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NY PUBLIC LIBRARY THE BRANCH L BRAR ES

3 333301195 7749

STORIES

THE IROQUOIS
TELL THEIR
CHILDREN

MABEL POWERS

(YEH SEN NOH WEHS)

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY

NEW YORK CINCINNATI CHICAGO

W.P. is

e • • • c •

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To ALL THE CHILDREN WHO ASK
How AND WHY,

ESPECIALLY THOSE RED CHILDREN

WHO SEE WITH WONDER EYES,
AND THOSE PALEFACE CHILDREN

WHO YET BELIEVE IN FAIRIES,
THESE STORIES ARE LOVINGLY DEDICATED

THE NEW Y®RK PUBLIC LIBRARY

OJRCHJLATtON »SFA«TM«NT
NAYffAM STRAUS BflAITCH }4t IAST 32n& STREET

CONTENTS

PAGE

ACKNOWLEDGMENT „ 8

FOREWORD BY THE CHIEFS 9

INTRODUCTORY

How THE STORIES CAME TO BE n

WHY I WAS CALLED THE STORY-TELLER 13

THE LITTLE PEOPLE 18

STORY-TELLING TIME 23

How THE IROQUOIS GIVE THANKS 27

A FlREMAKER AND A PEACEMAKER 34

IROQUOIS WONDER STORIES

How THE WHITE MAN CAME 45

WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS AMERICANS ..... 49

How THE TURKEY BUZZARD GOT^HIS SUJT...V ... 60

WHY THE PARTRIDGE- Brims' "<- % ; \ /--.*» : ,*: 66

f'-'-f. f f f'"~ * * •

How THE INDIANS L^AIR-NED'-TO -HEAL .*" ". . . . 69

WHY DOGS CHASE FOXES ,v ; .£/•"„ ' - ; "• . . . . 75
WHY HERMIT THRUSH is s.q.-SHY- i*£ ', „* . ' . . . -79

How GOOD AND EVIL CAJ^E TO BE »-.»,':' :. 8s

• •'• ** f " r f *

How A BOY WAS CURED -OF ^Q'A&n£fc{'>.. f ;. . . . 90

WHY THE CUCKOO is so LAZY" '.''.' 95

HOW THE COON OUTWITTED THE FOX 99

WHY THE GOLDFINCHES LOOK LIKE THE SUN .... 103

WHAT THE ASH AND THE MAPLE LEARNED .... 107

How THE WOMAN OVERCAME THE BEAR 112

WHY THE WOODPECKER BORES FOR ITS FOOD . . . 115

WHY THE ICE ROOF FELL 119

WHY THE CHIPMUNK HAS BLACK STRIPES . . . .122

How Two INDIAN BOYS SETTLED A QUARREL . . . 125

HOW MICE OVERCAME THE WARRIORS ..... 130

CONTENTS 7

PAGE

WHY CROWS ARE POOR „ 135

WHY THE INDIAN LOVES HIS DOG 139

GREEDY FAWN AND THE PORRIDGE 145

WHY HOUNDS OUTRUN OTHER ANIMALS 152

WHY INDIANS NEVER SHOOT PIGEONS 155

How OLD MAN WINTER WAS DRIVEN BACK . . . .159

WHY LIGHTNING SOMETIMES STRIKES 168

WHY THE HARE HAS A SPLIT LIP AND SHORT TAIL . .176

CORN PLUME AND BEAN MAIDEN 180

How THE ROBIN BURNED HIS BREAST 187

IROQUOIS FAIRY STORIES

How MORNING STAR LOST HER FISH 195

How LITTLE SHOOTER LOST HIS LUCK 201

How AN INDIAN BOY WON HIS NAME 205

How THE FAIRIES WORKED MAGIC 211

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

If the Red Children had not welcomed the writer
to their lodge fires, these stories the Iroquois tell their
children could not have been retold. With one or two
exceptions, the ideas found in the stories have been had
from the lips of the Indians themselves. To ARTHUR
C. PARKER --Ga wa so wa neh - - for his careful review of
the stories and assistance in securing authentic Iroquois
illustrations; and to the following story-tellers who so
kindly welcomed her to their lodges, and told her stories,
the writer is most grateful.

EDWARD CORNPLANTER (So son do uiah — " Great Night ") Seneca Wolf

WILLIAM PATTERSON (Ga reh hwonts- "Power has come down ") . . Tuscarora Deer

MOSES SHONGO (Ho non da a suh— " Keeper of the hills ") Seneca Wolf

CLIFFORD SHONGO (Ouhn yah dah goh— "Very dark blue sky") Seneca Wolf

CHARLES DOXON (Hoh squa sa ga dah— "Woodsman") Onondaga Turtle

DANIEL GEORGE (Jo ha a ga dah— " Roadscraper ") Onondaga Eel

MARY PRINTUP (Wah le sa loh) Mohawk Snipe

DAN WILLIAMS (Oh geh rah u reh ru ha neh— "Running Bear") ..Tuscarora Bear

ELI HENRY Tuscarora Deer

HARRIETT PEMBLETON (Gah do rehn lah— "Dropping Husks ").. ..Tuscarora Turtle
AMOS KILLBUCK (Bar wen do dyoh— "He has forsaken eariy dawn ").. Seneca Wolf

ALFRED JIMESON (Ear neh a oh— "Hatchet in his hands") Seneca Heron

WILLIAM HOAG (0 no nah — " Very cold ") Seneca Wolf

ELLEN PIERCE SHONGO ( Yea wen noh aih— "The high word") Seneca Wolf

BAPTIST THOMAS (Sa ha whe — " Long feather ") Onondaga Turtle

ALBERT CUSICK (Sha go na qua da — " Made them mad ") Onondaga Eel

THEODORE JIMESON (Jah o yak) Seneca Snipe

DAVID WARRIOR (Dwen o gwah) Cayuga White Heron

WILLETT JIMESON (So i as ah — " Owner of fine cornstalks") Seneca Wolf

NANCY GREYSQUIRREL (Gah gwah tah — " One who lifts ") Seneca Bear

EMILY TALLCHIEF (Gi das was — "Wind blowing through corn") Seneca Turtle

LOUISE PIERCE LOGAN (Ga yah was — " The quivering heaven ") Seneca Wolf

THOMAS JONES (Gah ne yehs — " The dropping snow ") Seneca Wolf

FOREWORD

Once our fathers own these lands of New York State.
Once the Iroquois were great people. Their council fires
burn from Hudson on east to Lake Erie on west, from
rising to setting sun. Then White man come. He ask
for small seat size buffalo skin. He take larger and larger
one, till Indian have but small place to sit.

Now we have little left but stories of our fathers.
They, too, will soon be lost and forgotten, but a voice
has come to speak for us. Yeh sen noh wehs — the one
who tells the stories - - will carry these stories of our
fathers to Paleface. She will help White man to under-
stand Indian, Indian to be understood. She will have
all men brothers.

Indian's heart is glad that Yeh sen noh wehs, our
white friend, has come to us. She have good eyes. She
see right. She like things Indian. She try to preserve
them. Our old men and women tell her the stories told
them, many, many moons ago, when little children.

Yeh sen noh wehs write down these stories so our
children and our children's children may read and know
them; and so Paleface Children may learn them also.
Indian tell these stories to his children to make them
good and brave and kind and unselfish. May they teach

Paleface Children how they should do.

Again we say, Indian is glad to have some one speak
for him. He is glad to have some one write down the
great and beautiful thoughts in Indian's mind and heart.
We have spoken. Na ho.

Chief of Seneca Nation,

Chief of Onondagas,

Chief of Tuscaroras,

Chief of Cayugas,

Chief of Mohawks,

Chief of Oneidas,

Iff (*e

PROPERTY OF THE
CITY OF NEW YORK

HOW THE STORIES CAME TO BE

Out of the moons of long ago, these
stories have come. Then every tribe of the
Iroquois had its story-teller.

When the Old Man of the North came
out of his lodge, and the forests and rivers
of the Red Children grew white with his
breath, these story-tellers wandered from
wigwam to wigwam.

Seated on warm skins by the fire, the
story-teller would exclaim, "Ha nio!r This
meant, "Come, gather round, and I will tell
a story."

Then all the Red Children would cry,
"Heh" and draw close to the fire. This
meant that they were glad to hear the story.
And as the flames leaped and chased one an-
other along the fire trail, they would listen to
these wonder stories of the Little People, of

HOW THE STORIES CAME TO BE

the trees and flowers, of birds, of animals,
and men. When the story-teller had fin-
ished, he said, " Na ho" This meant, "It
is the end."

The earth was very young, when the Red
Children first learned how everything came
to be, and just why it is that things are as
they are. They told these wonderful things
to their children, and their children in turn
told them to their children ; and those chil-
dren again in turn told them to theirs, that
these things might not be forgotten.

Now, but few of the Red Children know
these stories that the grandmothers and old
men of the tribe used to tell. The story-
teller is no longer seen wandering from
wigwam to wigwam.

WHY I WAS CALLED THE
STORY-TELLER

Some time ago the writer of these stories
was asked to speak for an Indian Society.
She accepted the invitation, and that night
made her first Indian friends.

Her new friends told her many beautiful
things about the Red Children. The more
the writer learned about the Iroquois people,
and things Indian, the more interested she
became. After a time she began to tell
the Paleface the things she had learned.

Soon, one of the tribes, the Senecas — -the
tribe to which her new friends belonged — •
heard that she was speaking for them.
They wished to honor her, so they asked
her to be present at their Green-Corn Feast,
and become one of them.

So when the Green-Corn moon hung her

14 WHY I WAS CALLED THE STORY-TELLER

horn in the night sky, the writer found the
trail to the Land of the Senecas. There the
Senecas adopted her into the Snipe clan
of their nation. She was called Yeh sen
noh wehs — "One who carries and tells the
stories."

Thus it was that the writer became one
of the Red Children, Yeh sen noh wehs — -
the Daughter of the Senecas.

The more Yeh sen noli wehs learned of
the Red Children, and their simple stories,
the more she loved them. One day, Yeh
sen noh wehs said she would be the story-
teller not only of the Senecas, but of all the
tribes of the Iroquois. There are six great
families of this people. Each family is
called a tribe or nation.

Once, the council fires of these six nations
burned from the Hudson on the east, to
Lake Erie on the west, and they were a
great and powerful people.

WHY I WAS CALLED THE STORY-TELLER 15

It was at the time of the Berry Moon
that Yeh sen noh wehs hit the story trail.
Since then she has journeyed through all
the lands of the Senecas, the Onondagas,
the Cayugas, the Oneidas, the Mohawks,
and the Tuscaroras.

Like the story-teller of old, Yeh sen noh
wehs wandered from lodge to lodge of the
Iroquois. " ffanio" she would call, and as
the Indians gathered round, she would tell
them one of the stories that other Indian
friends had told to her.

Sometimes this would remind the Red
Children of another story, which Yeh sen noh
wehs did not know, and they would tell it
to her. It was in this way that these
stories have been gathered.

There were many days when Yeh sen
noh wehs told her stories, but none were
told in return. Few members of the tribes

- these usually the oldest - - could remem
ber the stories " they used to tell."

WHY I WAS CALLED THE STORY-TELLER

Sometimes Ye/i sen noh wehs heard a
story as she trudged along a furrow, beside
a ragged Indian who was plowing with a
more ragged-looking team. Or she would
listen as she helped an Indian woman pre-
pare the evening meal, pick berries, or
gather nuts

- -".wn-wjoKSSy ~-3&EUf 2.

Sometimes, as Yeh sen noh wehs sat by a
fire down in the depths of a beautiful wood,
and watched the smoke of the sacred medi-
cine rise, a medicine man would tell her a
story; or an Indian woman would drop a
word, as she sat at her door weaving baskets
or making bead work.

These stories Yeh sen noh wehs has made
into a story book, that they might not be

WHY I WAS CALLED THE STORY-TELLER

lost and forgotten; that all the Iroquois
Red Children and their children's children
might know and tell them, and that Pale-
face children might learn them as well.

The American children have no fairies of
their own. They must borrow their fairies
from children of other nations. Yeh sen
noh we/is thought it very sad, so she put a
magic feather
in her cap, and
winged moc-
casins on her
feet. Then she
went on the
chase for real American wonder stories,
and for real American fairies.

Had there not been a feather in the magic
cap she wore, Yeh sen noh we/is would not
have found them. But the feather pointed
the way to the Nature Wonder Trail, and
there she caught a glimpse of the " Little
People," -the only true American fairies.

THE LITTLE PEOPLE

All children who live close to Mother
Earth come to know and to see the
fairies of the flowers, the woods, the
rocks, and the waters.

These fairies the Iroquois call the Jo
gah oh, or " Little People," because they
are so small. The Little People can do
wonderful things. Whatever they wish,
they can do. They can fly through the air.
They can dart under or through the water,
into the earth and through the rocks, as
they please, for they wear invisible mocca-
sins and travel in winged canoes.

1 heir wee babies are carried on the little
mothers' backs, — just like the Indian's pa-
poose. The little fathers have wonderful
winged bows and arrows, that can shoot

any distance they wish.

2O THE LITTLE PEOPLE

The Little People bring good luck to the
Indians. Whatever Indian boys and girls
wish for,- -if they wish hard enough, the
Jo gah oh will bring to them.

It is said that there are three tribes of
these Little People,- -those that live in the
rocks beside streams and lakes, those that
hover near the flowers and plants, and those
that guard the dark places under the earth.

The rock Little People are very strong.
They can uproot large trees and can hurl
great rocks. Sometimes they dare the
Indians to a test of strength with them.
They also like to play ball with stones.

The Red Children fea1" die Stone Throw-
ers, as they call them. But they love the
little folk that help the flowers to blossom,
and the fruit and grains to grow and ripen.

They remember these Little People in
their Feasts of Thanksgiving, for do the Jo
gah oh not help the sweet waters of the
maple to flow? Do they not whisper to

THE LITTLE PEOPLE

the growing seeds and show the way to the
light? Do they not guide the runners of
the strawberries, turn the blossoms to the
sun, and paint the berries red? They also
tint the grains, and give to the corn its
good taste.

A third tribe of Little People dwell under
the earth. They guard the sacred white
buffaloes, and keep the serpent monsters
that live in the darkness below from com-
ing to the surface to the Red Children.

There are trails that lead out to the sun-
light, but the Little People guard them
close, although sometimes a great serpent

IROQUOI3 STORIES — 2

THE LITTLE PEOPLE

will find the trail of a spring, and will follow
it and poison the waters.

Often, at night, these elves of the dark
come to the upper world to dance with the
other Little People.

Wherever you find a tree in a deep, dark
part of the wood, around which no grass
will grow, there you may be sure a dance
ring has been formed. There the Little
People have danced till the moon dropped
out of the sky.

DANCE RATTLE

STORY-TELLING TIME

The old-time Indians say that long, long
ago, the Little People made a law that
stories must not be told in summer.

Summer is the time for work. Bees
must store their honey. Squirrels must
gather their nuts. Men must grow their
corn. Trees and plants must leaf, and
flower, and bear their fruit.

If stories were told, plants, birds, animals,
and men would stop their work to listen.
This would mean poor crops and hungry
people. Animals would forget to grow
their winter coats and lay by their winter
stores. Birds would fail to start in time
for the South.

The old Indians say that the story-teller
who disobeys this law of ihzjo gak ok will
suffer some misfortune. Winter is the time

24 STORY-TELLING TIME

to tell the stories, for then the work of
animals, plants, and men is done,- -and the
Little People are fast asleep.

No, it is not safe to tell stories in summer.
No one knows when a bird, or a bee, or a
butterfly may be listening, and may tell the
chief of the Little People. Should the chief
of the Little People be offended, he might
cause something dreadful to happen to the
story-teller.

Last summer, the writer of these stories
came very near being changed into an ani-
mal, - -or something worse,- -just for tell-
ing stories. So an old Indian said. She
does not know now how she escaped. She
thinks it must have been because she was a
White Indian. This is how it happened.

It was at the time of the Harvest Moon.
Yeh sen noh we/is spoke for one of the
tribes at their council house, and she told
some of these wonder stories.

All went well until the middle of the night

STORY-TELLING TIME 25

Then a very old Indian came to warn her
of her danger. It seems that he had been
at the council in the evening, and had heard
the stories told, many of which he knew.

He told Yeh sen noh we/is he had ex-
pected to see her change into something
else right then and there. He said he
would not dare to tell a story. " No, no,
me 'fraid, evil come ! ' he said.

Then he wanted to know if Yeh sen noh
we/is was a real Indian. He had been told
that she was a White Indian, but when he
heard her teil the stories, he said, he thought
she was a real Indian.

