + + + + +OLD-MAN AND THE FOX + +I am sure that the plains Indian never made +nor used the stone arrow-head. I have +heard white men say that they had seen In- +dians use them; but I have never found an In- +dian that ever used them himself, or knew of +their having been used by his people. Thirty +years ago I knew Indians, intimately, who were +nearly a hundred years old, who told me that +the stone arrow-head had never been in use in +their day, nor had their fathers used them in +their own time. Indians find these arrow- +points just as they find the stone mauls and +hammers, which I have seen them use thou- +sands of times, but they do not make them any +more than they make the stone mauls and +hammers. In the old days, both the head of +the lance and the point of the arrow were of +bone; even knives were of bone, but some other +people surely made the arrow-points that are +scattered throughout the United States and +Europe, I am told. + +One night I asked War Eagle if he had ever +known the use, by Indians, of the stone arrow- +head, and he said he had not. He told me that +just across the Canadian line there was a small +lake, surrounded by trees, wherein there was an +island covered with long reeds and grass. All +about the edge of this island were willows that +grew nearly to the water, but intervening there +was a narrow beach of stones. Here, he said, +the stone arrow-heads had been made by little +ghost-people who lived there, and he assured +me that he had often seen these strange little +beings when he was a small boy. Whenever +his people were camped by this lake the old +folks waked the children at daybreak to see the +inhabitants of this strange island; and always +when a noise was made, or the sun came up, +the little people hid away. Often he had seen +their heads above the grass and tiny willows, +and his grandfather had told him that all the +stone arrow-heads had been made on that +island, and in war had been shot all over the +world, by magic bows. + +"No," he said, "I shall not lie to you, my +friend. I never saw those little people shoot +an arrow, but there are so many arrows there, +and so many pieces of broken ones, that it +proves that my grandfather was right in what +he told me. Besides, nobody could ever sleep +on that island." + +I have heard a legend wherein OLD-man, in +the beginning, killed an animal for the people +to eat, and then instructed them to use the ribs +of the dead brute to make knives and arrow- +points. I have seen lance-heads, made from +shank bones, that were so highly polished that +they resembled pearl, and I have in my posses- +sion bone arrow-points such as were used long +ago. Indians do not readily forget their tribal +history, and I have photographed a war-bonnet, +made of twisted buffalo hair, that was manu- +factured before the present owner's people had, +or ever saw, the horse. The owner of this +bonnet has told me that the stone arrow-head +was never used by Indians, and that he knew +that ghost-people made and used them when +the world was young. + +The bow of the plains Indian was from thirty- +six to forty-four inches long, and made from +the wood of the choke-cherry tree. Sometimes +bows were made from the service (or sarvice) +berry bush, and this bush furnished the best +material for arrows. I have seen hickory bows +among the plains Indians, too, and these were +longer and always straight, instead of being +fashioned like Cupid's weapon. These hickory +bows came from the East, of course, and through +trading, reached the plains country. I have +also seen bows covered with the skins of the +bull-snake, or wound with sinew, and bows +have been made from the horns of the elk, in the +early days, after a long course of preparation. + +Before Lewis and Clark crossed this vast +country, the Blackfeet had traded with the +Hudson Bay Company, and steel knives and +lance-heads, bearing the names of English +makers, still remain to testify to the relations +existing, in those days, between those famous +traders and men of the Piegan, Blood, and +Blackfoot tribes, although it took many years +for traders on our own side of the line to gain +their friendship. Indeed, trappers and traders +blamed the Hudson Bay Company for the feel- +ing of hatred held by the three tribes of Black- +feet for the "Americans"; and there is no doubt +that they were right to some extent, although +the killing of the Blackfoot warrior by Captain +Lewis in 1805 may have been largely to blame +for the trouble. Certain it is that for many +years after the killing, the Blackfeet kept +traders and trappers on the dodge unless they +were Hudson Bay men, and in 1810 drove the +"American" trappers