|THERE was a man called Odshedoph, or the Child of Strong Desires, who
had a wife and one son. He had withdrawn his family from the village,
where they had spent the winter, to the neighborhood of a distant
forest, where game abounded. This wood was a day's travel from his
winter home, and under its ample shadows the wife fixed the lodge, while
the husband went out to hunt. Early in the evening he returned with
a deer, and being weary and athirst, he asked his son, whom he called
Strong Desire, to go to the river for some water. The son replied that
it was dark and he was afraid. His father still urged him, saying that
his mother as well as himself was tired, and the distance to the water
very short. But no persuasion could overcome the young man's reluctance.
He refused to go.
"Ah, my son," said the father at last, "I am ashamed of you. If you are
even afraid to go to the river, you will never kill the Red Head."
The stripling was deeply vexed by this observation; it seemed to touch
him to the very quick. He mused in silence. He refused to eat and made
no reply when spoken to. He sat by the lodge-door all the night through,
looking up at the stars and sighing like one sorely distressed.
The next day he asked his mother to dress the skin of the deer and to
make it into moccasins for him, while he busied himself in preparing a
bow and arrows.
As soon as these were in readiness, he left the lodge one morning at
sunrise, without saying a word to his father or mother. As he passed
along, he fired one of his arrows into the air, and it fell westward. He
took that course, and coming to the spot where the arrow had fallen, was
rejoiced to find it piercing the heart of a deer. He refreshed himself
with a meal of the venison, and the next morning fired another arrow.
Following its course, after traveling all day he found that he had
transfixed another deer. In this manner he fired four arrows, and every
evening discovered that he had killed a deer.
By a strange oversight he left the arrows sticking in the carcasses and
passed on without withdrawing them. Having in this way no arrow for the
fifth day, he was in great distress at night for the want of food.
At last he threw himself upon the earth in despair, concluding that
he might as well perish there as go farther. But he had not lain long
before he heard a hollow rumbling noise in the ground beneath him, like
that of an earthquake moving slowly along.
He sprang up and discovered at a distance the figure of a human being,
walking with a stick. He looked attentively and saw that the figure was
walking over the prairie on a wide beaten path that ran from a dusky
lodge to the waters of a black and turbid lake.
To his surprise this lodge, which had not been in view when he cast
himself upon the ground, was now near at hand. He approached a little
nearer, concealing himself, and in a moment discovered that the figure
was no other than that of the terrible witch, the Little Old Woman Who
Makes War. Her path to the lake was perfectly smooth and solid, and the
noise Strong Desire had heard was caused by the striking of her walking
staff upon the ground. The top of this staff was decorated with a string
of the toes and bills of every kind of bird, and at every stroke of the
stick these fluttered and sang their various notes in concert:
The witch entered her lodge and laid off her mantle, which was entirely
composed of the scalps of women. Before folding it, she shook it several
times, and at every shake the scalps uttered loud shouts of laughter, in
which the old hag joined. The boy, who now had arrived at the door, was
greatly alarmed, but he uttered no cry.
After laying by the cloak, the witch came directly to him. Looking at
him steadily, she informed him that she had known him from the time he
had left his father's lodge, and had watched his movements. She told him
not to fear or despair, for she would be his protector and friend. Then
she invited him into her lodge and gave him a supper. During the repast
she questioned him as to his motives for visiting her. He related his
story and stated the manner in which he had been disgraced and the
difficulties he labored under.
"Now tell me truly," said the Little Old Woman Who Makes War, "you were
afraid to go to the water in the dark."
"I was," Strong Desire answered promptly.
As he replied, the hag waved her staff. The birds set up a clamorous
cry, and the mantle shook violently as all the scalps burst into a
hideous shout of laughter.
"And are you afraid now?" she asked again.
"I am," again answered Strong Desire without hesitation.
"But you are not afraid to speak the truth," rejoined the little old
woman. "You will be a brave man yet, and to show you that I trust you I
will help you kill the Red Head."
Now Hah-Nudo-Tah, or the Red Head, was a most powerful sorcerer. Living
upon an island in the center of his realm of water, he was the terror of
all the country about. It was the ambition of every Indian youth to be
the one finally to overcome him, so Strong Desire was greatly cheered by
this assurance of the little old woman's friendship.