When Yeh sen noh wehs told him that
she had not a drop of Indian blood run-
ning in her veins, he looked very solemn.
At last he spoke. He told the interpreter
to tell her,- -for he spoke but a few words
of English,- -that the Great Spirit made
a snake, a snake ; a fox, a fox ; a muskrat,
a muskrat; a coon, a coon; a bear, a bear;

STORY-TELLING TIME

an Indian, an Indian; a White Indian, a
White Indian. Each must be snake, fox,
coon, bear, Indian or White Indian, as long
as he lived. Each must be himself.

Then the old man asked what disease
YeJi sen noli we/is had, that made her go
around with a feather in her hair, acting like
a real Indian, if she were a White Indian.

Yeh sen noh wehs had no answer. And
she does not know to this day, what saved
her from being changed into a rabbit, a
katydid, or something worse, by the chief
of the Little People. She knows, however,
that she is very glad she is telling the
stories to you, in the WINTER time.

HOW THE IROQUOIS GIVE

THANKS

The Iroquois Red Children are a grateful
people. The true Iroquois never rises after
eating without saying, " Niaweh" which
means, " I am thankful." The others reply,
«Wiu/t" — "It is well."

The Red Children never pick a flower
without thinking how kind the Great Spirit
has been, to cause the flowers to grow.
They like flowers, and no matter how poor
the Indian cabin, flowers are always to be
found near.

When the Iroquois pick fruit, they give
thanks to the Great Spirit. And always do
they leave some, for the " little brothers of
the wood."

They do not try to pick every cherry
or berry, or nut or apple, for themselves.

28 HOW THE IROQUOIS GIVE THANKS

Fruits grow for the birds and animals as
well as for men, and the little brothers of
the wood must not be forgotten. Some of
everything that grows is left for them.

SAP BUCKET

During the spring and summer, the
Iroquois give several thanksgiving feasts.
The first is early in the spring, at maple-
sugar time. As soon as the sap begins to
flow, the Maple Feast is called.

The Indians gather about a large maple
tree. A fire is lighted near, upon which one
of their number sprinkles tobacco. As the
smoke rises, a prayer of thanksgiving is
made to the Great Spirit, for causing the
sweet waters of the maple to flow. Then
the maple trees are thanked for their service

HOW THE IROQUOIS GIVE THANKS

to men, and protection is asked for the trees
during the coming year.

When "the leaf of the dogwood is the
size of a squirrel's ear," it is planting time.
Then an Indian maid goes into the fields
and scatters a few grains of corn, asking
the aid of the Great Spirit for the harvest.
The Indian always plants his seed with the
growing moon, that it may grow with the
moon.

The next feast is the Strawberry Feast
and Dance.

The strawberry is one of the best gifts of
the Great Spirit to his children. So greatly
is it prized that it is thought to grow on the

30 HOW THE IROQUOIS GIVE THANKS

Sky Road that leads to the Happy Hunting
Ground. An Indian who has been very ill,
near death, will say, " I almost ate straw-
berries."

When the strawberry ripens, the Red
Children are happy. They sing their praises
to the Great Spirit and dance with joy.
They remember the Little People who have
helped to make the berries beautiful, and
they have a song of praise and dance of
thanks for them as well. Without the help
of the Little People, the strawberries would
not be so sweet and ripe.

At the time of the Harvest Moon comes
the last feast of the summer. This thanks-
giving feast lasts four days. The Indians
not only give thanks for the ripening of the
corn, but for every growing thing. There-
fore this feast is longer than the others, since
it takes some time to name all the good gifts
of the Great Spirit to the Red Children, and
to give thanks for them all.

HOW THE IROQUOIS GIVE THANKS 31

There is a story * of the corn in which
the Spirit of the Corn is a maiden, not a
handsome young chief, as one of the stories
claims. This Corn Maiden was one of
three sisters, and was called Ona tah.

The three sister vegetables — the corn,
the bean, and the squash — were called the
Di o he ko, which means " those we live
on," since they are the life-giving vege-
tables.

These sisters lived together on a hill and
were very happy. But one day Ona tah
wandered away in search of dews for her
kernels.

The Evil Spirit was watching. He
seized Ona tah, the Spirit of the Corn, and
sent one of his monsters to blight her fields.
The killing winds swept over the hill, and
the spirits of the squash and bean fled be-
fore them.

* Myths and Legends of the Iroquois, by Harriet
Maxwell Converse.

HOW THE IROQUOIS GIVE THANKS

Ona tah was held for some time a pris-
oner in the darkness under the earth, by
the Evil Spirit.

At last a sun ray found her and guided
her back to her lost hilltop. There she

HOW THE IROQUOIS GIVE THANKS

found that her sisters had fled. She was
alone.

Then Ona tah made a vow to the sun
that she would never again leave her
fields. But she sighs for her lost sisters,
and mourns the blight that came upon her
beautiful fields. For since the time when
Ona tah wandered away and left her fields,
the corn has not grown so tall or so beauti-
ful as once it did.

A FIREMAKER AND A PEACE-
MAKER

In the olden times, tribes of Indians did
not always live in one place as
they do now. They sometimes
wandered from one valley or
woodland to another. When
they came to a sheltered place,
/| U where there was pure running
water, and where plenty of
game and wood were to be found,
they would build their lodges
and light their council fires.

There they might camp for
one moon, or for many moons.
As long as their arrows brought
game on the hunting trails near,
they would not break camp. But
if game grew scarce, or if for any reason

A FIREMAKER AND A PEACEMAKER 35

they did not like the camp ground, they
would move farther on.

Sometimes they would go several days'
journey, before they found a camping place
such as they liked.

The first thing that was done in making
a camp was to secure fire and light the
council fire. This fire was always kept
burning. It never went out while they
remained.

The Indians loved the fire. It was the
gift of the Great Spirit to the Red Chil-
dren. It kept them warm and cooked
their food by day, and protected them by
night.

A line of fires was kept burning around
the camp. This protected the Red Chil-
dren from the wild animals, for all animals
fear fire, and are charmed by it. They
might prowl and howl all night long out-
side the fire ring, but never would they
attempt to come within that ring. There

A FIREMAKER AND A PEACEMAKER

the Indians could sleep in peace, guarded
by the spirits of the fire.

The Indian that could make fire first be-
came a chief and leader. When it was de-
cided to camp at a
certain place, a signal
would be given. At
this the young braves
would leap into the
woods, to see which
one first could bring
back fire. Each had
his own secret way of
making it. Usually
a bowstring was
twisted about a fire stick, and the stick was
turned rapidly in a groove. In a few
seconds, smoke would rise from the saw-
dust that formed. After a little fanning
a flame would leap forth.

The Indian whose brain and hand worked
swiftest and surest wras the smartest and

A FIREMAKER AND A PEACEMAKER 37

best man. He became a Firemaker, and
was made a chief of the tribe. He could
do something that the rest could not,- — at
least he had proved himself to be more skill-
ful. Such a man, it was thought, had a
better understanding of all things, and there-
fore could tell the rest of the tribe what
ought to be done.

He no longer was just a man who ate and
slept, walked and ran. He was a man with a
mind. He could think and could do things.
So he became a Firemaker chief, and he
helped the tribe to think and do.

The Iroquois Red Children believe that
there are three kinds of men : those that use
the body only; those that use body and mind ;
and those that use body, mind, and spirit.

Now it happened that .sometimes an In-
dian grew to be so kind and so great, that
he could not only strike the fire we see, but
the fire we do not see, - - the fire of love that
burns in the hearts of people.

A FIREMAKER AND A PEACEMAKER 39

When an Indian could strike this kind
of fire, and warm the hearts not only of his
own tribe but of all tribes, so that they came
to love one another, he was a great chief, a
Peacemaker chief. Such a man would go
from tribe to tribe, teaching the people how
they should do, so that all might live in
peace and plenty, like brothers.

To be a Peacemaker was the highest
seat an Indian could take. Few Indians
became Peacemaker chiefs, and they were
the great men of^the tribe.

Indian women also might become Peace-
makers. At one time the Iroquois had a
Peace Wigwam, where all disputes and
quarrels were settled.

The most beautiful, just, and fair-minded
woman of all the tribes was chosen to sit
in this wigwam. It was her duty to tend
the Peace fire, and to see that it never went
out. She also kept a pot of hominy always
steaming over the fire.

IROQUOIS STORIES — 3

A FIREMAKER AND A PEACEMAKER

If two Indians had a dispute, it was the
custom for them to run to the Peacemaker's
f_^- wigwam. They entered
from opposite sides. In-
side the wigwam, a deer-
skin curtain separated
them from each other.

The Peacemaker
would listen to the griev-
ance of the one and then
to that of the other. Then
she would draw aside the
curtain, get the enemies
together, and settle the
dispute with justice.

The two would then eat
of the hominy, and depart
in peace, - - no longer ene-
mies, but friends.
No nation could fight another nation
without the consent of the Peacemaker.
Because the peacewomen were wise, and

A FIREMAKER AND A PEACEMAKER

just, and kind, and taught men to love, not
fight each other, the Iroquois were for many
years at peace.

But one day, it is said, a Peacewoman
proved untrue to her trust. She thought
more of her own happiness than that of the
nation.

This woman was very beautiful, and
the people loved her. For some time she
sat in the Peace Wigwam, and tended faith-
fully the Peace fire.

One day an Oneida and a Cayuga chief
fell to quarreling. They sought the Peace
Wigwam. As they entered and saw the

42 A FIREMAKER AND A PEACEMAKER

young Peacewoman tending the fire, each
thought he had never seen a woman
so beautiful.

Into the heart of each there leaped the
desire that she might tend his wigwam fire.

The Peacemaker listened to the quarrel
of the young chiefs and settled it justly.
Then each tried to persuade her to leave the
Peace fire and return with him to his lodge.
But the Peacemaker said, " No, I must
tend the fire, it must be kept burning."
The chiefs departed with heavy hearts.

But the Oneida chief could not forget
the beautiful woman. When a moon had
passed, he returned to the Peace Wigwam.
This time he persuaded the Peacemaker
to leave her fire and return with him to sit
at his wigwam door.

The Peace fire flickered and went out.
The Iroquois again went on the warpath,
and for many, many moons, they fought
and suffered and died.

IROQUOIS WONDER STORIES

HOW THE WHITE MAN CAME

Long, long before Columbus came to
America, the Red Children were here.
They were the nist and only real Americans.

From the Big Sea Water on the east to
the Big Sea Water on the west, ranged
these Children of the Sun, as they called
themselves.

Happy and free as the sunlight and air
about them, they ran through wide forests
all their own, or plied their bark canoes up
and down the streams.

Then the Indian had a dream. This
was long before Columbus dreamed his
dream of the Western World.

In his dream the Indian saw a great
White Bird coming out of the east. Its
wings were stretched wide to the north and

46 HOW THE WHITE MAN CAME

south. With great strength and speed, it
swept toward the setting sun.

In fear and wonder the Indian watched
this giant White Bird appear and disappear.
He knew its meaning, and the Indian's
heart was sad.

Then the White man came. From the
Big Sea Water on the east he came, in
his great white-winged canoe. With one
hand pointing to the Great Spirit, and
with the other extended to the Red man
he came. He asked for a small seat. A
seat the size of a buffalo skin would be
quite large enough for him, he said.

In the name of the Great Spirit, the
Red Children greeted the White man, and
called him " brother." They gave him the
seat he asked. They gave him a large
buffalo skin also, and showed him where
he could spread it by their council fire.

The White man took the buffalo skin.
He thanked his Red brother in the name

HOW THE WHITE MAN CAME

of the Great Spirit. Then he began to
cut the skin into many, many small strips.

When the whole buffalo skin had been
cut into narrow strips, he tied the strips
together. They made a long cord that
would reach over a long trail.

In amazement the Indians watched the
White man while he measured off a seat
as long and as broad as this cord would
reach around. *The " small seat," the size
of a buffalo skin, became a tract of land.

Soon the White man asked for another
seat. This time his seat took in the In-
dians' lodges and camp fire. He asked the
Indians if they would move on a few arrow
flights. This they did.

HOW THE WHITE MAN CAME

Then the White man wanted another
seat. Each time it took a larger skin for
him to sit upon. This time the skin
stretched so far that it covered a part of
the Indians' hunting and fishing grounds.

Again the Indians moved on. Again
the White man followed. Each time his
seat grew larger, until the Indian had a
place but the size of a buffalo skin on
which to sit.

Thus it was that the White man came.
Like a great White Bird that swept from
the Big Sea Water on the east to the Big
Sea Water on the west, the White man
came; and he drove the Indian from the
rising to the setting sun.

WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS
AMERICANS

Many, many moons before the White
man came, a little Indian boy was left in
the woods. It was in the days when
animals and men understood each other
better than they do now.

An old mother bear found the little
Indian boy.

She felt very sorry for him. She told
the little boy not to cry, for she would take
him home with her; she had a nice wig-
wam in the hollow of a big tree.

Old Mother Bear had two cubs of her
own, but she had a place between her great
paws for a third. She took the little papoose,
and she hugged him warm and close. She
fed him as she did her own little cubs.

The boy grew strong. He was very hap-
py with his adopted mother and brothers.

WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS AMERICANS

They had a warm lodge in the hollow
of the great tree. As they grew older.

Mother Bear
found for them
all the honey
and nuts that
they could eat.
From sunrise
to sunset, the
little Indian
boy played with
his cub brothers.
He did not know
that he was different from them. He
thought he was a little bear, too. All day
long, the boy and the little bears played and
had a good time. They rolled, and tumbled,

and wrestled in the forest leaves. They
chased one another up and down the bear
tree.

WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS AMERICANS 5!

Sometimes they had a matched game
of hug, for every little bear must learn
to hug. The one who could hug the
longest and the tightest won the game.

Old Mother Bear watched her three
dear children at their play. She would have
been content and happy, but for one thing.
She was afraid some harm would come
to the boy. Never could she quite for-
get the bear hunters. Several times thf&y
had scented her tree, but the wind had
thrown them off the trail.

Once, from her bear-tree window, she
had thrown out rabbit hairs as she saw
them coming. The wind had blown the
rabbit hairs toward the hunters. As they
fell near the hunters, they had suddenly
changed into rabbits and the hunters
had given chase.

At another time, Mother Bear tossed
some partridge feathers to the wind as
the hunters drew near her tree. A flock

52 WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS AMERICANS

of partridges went whirring into the
woods with a great noise, and the hunt-
ers ran after them.

But on this day, Mother Bear's heart
was heavy. She knew that now the big
bear hunters were coming. No rabbits
or partridges could lead these hunters
from the bear trail, for they had dogs
with four eyes. (Foxhounds have a
yellow spot over each eye which makes
them seem double-eyed.) These dogs
were never known to miss a bear tree.
Sooner or later they would scent it.

Mother Bear thought she might be
able to save herself and her cubs. But
what would become of the boy? She
loved him too well to let the bear hunt-
ers kill him.

WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS AMERICANS

Just then the porcupine, the Chief of the
animals, passed by the bear tree. Mother
Bear saw him.
She put her
head out the
bear-tree win-
dow and called
to him. He
came and sat
under the bear-
tree window,
and listened to
Mother Bear's
story of her fears for the boy.

When she had finished, Chief Porcupine
said he would call a council of the animals,
and see if they could not save the boy.

Now the Chief had a big voice. As
soon as he raised his voice, even the ani-
mals away on the longest trails heard.
They ran at once and gathered under
the council tree. There was a loud roar,

54 WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS AMERICANS

and a great napping of wings, for the
birds came, too.

Chief Porcupine told them about the
fears of Mother Bear, and of the danger
to the boy.

"Now," said the Chief, "which one of
you will take the boy, and save him from
the bear hunters?'

It happened that some animals were
present that were jealous of man. These
animals had held more than one secret
council, to plan how they could do away
with him. They said he was becoming
too powerful He knew all they knew, —
and more.

The beaver did not like man, because
men could build better houses than he.

The fox said that man had stolen his
cunning, and could now outwit him.

The wolf and the panther objected to
man, because he could conceal himself
and spring with greater surety than they,

56 WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS AMERICANS

The raccoon said that man was more
daring, and could climb higher than he.

The deer complained that man could
outrun him.

So when Chief Porcupine asked who
would take the boy and care for him,
each of these animals in turn said that
he would gladly do so.

Mother Bear sat by and listened as
each offered to care for the boy. She did
not say anything, but she was thinking
hard,- -for a bear. At last she spoke.

To the beaver she said, "You cannot
take the boy; you will drown him on
the way to your lodge. "

To the fox she said, "You cannot
take him ; you would teach him to cheat
and steal, while pretending to be a friend ;
neither can the wolf or the panther have
him, for they are counting on having
something good to eat.