and traders from their +fort at Three-Forks. + +It was early when we gathered in War Eagle's +lodge, the children and I, but the story-telling +began at once. + +"Now I shall tell you a story that will show +you how little OLD-man cared for the welfare of +others," said War Eagle. + +"It happened in the fall, this thing I shall +tell you, and the day was warm and bright. +OLD-man and his brother the Red Fox were trav- +elling together for company. They were on a +hillside when OLD-Man said: 'I am hungry. +Can you not kill a Rabbit or something for us +to eat? The way is long, and I am getting +old, you know. You are swift of foot and +cunning, and there are Rabbits among these +rocks.' + +"'Ever since morning came I have watched +for food, but the moon must be wrong or some- +thing, for I see nothing that is good to eat,' +replied the Fox. 'Besides that, my medicine is +bad and my heart is weak. You are great, and +I have heard you can do most anything. Many +snows have known your footprints, and the +snows make us all wise. I think you are the +one to help, not I.' + +"'Listen, brother,' said OLD-man, 'I have +neither bow nor lance--nothing to use in hunt- +ing. Your weapons are ever with you--your +great nose and your sharp teeth. Just as we +came up this hill I saw two great Buffalo-Bulls. +You were not looking, but I saw them, and if +you will do as I want you to we shall have +plenty of meat. This is my scheme; I shall +pull out all of your hair, leaving your body +white and smooth, like that of the fish. I shall +leave only the white hair that grows on the tip +of your tail, and that will make you funny to +look at. Then you are to go before the Bulls +and commence to dance and act foolish. Of +course the Bulls will laugh at you, and as soon +as they get to laughing you must act sillier +than ever. That will make them laugh so hard +that they will fall down and laugh on the +ground. When they fall, I shall come upon +them with my knife and kill them. Will you +do as I suggest, brother, or will you starve?' + +"'What! Pull out my hair? I shall freeze +with no hair on my body, OLD-man. No--I +will not suffer you to pull my hair out when the +winter is so near,' cried the Fox. + +"'Ho! It is vanity, my brother, not fear +of freezing. If you will do this we shall have +meat for the winter, and a fire to keep us warm. +See, the wind is in the south and warm. There +is no danger of freezing. Come, let me do it,' +replied OLD-man. + +"'Well--if you are sure that I won't freeze, +all right,' said the Fox, 'but I'll bet I'll be +sorry.' + +"So Old-man pulled out all of the Fox's hair, +leaving only the white tip that grew near the +end of his tail. Poor little Red Fox shivered +in the warm breeze that OLD-man told about, +and kept telling OLD-man that the hair-pulling +hurt badly. Finally OLD-man finished the job +and laughed at the Fox, saying: 'Why, you make +me laugh, too. Now go and dance before the +Bulls, and I shall watch and be ready for my +part of the scheme.' + +"Around the hill went the poor Red Fox and +found the Bulls. Then he began to dance be- +fore them as OLD-man had told him. The Bulls +took one look at the hairless Fox and began to +laugh. My! How they did laugh, and then +the Red Fox stood upon his hind legs and +danced some more; acted sillier, as OLD-man +had told him. Louder and louder laughed the +Bulls, until they fell to the ground with their +breath short from the laughing. The Red Fox +kept at his antics lest the Bulls get up before +OLD-man reached them; but soon he saw him +coming, with a knife in his hand. + +"Running up to the Bulls, OLD-man plunged +his knife into their hearts, and they died. +Into the ground ran their blood, and then OLD- +man laughed and said: 'Ho, I am the smart +one. I am the real hunter. I depend on my +head for meat--ha!--ha!-ha!' + +"Then OLD-man began to dress and skin the +Bulls, and he worked hard and long. In fact +it was nearly night when he got the work all +done. + +"Poor little Red Fox had stood there all the +time, and OLD-man never noticed that the wind +had changed and was coming from the north. +Yes, poor Red Fox stood there and spoke no +word; said nothing at all, even when OLD-man +had finished. + +"'Hi, there, you! what's the matter with +you? Are you sorry that we have meat? Say, +answer me!' + +"But the Red Fox was frozen stiff--was +dead. Yes, the north wind had killed him +while OLD-man worked at the skinning. The Fox +had been caught by the north wind naked, +and was dead. OLD-man built a fire and warmed +his hands; that was all he cared for the Red +Fox, and that is all he cared for anybody. He +might have known that no person could