KANISTAGIA, the hunter, was loved by all the animals with gentle natures.
He never pursued them in wantonness, and he took the life of none except
in case of stern necessity. To the wild, fierce monsters that inhabited
the forests and preyed upon the weak and timid ones, Kanistagia was a
constant foe, and so swift was the flight of his arrow, so powerful the
blow of his hunting club, so unerring his knowledge of their haunts in
the mountains, that they feared him deeply and hid away with low and
sullen mutterings when they heard his ringing shout upon the chase.
These were the panther, the wolf, the wildcat, and other strange and
vicious animals at war with the red men.
But it was not so with the bear, the beaver, the raccoon, the elk, the
red deer, the moose, the fox, the squirrel and the dog. They were the
friends of Kanistagia, and when he walked abroad his path was made bright
by their greetings, and he often sat a long time in their company and
talked with them of curious things found in their haunts. He treated
them as friends and neighbors, and when any were sick or wounded he gave
them advice about the medicine they should use that they might recover.
Once when the corn was tasseled there came fierce and warlike men from
the north, and Kanistagia and his brothers went forth to defend their
homes. The Great Spirit gave their arms strength and the fierce men were
driven away. But before they went Kanistagia was struck upon the head by
the war club of one of the northern men, and when the hunter fell to the
ground his victor cut the scalp-lock from his head and bore it away in
triumph.
The hunters and warriors did not see Kanistagia fall and mourned him as
one who had been taken a prisoner by the fierce men they had fought.
They knew he would meet death bravely and go on his way to the Happy
Hunting-Grounds with smiles on his lips, and that the wrinkles of a
coward would find no place on his face. But his fall did not escape
the keen eyes of the fox, who ran to him when the fighting men had
disappeared.
"Alas! my benefactor and brother," lamented the fox, "the heavy sleep has
closed thine eyes forever. Thy kindly life has been rudely torn from thy
body before the death-song could warn thy brethren of thy coming. Woe and
sorrow will be many days with thy brothers in the forest if, perchance,
none of them know the medicine that shall bring thee from thy sleep."
Then the fox ran to the top of a high hill and began to sing his death
lament, that all might know that trouble had come upon him. Through the
forest echoed the mournful sounds, and they were caught up and repeated
by the listening beasts on hill and in valley until all had heard the
tidings and gathered at the place where the body of Kanistagia, their
brother, lay. When they had mourned over his fate the bear called the
council to silence.
Said the bear: "My brothers, we mourn for a protector with whom we have
spent many pleasant seasons. By his wisdom and counsel we have been
taught many things that were good for us to know. It is our duty now, if
any know a powerful charm that will awaken him, to produce it that we may
once more be gladdened by our brother's smiles."
Then each one ran to and fro in the forest, bringing many curious
substances to the side of the hunter, but none was of avail. The bear
and the fox, with plaintive whines, stretched themselves by his side
and gently licked the wounds of their brother, but their efforts
brought forth no sign of life. At last they were forced to believe that
Kanistagia must surely be lifeless, and a great cry of mourning arose
from the hundreds of animals present. This attracted the attention of the
long nest (oriole) and he flew to ask its meaning. He was informed by the
deer, upon whose horns he alighted, and after asking permission from the
bear to invite the birds to the mournful gathering, flew rapidly away on
his errand. Soon all the birds in the forest had been told and the sky
was darkened by their flight to the scene of Kanistagia's death--so wide
was the fame of the hunter that all knew him. Among them was the great
eagle of the Iroquois, which seldom approached nearer the earth than the
tops of the highest mountains. Slowly he floated over the assembled birds
and animals and finally stilled his mighty wings and stood beside the
hunter. Then he spoke:
"Kanistagia will wake from his heavy sleep if the sharp eyes of his
friends will discover his scalp-lock and their swift feet or tireless
wings will bear it to this place before the moon is round."
Forth upon their search ran the animals, the bear and elk alone remaining
beside their brother to guard his body from foes. Long and earnestly
they sought the trail of the warrior who had slain their friend, but so
carefully had he concealed his path that none could follow it. The beaver
sought traces of his footsteps in the beds of streams; the dog and the
fox thrust their noses under the leaves and deeply drew in their breaths,
hoping to find the scent of the murderer's footsteps; the raccoon climbed
to the tops of the highest trees and looked in every direction; the red
deer ran in great circles, hoping to come suddenly upon the fugitive; the
squirrels, and even gentle rabbits, scampered in all directions, looking
in vain for traces of the slayer of Kanistagia. But at last all returned,
and with heavy hearts told the council that they knew not where to look.
The great eagle of the Iroquois bade the pigeon-hawk make the first
flight for the birds, as he was swift of wing. Scarcely had he gone when
he returned again, but brought no tidings. The birds murmured that his
flight had been so swift that he had not looked carefully, and the eagle
sent forth the white heron. But the heron was so slow of wing that the
patience of all was exhausted, and soon some small birds came to the
council with the news that he had discovered a plain on which wild beans
grew in abundance and was now so overladen with feeding on them that he
could not rise and fly. Then the crow came forward and said that if he
were sent he would pledge himself to discover the hiding place of the
murderer. So the crow was sent and at once flew to a village where he
had many times been to watch for food. He sailed slowly over the wigwams
at a great height and finally his keen eyes spied the coveted treasure.
Watching his chance, the crow dashed down and caught the scalp-lock from
the pole upon which it hung, and rapidly winged his way back to the
council.
But when they attempted to place the scalp-lock upon their brother's head
they found that the piece had been dried and would not fit, and they
searched long and faithfully for something that would make it pliable.
But their search was in vain, and in despair they turned again to the
great eagle, who heard their plight and bade them listen to his words:
"The wings of the eagle are never furled. For many thousand moons the
dews of heaven have fallen on my back as I rose to great heights above
the storm and watched my mate on her nest above the clouds. These waters
may have a virtue no earthly fountain can possess."
Then the eagle plucked a feather from his breast and dipped it in the
glistening cup of dew that had fallen on his back, and when this was
applied to the scalp-lock it at once became as when first removed.
Again the animals ran into the forest, and from every hidden place, from
every deep ravine, from tops of hills and mountains, from knoll and from
morass, brought leaves and blossoms and roots from the rarest plants and
trees. The birds sought the cliffs and precipices where foot could not
rest and added to the collection many curious and rare specimens. With
these they made a healing medicine, and when they had placed it upon the
hunter's head, his eyes were opened and he lived.
Then, indeed, there was rejoicing. The birds beat their wings and sang
loud choruses, while the animals ran about in wild delight because their
brother had been awakened from his heavy slumber. As the eagle of the
Iroquois soared again to his home on the mountain-top, the round moon,
whose coming all had so dreaded, rose over the waving branches of the
forest and lent its cheerful light to the happy gathering.