Beautiful white flowers with hearts of gold floated on the surface of
the lily pond.
An Indian girl was paddling a canoe gently about among the lily pads.
She reached out to pick one of the flowers. Suddenly there appeared
before her a little man.
The little man sat upon a lily pad. He smiled at the girl and said,
"Listen, and I will tell you the story of the water lilies."
This is the story the little man told:
Once there was a star in the heavens, it shone more brightly than any of
the other stars. An Indian youth watched it for many nights. Each night
it seemed to move nearer to the earth.
One night the young man had a strange dream. In his dream a beautiful
maiden appeared before him and spoke to him. Her words were like music.
She said that she was the star that shone so brightly in the heavens.
She loved the birds and the flowers, and the people of the earth.
"I wish to leave my sister stars and dwell upon the earth," said the
Star Maiden. "What form is the best for me to take, to be loved by all?"
The young man awoke. At once he hastened to tell his dream to the wise
men of the tribe.
"The beautiful maiden is the star that we have seen in the south," said
the wise men.
Again the Star Maiden appeared to the young man in a dream.
Once more she asked him where she might dwell in safety upon the earth,
and what form she should take, to be loved by the Indians.
"Choose for yourself," said the young man.
At first the Star Maiden chose to live in the heart of a white rose that
grew on a mountain side. But there she was hidden from sight, so that no
one could enjoy her beauty.
Then she searched among the flowers of the prairie, until she found the
blossom of a painted cup.
"I will rest here," thought the Star Maiden as she swung to and fro on
the yellow cup.
Alas! She was not safe there, for a herd of buffaloes came rushing over
the prairie.
Finally the Star Maiden thought of a place where she was sure she would
be safe.
"I will live upon the lake," she said. "Canoes glide gently over the
water, and I shall see the children at their play."
In the morning, hundreds of white flowers with hearts of gold floated
upon the water.
The Star Maiden lived upon earth in the form of water lilies.
When the little man had finished telling the story of the lilies, he
jumped into the water and disappeared.
"I shall always love the water lilies," said the Indian girl as she
paddled away.