stand +the north wind without a robe; but as long +as he was warm himself--that was all he +wanted. + +"That is all of that story. To-morrow night +I shall tell you why the birch-tree wears those +slashes in its bark. That was some of OLD- +man's work, too. Ho!" + + + + +WHY THE BIRCH-TREE WEARS THE SLASHES IN ITS BARK + + +The white man has never understood the +Indian, and the example set the Western +tribes of the plains by our white brethren has +not been such as to inspire the red man with +either confidence or respect for our laws or our +religion. The fighting trapper, the border ban- +dit, the horse-thief and rustler, in whose stomach +legitimately acquired beef would cause colic-- +were the Indians' first acquaintances who wore +a white skin, and he did not know that they +were not of the best type. Being outlaws in +every sense, these men sought shelter from the +Indian in the wilderness; and he learned of +their ways about his lodge-fire, or in battle, +often provoked by the white ruffian in the hope +of gain. They lied to the Indian--these first +white acquaintances, and in after-years, the +great Government of the United States lied and +lied again, until he has come to believe that +there is no truth in the white man's heart. +And I don't blame him. + +The Indian is a charitable man. I don't be- +lieve he ever refused food and shelter or abused +a visitor. He has never been a bigot, and con- +cedes to every other man the right to his own +beliefs. Further than that, the Indian believes +that every man's religion and belief is right +and proper for that man's self. + +It was blowing a gale and snow was being +driven in fine flakes across the plains when we +went to the lodge for a story. Every minute +the weather was growing colder, and an early +fall storm of severity was upon us. The wind +seemed to add to the good nature of our host +as he filled and passed me the pipe. + +"This is the night I was to tell you about the +Birch-Tree, and the wind will help to make +you understand," said War Eagle after we had +finished smoking. + +"Of course," he continued, " this all happened +in the summer-time when the weather was +warm, very warm. Sometimes, you know, +there are great winds in the summer, too. + +"It was a hot day, and OLD-man was trying +to sleep, but the heat made him sick. He wan- +dered to a hilltop for air; but there was no +air. Then he went down to the river and +found no relief. He travelled to the timber- +lands, and there the heat was great, although +he found plenty of shade. The travelling made +him warmer, of course, but he wouldn't stay +still. + +"By and by he called to the winds to blow, +and they commenced. First they didn't blow +very hard, because they were afraid they might +make OLD-man angry, but he kept crying: + +"'Blow harder--harder--harder! Blow +worse than ever you blew before, and send this +heat away from the world.' + +"So, of course, the winds did blow harder-- +harder than they ever had blown before. + +"'Bend and break, Fir-Tree!' cried OLD-man, +and the Fir-Tree did bend and break. 'Bend +and break, Pine-Tree!' and the Pine-Tree did +bend and break. 'Bend and break, Spruce- +Tree!' and the Spruce-Tree did bend and break. +'Bend and break, O Birch-Tree!' and the +Birch-Tree did bend, but it wouldn't break-- +no, sir!--it wouldn't break! + +"'Ho! Birch-Tree, won't you mind me? +Bend and break! I tell you,' but all the Birch- +Tree would do was to bend. + +"It bent to the ground; it bent double to +please OLD-man, but it would not break. + +"'Blow harder, wind!' cried OLD-man, 'blow +harder and break the Birch-Tree.' The wind +tried to blow harder, but it couldn't, and that +made the thing worse, because OLD-man was so +angry he went crazy. 'Break! I tell you-- +break!' screamed OLD-man to the Birch-Tree. + +"'I won't break,' replied the Birch; 'I shall +never break for any wind. I will bend, but I +shall never, never break.' + +"'You won't, hey?' cried OLD-man, and he +rushed at the Birch-Tree with his hunting-knife. +He grabbed the top of the Birch because it was +touching the ground, and began slashing the +bark of the Birch-Tree with the knife. All up +and down the trunk of the tree OLD-man slashed, +until the Birch was covered with the knife +slashes. + +"'There! that is for not minding me. That +will do you good! As long as time lasts you +shall always look like that, Birch-Tree; always +be marked as one who will not mind its maker. +Yes, and all the Birch-Trees in the world shall +have the same marks forever.' They do, too. +You have seen them and have wondered why +the Birch-Tree is so queerly marked. Now you +know. + +"That is all--Ho!" + + + + +MISTAKES OF