"You, deer, lost your upper teeth for

WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS AMERICANS 57

eating human flesh. And, too, you have
no home, you are a tramp.

"And you, raccoon, I cannot trust, for
you would coax him to climb so high
that he would fall and die.

" No, none of you can have the boy.'1

Now a great bird that lives in the
sky had flown into the council tree, while
the animals were speaking. But they
had not seen him.

When Mother Bear had spoken, this
wise old eagle flew down, and said,
"Give the boy to me, Mother Bear. No
bird is so swift and strong as the eagle.
I will protect him. On my great wings
I will bear him far away from the bear
hunters.

" I will take him to the wigwam of an
Indian friend, where a little Indian boy
is wanted."

Mother Bear looked into the eagle's keen
eyes. She saw that he could see far.

IfiOQUOIS STORIES— 4

58 WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS AMERICANS

Then she said, "Take him, eagle, I
trust him to you. I know you will pro-
tect the boy."

The eagle spread wide his great wings.
Mother Bear placed the boy on his back,
and away they soared, far from the coun-
cil woods.

The eagle left the boy, as he had prom-
ised, at the door of a wigwam where a
little Indian boy was wanted.

This was the first young American to
be saved by an American eagle.

The boy grew to be a noble chief and
a great hunter. No hunter could hit a
bear trail so soon as he, for he knew
just where and how to find the bear
trees. But never was he known to cut
down a bear tree, or to kill a bear.

However, many were the wolf, panther,
and deerskins that hung in his lodge.
The hunter's wife sat and made warm
coats from the fox and beaver skins

WHY THE EAGLE DEFENDS AMERICANS

which the hunter father brought in from
the chase. But never was the hunter,
his wife, or his children seen to wear a
bear-skin coat.

HOW THE TURKEY BUZZARD
GOT HIS SUIT

It was a long, long time ago, when
the earth was very young. Trees and

flowers were
growing every-
where, but
there were no
birds. One
morning the
Great Spirit
drew back the
blanket from the door of his wigwam in
the sky. He looked upon the earth and
smiled, for he saw that his work was

good.

"Today," thought he, "I will make big
butterflies, to fly in and out among the
beautiful trees and flowers of the earth.

They shall sing as they fly."

HOW THE TURKEY BUZZARD GOT HIS SUIT 6l

Then the Great Spirit spoke, and the
tree tops were full of birds, — but they
had no feathers.

All day he watched them fly and
listened to their songs. But their naked
bodies and long legs did not please him.
Before the sun had set he had made
feathered suits, of every size and color,
to cover them.

That night, as the birds hid their heads
under their wings, the Great Spirit spoke
to them. He told about the feathered
suits he had made for them, and where
these suits could be found.

A council wras called next day by the
birds. They chose Gall gall go wa/i, the
Turkey Buzzard, to get the suits. He
could fly over a long trail and not be tired.

The birds told him that if he would
go, he might have the first choice of the
suits of feathers, but he must try on no
suit more than once.

62 HOW THE TURKEY BUZZARD GOT HIS SUIT

Turkey Buzzard promised and set out
toward the setting sun. Twice the sun
set, and three times it rose, before
he found the feathered suits. There
were many of them, and they were very
beautiful. He could not make up his
mind which one he would like best to
wear.

Then he remembered that he could try
on each suit of feathers once. So he
began to put them on.

The feathers of the first suit were too
long. They trailed on the ground as he
walked. Neither could he fly well in
them. Turkey Buzzard laid that suit
aside.

The next suit shone like gold. The
feathers were a beautiful yellow. Turkey
Buzzard put it on and strutted up and
down the forest.

"Oh, how handsome I am!' he said.
" But I must not keep this, for if I did,

HOW THE TURKEY BUZZARD GOT HIS SUIT 63

I should shine so like the face of the
Great Spirit, that all the other birds would
see me."

And he slipped off the suit of yellow
feathers as quickly as possible.

A third suit was of pure white feathers.
Turkey Buzzard thought it looked very
beautiful. It was a perfect fit.

"But it will get dirty too soon," he
said. " I will not choose this."

And this, too, was laid aside.

There were not enough feathers in the
fourth suit. Turkey Buzzard shivered
with cold. It was not warm enough.
He would not have it.

There were too many feathers, and too
many pieces, in the fifth suit. It took
too much time to put it on. Turkey
Buzzard did not want that.

So he went from one suit to another,
trying on and taking off. Always he
had some new fault to find. Something

64 HOW THE TURKEY BUZZARD GOT HIS SUIT

was wrong with each one. Nothing
quite pleased him. No suit was just
right.

At last there was but one suit left.
It was not pretty. It was a plain, dull
color, - - and very short of feathers at the
neck and head. Turkey Buzzard put it
on. He did not like it. It did not fit
him well: It was cut too low in the
neck. Turkey Buzzard thought it was
the homeliest suit of all. But it was the
last suit, so he kept it on.

Then Gah gah go wah, the Turkey
Buzzard, gathered up the suits and flew
back to the bird lodge. He still wore
the plain, dull-colored suit.

The birds again called a council. Each
was told to select a suit from those
that Gah gah go wah had brought, and
put it on. This they did.

Then the birds in their beautiful feath-
ered suits began to walk and fly about

HOW THE TURKEY BUZZARD GOT HIS SUIT 65

the Turkey Buzzard, and to make fun of
his plain, dull dress.

But Gah gah go wah held his head
high. He walked proudly about among
the birds. He looked with scorn on
their beautiful suits. After a time he
spoke.

He said, "Gah gah go wah, the Turkey
Buzzard, does not want your suits. He
had the pick of them all. He likes his
own suit best".

Adapted from Erminie Smith's Myths of the Iroquois.

WHY THE PARTRIDGE DRUMS

It was after the Great Spirit had made
all the beautiful birds, that the Evil Spirit

came along.
He saw the
beautiful
birds and
heard their
beautiful
songs. He

,1 , ,1
saw that the

earth people liked the birds and liked to
hear them sing.

Now the Evil Spirit did not wish peo-
ple to be happy, so he said, "I will
make a bird that will make people afraid.
I will make a big bird that will not sing,
but will make a great noise."

So the Evil Spirit went to work. In
a short time he had made a big bird,
that could not sing, but could drum.

WHY THE PARTRIDGE DRUMS 67

The big bird flew away into the wood.
That night a drumming noise was heard
in the wood. The people were afraid.
They could not sleep, because of the noise.

In the morning, they went into the
woods to search for the noise. Deep in
the forest could still be heard that
strange drumming. They followed it,
until they came to a deep, dark place in
the woods. There was a loud fluttering
and whirring of wings, and a great bird
flew out from among them, along the
ground and over the trees.

The people were afraid. They called
to the Great Spirit to help them.

The Great Spirit was near. He heard
their cry, and went after the bird, for he
was very angry.

The Great Spirit said, " I will not have
my people frightened by this great bird;
it shall die."

The big bird gave the Great Spirit a

68 WHY THE PARTRIDGE DRUMS

long chase. At last the Great Spirit
came upon it. He seized it, and threw
it against a large tree.

As the big bird struck the tree, drops
of blood flew in all directions. They
changed into smaller birds that went whir-
ring into the woods, just as the big bird
had done. There they began to drum.

Like the big bird, these smaller birds
like to startle people. They flutter out
from under the leaves, and with a whir-
ring noise they fly far into the wood.
There they perch on an old log, or a
rock, and drum with their wings.

Some of the earth people say they are
drumming for their mates. But others
still think that the birds drum to make
people afraid.

So this is how the Indians say the
partridges came to be. This is why they
drum, and why some of the earth chil-
dren still love to hunt partridges.

HOW THE INDIANS LEARNED

TO HEAL

A long, long time ago, some Indians
were running along a trail that led to an
Indian settlement. As
they ran, a rabbit jumped
from the bushes and sat
before them.

The Indians stopped,
for the rabbit still sat up
before them and did not
move from the trail. They
shot their arrows at him,
but the arrows came back
unstained with blood.

A second time they drew their arro\vs.
Now no rabbit was to be seen. Instead,
an old man stood on the trail. He
seemed to be weak and sick.

The old man asked them for food and

MEDICINE RATTLE

70 HOW THE INDIANS LEARNED TO HEAL

a place to rest. They would not listen
but went on to the settlement.

Slowly the old man followed them,
down the trail to the wigwam village.
In front of each wigwam, he saw a skin
placed on a pole. This he knew was the
sign of the clan to which the dwellers in
that wigwam belonged.

First he stopped at a wigwam where
a wolf, skin hung. He asked to enter,
but they would not let him. They said,
"We want no sick men here."

On he went toward another wigwam.
Here a turtle's shell was hanging. But
this family would not let him in.

He tried a wigwam where he saw a
beaver skin. He was told to move on.

The Indians who lived in a wigwam

HOW THE INDIANS LEARNED TO HEAL

where a deer skin was seen, were just as
unkind. Nor was he permitted to enter
wigwams where hung hawk, snipe, and
heron skins.

At last he came to a wigwam where
a bear skin hung.

" I will ask once more for a place to
rest," he thought.

And here a kind old woman lived. She
brought food for him to eat, and spread
soft skins for him to lie upon.

The old man thanked her. He said that
he was very sick. He told the woman
what plants to gather in the wood, to
make him well again.

This she did, and soon he was healed.

A few days later the old man was again
taken sick. Again he told the woman what

HOW THE INDIANS LEARNED TO HEAL

roots and leaves to gather. She did as
she was told, and soon he was well.

Many times the old man fell sick.
Each time he had a different sickness.

Each time he told the
woman what plants and
herbs to find to cure
him. Each time she
remembered what she
had been told.

Soon this woman of
the Bear clan knew more about healing

than all the other people.

One day, the old man told her that the
Great Spirit had sent him to earth, to teach
the Indian people the secrets of healing.

"I came, sick and hungry, to many a
wigwam door. No blanket was drawn
aside for me to pass in. You alone
lifted the blanket from your wigwam
door and bade me enter.

"You are of the Bear clan, therefore

HOW THE INDIANS LEARNED TO HEAL 73

all other clans shall come to the Bear
clan for help in sickness.

"You shall teach all the clans what
plants, and roots, and leaves to gather,
that the sick may be healed.

"And the Bear shall be the greatest
and strongest of the clans."

The Indian woman lifted her face to
the Great Spirit to thank him for this
great gift and knowledge of healing.
When she turned again to the man, he
had disappeared.

No one was there, but a rabbit was
running swiftly down the trail.

MEDICINE MASK

WHY DOGS CHASE FOXES

A fox was running through the wood
near a river. He had a fish in his
mouth.

The fish had been stolen from an In-
dian who lived down the stream. The
fox had been passing near the Indian's
wigwam. He saw the fish hanging by
the fire. It was cleaned and ready to
cook.

"What 'a tasty breakfast!" thought the
fox. " I think I will watch the man eat."

Soon the Indian went into the wigwam.
The fox slipped up to the fire. He seized
the fish, and ran away with it.

When the Indian came back, he had no
breakfast. The fish was gone. No fox
was to be seen.

The fox ran along, feeling much pleased
with himself.

IROQUOIS STORIES — 5 75

76 WHY DOGS CHASE FOXES

" What a cunning fox I am," he chuckled.
"I will play another foxy trick. This time
it shall be on the bear I see coming."

He ran up a tree that had been bent half
way to earth by the West Wind. There
he began to eat his fish. He smacked his
lips so loudly that the bear heard him,

The bear stopped under the tree, and
asked, "What are you eating that tastes
so good?'

For answer the fox threw down a bit of
the fish. The bear smacked his lips and
cried, "More! More!" -

"Go to the river, swim out to the big
log, and catch your own fish," called the
fox. "It's very easy! Just drop your tail
into the water. Hold it there till a fish
comes along and bites, then pull it up.
That is the way I catch my fish. You
can catch all the fish you want with your
own tail."

The bear hurried on to the river. He

WHY DOGS CHASE FOXES 77

swam to the log and dropped his tail into
the water, as the fox had advised.

All day he sat and fished with his tail, —
for bears then had very long tails.

The sun set, but no fish had pulled his
tail. All night the bear sat on the log and
fished. Cold North Wind blew his breath
over the water. The river grew still and
white.

Towards morning, the bear felt that his
tail was getting very heavy. Now at last
he was sure he had a fish. He tried to
pull it up. But alas! his tail was frozen
fast in the ice.

Then the fox came along. He laughed
long and loudly at the bear, and asked if
the fishing was good.

Some dogs heard the fox, and came
tearing through the thick underbrush.
They saw the fox and started after him.

The fox slyly led them on to the frozen
river toward the bear. The bear saw them

78 WHY DOGS CHASE FOXES

coming, and called to the fox to go around
some other way. The fox made believe
he did not hear, and came straight on to
the bear to ask him what he had said.

The dogs leaped upon the bear. The
bear struggled. He gave one great pull,
and freed himself from the ice. He struck

at the dogs so fiercely with his great paws,

that they soon left him, and went on after
the fox.

Dogs have been running after foxes ever
since.

When the bear got his breath, he stood
up and looked around at his tail. He
found he had only a small piece left.
Most of his tail had been left in the ice.

This is why bears have short tails, and
why dogs still love to chase the fox.

WHY HERMIT THRUSH IS

SO SHY

Some moons after the council when the
birds chose their feathered suits, a second
council was called. The purpose of this
council was to see which bird could fly
to heaven, and bring a song to earth.

When all the birds had arrived and
were perched upon the council tree, the
wise old owl spoke.

" Friends and brothers, listen," said the
owl. " Many of you have strong wings,

8O WHY HERMIT THRUSH IS SO SHY

but your voices are not beautiful. High,
high up in the sky, a long trail beyond
the clouds, is the Happy Hunting Ground.

" There live all our brothers of the wood,
whom the Great Spirit has called. They
sing songs more beautiful than any heard
on earth.

" The bird that can fly beyond the clouds
will hear that singing. He shall bring
a song to earth. Who will fly the Great
Sky Trail, and bring a song to earth?
Who-whoo ! Who-whoo ! Who-whoo ! '

At this, all the birds that were swift of
wing flew high in the air. They circled
round and round to show their skill.
Then they disappeared in the clouds.

But one by one they dropped to earth;
for when they had reached the Great Sky
Trail beyond the clouds, they were too
tired to take it.

At last the eagle arose and stretched his
great wings.

WHY HERMIT THRUSH IS SO SHY 8 1

" Listen," he said, " for the Chief of Birds
speaks. No other bird is so swift and so
strong as the eagle. He has circled the
earth. He has flown to the rim of the
world. The eagle will fly the Great Sky
Trail and bring the song to earth."

A little brown thrush sat near the eagle.

"Oh," he thought, "how I would like
to bring that song to earth!'

But he was so small, and his wings
were so tired!

Then an idea popped into the little
brown head of the thrush. He hopped
softly to the back of the eagle, and hid
in the thick feathers near the neck. So
small and light was the thrush, that the
eagle did not feel his weight. He did not
know that the little brown thrush was on

his back, - - and the other birds did not tell
him.

The eagle spread his great wings. Up,
and up, and up, they soared. The council

WHY HERMIT THRUSH IS SO SHY

wood became a little speck and then

was seen no more.
Over, and under, and
through the clouds,
on, and on, and on,
they sailed, along
the Great Sky

-•mstap*

Trail.

last the eagle's
strength began to fail.
He could go no further.
The great wings of the
chief of birds could beat
the air no longer. They
fell at his side.

The little brown thrush
felt the eagle quiver and begin
to drop toward the earth.

Then away flew the little
brown thrush. The air was so
light it seemed easy to fly. On
and on he went, for he was not

WHY HERMIT THRUSH IS SO SHY 83

tired. He had had a ride almost to
heaven.

" Now," he thought, " I will go on and
will get the song."

For some time, the little brown thrush
flew along the Great Sky Trail. All at
once the air seemed full of song. He
knew he was nearing the Happy Hunting
Ground.

He listened. One song seemed more
beautiful to him than the rest. Again
and again he listened. He caught the
notes. He sang them many times, until
he was sure that he could carry the song
to earth.

Then down, and down, and down, he
floated, through clouds and storms and
sunshine, back to Mother Earth.

Very happy, he flew toward the council
wood. He was so full of his beautiful song
and the wonderful Sky Trail, he thought
he must pour out his song at once.

84 WHY HERMIT THRUSH IS SO SHY

But when he reached the council wood,
he dared not open his mouth! He re-
membered that he had stolen his ride part
way to heaven, - - and he knew the other
birds knew it.

But that song! he must sing it! He
thought his throat would burst, if he did
not sing !