"Do to me as you will," he said, "I will try not to be unworthy of your
confidence."
"So be it," answered the little old woman, and began at once to exercise
her power upon him. His hair being very short, she took a great leaden
comb, and after she had drawn it through his locks several times, they
became of a handsome length like those of a beautiful young woman.
She then proceeded to dress him as a maiden, furnishing him with the
necessary garments and tinting his face with colors of the most charming
dye. She gave him, too, a bowl of shining metal. She directed him to
put in his girdle a blade of scented sword-grass and to proceed the
next morning to the banks of the lake, which was no other than that over
which the Red Head reigned. She then informed him that there would
be many Indians upon the island, who, as soon as they saw him use the
shining bowl to drink with, would come thinking him a woman, to offer
marriage. These offers he was to refuse, and to say that he was a maiden
who had come a great distance to be the wife of the Red Head, and that
if the chief could not seek her she would marry no one.
"Then," continued the little old woman, "as soon as Red Head hears of
this he will come for you in his own canoe, in which you must embark. On
reaching the shore," she added, "you must consent to be his wife; and
in the evening you are to induce him to take a walk out of the village.
When you have reached a lonesome spot, use the first opportunity to cut
off his head with the blade of grass."
The little old woman also gave Strong Desire advice about how he was to
conduct himself to sustain his assumed character of a woman. But by this
time his fear was so great that he could hardly consent to engage in
an adventure attended with so much danger; only the recollection of his
father's looks and reproaches for his want of courage decided him.
Early in the morning he left the lodge of the Little Old Woman Who Makes
War, and it was clouded in a heavy brackish fog, so thick and heavy to
breathe that he with difficulty made his way forth. When he turned to
look hack, the lodge was gone.
Then Strong Desire took the hard beaten path to the banks of the lake
and made for the water at a point directly opposite the Red Head's
lodge.
He had not been long there, sauntering along the beach, when he
displayed the glittering bowl by dipping water from the lake. Very soon
a number of canoes came off from the island. The men admired his dress
and were charmed with his beauty and almost with one voice they all made
proposals of marriage. These Strong Desire promptly declined, in the
manner of which the little old woman had warned him.
When this was reported to Red Head, he ordered his royal bark to be
launched by his chosen men of the oar, and crossed over to see this
wonderful girl. As they approached the shore, Strong Desire saw that the
ribs of the sorcerer's canoe were formed of living rattlesnakes, whose
heads pointed outward to guard him from his enemies. Being invited, he
had no sooner stepped into the canoe, than they began to hiss and rattle
furiously, which put him in a great fright.
However this rather added to than detracted from the supposed maiden's
charms, and Red Head thought nothing of it, but spoke to the snakes,
upon which they became pacified and quiet. Shortly afterward the
boat reached the landing upon the island. The marriage took place
immediately; and the bride made presents of various rich gifts which had
been furnished her by the old witch who inhabited the cloudy lodge.
As they were sitting in the lodge, surrounded by the friends and
relatives, the mother of the Red Head regarded the face of her new
daughter-in-law for a long time with fixed attention. From this scrutiny
she was convinced that this singular and hasty marriage boded no good to
her son. She drew him aside, and disclosed to him her suspicions.
"This can be no maiden," said she. "She has the figure and manners of a
woman, but the countenance, and more especially the eyes, are beyond a
doubt those of a man."
The mother spoke truly, but Red Head rejected her suspicions and rebuked
her severely for entertaining, such notions of her own daughter-in-law.
She still urged her doubts, which so vexed the husband that he broke his
pipe-stem in her face and called her an owl.
This act astonished the company, who sought an explanation; and it was
no sooner given than the mock bride, rising with an air of offended
dignity, informed the Red Head that after receiving so gross an affront
from his relatives she could not think of remaining with him as his
wife, but should forthwith return to her own friends.
With a toss of the head, like that of an angry woman, Strong Desire left
the lodge and walked away until he came to the beach of the island, near
the spot where they had first landed. He was followed by Red Head, who
entreated him to remain, urging every motive and making all sorts of
magnificent promises--none of which seemed to make the least impression.