OLD-MAN + +All night the storm raged, and in the +morning the plains were white with snow. +The sun came and the light was blinding, but +the hunters were abroad early, as usual. + +That day the children came to my camp, +and I told them several stories that appeal to +white children. They were deeply interested, +and asked many questions. Not until the +hunters returned did my visitors leave. + +That night War Eagle told us of the mistakes +of OLD-man. He said: + +"OLD-man made a great many mistakes in +making things in the world, but he worked un- +til he had everything good. I told you at the +beginning that OLD-man made mistakes, but I +didn't tell you what they were, so now I shall +tell you. + +"One of the things he did that was wrong, +was to make the Big-Horn to live on the plains. +Yes, he made him on the plains and turned him +loose, to make his living there. Of course the +Big-Horn couldn't run on the plains, and OLD- +man wondered what was wrong. Finally, he +said: 'Come here, Big-Horn!' and the Big- +Horn came to him. OLD-man stuck his arm +through the circle his horns made, and dragged +the Big-Horn far up into the mountains. There +he set him free again, and sat down to watch +him. Ho! It made OLD-man dizzy to watch +the Big-Horn run about on the ragged cliffs. +He saw at once that this was the country the +Big-Horn liked, and he left him there. Yes, +he left him there forever, and there he stays, +seldom coming down to the lower country. + +"While OLD-man was waiting to see what the +Big-Horn would do in the high mountains, he +made an Antelope and set him free with the +Big-Horn. Ho! But the Antelope stumbled +and fell down among the rocks. He couldn't +man called to the Antelope to come back to +him, and the Antelope did come to him. Then +he called to the Big-Horn, and said: + +"'You are all right, I guess, but this one +isn't, and I'll have to take him somewhere else.' + +"He dragged the Antelope down to the +prairie country, and set him free there. Then +he watched him a minute; that was as long as +the Antelope was in sight, for he was afraid +OLD-man might take him back to the mountains. + +"He said: 'I guess that fellow was made for +the plains, all right, so I'll leave him there'; +and he did. That is why the Antelope always +stays on the plains, even to-day. He likes it +better. + +"That wasn't a very long story; sometime +when you get older I will tell you some dif- +ferent stories, but that will be all for this time, +I guess. Ho!" + + + + +HOW THE MAN FOUND HIS MATE + +Each tribe has its own stories. Most of +them deal with the same subjects, differing +only in immaterial particulars. + +Instead of squirrels in the timber, the Black- +feet are sure they were prairie-dogs that OLD- +man roasted that time when he made the +mountain-lion long and lean. The Chippewas +and Crees insist that they were squirrels that +were cooked and eaten, but one tribe is essen- +tially a forest-people and the other lives on +the plains--hence the difference. + +Some tribes will not wear the feathers of the +owl, nor will they have anything to do with +that bird, while others use his feathers freely. + +The forest Indian wears the soft-soled moc- +casin, while his brother of the plains covers the +bottoms of his footwear with rawhide, because +of the cactus and prickly-pear, most likely. + +The door of the lodge of the forest Indian +reaches to the ground, but the plains Indian +makes his lodge skin to reach all about the cir- +cle at the bottom, because of the wind. + +One night in War Eagle's lodge, Other- +person asked: "Why don't the Bear have a +tail, grandfather?" + +War Eagle laughed and said: "Our people +do not know why, but we believe he was made +that way at the beginning, although I have +heard men of other tribes say that the Bear +lost his tail while fishing. + +"I don't know how true it is, but I have been +told that a long time ago the Bear was fishing +in the winter, and the Fox asked him if he had +any luck. + +"'No,' replied the Bear, 'I can't catch a +fish.' + +"'Well,' said the Fox, 'if you will stick your +long tail down through this hole in the ice, +and sit very still, I am sure you will catch a +fish.' + +"So the Bear stuck his tail through the hole +in the ice, and the Fox told him to sit still, till +he called him; then the Fox went off, pretending +to hunt along the bank. It was mighty cold +weather, and the water froze all about the +Bear's tail, yet he sat still, waiting for the Fox +to call him. Yes, the Bear sat so still and so +long that his tail was frozen in the ice, but he +didn't know it. When the Fox thought it was +time, he called: + +"'Hey, Bear, come here quick--quick! I +have a Rabbit in this hole, and I want you to +help me dig him out.' Ho! The Bear tried +to get up, but he couldn't. + +"'Hey, Bear, come here--there are two +Rabbits in this hole,' called the Fox. + +"The Bear pulled so hard to get away from +the ice, that he broke his tail off short to his +body. Then the Fox ran away laughing at the +Bear. + +"I hardly believe that story, but once I +heard an old man who visited my father from +the country far east of here, tell it. I remem- +bered it. But I can't say that I know it is +true, as I can the others. + +"When I told you the story of how OLD-man +made the world over, after the water had made +its war upon it, I told you how the first man +and woman were made. There is another +story of how the first man found his wife, and +I will tell you that. + +"After OLD-man had made a man to look +like himself, he left him to live with the Wolves, +and went away. The man had a hard time of +it, with no clothes to keep him warm, and no +wife to help him, so he went out looking for +OLD-man. + +"It took the man a long time to find OLD- +man's lodge, but as soon as he got there he +went right in and said: + +"'OLD-man, you have made me and left me +to live with the Wolf-people. I don't like +them at all. They give me scraps of meat to +eat and won't build a fire. They have wives, +but I don't want a Wolf-woman. I think you +should take better care of me.' + +"'Well,' replied OLD-man, 'I was just waiting +for you to come to see me. I have things fixed +for you. You go down this river until you come +to a steep hillside. There you will see a lodge. +Then I will leave you to do the rest. Go!' + +"The man started and travelled all that +day. When night came he camped and ate +some berries that grew near the river. The +next morning he started down the river again, +looking for the steep hillside and the lodge. +Just before sundown, the man saw a fine lodge +near a steep hillside, and he knew that was +the lodge he was looking for; so he crossed the +river and went into the lodge. + +"Sitting by the fire inside, was a woman. +She was dressed in buckskin clothes, and was +cooking some meat that smelled good to the +man, but when she saw him without any +clothes, she pushed him out of the lodge, and +dropped the door. + +"Things didn't look very good to that man, +I tell you, but to get even with the woman, he +went up on the steep hillside and commenced +to roll big rocks down upon her lodge. He kept +this up until one of the largest rocks knocked +down the lodge, and the woman ran out, crying. + +"When the man heard the woman crying, +it made him sorry and he ran down the hill to +her. She sat down on the ground, and the +man ran to where she was and said: + +"'I am sorry I made you cry, woman. I will +help you fix your lodge. I will stay with you, +if you will only let me.' + +"That pleased the woman, and she showed +the man how to fix up the lodge and gather +some wood for the fire. Then she let him come +inside and eat. Finally, she made him some clothes, +and they got along very well, after that. + +"That is how the man found his wife--Ho!" + + + + + +DREAMS + + + +As soon as manhood is attained, the young +Indian must secure his "charm," or "medi- +cine." After a sweat-bath, he retires to some +lonely spot, and there, for four days and nights, +if necessary, he remains in solitude. During +this time he eats nothing; drinks nothing; but +spends his time invoking the Great Mystery for +the boon of a long life. In this state of mind, +he at last sleeps, perhaps dreams. If a dream +does not come to him, he abandons the task for +a time, and later on will take another sweat- +bath and try again. Sometimes dangerous +cliffs, or other equally uncomfortable places, +are selected for dreaming, because the surround- +ing terrors impress themselves upon the mind, +and even in slumber add to the vividness of +dreams. + +At last the dream comes, and in it some bird +or animal appears as a helper to the dreamer, +in trouble. Then he seeks that bird or animal; +kills a specimen; and if a bird, he stuffs its skin +with moss and forever keeps it near him. If +an animal, instead of a bird, appears in the +dream, the Indian takes his hide, claws, or teeth; +and throughout his life never leaves it behind +him, unless in another dream a greater charm +is offered. If this happens, he discards the old +"medicine" for the new; but such cases are rare. + +Sometimes the Indian will deck his "medi- +cine-bundle" with fanciful trinkets and quill- +work At other times the "bundle" is kept +forever out of the sight of all uninterested per- +sons, and is altogether unadorned. But "medi- +cine" is necessary; without