So the little brown thrush flew off by
himself, into a deep, dark part of the wood.
There, hidden by the brush and the
bushes, he poured forth the song he had
heard on the Great Sky Trail.

Men hearing it to-day, say, " Listen, a
hermit thrush! What a beautiful song!
But he is such a shy bird, one seldom
can catch a glimpse of him."

They do not know why he keeps so
close under cover.

/ HOW GOOD AND EVIL CAME

TO BE

Every boy has wondered how there
came to be two of him.

Every girl has puzzled over how she
happened to be twins. Sometimes she is
the good girl, — sometimes a naughty one.

The Indians say this is how it happened.

The world was very young. There was
no earth, only a cloud-like sea.

The sea was filled with water animals,
and water birds flew over it. All was
dark. Light had not yet come.

Then the cloud-sea began to call for
light. The Great Spirit heard, and said,
" It shall be so. I will make a new place
for man to live in."

The Great Spirit called the beautiful
Sky Mother to Him. Her face was like
the sun, she was so light of heart.

86 HOW GOOD AND EVIL CAME TO BE

The Great Spirit told the Sky Mother
to look down. She, too, heard the cloud-
sea calling, and she said, " I will go."

As she began to descend, the animals
saw her coming. "See the light," they
cried. "Where will it rest?"

One of the water animals said, " I will
go to the bottom of the sea and get some-
thing for it to rest on."

He went down, but he never came back.

Other animals followed him. But they,
too, did not come back.

Then the muskrat said, "I will go. I
will be the earth bringer."

He returned, with some mud in his
mouth and claws.

" It will grow fast," he cried, in a weak
voice. "Who will carry it?'

The turtle offered his back. As the
muskrat placed the mud on the turtle's
shell he died. But the beaver came and
slapped the mud down with his tail.

HOW GOOD AND EVIL CAME TO BE 8/

The mud on the turtle's back grew
very fast. Soon it was a small island.
The turtle became the earth bearer. He
has continued to hold up the earth ever
since.

Now, when the sea rises in great waves,
or the earth shakes, the Indians say, "The
turtle is stretching. He is wiggling his
back ! "

Now, since there was a place for the
light to rest on, the birds flew up to meet
it. They found that the light was the
beautiful Sky Mother.

Then the birds spread wide their great
wings, and bore the Sky Mother through
the air to the cloud-sea. They placed her
on the island on the turtle's back. There
the Sky Mother had rested some time,
when she felt something stirring beneath
her heart. She heard voices. One was
soft and kind and full of love, the other
was harsh and quarrelsome.

HOW GOOD AND EVIL CAME TO BE

Soon the Sky Mother looked into the
faces of the first-born of earth, for she
had borne the twin brothers, the spirits
of Good and Evil. As she looked into
the face of the Good Mind, she said.
"You shall be called the Light One."

Then she looked into the face of his
brother, and said, "You shall be named
the Dark One."

The island became a beautiful land.

The twin brother Light One grew up
happy, loving, peaceful, and kind. He
wanted to make the new land the most
beautiful place in which to live. The twin
brother Dark One grew up sullen, quarrel-
some, hateful, and unkind. He tried to
make the land the worst place in which
to live.

From his mother's beautiful face the
Light One made the sun. He set it in
the eastern sky, that it might shine for-
ever. Then the Dark One put darkness

HOW GOOD AND EVIL CAME TO BE 89

in the west to drive the sun from the
sky.

The Light One gave his mother's body
to the earth, the Great Mother from which
springs all life. He made great moun-
tains, and covered them with forests from
which beautiful rivers ran. The Dark
One threw down the mountains, gnarled
the forests, and bent the rivers which his
brother had made.

Every beautiful thing which the good
brother Light One made, the bad brother
Dark One tried to destroy and ruin.

And because the first-born of earth were
the twin spirits, the Good Mind and the
Evil Mind, there has been a good and
bad spirit born into every boy and girl
who has come into the world since.

So the Indians say!

HOW A BOY WAS CURED OF

BOASTING

There was once an Indian boy, who
thought he knew more and could do more
than anyone else. He was so proud of
himself that he walked around like a great
chief, who wears a war shirt with many
scalp locks on it.

The other Indian boys and girls called
him Spread Feather, because he strutted
about like a big turkey or a peacock.

One day, Spread Feather was playing
ball with the other boys. Not once had
he failed to drive or catch the ball with
his crosse stick. Twice he had thrown
the ball with such force that some one
had been hurt.

Spread Feather grew more and more
pleased with himself, as he played. He

began to use tricks and to talk very large.

HOW A BOY WAS CURED OF BOASTING

" No one can play ball
as I," he said. " I can
catch the swiftest ball
that can be thrown. I
can throw the ball to the
sky. I can run faster
than the deer."

Spread Feather boasted
so loudly that a rabbit
heard him. The rabbit
came out of the bushes
and sat up on his hind
legs. He watched Spread
Feather play, and
listened to his boast-
ing.

Soon a strange boy
was standing where the
rabbit had sat.

The stranger said to
Spread Feather, "I would like to play
ball with you."

HOW A BOY WAS CURED OF BOASTING 93

"Come on, then!" taunted the boastful
boy. " Spread Feather will show the
strange ball player how to catch a ball."

They began to play.

The stranger could run like a deer.
His balls were so swift and so curved
that Spread Feather could not see them.
He could not catch one. They seemed
to come from the sky.

At last one ball hit Spread Feather on
the mouth. He fell to the ground. His
face was red with anger, and his lips
were red with blood.

He sprang to his feet and shouted to
the stranger, ''Though I do not like the
taste of your ball, yet I can throw you."

"Very well, then," said the stranger.
" We will have a game of ' Catch as catch
can.' This is the Indian name for a
game of wrestling.

Spread Feather set his feet very hard
on the ground.

IROQUOIS STORIES — 6

94 HOW A BOY WAS CURED OF BOASTING

" My legs are as strong as the legs of
a bear," he boasted.

They began to wrestle. Soon Spread
Feather's arms fell at his sides. He panted
for air. He had no breath and no strength.

The stranger picked Spread Feather
up and tossed him over his head like a
ball. The boy fell without a word.

When Spread Feather opened his eyes,
a rabbit sprang into the bushes.

All night, Spread Feather lay and
thought, and thought. He was too weak
and too sore to go back to his wigwam.
Nor was he eager to meet the other boys.

At sunrise a rabbit hopped near. The
rabbit slyly suggested that he might like
to play another game of ball.

The boy sat up and said to the rabbit,
" Spread Feather is no more. He no
longer struts like a turkey. He has
nothing to say. He will win a new
name. It will not be Spread Feather."

WHY THE CUCKOO IS SO LAZY

The land was lean and hungry. The
Old Man of the North Lodge had breathed
upon the valley. His breath had frozen
the corn, and there was no bread for the
people.

The Indian hunters took to the chase.
They followed every track of deer or
rabbit. If their arrows brought them
meat, they threw it over their shoulders
and ran to the village, that the hungry
women and children might eat.

But one Indian remained in his wig-
wam. He sat by the fire with his wife
and child, and waited for the hunters to
bring game.

This man refused to go on the hunt.
He was lazy. All day he sat by the fire
and smoked his pipe. Once in a while,
he would stir the water in the kettle

WHY THE CUCKOO IS SO LAZY

which he kept boiling for the meat that
he hoped the hunters might bring. When-
ever the child, his little son, begged him
for food, he would say, " It isn't done
yet."

At last the little Indian boy grew so
sick and faint for want of food that he
cried aloud.

The lazy Indian father was angry. He
seized the pudding stick, and struck the

child to the ground. Instantly a bird flew
up and perched on the pole over the fire,
from which the kettle hung.

WHY THE CUCKOO IS SO LAZY 97

" Now it's done ! " said the bird solemnly,
for it did not seem to have a light heart
like other birds.

Now, strange as it may seem this father
was no longer cruel and lazy. His lazy
spirit seemed to have gone. He wanted
to go at once on the chase, and hunt food
for his wife and little boy.

" To-night you shall have deer meat to
eat," he said, as he spread a soft skin by
the fire, for the boy to lie on. Then he
turned to place the child on the skin, -
but no boy was there. He had no son.
Only that strange bird perched, joyless
and alone, over the fire, on the pole
from which the kettle hung.

"Now it's done!' the bird cried again,

and with that it flew out of the wigwam.
• •>««••

That spring the Indians discovered a
new bird in the woods. The bird was
too lazy to build a real nest.

98 WHY THE CUCKOO IS SO LAZY

This bird did not weave together twigs
and moss, leaves and ferns, bits of hair
and thistledown, to make a cozy, warm,
safe nest for its eggs and young, as did
the other birds. This bird would lay its
eggs anywhere. Wherever a few sticks
lay crosswise in a track, or in a little hol-
low of the ground, or where some twigs
or dried ferns were caught loosely in a
bush, there this lazy bird would lay its
eggs and rear its young.

It was too
lazy to build
a real nest,
that was safe
and warm for
its little ones.
The Indians called the bird " the
cuckoo." But only one Indian knew how
the cuckoo came to be, and why it is too
lazy to build a real nest.

HOW THE COON OUTWITTED

THE FOX

A wise old raccoon sat up in a tree
near the river where the bear lost his
tail. The coon saw the fox play his foxy
trick on the bear, and he did not like it.

"The fox is getting a big head," said
the coon. "This must not be. His head
must be made smaller. Some of the fox-
iness must be taken out of it. He is
getting too foxy. He thinks he has the
cunning of all the animals, and that no
one can outwit him. Some one must play
a ' fox ' trick on him."

Not many days later, the coon saw the
fox coming down the trail. The coon
was eating some juicy yellow apples that
he had found on a tree not far away. As
soon as he saw the fox, he ran up a tree,

IOO HOW THE COON OUTWITTED THE FOX

and began to smack his lips as the fox
had done to tempt the bear.

The fox stopped under the tree, just
as the bear had stopped.

"What tastes so good?' he asked.
For answer the coon threw down an
apple to the fox, just as the fox had
thrown the piece of fish down to the bear.
The fox took the apple and ate it.
"Fine! Fine!' said the fox, when he
had finished the last mouthful. "Where
did you get it?'

The coon then told the fox how to find
the apple tree. He must follow the trail
along the river, down to the pine bluff.

Then he must
climb the bluff
and run toward
the setting sun,
until he came
to an open field.
In the center of

HOW THE COON OUTWITTED THE FOX

101

that field stood a
great apple tree. It
was filled with juicy
yellow apples.

"But you can
climb the tree and
pick y o ur own
apples. How can I
get them off the tree?" whined the fox.

"Oh, that's easy," said the coon. "Just
back off two bow shots from the tree,
then lower your head,- -so. Run hard
and butt the tree with your head. You
have such a big head, it will shake the
tree so hard that all the apples will fall
at once. Do as I tell you, and you will
have all the apples you want for a long
time."

The fox thanked the coon and started
at once.

He found the apple tree, just as the
coon had said.

102 HOW THE COON OUTWITTED THE FOX

"What a fine open place to run in,"
thought the fox. " I will get such a fine
start that when I hit the tree it will
shake the world."

Already he began, in his mind, to see
the apples falling, like pine needles, and
to feel the earth shake under his feet.

The fox did as the coon had told him.
One arrow flight he backed off, then an-
other. Then he closed his eyes, lowered
his head, and ran swiftly over the thick
grass. He struck the tree as hard as
ever he could, with his big head.

Not an apple fell, but a dazed, foolish-
looking fox fell to the ground.

Next morning as the sun rose, a shame-
faced fox was seen running toward the
woods beyond the pine bluff. He carried
his head low, and he seemed to be playing
no foxy tricks.

WHY THE GOLDFINCHES LOOK
LIKE THE SUN

It was some moons after the coon out-
witted the fox, before they again met.
The coon was hurrying by, when the fox
saw him.

Now the fox had not forgotten the trick
the coon had played on him. His head
was still sore from that great thump
against the apple tree. So the fox started
after the coon. He was gaining, and would
have caught him, had they not come to a
tall pine tree.

The coon ran to the very tiptop of the
pine tree. There he was safe, for the fox
could not climb.

The fox lay down on the soft pine
needles and waited for the coon to come
down. The coon stayed up in the pine

tree so long that the fox grew tired and

103

104 WHY THE GOLDFINCHES LOOK LIKE THE SUN

sleepy. He closed his eyes and thought
he would take a short nap.

The coon watched, until he saw that the
fox was sound asleep. Then he took in his
mouth some of the pitch from the pine
tree. He ran down the tree and rubbed the
pitch over the eyes of the sleeping fox.

The fox awoke. He sprang up and
tried to seize the coon, but, alas '! he could
not see what he was doing. The lids of
his eyes were held fast with the pine gum.
He could not open them.

The coon laughed at the fox's plight,
then ran and left him.

The fox lay for some time under the tree.
The pine gum, as it dried, held the lids of
his eyes closer and closer shut. He thought
he should never again see the sun.

Some birds were singing near by. He
called them, and told them of his plight.
He asked if they would be so kind as
to pick open his eyes.

WHY THE GOLDFINCHES LOOK LIKE THE SUN 105

The birds flew off and told the other
birds. Soon many of the little dark song-
sters flew back to where the fox lay.
Then peck, peck, peck, went the little bills
on the eyelids of the fox. Bit by bit they
carefully pecked away the pine gum. If
one grew tired, another bird would take
its place.

At last the fox saw a streak of light.
Soon the lid of one eye flew open, then
the other. The sun was shining, and the
world looked very beautiful to the fox,
as he opened his eyes.

He was very grateful to the little birds
for bringing him light. He told them to
ask what they would, and he would give
it to them.

IO6 WHY THE GOLDFINCHES LOOK LIKE THE SUN

The little birds said, "We do not like
the plain, dark suits which the Turkey
Buzzard brought us. Make us look like
the sun we have brought to you."

The fox looked about him. Beautiful
yellow flowers were growing near. He
pressed some of the sun color from them,
and with the tip of his tail as a brush,
he began to paint the dark little birds
like the sun.

The birds fluttered so with joy, he
thought he would paint the bodies first.
Before he could brush the wings and tails
with the sun paint, each little bird had
darted away, like a streak of sunshine.
So happy and light of heart were the
birds, that they could not wait for the
fox to finish the painting.

This is why goldfinches are yellow like
the sun. It is why they have black wings
and tails, why they flutter so with joy, and
why they never finish their song.

WHAT THE ASH AND THE
MAPLE LEARNED

Long ago, birds, trees, animals, and men
knew each the language of the other, and
all could talk together.

In those days, the trees of the forest
grew very large and strong. At last they
came to know their strength too well.
They became selfish, and proud, and
quarrelsome. Each tree boasted that he
was the greatest and strongest. Each
one struggled to gain for himself the
most earth, the best air, the brightest sun.
No tree had a thought for the other.

One day the trunk of a great Maple
tried to crowd out an Ash. The Ash, of
course, thought he had as much right to
stand there as the Maple, and he said he

would not stir a limb.

107

108 WHAT THE ASH AND THE MAPLE LEARNED

" Get out of my way," cried the Maple.
" I am greater than you, and of more use
to man; for I furnish the sweet water for
him to drink."

"Indeed, I will not!" said the Ash. "I
am greater than you, and of more use to
man than you; for I furnish the tough
wood from which he makes his bow."

At this the trees fell to wrestling. Back
and forth, in and out they swayed, each
trying to throw the other. They forgot
that they were brothers in the wood.

Then the South Wind came along. He
heard the loud voices and stopped to find
out what the quarrel was about

" I am greater than you, for I furnish
the sweet water for man to drink," came
the angry voice of the Maple, as he threw
his huge trunk against the Ash.

" No, you are not," retorted the Ash, and
he sent the Maple back with a great push
of his strong elbow. "I am greater than

WHAT THE ASH AND THE MAPLE LEARNED IOQ

you, for I furnish the tough wood from
which he makes his bow."

For a time,
the South
Wind watched
them writhe
and twist and
try to throw each other to the ground.
Then he said, softly, "You, O Maple, do
not cause the sweet water to flow for man;
nor do you, O Ash, make your wood to
grow pliant and tough for his bow."

"Who does, then?" they asked defiantly.

"Listen," said the South Wind, "and
you shall hear."

Then the Maple and Ash forgot their
quarrel. They bent their heads so low and
close to listen, that an arm of the Maple
slipped through an arm of the Ash.

And as they stood thus listening, each
with an arm locked in an arm of the other,
the South Wind gently swayed them to

WHAT THE ASH AND THE MAPLE LEARNED III

and fro. Then a voice was heard, singing,
" San noh-eh! San noh-eh! San noh-eh!'
which means, "The Mother of all things."