Strong Desire was very hard-hearted. During these appeals they had
seated themselves upon the ground, and Red Head, in great affliction,
reclined his head upon his fancied wife's lap. Strong Desire now changed
his manner, was very kind and soothing, and suggested in the most
winning accent that if Red Head would sleep soundly for a while he might
possibly dream himself out of all his troubles. Red Head, delighted at
so happy a prospect, said that he would fall asleep immediately.
"You have killed a good many men in your time, Red Head," said Strong
Desire, by way of suggesting agreeable thoughts to the sorcerer.
"Hundreds," answered Red Head, "and what is better, now that I am fairly
settled in life by this happy marriage, I shall be able to give my whole
attention to massacre."
"And you will kill hundreds more," interposed Strong Desire, in the most
insinuating manner imaginable.
"Just so, my dear," Red Head replied, with a great leer, "thousands.
There will be no end to my delicious murders. I love dearly to kill
people. I would like to kill you if you were not my wife."
"There, there," said Strong Desire, with the coaxing air of a little
coquette, "go to sleep; that's a good Red Head."
No other subject of conversation occurring to the chief, now that he had
exhausted the delightful topic of wholesale murder, he straightway fell
into a deep sleep.
The chance so anxiously sought for had come; and Strong Desire, with a
smiling eye, drawing his blade of grass with lightning swiftness once
across the neck of the Red Head, severed the huge and wicked head from
the body.
In a moment, stripping off his woman's dress, underneath which he
had all along worn his male attire, Strong Desire seized the bleeding
trophy, plunged into the lake, and swam safely over to the main shore.
He had scarcely reached it, when, looking back, he saw amid the darkness
the torches of persons come out in search of the newly married couple.
He listened until they had found the headless body, and he heard their
piercing shrieks of rage and sorrow as he took his way to the lodge of
his kind adviser.
The Little Old Woman Who Makes War was in an excellent humor, and she
received Strong Desire with rejoicing. She admired his prudence and
assured him his bravery should never be questioned again. Lifting up the
head, which she gazed upon with vast delight, she said he need only have
brought the scalp. Cutting off a lock of the hair for herself, she told
him he might now return with the head, which would be evidence of an
achievement that would cause his own people to respect him.
"On your way home," added the little old woman, "you will meet with
but one difficulty. Maunkahkeesh, the Spirit of the Earth, requires an
offering or sacrifice from all of her sons who perform extraordinary
deeds. As you walk along in a prairie there will be an earthquake;
the earth will open and divide the prairie in the middle. Take this
partridge and throw it into the opening, and instantly spring over it."
With many thanks to the little old witch, who had so faithfully
befriended him, Strong Desire took his leave. Doing as she said he
safely passed the earthquake, and in due time arrived near his own
village. Then he secretly hid his precious trophy.
On entering the village, he found that his parents had returned from the
place of their spring encampment by the wood-side, and that they were
in heavy sorrowing for their son, whom they supposed to be lost. One
and another of the young men had presented himself to the disconsolate
parents and said, "Look up, I am your son," but when they looked up,
they beheld not the familiar face of Strong Desire.
Having been often deceived in this manner, when their own son in truth
presented himself, they sat with their heads down and their eyes nearly
blinded with weeping. It was some time before they could be prevailed
upon to bestow a glance upon him. It was still longer before they could
recognize him as Strong Desire, who had feared to draw water from the
river at night. This youth's countenance was no longer that of a timid
stripling; it was the face of a man who has seen and done great things,
and who has the heart to do greater still.
When he recounted his adventures they believed him mad. The young men
laughed at him--him, Strong Desire--who feared to walk to the river at
night-time.
He left the lodge, and before their laughter had ceased, returned with
his trophy. He held aloft the head of the Red Sorcerer, still leering,
at prospect of a thousand future murders. It was easily recognized, and
the young men who had scoffed at Strong Desire shrank into the corners
out of sight. Strong Desire had conquered the terrible Red Head! All
doubts of the truth of his adventures were dispelled.
He was greeted with joy and placed among the first warriors of the
nation. He finally became a chief, and his family were ever after
respected and esteemed.