it, the Indian is +afraid of his shadow. + +An old chief, who had been in many battles, +once told me his great dream, withholding the +name of the animal or bird that appeared therein +and became his "medicine." + +He said that when he was a boy of twelve +years, his father, who was chief of his tribe, +told him that it was time that he tried to dream. +After his sweat-bath, the boy followed his +father without speaking, because the postulant +must not converse or associate with other +humans between the taking of the bath and +the finished attempt to dream. On and on +into the dark forest the father led, followed by +the naked boy, till at last the father stopped +on a high hill, at the foot of a giant pine-tree. + +By signs the father told the boy to climb the +tree and to get into an eagle's nest that was on +the topmost boughs. Then the old man went +away, in order that the boy might reach the +nest without coming too close to his human +conductor. + +Obediently the boy climbed the tree and sat +upon the eagle's nest on the top. "I could see +very far from that nest," he told me. "The +day was warm and I hoped to dream that night, +but the wind rocked the tree top, and the +darkness made me so much afraid that I did +not sleep. + +"On the fourth night there came a terrible +thunder-storm, with lightning and much wind. +The great pine groaned and shook until I was +sure it must fall. All about it, equally strong +trees went down with loud crashings, and in the +dark there were many awful sounds--sounds +that I sometimes hear yet. Rain came, and I +grew cold and more afraid. I had eaten noth- +ing, of course, and I was weak--so weak and +tired, that at last I slept, in the nest. I dreamed; +yes, it was a wonderful dream that came to me, +and it has most all come to pass. Part is yet +to come. But come it surely will. + +"First I saw my own people in three wars. +Then I saw the Buffalo disappear in a hole in +the ground, followed by many of my people. +Then I saw the whole world at war, and many +flags of white men were in this land of ours. It +was a terrible war, and the fighting and the blood +made me sick in my dream. Then, last of all, +I saw a 'person' coming--coming across what +seemed the plains. There were deep shadows +all about him as he approached. This 'person' +kept beckoning me to come to him, and at last +I did go to him. + +"'Do you know who I am,' he asked me. + +"'No, "person," I do not know you. Who +are you, and where is your country?' + +"'If you will listen to me, boy, you shall be +a great chief and your people shall love you. +If you do not listen, then I shall turn against +you. My name is "Reason."' + +"As the 'person' spoke this last, he struck +the ground with a stick he carried, and the blow +set the grass afire. I have always tried to know +that 'person.' I think I know him wherever he +may be, and in any camp. He has helped me +all my life, and I shall never turn against him +--never." + +That was the old chief's dream and now a +word about the sweat-bath. A small lodge is +made of willows, by bending them and sticking +the ends in the ground. A completed sweat- +lodge is shaped like an inverted bowl, and in +the centre is a small hole in the ground. The +lodge is covered with robes, bark, and dirt, or +anything that will make it reasonably tight. +Then a fire is built outside and near the sweat- +lodge in which stones are heated. When the +stones are ready, the bather crawls inside the +sweat-lodge, and an assistant rolls the hot +stones from the fire, and into the lodge. They +are then rolled into the hole in the lodge and +sprinkled with water. One cannot imagine a +hotter vapor bath than this system produces, +and when the bather has satisfied himself inside, +he darts from the sweat-lodge into the river, +winter or summer. This treatment killed thou- +sands of Indians when the smallpox was brought +to them from Saint Louis, in the early days. + +That night in the lodge War Eagle told a +queer yarn. I shall modify it somewhat, but in +our own sacred history there is a similar tale, +well known to all. He said: + +"Once, a long time ago, two 'thunders' were +travelling in the air. They came over a vil- +lage of our people, and there stopped to look +about. + +"In this village there was one fine, painted +lodge, and in it there was an old man, an aged +woman, and a beautiful young woman with +wonderful hair. Of course the 'thunders' could +look through the lodge skin and see all that +was inside. One of them said to the other: +'Let us marry that young woman, and never +tell her about it.' + +"'All right,' replied the other 'thunder.' 