Thus it was that the Ash and the Maple
learned that it was Mother Earth who
gave them their life, and power, and
strength, and that they were brothers,
because they had one Mother.

The Ash and the Maple whispered the
secret to the birds. The birds came and
listened to the voice, and went and told
the animals. The animals came and
listened, and went and told men. And
thus all the earth children learned that
there is one Great Mother of every living
thing, and that all are brothers.

And now, whenever two trees lock arms
lovingly, and the South Wind sways them
gently to and fro, that same voice may be
heard, singing, "San noh-eh! San noh-eh!
San noh-eh!"

IROQUOIS STORIES — 7

HOW THE WOMAN OVERCAME

THE BEAR

An Indian woman built a wigwam in
the deep wood. She was a brave woman.
She had no fear.

One night, she heard something coming
along the trail. Thump, thump, thump,
it came, to the very door of her wigwam.

There was a rap.

" Come in," said the woman, but no one
entered.

Again there came a rap.

Again the woman called, "Come in."
Again the latch was not lifted.

A third time the rap came. A third
time the woman called, "Come in," but
no one entered.

Then the strange thump, thump, thump,
was heard going down the trail.

112

HOW THE WOMAN OVERCAME THE BEAR 113

The next night, the same thing occurred.
Soon after dark, the woman heard the
thump, thump, thump, coming along the
trail. Up to the very door of the wigwam
it came.

Three times, a rap, rap, rap, was heard
as before. Three times the woman an-
swered, " Come in," but no one entered.

Then the same strange thump, thump,
thump, was heard going down the trail
again.

The third night, the woman thought
she would make sure who was calling.
She stood for a long time, with her hand
on the latch.

At last she heard the visitor coming.
Thump, thump, thump, it came along the
trail. There were three raps.

"Come in," called the woman, but the
latch did not move in her hand. She
waited. Again came the raps.

This time she threw wide open the door.

114 HOW THE WOMAN OVERCAME THE BEAR

and there stood a great black bear. He
showed his sharp teeth and growled, "Are
you at home?'

The woman looked him straight in the
eye and replied, " I am at home."

At once the bear turned on his heel
and went down the trail, as fast as he
could go.

Never again did the woman hear that
strange thump, thump, thump; and never
again did the bear call to see if she were
at home.

WHY THE WOODPECKER
BORES FOR ITS FOOD

Once upon a time, the Great Spirit left
the Happy Hunting Ground and came
to earth. He took the form of a poor,
hungry man. He went from wigwam to
wigwam, asking for food.

Sometimes he found the Indians sitting
around the fire, telling stories and talking
of the Great Spirit. Then the man would
pass by unseen.

One day, he came to a wigwam in which
a woman was baking cakes.

"I am very hungry," the man said.
"Will you please give me a cake?'

The woman looked at the man, and
then at the cake. She saw that it was

too large to give away.

115

Il6 WHY THE WOODPECKER BORES FOR ITS FOOD

She said, " I will not give you this cake,
but I will bake you one, if you will wait."
The hungry man said, " I will wait."
Then the woman took a small piece

of dough and

&
made it into a

cake and baked
it. But when
she took this
cake from the coals, it was larger than
the first.

Again the woman looked at her cake.
Again she saw it was too large to give
away. Again she said, " I will not give
you this one, but I will bake you one, if
you will wait."

Again the man said, " I will wait."

This time the woman took a very, very,
tiny bit of dough, and made it into a cake.

"Surely, this will be small enough to
give away," she thought, yet when baked
it was larger than both the others.

WHY THE WOODPECKER BORES FOR ITS FOOD 117

The woman stood and looked at the three
cakes. Each was too large to give away.

" I will not give you any of the cakes,"
she said to the man. "Go to the woods,
and find your food in the bark of trees."

Then the man stood up and threw off
his ragged blanket and worn moccasins.
His face shone like the sun, and he was
very beautiful. The woman shrank into
the shadow of the wigwam. She could
not look upon his face, for the light.

" I am the Great Spirit," said he, " and
you are a selfish woman. Women should
be kind, and generous, and unselfish.
You shall no longer be a woman and
live in a warm wigwam, with plenty of
cakes to bake. You shall go to the forest
and hunt yoiir food in the bark of trees.
Summer and winter, you shall eat worms
of the same size as the cake you would
have made for me."

The woman began to grow smaller and

II# WHY THE WOODPECKER BORES FOR ITS FOOD

smaller. Feathers grew upon her body, and
wings sprang from it. The Great Spirit
touched her head, and it became red.
"Always shall you wear this red hood,"

he said, " as a mark of
your shame. Always
shall you hide from
man. Always shall you
hunt for little worms,
the size of the cake
you made for me."

At this a sharp cry
was heard, and a bird
flew into the fireplace of the wigwam,
and up the chimney. As it passed out
of the chimney, the soot left those long
streaks of black which we see now on the
woodpecker's back.

Ever since then, this woodpecker has
had a red head, and has been hiding from
man on the farther side of the tree trunk,
and boring in the bark for little worms.

WHY THE ICE ROOF FELL

A great many winters ago, there lived
at the foot of a certain lake a tribe of
wicked Indians. These Indians were so
fierce, and warlike, and wasteful, they went
about destroying everything.

They laid low a tract of beautiful forest
trees, for no good purpose. They tore up
shrubs and plants that gave them food
and medicine. They shot their arrows
into every bird or animal they saw, just
for sport.

The great trees — their silent brothers
of the wood — trembled and sighed when
they heard these Indians coming. The

119

I2O WHY THE ICE ROOF FELL

squirrels darted into hollow trees, and
birds flew in alarm at their footsteps.
The deer and rabbit ran from the trail.

At last the Great Spirit became very
angry with this tribe. Always he had
taught the Indians never to kill an ani-
mal, unless for food and protection; never
to fell a tree, unless for fuel or shelter;
never to dig up shrubs or plants, unless
for some good use.

"All life," the Great Spirit had said,
"is sacred and beautiful. It must not be
wasted."

And never before had he known the
Indians to waste the beautiful living
things about them. The Great Spirit was
very sad.

The ice formed very thick on the lake
that winter.

One night, there came a great storm
of wind and rain. The ice broke loose
from the shores, and the wind blew it

WHY THE ICE ROOF FELL 121

down the lake. At the foot of the lake, a
mass of ice was piled high over the shore,
where lived these wasteful Indians.

Like a giant roof, the ice spread over
the little Indian village lying there asleep,
but the Indians did not know. They slept
on, unaware of their danger, for a deep,
heavy sleep had come upon them.

Just as the sun rose, the ice roof gave
way and fell upon the sleeping Indians,
crushing them in their wigwams.

The waste they had brought upon their
brothers of the wood had brought punish-
ment upon them. The Great Spirit had
destroyed these wicked Indians, that the
good Indians might keep his world
beautiful.

Ever after, as long as the Indians occu-
pied the country, before the White man
came, no trees were felled, and no animals
or birds were killed, unless for some wise
and useful purpose.

WHY THE CHIPMUNK HAS
BLACK STRIPES

At one time, the animals had tribes and
chiefs, like men. It was when the porcu-
pine was chief, that a council was called.
A great fire was lighted, for it was
night. When all the animals were seated
around the fire, the porcupine spoke.

" Friends," he said,
" we have met here
to settle a great ques-
tion: 'Shall we have
night all the time, or
day?"' At this, all the
animals began to talk
at once. There was
great confusion. The night animals kept
shouting, "Night, night! Always night!"
Others of the animals cried, " Day, day!
Always day ! " Still others called for " Day
and night!"

122

WHY THE CHIPMUNK HAS BLACK STRIPES 123

There was so much noise that it could
not be decided what was best.

At last the animals grew tired of calling.
One by one the voices grew fainter, and
the shouting ceased. Of the night ani-
mals, the voice of the bear alone was
heard. He had a big voice and still
kept calling, "Night, night! Always
night!'

The animals who wanted day all the
time, and those who wanted day and night,
also became quiet, — all except the chip-
munk. He chattered on, "We will have
light — and then night. We will have
light — and then night. Chee, chee, chee ! '

Then the bear, too, became tired. He
was fat and lazy, and so sleepy! He
thought he would take a short nap.

But all night long the wide-awake little
chipmunk kept up his song. Not for a mo-
ment did he stop to rest. Out of the dark
came his voice, sure and cheery, "We will

124 WHY THE CHIPMUNK HAS BLACK STRIPES

have light- — and then night. We will have
light — and then night! Chee, chee, chee!"

And before the animals knew it, the sun
began to rise.

At the first rays of light, the bear sat
up, blinked, and rubbed his eyes. He saw
that while he had slept, light had indeed
come. He knew that he and the night
animals had been beaten in the council,
and that the chipmunk and the animals
who wanted day and night had won.

The bear was very angry. He struck
at the chipmunk with his paw. But he was
clumsy, and the chipmunk was spry!

). .

The chipmunk laughed and sprang into
a hole of a hollow tree near by. But
those black stripes on the chipmunk's back
show where the paw of the black bear
touched him as he slipped into the tree.

Ever since this council, and the little chip-
munk called so long and loud for "light
and night," we have had day and night.

HOW TWO INDIAN BOYS
SETTLED A QUARREL

Flying Squirrel and Lightning
Bow were two little Indian boys.
They lived by Singing River, and
they played from sunrise to sunset.
They were as happy as the day
was long.

In the summer, they fished and
swam in Singing River, and they
shot their arrows into chipmunk
and woodpecker holes. Sometimes
they played "Dodging Arrows," a
game their mother had taught them
when they were very young.

In the winter, they jumped into
fleecy snowdrifts and rolled until
their little bronze bodies took on a
red-raspberry tint. Then they would
send their snow-snakes skimming

over the hard crust of snow.

125

126 HOW TWO INDIAN BOYS SETTLED A QUARREL

Snow-snakes were small rods of wood,
polished smooth with resin, oil, or wax.
They could be thrown long distances.
Long Moose- -Lightning Bow and Fly-
ing Squirrel's father- -could throw a snow-
snake a mile and a half, over the crust of
the snow. But the snow-snakes he used
were eight feet long and tipped with lead.

It was the Moon of Berries. Six times
had Flying Squirrel and Lightning Bow
seen the Berry Moon hang her horn in
the night sky. And not once in all their
lives had they quarreled.

One morning, Flying Squirrel and Light-
ning Bow planned a foot race. Seven
times they were to run. Three times,
Flying Squirrel had made the goal first.
Three times, Lightning Bow had outrun
him. The seventh race was claimed by
each. No one saw them run, so no one
could decide the game. And they fell to
quarreling.

127

128 HOW TWO INDIAN BOYS SETTLED A QUARREL

Louder and louder their voices were
raised. More and more angry they grew.
White Fawn, their mother, was baking
corn bread on the coals of the wigwam
fire. The angry voices reached her ears.
She stepped to the door.

"For shame!' she called. "Go and set
up your sticks."

Then she showed Lightning Bow and

Flying Squirrel how to set
up three sticks so they
would stand for many days.
" Now go into the wood,

set up your sticks, and
leave your quarrel there," she said. " When
the Berry Moon has passed, you shall re-
turn and see if the sticks are still standing.
" If they lean toward the rising sun,
Lightning Bow was right. If they lean
toward the setting sun, Flying Squirrel
won. If they have fallen down, neither
was right and neither won."

HOW TWO INDIAN BOYS SETTLED A QUARREL 1 29

Lightning Bow and Flying Squirrel went
into the wood and set up their sticks.
Then they began to throw balls with willow

wands, and soon they were happy again.
• ••••«•

The sun had risen and set many times.
The Berry Moon had passed. It was the
Thunder Moon, when White Fawn said to
Lightning Bow and Flying Squirrel, "To-
day you may go into the wood and see
if your sticks are still standing."

Hand in hand, the two little Indian
boys ran into the wood. They found only
a heap of rotting sticks.

Flying Squirrel and Lightning Bow
stood and looked at the sticks. They
thought and thought.

"What did we set up the sticks for?"
each asked of the other,

And for the life of them they could not
remember what they had quarreled about,
and why they had set up the sticks I

IROQUOIS STORIES — 8

HOW MICE OVERCAME THE

WARRIORS

Once a tribe of the Iroquois became
very warlike and cruel. They liked to
follow the warpath rather than the hunting
trails.

These warriors thought only of the war
dance. They forgot to give thanks for
the sweet waters of the maple, and for
the planting season. Neither did they
remember to praise the Great Spirit, in
song and dance, for the juicy strawberries,
and the waving green corn, as once they
had done.

To fight was the one desire of their
lives, the one thought that filled their
minds. They boasted that none were so
fierce and bloodthirsty as they.

" Our arrows fall like leaves of the pine,"

130

HOW MICE OVERCAME THE WARRIORS

they said, "and always are they red with
blood. Our war shirts have many scalp
locks on them."

One day, a dispute arose with a neigh-
boring tribe of their nation. The Peace

Wigwam was not far away, but these
warriors would not take their quarrel to
it, as was the custom. The fighting In-
dians would have none of the Peace
Wigwam.

" Let the women and papooses sit in the
sun at the door of the Peace Wigwam,"
they said scornfully. "Chiefs are for the
warpath."

132

HOW MICE OVERCAME THE WARRIORS

A fierce cry was raised, and the war
dance was begun. The chiefs painted
their bodies, donned their war shirts,
sharpened their tomahawks, tipped their
arrows,; and tightened their bowstrings.
But by the time they had made ready,

the sun had set, and
the blanket of dark-
ness had fallen upon
them. A council was
quickly called. It
was decided that
they would not start
to war until moonrise. So the warriors lay
down to sleep.

As they slept, another council was called.
This was not a council of men, but of mice.
From long and short trails they came,
hundreds and hundreds of mice, for all
had heard the warriors boast of their
strength.

"Now," said the mice, "we will show

HOW MICE OVERCAME THE WARRIORS 133

these boasters how weak are men, and
how strong are little mice."

When all the mice were gathered about
the council tree, the leader spoke thus:
" My brothers, listen! The Great Spirit
did not give men strength, that they should
fight and kill one another. The Great
Spirit did not make men powerful, that
they should strike down and kill the
weaker animals. Let us show these fierce
warriors that it is the weak who are
strong, and the strong who are weak. Let
every mouse destroy at least one weapon
before the moon shall rise."

At this, all the mice set to work. Snap,
snap, snap, went the bowstrings on all
sides. Then the sharp little teeth began
on the feathers that winged the poisoned
arrows. Soon the feathers lay in bits about
the ground.

Next, the deerskin cords that bound the
sling shots were cut in two, and before the

134

HOW MICE OVERCAME THE WARRIORS

moon had risen, every weapon had been
made useless; every Indian had been dis-
armed,- -and the mice had scampered away.

The warriors awoke. Again the war
cry was raised. They sprang to their feet
and seized their weapons, but found them
useless. Their bows had no strings ; their
arrows, no wings ; their slings, no cords.

The warriors who boasted that they
were the strongest and fiercest on the
earth, had been made powerless by mice.

WHY CROWS ARE POOR

After the Great Spirit had made the
Red Children and had given them this
beautiful land in which to live, he sent
them a great gift,- -the gift of the corn.

Ga gaah, the Crow, claims it was he
who brought this gift. He says he was
called to the wigwram of the Great Spirit
in the sky. A grain of corn was placed
in his ear, and he was told to carry it to
earth, to the Red Children.

Therefore, as Ga gaah brought the gift,
he claims he has a right to pull what corn
he needs. Ga gaah says he does not
" steal* corn. He simply takes what be-
longs to him, his rightful share.

And surely Ga gaah is not greedy! He
never takes more corn than he wants for
himself. He never hides or stores it away.
He takes just what he wishes to eat at the

136 WHY CROWS ARE POOR

time, and no more, for crows never think
of to-morrow.

In summer, they are happy in the corn-
fields, guarding the roots from insect
enemies, and pulling the tender blades
whenever they are hungry.

But when winter comes, the crows are
sad. Many councils are held. Sometimes
a council tree will be black with crows.
All are so poor and so hungry, that they
get together to try to plan a better way
to live.

There is much noise and confusion at
a crow council, for all the crows talk at
once. All are saying, " No bird is so poor
as the crow; he is always hungry. Next

WHY CROWS ARE POOR 137

summer, let us plant and raise a big crop
of corn, and gather and save it for the
winter. Next winter, crows will not be
hungry; they will have food.

"We will no longer take from the fields
of the Red Children just enough corn for
a meal to-day. We will raise our own
corn, and lay by a store for the winter."

And having agreed that this is a wise
plan, the council ends.

A few days later, another council will be
called. At this, the crows will plan how and
where to plant the corn. Some will be ap-
pointed to select a field, others to find seed,
and still others to plant and tend the corn.

But, alas! When spring comes, and
skies are blue, and the sun shines warm,
the crowrs forget the hunger of the winter,
and the councils in the tree. They re-
member only that the skies are blue, and
the sun shines warm, and now there is
plenty of corn.

138

WHY CROWS ARE POOR

Happy and content, they walk up and
down the fields of the Red Children.

"We have all we want to-day," they say,
"Why should we think of to-morrow, or
next winter? We had a good meal this
morning, and we are sure of one to-night.
Is not this enough for a crow? What
more can he ask?'

And the next winter comes, and finds
the crows as poor and as hungry as they
were the last. Again they are holding
noisy councils in the council tree. Again
they are laying plans for the great crop
of corn that they will raise next summer!

WHY THE INDIAN LOVES

HIS DOG

The dog is the Indian's best friend. He
is the comrade by day and the protector
by night. As long as the Indian's dog
has strength, he will fight for his friend.

The Indian says this is how the dog
came to take his part.

An Indian and his dogs went into the
woods to hunt. It was in the days when
dogs and men could talk together, and
each understood the language of the other.

When they reached the woods, the dogs
began to talk with the Indian. They told
him many wonderful things about the
woods, which he did not know. They
taught him many tricks of the chase: how
to scent and track the game, and where
to look for trails.

140

WHY THE INDIAN LOVES HIS DOG

The man listened to what the dogs
said, and he did as they told him. Soon
the sledge which the dogs had drawn to
the woods was piled high with deer and
other game.

Never had the Indian's arrows brought
him so much game. Never had he met
with such success in hunting. He was
so pleased that he said to the dogs,
"Always shall I talk with you, give ear
to what you say, and be one of you."

"Ah, but listen!" said the dogs. "If
you wish to be one of us, you must live
under the law of dogs, not men. Animals
have laws different from those of men.
When two dogs meet for the first time,

WHY THE INDIAN LOVES HIS DOG 14!

they try their strength to see which is the
better dog.

" Men do not fight when strangers meet,
they shake hands. As we fight strange
dogs, so you, too, must fight strange men,
to see which is the best man, — if you
are to live under the law of dogs."

The man said he would think it over,
and at sunrise give his answer. Indians
always sleep before deciding a question.

Next morning, the man said he would
live under the law of animals, and fight
strange men.

The following day, the man made ready
to leave the woods. From the basswood,
he made a strong harness for the dogs,
so that they could draw the load of game
back to the camp for him.

When the sun was high, the man and

142 WHY THE INDIAN LOVES HIS DOG

the dogs started with the sledge load of
game. They had not gone far before they
saw two strange Indians coming.

" Now," said the dogs to the man,
"remember you are living under the dog's
law. You must fight these strange men."

The man attacked first one Indian and
then the other. At last both turned on him,
and when they left him, he was nearly
dead. At this, the dogs took a hand. They
leaped upon the Indians and drove them
from the woods. Then they came back to
where their friend lay on the ground, and
began to talk with him and lick his face.

The man could not speak for some time,
but when his voice came to him, he said
to the dogs, " No longer do I wish to live
under the law of animals. No more shall
I fight strangers. From this time, I shall
shake hands with strangers, and bid them
welcome. From this time, I shall be a
man and live under the law of men."

WHY THE INDIAN LOVES HIS DOG 143

"Then," said the dogs sadly, "we shall
no longer be able to talk with you, and
tell you the things that we know. But
we will always stand by you. We will
be your friends and will fight for you,
when you need us as you did to-day."

This is why the Indian and his dog
are now unable to speak each other's
language. This is also why an Indian's
dog will fight to the death for his friend.

Not only is the dog a true friend to
the Indian in this world, but in the next
as well. It seems that the soul of an
Indian on its journey to the Happy
Hunting Ground must cross a deep, swift-
running stream. On either side of this
dark river, there stand two dogs who hold
in their teeth a great log upon which the
souls pass.

The soul of the Indian who has been
kind to his dog crosses the log easily,
for the dogs stand guard. As the soul

144 WHY THE INDIAN LOVES HIS DOG

of such an Indian reaches the river, they
say, "This Indian was kind to his dog.
He gave him of his own food, and the
dog always had a warm place by his fire.
We will help this Indian to cross."

Then the dogs grip the log firmly in
their teeth, and hold it steady while the
soul of the kind Indian passes over.

But if the soul of an Indian who has
been unkind to his dog comes to the river,
the dogs say, " This man was cruel to his
dog. He gave his dog no place by the
fire, he beat him, he let him go hungry.
This man shall not cross."

Then the dogs grip the log lightly in
their teeth, and when the soul of the
unkind Indian is half way across, they
turn it quickly to one side, and the soul
is thrown into the deep, dark river.

Many an Indian has been kind to his
dog, that he might make sure of a safe
crossing on that log.

GREEDY FAWN AND THE
PORRIDGE

In the days when there was no one
living in this country but the Indians,
there were no houses; there were only
Indian wigwams. There were no roads
and no streets, but Indian trails.

At that time there grew a wonderful
chestnut, which the Indians used in their

145

GREEDY FAWN AND THE PORRIDGE 147

cooking. A very small bit of this chestnut
grated into a kettle would make a potful
of porridge.

In a certain wigwam lived Deerheart
and Sky Elk, and their little son Greedy
Fawn. The mother was called Deerheart
because she was so loving, and gentle, and
kind. The father was named Sky Elk
because he was so strong and fleet of foot.
Greedy Fawn, too, came rightly by his
name. You will soon know why.

One day, Deerheart and Sky Elk went
on a long trail. As they left the wigwam,
they said to Greedy Fawn, " Do not touch
the chestnut, do not build a fire, while we
are away."

Greedy Fawn promised. He watched
his father and mother disappear down
the western trail. Then he went back to
the wigwam.

"Now," thought he, "I will have all
the porridge I want."

IROQUOIS STORIES — 9

148 GREEDY FAWN AND THE PORRIDGE

So he ran and gathered some sticks.
He built a fire with the sticks. Then he
hung the kettle over the fire, and put some
water in it. Then he found the chestnut.
He grated a little of the chestnut into the
kettle, and began to stir. Then he grated
some more, and some more, and some
more.

Faster and faster Greedy Fawn stirred
the boiling porridge, for it began to swell
and fill the kettle.

Larger and larger, it grew, and it grew,
and it grew.

Greedy Fawn was so frightened he did
not know what to do.

"Oh, will it never stop swelling?" he
thought. Harder and harder he stirred
to keep the porridge from boiling over.
Beads of perspiration ran down his little
bronze face, yet still he stirred. He dared
not stop.

Then he remembered that sometimes

GREEDY FAWN AND THE }E 149

his mother would rap the

with the

porridge stick, if it becarn "ull.

Rap, rap, rap, went the 'ge stick

on the edge of the kettle, instantly the
kettle began to swell. Larger, and larger,
and larger it grew. Greedy Fawn was so
frightened he did not know what to do.

Now Greedy Fawn could not reach
across the kettle, to stir the porridge with
his stick, so he began to run around it.
And around, and around, and around the
kettle he ran, stirring, and stirring, and
stirring.

At last the kettle was so large that it
nearly filled the wigwam. There was just
space enough left for Greedy Fawn to
run around it. And around, and around,
and around the kettle he ran, stirring, and
stirring, and stirring.

Oh, how his little arms ached! And, oh,
how tired his small legs were! But still
he ran. He dared not stop.

150

GREEDY FAWN AND THE PORRIDGE

Here was porridge enough to last a
small boy a lifetime, and he could not stop
to taste one mouthful!

At last Greedy Fawn could run no
longer. He stumbled and fell by the
side of the kettle. He was too weak to

rise. The stick fell from his hand, and the
porridge boiled on. Higher, and higher,
and higher it rose, until it ran over and
down the sides of the kettle. Closer, and
closer the boiling porridge crept to the
little Indian boy, and soon Greedy Fawn
and his stick were nearly buried in porridge.

GREEDY FAWN AND THE PORRIDGE

For once Greedy Fawn had all the
porridge he wanted. And never again
would he have wanted anything, had not
Deerheart and Sky Elk heard his cries,
and come running like deer up the trail to
save him.

WHY HOUNDS OUTRUN OTHER

ANIMALS

A hound was chasing a hare through
the woods.

Some wolves and panthers were chas-
ing a bull that had been feeding in the
valley near the woods. For some time
they had been trying to run him down,
but they did not seem to gain on him.

When the wolves
and panthers saw that
they were not gaining
on the bull, they halt-
ed to take counsel.
They decided that it
would take a whole day
of hard running to get
the bull, and a hound

was near! Why not go for the hound?

152

WHY HOUNDS OUTRUN OTHER ANIMALS 153

All agreed. They set off for the hound.

Now the bull had heard the wolves
and panthers take council, and he, too,
set off for the woods.

As he neared the wood, the bull called
to the hound and warned him that a pack
of wolves and panthers was after him.
Just then they came into sight. The
hound dared not meet them alone, and
he knew not which way to turn.

Then the bull called, "Come, jump on
my back. I can outrun them."

The hound ran and leaped on the back
of the bull, and away they went.

The bull and the hound talked as they
ran. The bull said he thought the wolves
would soon grow tired, fall back, and give
up the chase. But he was wrong. They
were too angry at being outwitted.

" You think to take our game from us,"
they howled at the bull. " But we will
eat hound meat to-night."

154 WHY HOUNDS OUTRUN OTHER ANIMALS

The bull saw it was a run for life. All
day he ran. For a time it was easy to
outrun the wolves and panthers, but at last
they began to press hard upon him.

As the sun dropped out of the sky, the
bull felt his knees begin to weaken. The
weight of the hound was telling on him.
A moment later, he stumbled and fell.

In an instant, the pack was upon them.
But with one leap, the hound cleared the
pack and was off down the trail.

The weaker wolves and panthers leaped
upon the bull. The stronger went on.

But now the best of them were no
match for the hound. He was fresh and
strong, for he had been riding all day.
They were tired and worn from the long
chase, and soon they gave it up.

Because the hound is able to save his
strength for the end of the chase, he can
now outrun not only wolves and panthers,
but all the other animals.

WHY INDIANS NEVER SHOOT

PIGEONS

An Indian hunter went into the forest
in search of game.

The forest was so large that it would
have taken three days to journey through
it. All day he followed the track of the
deer, but his arrows brought him no food.

At night, he came to a dark, swift-run-
ning stream. He was tired and hungry.

"Here," said he, "I will lie down and
rest until sunrise."

He began to search for a bed of pine
needles, for the Indian loves the pine tree.
It is his friend by day and by night. By
day it is his forest guide. At night it
gives him a soft, sweet-smelling bed on
which to sleep, and it shields him from
the storm.

The hunter ran along the stream. It

156 WHY INDIANS NEVER SHOOT PIGEONS

was very dark. He felt no soft pine
needles under his moccasined feet, only
the knotted roots of trees.

Suddenly the great roots of an oak tree
reached out and caught him. He could
not free his foot from the oak's grasp.

The sun rose and set. The great tree
still held the hunter fast. He was weak
from pain and hunger.

It was now two days since he had tasted
food. Four notches had been cut in his
stick, for the Indian measures time in this
way. Each sunrise and sunset, when he
is on the trail, is marked by a notch on
a small stick which he carries.

Three times did the sun again rise and
set, yet the tree did not let go its hold.
There were now ten notches on the stick,
and the hunter was so weak that he could
scarcely cut the last one.

As the sun rose on the fifth day, a bird
flew into the tree. He saw the hunter

WHY INDIANS NEVER SHOOT PIGEONS 157

lying on the ground, and came close and
spoke to him.

The hunter understood, for in those
days men and birds could talk together.

The bird asked the man what he could
do for him, and the hunter whispered,
"You are strong. You can fly a long
trail. Go and tell the chief of my people."

The bird flew swiftly away with the
message. He did not wait until the sun
was high. He did not stop to eat one
berry or one worm. He did not fly high,
nor fly low to talk with other birds. He
went straight to the people the hunter
had told him of.

The West Wind tried to blow him back.
A black cloud came up to frighten him,
but he went through it. On, and on,
and on, he went. Straight to the wig-
wam of the chief, he carried his message.

The chief had called together the young
men who were fleet of foot, and was about

WHY INDIANS NEVER SHOOT PIGEONS

to send them
forth to find the
lost hunter. They
were asking the
chief what trails
they had best
take. Before the
chief could reply,
a beautiful dove-
colored bird had flown close to his ear and
had spoken to him in soft, low tones.

The chief told the young men what the
bird had said, and they set off on the trail
the bird had named. Before sunset, they
had found the lost hunter.

Carefully they freed him from the grasp
of the great oak and bore him to his
people. That night there was a feast
and a dance in his honor.

Ever since, the Indians have loved the
birds that carry the messages, and they
never shoot a pigeon.

HOW OLD MAN WINTER WAS

DRIVEN BACK

Far away in the North Sky lives Old
Man Winter. Every year he leaves his
wigwam in the sky and comes to earth.

At the foot of a mountain, he builds a
lodge of ice and snow, which no human
being, animal, or bird can enter. There
he lives for a time.

North Wind is the only friend of Old
Man Winter. When he passes near Old
Man Winter's lodge, he gives a loud
shriek, and with his blustering breath he
blows open the door and enters.

Near a fire which glows, but does not
warm, North Wind finds a seat. There
he and Old Man Winter sit and smoke,
and lay their plans for the next snowstorm.

When the council is ended, North

I6O HOW OLD MAN WINTER WAS DRIVEN BACK

Wind departs, to drive up the snow and
hail from the corners of the earth.

Old Man Winter also leaves his lodge.
He stalks over the mountains and valleys
of the Red Children. The land becomes
white with his breath. The rivers are
stilled, and all the voices of the wood are
hushed as he passes. A deep sleep falls
upon every living thing.

No sound is heard in the forest but
the rapping on the trees. Old Man
Winter carries a great hammer, and he
strikes the trees a blow as he passes.
The colder it grows, the louder and more
frequently he raps. The trees snap, and
the Indian lodges crack with his blows.

One day, as Old Man Winter was stalk-
ing through a forest, he came upon a
hunter's lodge. For days the snow had
been falling. No track of deer or rabbit
was to be seen, and the hunter and his
little boy sat within, weak from hunger.

HOW OLD MAN WINTER WAS DRIVEN BACK l6l

They were also very cold, for the fire in
the lodge burned low.

Old Man Winter laughed and shook
his hammer in glee, as he drew near.
Once, twice, three times, he rapped. The
little boy within heard him, and rapped
three times in reply,- -just as Old Man
Winter had done.

At this, the hunter spoke. He told the
boy that he must not mock a nature spirit,
lest some harm should come to him. He
might be captured and made to serve that
spirit.

Now when Old Man Winter heard the
mocking raps of the little boy within the
lodge, he was very angry. He breathed
fiercely upon the little lodge. It shrank
and shivered at his touch like a living
thing. He struck it several sharp blows
with his hammer, and passed on.

The fire inside the lodge burned lower
and lower. The hunter and his little son

1 62 HOW OLD MAN WINTER WAS DRIVEN BACK

drew closer and watched the last flame
flicker and die out.

As they sat by the ashes, numb with
the cold, all of a sudden a new warmth
filled the lodge. The South Wind gently
opened the door, and a young chieftain,
with a face like the sun, entered. He saw
the dying hunter and the boy, and he

warmed them back
to life. When they
were stronger, he
helped them to
rekindle the fire.
Then he told them
to take a few dried blackberries that
they had in the lodge, and boil them in
water.

He said they must eat a portion of the
blackberries, and throw the rest at Old
Man Winter when he returned. This
would frighten him away, for he was
terribly afraid of blackberries.

1 64 HOW OLD MAN WINTER WAS DRIVEN BACK

Blackberries mean sunshine and sum-
mer heat. Old Man Winter cannot stay
where they are. He never visits the earth
at blackberry time.

The hunter and the little boy said they
would do as they had been told. Soon
the young chieftain left the lodge, with
the South Wind.

Not many days later, Old Man Winter
returned, and again came rapping at their
lodge. But this time the hunter and the
little boy were ready. They threw the
blackberries at him, as they had been told,
and he ran in fear to his ice lodge.

The South Wind and the young chief-
tain with a face like the sun were near.
They followed close upon the Old Man's
track. When he was again inside the ice
lodge, the South Wind rapped gently at
the door.

" Begone! " said the Old Man. " No one
but North Wind is welcome to my lodge."