'I +am willing, for she is the finest young woman +in all the village. She is good in her heart, +and she is honest.' + +"So they married her, without telling her +about it, and she became the mother of twin +boys. When these boys were born, they sat +up and told their mother and the other people +that they were not people, but were 'thunders,' +and that they would grow up quickly. + +"'When we shall have been on earth a while, +we shall marry, and stay until we each have +four sons of our own, then we shall go away +and again become "thunders,"' they said. + +"It all came to pass, just as they said it would. +When they had married good women and each +had four sons, they told the people one day +that it was time for them to go away for- +ever. + +"There was much sorrow among the people, +for the twins were good men and taught many +good things which we have never forgotten, but +everybody knew it had to be as they said. +While they lived with us, these twins could +heal the sick and tell just what was going to +happen on earth. + +"One day at noon the twins dressed them- +selves in their finest clothes and went out to a +park in the forest. All the people followed +them and saw them lie down on the ground in +the park. The people stayed in the timber +that grew about the edge of the park, and +watched them until clouds and mists gathered +about and hid them from view. + +"It thundered loudly and the winds blew; +trees fell down; and when the mists and clouds +cleared away, they were gone--gone forever. +But the people have never forgotten them, and +my grandfather, who is in the ground near +Rocker, was a descendant from one of the sons +of the 'thunders.' Ho!" + + + + + +RETROSPECTION + +It was evening in the bad-lands, and the red +sun had slipped behind the far-off hills. +The sundown breeze bent the grasses in the +coulees and curled tiny dust-clouds on the +barren knolls. Down in a gulch a clear, cool +creek dallied its way toward the Missouri, where +its water, bitter as gall, would be lost in the +great stream. Here, where Nature forbids +man to work his will, and where the she wolf +dens and kills to feed her litter, an aged Indian +stood near the scattered bones of two great +buffalo-bulls. Time had bleached the skulls +and whitened the old warrior's hair, but in the +solitude he spoke to the bones as to a boyhood +friend: + +"Ho! Buffalo, the years are long since you +died, and your tribe, like mine, was even then +shrinking fast, but you did not know it; would +not believe it; though the signs did not lie. +My father and his father knew your people, +and when one night you went away, we thought +you did but hide and would soon come back. +The snows have come and gone many times +since then, and still your people stay away. +The young-men say that the great herds have +gone to the Sand Hills, and that my father still +has meat. They have told me that the white +man, in his greed, has killed--and not for +meat--all the Buffalo that our people knew. +They have said that the great herds that made +the ground tremble as they ran were slain in +a few short years by those who needed not. +Can this be true, when ever since there was a +world, our people killed your kind, and still +left herds that grew in numbers until they +often blocked the rivers when they passed? +Our people killed your kind that they them- +selves might live, but never did they go to war +against you. Tell me, do your people hide. or +are the young-men speaking truth, and have +your people gone with mine to Sand Hill shadows +to come back no more?" + +"Ho! red man--my people all have gone. +The young-men tell the truth and all my tribe +have gone to feed among the shadow-hills, and +your father still has meat. My people suffer +from his arrows and his lance, yet there the +herds increase as they did here, until the white +man came and made his war upon us without +cause or need. I was one of the last to die, and +with my brother here fled to this forbidding +country that I might hide; but one day when +the snow was on the world, a white murderer +followed on our trail, and with his noisy weapon +sent our spirits to join the great shadow-herds. +Meat? No, he took no meat, but from our +quivering flesh he tore away the robes that +Napa gave to make us warm, and left us for +the Wolves. That night they came, and quar- +relling, fighting, snapping 'mong themselves, +left but our bones to greet the morning sun. +These bones the Coyotes and the weaker ones +did drag and scrape, and scrape again, until +the last of flesh or muscle disappeared. Then +the winds came and sang--and all was done." + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of Indian Why Stories by Linderman + |