HOW OLD MAN WINTER WAS DRIVEN BACK 165

Then the South Wind breathed soft and
warm upon the door of the ice lodge, and
it melted at their feet. The young chief-
tain passed in and sat down by the strange
fire that had no heat. The South Wind
stayed without, and sang, soft and low.

The Old Man was very angry. He
raged about the lodge and ordered the
young chieftain writh sunshine in his face
and warmth in his breath to depart.

" I am great and powerful," said the
Old Man. "When I touch the sky, the
snow falls. When I speak, hunters hide
in their lodges; animals crawl into their
holes; and birds fly in fear.

"When my hand touches the earth, it
grows cold and hard, and all life dies.
Begone! or I will make an ice man or a
snow man of you."

But the young chieftain moved not.
He only sat and smiled at the bluster of
the Old Man.

1ROQUOIS STORIES — IO

1 66 HOW OLD MAN WINTER WAS DRIVEN BACK

Slowly he filled a pipe, and handed it
to the Old Man, saying, " Here, smoke
with me. It will give you strength to
go to your lodge in the North Sky. It is
time for you to depart. You are old, and
tired, and worn. You and North Wind
have had your day. The days that are to
come belong to South Wind and to me.

"I, too, am powerful, and I am young!
I do not fear you. When I touch the
earth, it grows soft and warm. Every
living thing stirs in its sleep,- -birds and
bees, flowers and trees, animals and men.
When I speak, the sleeping sun awakes.
See! already he begins to send down his
arrows. Hasten! that they may not find
you, on the trail to the North Sky."

The Old Man trembled. His legs and
arms grew weak. Icicles fell from his
beard. Great tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Who are you?' he whispered, as he
was melting at the young chieftain's feet.

HOW OLD MAN WINTER WAS DRIVEN BACK 167

" I am Go hay - - the Spring," answered
the young chieftain. "All the earth is
glad, when I come to drive you back to
your lodge in the North Sky, for I bring
sunshine, and love, and joy."

But the Old Man did not hear. He
was far on the North Sky trail, and Spring
and South Wind were masters of earth.

<%ffe

WHY LIGHTNING SOMETIMES

STRIKES

An old man of the
Iroquois nation once
wished to make a beau-
tiful Indian maiden his
wife. The old man had
many rare furs and val-
ued strings of wampum.
These he brought and
laid at the door of the
wigwam where the
maiden lived.

The father and moth-
er were pleased with the
old man's gifts. They
told him that when the
Planting Moon should
come, the maiden should

go to his wigwam.
'168

WHY LIGHTNING SOMETIMES STRIKES 169

Now the maiden did not love the old
man. She did not wish him to make her
his wife. " I will never sit at his wigwam
door," she said.

It was midwinter, when the old man
brought the gifts, the time of the pale,
cold moon. From that time, the maiden
watched, with a heavy heart, the moons
wax and wane.

At last the snows disappeared. No
more was the North Wind heard shriek-
ing about the lodge. The gentle South
Wind had come, bringing with him the
singing birds.

The little brooks awoke and sang. They
were happy that spring had come, and all
the earth children were glad, — except the
maiden. Her heart grew more heavy and
sad, as the face of the sun grew brighter.

Then the Planting Moon came. The
maiden watched the moon hang her horn
in the sky. Then she ran swiftly to the

170

WHY LIGHTNING SOMETIMES STRIKES

great river that flowed not far from the
lodge. Lightly she sprang into her canoe.
A few quick strokes, and the canoe was
in midstream.

The current ran swift and strong. The
little craft was carried swiftly down the
river toward the great falls known as
Niagara Falls. As the canoe neared the
falls, the maiden was seen to rise and
stretch out her arms, as though about to
leap. A smile was on her face, and a
song was on her lips, as the canoe shot
into the mist that overhung the water.

Then, from the caverns below a dark
blanket floated upward, as though spread
to catch the maiden. It was Heno, the
Thunder Spirit, who dwelt behind the
falls. He had caught her in the folds of

WHY LIGHTNING SOMETIMES STRIKES 17 1

his blanket, and had saved her from the
great rocks below.

Heno took the maiden to live with him,
in his lodge behind the falls. There she
was very happy, so happy that her smile
shone through the mist, and the Indians
cried, "See! A rainbow!"

In her new home the maiden learned
many wonderful things. She found she
possessed strange powers, not known to her
before. She could float on a cloud at will,
and she seemed filled with a strange fire.

One day, the young woman was given
a son. Heno and she were very happy.
Many moons the mother and child played
together. When Heno was away on one
of his journeys through the sky, they
would ride the great bubbles of foam that
went dashing through the rocks. Some-
times they would catch sunbeams in a
net, as they sat on the edge of a cloud
and fished.

172

WHY LIGHTNING SOMETIMES STRIKES

One day, Heno asked the young woman
if she would like to visit her people.
"If you wish," he said, "you shall return

for a time, taking our son
with you. But remem-
ber, both of you possess
powers unknown to the
earth children. Be care-
ful how you use them.
Never let another child
strike the boy, for that
child would at once
wither and die. Never
strike the boy your-
self, for he would fall
stunned to earth."

The woman listened to Heno's words.
Soon they were wrapped in his great cloud
blanket, and were floating over the river.
When they came to the home of her people,
Heno left the woman and the boy by the
river, and went on further to the east.

CRADLE BOARD

WHY LIGHTNING SOMETIMES STRIKES 173

The people were glad to see the woman,
whom they had mourned as dead. She
told them of the wonderful things she had
learned in her new home. She told them
also how Heno was freeing their land of
a monster serpent, that trailed underneath
the earth, poisoning their springs and
causing sickness. Always, she said, Heno
carried a basket of great rocks on his back,
which he hurled at the monster whenever
he saw him. Soon he would kill the ser-
pent, and they would be sick no more.

During many days, the mother and the
little boy stayed with the earth people.
Sometimes, when the child was playing by
the river, he would see a dark cloud ap-
proaching. Then he would clap his hands
with joy and cry, " There comes my
father!"

The black cloud would float earthward,
and Heno would stop and have a word
with the mother and the boy. As he left

174 WHY LIGHTNING SOMETIMES STRIKES

them he always said, " Do not let anyone
strike the boy."

But one day, the mother did not watch
the boy, and he fell to playing with some
earth children. They grew angry as they
played, and struck the boy. Instantly these
earth children fell dead to the ground.
Then the mother laid hands on the boy,
to punish him, and he fell to earth.

At this, there came a great rumbling
and roaring through the sky, and Heno
appeared. He took the lifeless child in
his arms, crying, "You have disobeyed.
No longer shall you have this great power
I gave you. You shall remain on earth
and be simply an earth woman. I will
take the boy to my abode. Henceforth,
our lodge shall be in the sky. There he
will return to life, and ever after he will
go with me on my journeys through the
sky."

Then the sky shook and trembled. The

WHY LIGHTNING SOMETIMES STRIKES

175

door of the sky lodge opened, and Heno
and the boy were seen no more.

Now, when a rumbling and rolling
through the sky is heard, the Indians say,
"Tis the voice of Heno! He is coming
from his lodge in the sky!'

But when a flash of fire is seen, and a
loud crash is heard, they say, "That is the
boy! He is trying to hit the earth chil-
dren with a fire stone. He remembers
how they struck him, a long time ago."

WHY THE HARE HAS A SPLIT
LIP AND SHORT TAIL

Once a rabbit began to run back and
forth through the woods, calling for snow,
snow, snow! It was one of those large
gray rabbits, with long ears, that people
call hares.

As this hare ran back and forth through
the woods, he sang at the top of his voice,
" All gon ne yah - -yeh / All gon ne yah -
yeh! Ah gon ne yah- -yeh! da h gen, dali
ton, AJi gon ne yah - -yeh / Ah gon ne
yah- -yeh!' This meant, "Snow, snow,
snow! How I would run if I had snow!
Snow, snow, snow! How I would run if
I had snow!'

Now, strange as it may seem, as this
hare ran back and forth singing for snow,

snow, snow, some flakes of snow began to

176

WHY THE HARE HAS A SPLIT LIP AND SHORT TAIL 177

fall. The hare was so delighted that he
jumped up and down for joy.

"Ah gon ne yaJi- -yeh! Ah gon ne
yah - -yeh ! Ah gon ne yah — yeh ! ' he
sang, in short, quick notes of joy. And
the higher he jumped, and the louder he
sang, the faster and thicker the snow
came.

The hare was so delighted that he again
began to run. All day long he ran, back
and forth through the woods, calling for
"Snow, snow, snow! How I would run
if I had snow!" And the snow fell faster
and faster. Thicker and thicker it came.
The path in which the rabbit ran grew
higher and higher, as the snow fell deeper
and deeper.

But at last the hare was so tired that
he could run no longer. He no longer
sang for "Snow, snow, snow! How I
would run if I had snow," for he now had
more snow than he wanted. The snow

178 WHY THE HARE HAS A SPLIT LIP AND SHORT TAIL

was up to the tiptops of the trees, and it
was very hard to run.

The hare was very tired. He thought
he must take a rest. Night was coming
on. He looked about him. Near the path
were the top branches of a willow tree,
sticking out above the snow. He sprang
into a crotch of those branches. There
he could sit and rest for a time. Soon
he fell asleep. He slept all night and
part of the next day.

That night it began to rain, and it rained
very, very hard. The snow began to melt,
and it melted very, very fast, and when
that hare awoke, not a flake of snow was
to be seen!

But there was the hare away up in the
tiptop of that willow tree! What to do
he did not know. He was very hungry.
He wondered how long he could stay
there and not starve. He saw some
tender buds on the branches. He ate

WHY THE HARE HAS A SPLIT LIP AND SHORT TAIL 179

those, and then he gnawed bark for a
time.

However, sooner or later, the hare knew
he must jump or starve. He looked down
at the earth. It looked very good to him.
He could see some fresh green moss and
some beautiful grass. One jump, and they
were his! But what a jump!

At last the hare whipped his courage up
to the jumping point. He shut his eyes,
and gave one great jump to earth. But
when he jumped, he caught his tail on the
branch of the willow tree and left part of
it up there. And when he jumped, he
struck the front of his face on a sharp
stone, and the stone split his upper lip in

two.

Ever since then, hares have had split

lips and short tails, and ever since then,
willow trees have had tails, or catkins, on
them, in the spring.

CORN PLUME AND BEAN

MAIDEN

The Great Spirit had smiled upon his
Red Children. The land was filled with
plenty, for the Great Spirit had given to
them the three sustainers of life, the
corn, the bean, and the squash. Flowers
bloomed, birds sang, and all the earth
was glad with the Red Children, for the
gifts of the Great Spirit

On one side of a hill grew the tall,
waving corn, with its silk tassels and
plumes. On another side, beans, with
their velvety pods, climbed toward the
sky. Some distance down a third slope,
beautiful yellow squashes turned their
faces to the sun.

One day, the Spirit of the corn grew

restless. There came a rustling through

1 80

CORN PLUME AND BEAN MAIDEN l8l

the waving leaves, and a great sigh burst
from the heart of the tall stalks. The
Spirit of the corn was lonely.

After that, every morning at sunrise,
a handsome young chief was seen to
come and stand on the brow of the hill.
On his head were shining red plumes.
Tall, and strong, and splendid he stood,
wrapped in the folds of his waving
blanket, whose fringed tassels danced to
the summer breeze.

"Che che hen! Che die hen! Some
one I would marry! Some one I would
marry!" the young chieftain would sing,
many, many times.

One day, his voice reached the Squash
Maiden, on the other side of the hill. The
Squash Maiden drew about her a rich
green blanket, into which she had woven
many flaunting gold trumpet-shaped flowers.
Then she ran swiftly to the young chieftain.

"Marry me! Marry me!" said the

CORN PLUME AND BEAN MAIDEN 183

Squash Maiden, as she spread her beau-
tiful gold and green blanket at his feet.

Corn Plume looked down at the Squash
Maiden sitting on her blanket at his feet.
She was good to look upon, and yet Corn
Plume was not content. He wanted a
maiden who would stand by his side, not
always sit at his feet.

Then Corn Plume spoke thus to the
Squash Maiden.

"Corn Plume cannot marry Squash
Maiden. She is very beautiful, but she
will not make song in Corn Plume's heart.
Squash Maiden will grow tired of his
lodge. She will not stay in his wigwam.
She likes to go a long trail, and wander
far from the lodge.

" Corn Plume cannot make Squash
Maiden his wife, for he is not content
with her. But she shall be Corn Plume's
sister, and sit in his lodge whenever she
will. The maiden Corn Plume weds must

IROQUOIS STORIES — II

184 CORN PLUME AND BEAN MAIDEN

be ever at his side. She must go where
he goes, stay where he stays."

Next morning at sunrise, the voice of
Corn Plume was again heard, singing from
the hilltop, "Che che hen! Che che hen!
Some one I would marry! Some one I
would marry! Che che hen! Che che
hen!"

This time his song reached the ears
of the Bean Maiden. Her heart sang,
when she heard the voice of Corn Plume,
for she knew that he was calling her.
So light of heart was Bean Maiden, that
she ran like a deer up the hillside. On
and on, up and over the brow of the hill
she climbed, till she reached the young
chieftain's side.

Then Corn Plume turned and beheld
the most beautiful maiden he had ever
seen. Her eyes were deep and dark, like
mountain pools. Her breath was sweet
as the waters of the maple. She threw

CORN PLUME AND BEAN MAIDEN 185

off her blanket of green, and purple, and
white, and stretched her twining arms to
him.

Corn Plume desired to keep Bean Maiden
forever close to him. He bent his tall
plumed head to her. Her arms wound
round and round the young chieftain, and
Corn Plume was content.

So closely were the arms of Corn Plume
and the Bean Maiden entwined, so truly
were they wed, that the Indians never at-
tempted to separate them. Ever after,
corn and beans were planted in the same
hill, and often a squash seed was added.

Since the Great Spirit had placed the
corn, the bean, and the squash together
on a hill, the Indian said they should con-
tinue to live and grow and occupy a hill
together.

The door of Corn Plume's lodge was
ever, open to the Squash Maiden, if she
chose to enter. But seldom did she stay

1 86 CORN PLUME AND BEAN MAIDEN

in his wigwam. More often, she was
found running off on a long trail.

But Bean Maiden remained true to Corn
Plume. Always she was found by his
side. Never did she leave the lodge unless
he went with her. Corn Plume's lodge
was her lodge, and her trail was his trail.

And because the Spirits of the corn
and the bean are as one, the Indians not
only plant and grow them together, but
cook and eat them together. "In life,
they were one/' they say. "We will not
separate them in death."

And now, when a great rustling and
sighing of the corn is heard in the White
man's land, the Indians often say, "Tis
the Spirit of Corn Plume, crying for his
lost Bean Maiden!"

HOW THE ROBIN BURNED
HIS BREAST

Some Indian hunters once made their
way north, to hunt for moose. It was at
the time of Falling Leaves.

They journeyed for several days, until
they came to a lake. Close by the lake
they built a log cabin. Moss was placed
between the logs to keep out the wind,
and a thick roof was made from hemlock
boughs. In the center of the roof, a small
opening was left for the smoke from the
lodge fire to pass out.

Here the hunters lived during the Moon
of Falling Leaves. Every day they went
on the moose trail, but they found no
moose. Their arrows brought them little
game of any kind. They became dis-
couraged and sick, and one by one the

hunters lay down and died.

187

1 88 HOW THE ROBIN BURNED HIS BREAST

At last there was but one hunter left.
He, too, was sick, and he grew weaker
day by day. His food was nearly gone.
It was growing cold, and there was little
wood in the cabin to burn.

But the man did not give up. Again
and again he cried aloud, "Some one will
come and help me! Some one will come
and help me I"

One day, as he lay there too weak to
rise, the fire nickered and went out. It
seemed that he must die. But even then
he did not give up. Again and again,
with his weak voice he cried, "Some one
will come and help me! Some one will
come and help me!'

And some one did come and help him.
His cry was heard, for a bird came flying
in through the smoke hole in the roof of
the lodge. -

The bird had such a cheery, brave voice
that the man felt better the moment he

HOW THE ROBIN BURNED HIS BREAST 189

flew in. The bird said to the man, "I
was near; I heard you calling. I have
come to help you."

Then the bird saw that the fire was
out, and that the man was cold. He
fluttered among the ashes until he found
a bit of live coal. With a glad chirp, he
flew out through the roof. Soon he was
back, with his bill full of dried twigs. He
placed them on the fire and began to fan
them into flame with his wings. Soon
the twigs were blazing. Then he flew
out for more twigs, - — and more, and
more, and more.

The brave little bird kept on carrying
twigs until the fire burned hot, and the
lodge was warm once more.

When the bird had flown into the lodge,
he had had a clean, white breast. After
the fire was built, his breast was covered
with red and brown spots. He tried to
pick them off with his bill, but they would

HOW THE ROBIN BURNED HIS BREAST

not come off. Instead, they seemed to
spread, and his whole breast became red-
brown. Then the bird knew that he must
have burned his breast to a red-brown,
when he was fanning the fire into flame.

But the little bird did not care if he
had soiled his white breast, and burned
it red-brown. Had he not brought cheer
and life to a dying man?

He chirped a few glad notes, then said
to the man, " I will go now, but I shall be
near your lodge. When you need me,
call, and I will come again."

Later in the day, the man again called
for help. The fire was getting low, and
he was not yet strong enough to go out
and gather t\vigs. Again the bird came
to his aid. In and out he flew, many
times, after small branches and twigs,
until they were piled high on the fire, and
once more it crackled and burned.

There was a little wood in the lodge.

HOW THE ROBIN BURNED HIS BREAST IQI

The man placed it on the fire, and the
warmth healed the man, so that soon he
was well and strong again.

Every day the man talked with the
bird, for he was always near, and his
cheery voice and brave words gave the
man courage.

Once more he went on the moose trail,
and this time his arrows brought him
moose. In a short time the hunter had
all the meat, skins, and moose hair he
wanted. The moose hair he was taking
to his wife, to work into pretty forms on
moccasins.

The first snow was falling, as the hunter
started south on the home trail. The bird
hopped along by his side for a little
way, then said, " I must leave you now.
Winter is coming, and I must be on my
way to the Southland, or the snow will
catch me. In the spring you will see me
again."

192

HOW THE ROBIN BURNED HIS BREAST

When spring came, the bird with the
red-brown breast came with his mate, and
built a nest close to the hunter's home
lodge. In the nest, that summer, there
grew up five little birds, and they, too,
had red and brown breasts.

And ever since, Robin Redbreast has
continued to come and build his nest close
to the lodges of men, for Robin Red-
breast is a friend to man.

IROOUOIS FAIRY STORIES

HOW MORNING STAR LOST

HER FISH

Once the Little People, the Indian fairies,
ran with the Red Children through the
woods, and played with them beside the
streams. Now they are not often seen,
for the white man drove them out of
the woods with the Indians, and away
from the waters, with his big steam noises.

But before steamboats and great mills
were on the streams, the Little People
were there. They were often seen paddling
their tiny canoes, or sliding down the great
rocks on the banks. They loved to slide
down a bank where one rock jutted out,
for then they had a big bounce. They
also liked to sport and jump with the fish.

There was a young Indian girl whose

name was Morning Star. She was called

195

196 HOW MORNING STAR LOST HER FISH

Morning Star because her face was so
bright, and she was always up early in
the morning.

Morning Star lived with her father in
a comfortable wigwam by a river. Every
day she would get up with the sun, and
run down to the river where the great
rocks were, to catch fish for breakfast.

Morning Star caught her fish in a bas-
ket. At night, she would go and fasten
her basket between the rocks, in a narrow
place of the stream. Then, when the fish
swam through in the night, they would
get caught in it, and Morning Star would
find plenty of fish waiting for her. In
the morning, she would take the basket
of fish back to the wigwam, and soon the
smell of fish frying on hot coals would
come from the lodge.

Never since Morning Star began to
fish with her basket, had Chief Little
Wolf, her father, had to wait for his fish

HOW MORNING STAR LOST HER FISH 197

breakfast before starting on the chase.
But one morning, neither Chief Little
Wolf nor Morning Star breakfasted on
fish. This is how it happened.

On this morning, the Indian girl was
up as usual with the sun. She ran down
the river just as the Great Spirit lifted
the sun's smiling face. Morning Star had
such a light heart that she was glad
just to be alive, and she sang a song of
praise as she ran. All true Indians at sun-
rise lift their arms and faces to the sun,
and thank the Great Spirit that he has
smiled upon them again.

Happy and fleet as a deer, Morning
Star ran on until she came to the great
rocks. There she saw a whole tribe of
tiny little folk gathered about her basket.
Some of them were perched on the sides of
the basket, laughing and singing. Others
were lifting the fish from it and throwing
them into the stream. Still others were

198 HOW MORNING STAR LOST HER FISH

opening and closing the splints of the
basket for the fish to slip through.

Morning Star knew that these tiny folk
were the Jo gah oh. She knew also that
these Little People were friends of the
fish. They know every twist of a fish
net and every turn of a hook. Often they
have been known to set fish free, and to
guide them into deep, quiet places, far
away from the men who fish.

Morning Star called to the Little People
and begged them not to let all the fish
go. Then she began to climb down the
rocks, as fast as she could. The little
Chief called up to her, " Fish, like Indian
girls, like to be alive."

Then he told the Little People to keep
on setting the fish free.

When Morning Star reached her basket,
a few fish were still in it. She put out
her hand to take them from the Little
People, - — and not a fish, nor a Jo gah oh

igg

200 HOW MORNING STAR LOST HER FISH

was to be seen. The Little People had
darted into the rocks, for they go through
anything, and the fish had slipped through
the tiny spaces between the splints of
the basket.

Morning Star heard the laughter of
the Little People echo deep within the
rocks, for they like to play pranks with
the earth children. And far down the
stream, she saw the fish leap with joy at
being still alive. She took up her empty
basket and went back to the wigwam.

That morning for breakfast, Morning
Star baked corn cakes on the hot coals.
As she ate the hot cakes, she thought they
tasted almost as good as fish.

Ever after, when Morning Star saw a
fish leap from the stream, she remembered
what the Jo gaJi oh had said : " Fish, like
Indian girls, like to be alive."

HOW LITTLE SHOOTER LOST

HIS LUCK

One day, an Indian boy was playing
beside a stream, when one of the little elf
men came along in his canoe. The boy
had his bow and arrow with him ; so had
the little elf man.

The little man stopped and offered to
trade bows and arrows. The Indian boy
looked first at his bow, and then at that
of the little man. His bow was large.
The little man's bow was very small. The
boy thought his own bow was better, so
he said he would not trade.

The little elf man laughed and drew
his bow.

" You think only big things are great,"
he said. " Some day you will learn better.
Some day you will want this little bow

IROQUOIS STORIES — 12 2OI

202 HOW LITTLE SHOOTER LOST HIS LUCK

and these little arrows. Some day you
will wish you had traded."

Then he shot an arrow into the clouds,
sprang into his canoe, and paddled off
up the stream. As he disappeared, he
called back to the boy, " You will see me
again, sometime ! '

The Indian boy ran to his wigwam
home. He told his father about the little
man he had seen, and how the man
wanted to trade bow and arrows.

" And you did not trade ? ' exclaimed
the father.

" No," said the boy, " his bow was small;
mine is large."

" Foolish boy ! " said the father. " That
little man was a Jo gall oh, one of the
Little People. They do wonderful things.
Their arrows are winged with power. Had
you traded bows, you would have become
a great hunter, and been able to get near
the animals.

HOW LITTLE SHOOTER LOST HIS LUCK 203

" Those little arrows of the Jo gah oh
fly swift and far, and always bring back
game. The boy who has a Jo gah oh
bow and arrow always has good luck.
One arrow of theirs is worth a flight of
yours. Had you traded bow and arrows,
you would have been called ' He shoots
the sky/ Now you shall be called ' Little
Shooter.'

Little Shooter grew to be a man. He
went often on the chase, but his arrows
did not bring much game.

Many times, he wished he could meet
the little elf man again, and trade bow
and arrows, for sometimes he ran for
days and found no track of deer or rabbit.
But the little elf man never came.

One day, when Little Shooter had grown
to be quite an old man, he was walking
in the woods. He stopped under a tree
to rest. Several times he felt something
fall on his head.

204 HOW LITTLE SHOOTER LOST HIS LUCK

At last he looked up to see what it was.

There sat the little elf man, swinging
on the tip of a branch, and throwing nuts
and twigs at him. He looked just as
he did when Little Shooter met him by
the stream long before. He had not grown
old or changed at all.

" How long have you been here ? " asked
Little Shooter.

" I have always been here," said the
little man. " I have been in the world
ever since the stones were soft."

Then he laughed, and asked, " Does
Little Shooter now like big bow and
arrows best, or has he learned that some-
times small things are great ? Next time,
he had better trade with the little man,"
and aiming another nut at Little Shooter's
head, he disappeared in the tree trunk.

HOW AN INDIAN BOY WON

HIS NAME

It was bluebird time, many moons ago.
Little brooks laughed and danced, and all
the forest was glad.

An Indian boy came running through the
forest. He, too, was glad, for it was spring !

As he ran down the trail, he saw some-
thing hanging from a bush. The bush
was but a few rabbit jumps from the trail,
so he stopped to see what new flower
the spring had brought. He found the
new flower to be a tiny papoose cradle.

The boy picked the cradle from the
bush, and held it in the palm of his hand.
As he looked closer, he saw that there
was a tiny papoose in the little cradle.
The wee papoose laughed in his face, as

he spoke to it.

205

206 HOW AN INDIAN BOY WON HIS NAME

The boy had never seen so tiny a
papoose, and he thought he would take
it home to his mother, it was so cunning.
She had but nine of her own. He was
sure she would like one more, and that
there would be a place for the tiny stranger
in their wigwam.

He started to run on down the trail, but
something seemed to hold him fast. He
could not get away. Three times he tried
to run, but each time he only circled round
that bush. Something held him to the
spot.

Just then there came a sharp cry from
up the trail. The boy thought some ani-
mal must be hurt or in pain. He turned
to look and saw a little woman coming.
She was less than a foot high, but she
ran like a deer to the boy, and cried and
begged him to give back her baby.

Then the boy knew it was the love of
that little mother that had held him fast.

HOW AN INDIAN BOY WON HIS NAME 2O7

He could not break the love cord between
that mother and her baby.

Now the boy had a heart that was soft
and kind. He liked to see everything
happy. When he saw the little mother
crying and beg-
ging for her baby,
he felt sorry for
her.

Many times he
had heard his
mother tell how

every mother bird
loves her young;
every mother

bear, her cub;

L ,
every mother |g

deer, her fawn;

every Indian

mother, her papoose. And he knew this

little fairy mother must also love her

fairy baby, so he put it on the little

208 HOW AN INDIAN BOY WON HIS NAME

mother's back, and told her she should
have her papoose.

The little mother gave a glad cry, as
she felt the baby on her back once more.
Then she drew a stone from a bag which
she carried, and slipped it on a string of
beads that hung from the boy's neck.

The stone shone on his breast like a
dewdrop.

" Because you are good, and kind, and
unselfish, and because you make every-
thing happy," she said, " you shall wear
this good-luck stone. It will bring you
whatever you want.

" We Little People give this stone to
those earth children only, who are strong
and yet protect the weak. Wear it always
on your breast. Never take it off, and
you will become a mighty chief."

Then the little mother gave another
glad cry, and with her baby on her back
she disappeared into an oak.

HOW AN INDIAN BOY WON HIS NAME 2OQ

The boy ran on. His heart grew lighter
and the stone brighter, as he ran. Before
he reached his mother's wigwam, his
arrows had brought back game for their
evening meal.

From the day when the boy met the
little Jo gah oh mother in the wood, and
was given the stone, he had good luck.
Whatever he did, all went well with him.
If he went on the chase, he brought back
deer. If he planted corn, it grew tall and
fine. No boy could throw a ball as far, or
could run as fast as he. He could shoot
his arrows to the sky, and could send his
snow-snakes skimming far beyond the rest.

So lucky was this Indian boy, that his
tribe called him " Luck-in-all-moons." " He
wears the good-luck stone," the old people
said as they sat around the fire, and they
nodded their heads knowingly. But they
never knew how he came by it, or why
he won the stone.

2IO HOW AN INDIAN BOY WON HIS NAME

And when " Luck-in-all-moons " grew to
be a man, his tribe made him a great
chief. Just as the little Jo gah oh mother
had said, he became a chief, though not in
the chieftain line.

Because he stood so strong and straight,
serving the people, protecting the weak,
and doing great deeds, he was called the
Pine-tree Chief.

" His feet are planted deep in wisdom
and strength," they said, "and his head
is not far from the sky. He sees far and
points us the way. As the topmost branch
of the pine points always to the east, so
Luck-in-all-moons shall guide us to the sun
rising. He shall be our Pine-tree Chief."

HOW THE FAIRIES WORKED

MAGIC

Once a little Indian girl was very sad
and unhappy. The Great Spirit had
taken her father and mother, and she had
gone to live with relatives who did not
want her. Often she went to sleep hungry,
for only the scraps of food that were left
from a meal were given to her.

One day, the relatives of the little girl
brought in a fine deer from the chase,
and made ready for a feast. They told
the girl to get out of the lodge, for there
was neither room, nor meat for her.

The little girl ran and hid herself in
a great field of corn. There she cried
aloud.

Soon a band of strange Little People
gathered about her, to comfort her. On

211

212 HOW THE FAIRIES WORKED MAGIC

all sides, from the folds of the green corn-
stalks they came.

They stroked .her head, wiped the tears
from her eyes, and said, " Don't cry,
little girl. We will take care of you.
You shall come and live with us. We
will make a feast for you. We know
why you are sad, for we can read the
thoughts of all the earth children. Come
with us, and we will show you more
wonderful things than you have ever

seen.'

At this the little girl dried her tears,
and smiled at the kind Little People.

" You are very good to me," she said.
" Who are you ? '

" We are the Jo gaJi oh" they replied,
" the Little People. Come, and we will
show you what we can do."

Then they slipped some winged mocca-
sins upon her feet. They wrapped her
in an invisible blanket and put a magic

HOW THE FAIRIES WORKED MAGIC 213

corn plume in her hair, and the next mo-
ment all were flying through the air.

They flew to a ledge of great rocks.
At the touch of the Little People, the
rocks opened, and they passed within.

The girl found herself in a beautiful
lodge. Kind Jo gah oh mothers were
baking cakes and roasting meat. They
welcomed the girl, and soon a feast was
spread in her honor.

Now the heart of the little girl was
so light that she danced with joy.

" What wonderful people you are ! Can
you go anywhere, or do anything you
wish ? "

"Yes," said the little chief, " the Jo
gall oh are small, but they are great.
Come with us, and you shall see what we
can do."

Again they were flying through the air.
Soon they reached the lodge where the
little girl had lived. It was night, and her

214 HOW THE FAIRIES WORKED MAGIC

relatives were asleep, but she could see
the deer that hung outside ready for the
feast.

" Now," said the Jo gah oh chief, " we
will call out a pack of wolves from the
wood yonder, and there will be no fat
deer for this selfish feast, at sunrise."

Now no wolves had been seen in that
wood for many moons. But at the call
of the fairies, a pack sprang from it, ran
to the lodge, seized the deer, and tore it
into shreds. Then they again disappeared
in the wood.

The little girl's eyes were large now
with wonder, as they flew back to the fairy
lodge in the rocks, but she was not afraid
of these strange Little People. She was
so happy with them she wished she might
always live in a Jo gah oh lodge.

One morning, the little chief said, " To*
day we shall see more wonders."

This time a tiny canoe was waiting,

HOW THE FAIRIES WORKED MAGIC 215

They stepped into it and sailed down a
river until they came to a great tree.

" In that tree," said the little chief, " lives
a great, black bear. Every day he comes
out that door you see high up in the bear
tree. I will make the door fast so he
cannot open it. A deep sleep will fall on
him. He will sleep for many moons."

Then the chief threw three stones
through the open door of the bear tree.
Each time, a flame spread like a blanket
over the door. A growling and scratching
was heard within. Then all became still.

" Now," said the chief, " the bear will
sleep until I call him in the spring. He
is locked up for the winter. Come, let
us go on."

The little girl drew her invisible blanket
closer, as the canoe went sailing with the
birds through the clouds. The birds that
were swift of wing called loudly for a race.

" Come on ! ' said th^ fairy chief.

2l6 HOW THE FAIRIES WORKED MAGIC

Then he spread wide the invisible sails
of his canoe, and they flew past the birds
like a streak of lightning. Even the
eagle was left far behind. They seemed
to shoot through the sky.

And, oh, what fun it was to be a bird!
The little girl would have sailed on
forever, but the little chief said, " You
shall now return to your people. We
have given them soft hearts and kind
minds. They are calling for you. They
will be glad to see you."

And soon the little girl was again i.i
the wigwam of her relatives, sitting by
the warm fire.

They greeted her with joy, spread a
soft skin for her to sit upon, and gave
her the best food. And the little girl
lived with them, ever after, and was happy,

(.481 1

SW*U« BftAHSH 34S EAST 32nd 3*REtT

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