When the excitement was over in Flying Arrow’s wigwam and all the
Shawnee had returned to their own homes to sit and talk of the birth of
a new son to Flying Arrow, Standing Fawn, daughter to Flying Arrow,
wandered off from the wickiup to think about this thing that had
happened.
Until this day, little Standing Fawn had been the center of attention in
the home of her mother and father and also when they went to visit
friends; but now a new baby boy had been born, and everyone was very
excited. When Standing Fawn had come running to tell her mother how she
had helped her grandmother to dry rabbit skins and to make furry ropes
for blankets her mother had said how nice that was, but went right back
to taking care of the little boy Indian that now held the place of honor
in the home of Flying Arrow.
This Standing Fawn could not understand, but for the time being she did
not think about it any more but went to join the other girls that were
gathering nuts. The girls had to hurry so that they gathered enough nuts
for the tribal families before the squirrels got them all.
The walnut and butternut hulls were used for dyeing quills and so many,
many nuts had to be gathered that soon the baskets were bulging with
these and beechnuts, hazelnuts, and hickory nuts. When the task was over
Standing Fawn returned home to her father and mother and her little
brother.
As she entered the wickiup she could hear her mother singing softly to
the new baby. There against the wall was the carrying case for the baby
which Standing Fawn had helped her mother to make. That was fun working
with her mother, but now mother was busy with the new baby and so
Standing Fawn felt that she was no longer loved.
After supper, she crawled into her warm blankets and was soon asleep,
but she awakened a short time later as the new baby cried for food. The
crying continued until he was fed and then Standing Fawn was asleep once
again.
For many weeks there was a great deal of work to be done with the new
baby in the house, and Standing Fawn found that more and more she was
asked to carry on the duties that her mother had done before this time.
When friends came to visit, they still had a smile and warm pat on the
head for Standing Fawn, but most of the attention was given to her
little brother, or so it seemed to Standing Fawn.
One night the little baby was very restless and did a lot of crying.
Standing Fawn did not sleep well that night and in the morning when she
rose to stir the coals for the morning fire and prepare to cook the
breakfast she was feeling very cross. Her mother called to her from the
wickiup.
“Standing Fawn, will you go to the stream and fetch some fresh water and
heat it for me, please?”
“Yes, mother, I will go, but I am so tired,” Standing Fawn heard herself
answer. “Today I would like to go to grandmother’s to help her with the
quills if I may.”
“But, Standing Fawn, I need your help here today.”
“I want to go to grandmother’s today.”
“All right, Standing Fawn, you may go to grandmother’s today. I will
manage alone.”
So after Standing Fawn had fetched the water she skipped merrily on her
way to join her grandmother who was busy this winter in making fancy
quill work upon moccasins and leggings, knife sheaths, and anything else
that needed bright decoration.
“Welcome, Standing Fawn, you have not been to see your grandmother for a
long time. I was beginning to think that you had forgotten old Granny.”
“No, grandmother, it is just that with the new baby I have been kept so
busy that I have not been able to leave home for very long at all. I
wish the new boy had never come to our home.” With that Standing Fawn
kicked her foot at some soft rabbit hides that lay on the floor of the
wickiup, more angry at herself than anything else.
“Now, now,” said her grandmother. “That is no way to feel, especially
about a little boy who was not able to choose whether he would come to
the house of your father or not. He is very small and he does not
understand if you are angry with him, but he does understand love and
attention.”
“Yes, grandmother, and he is getting plenty of that from everyone who
comes to our house. Since he has come I have been very unhappy, and I
shouldn’t be unhappy, should I, grandmother?”
“No, Standing Fawn, that is not the right feeling to have in your heart.
Let me explain something to you as best I can.
“When you were born your father was disappointed, for you were a girl
and he had hoped so for a warrior son, but he loved you as much as if
you were a boy; for, as your mother said to him, your daughter will bear
many sons. Your parents loved you and cherished you and did everything
they could to make your life a happy and pleasant one. When your mother
was heavy with child you were a great help to her around the wickiup.
When your brother was born, there was much excitement in the village,
for it was a boy and now your father had a warrior son and a beautiful
daughter.
“For this he was very thankful and went to the hills to thank the great
spirit for blessing his home so. When he returned there was great
rejoicing once again just as there was when you were born, but then the
work started just as when you were born, and your mother had no one to
help her when you were a very small baby, but now she had you and she
depends a great deal upon you to help her with your little brother. Soon
he will be big and strong and you will be very proud to be called his
sister. But now he is small and needs your love and attention.”
“I understand, grandmother, and I have been a very foolish girl. I will
try to make up to my brother for this feeling I have had in my heart
that is bad.”
“I am glad, granddaughter, to hear you say that. Now you had best run
along, for your mother will be needing help this day.”
“Yes, my grandmother, but first I have something I must do.” So Standing
Fawn strolled off to a corner of her grandmother’s wickiup and there she
gathered some items into her lap and began working busily at something.
Soon it was finished and she rose and saying good-bye to her
grandmother, walked back to her own wickiup. Her mother was busy
preparing supper, for the project Standing Fawn worked on had taken most
of the day.
“Well, my daughter, did you have a nice day with your grandmother?”
“Oh yes, mother, a very nice day.” Standing Fawn was sure to keep her
hands behind her back so that her mother could not see what she held.
Finally she excused herself and ran into the wickiup. There where he
usually hung was her baby brother in his cradleboard, warm and sleeping.
To the large cradle loop above his head, Standing Fawn hung a dainty
little doll, all dressed in buckskin, that she had been so busy making
that day. Next to the doll she placed a very small bow and arrows and
tiny moccasins. Just at that moment her father entered the wickiup.
“See, father, what I have made for my little brother, who will one day
be a great warrior. When he sees this doll it will make him want to run
fast and shoot straight and carry himself as a warrior should.”
As Standing Fawn talked her mother had entered and was standing next to
her father.
Flying Arrow motioned for his daughter to come to him and then kneeling
on the ground and placing his hands upon his daughter’s shoulders he
said:
“Surely, my daughter, if he were not destined to be a great warrior he
would not be blessed with such a fine and beautiful sister. I am a very
proud man to have such a wonderful family.”
Standing Fawn looked at her mother, and her mother was smiling. And
inside, Standing Fawn felt all warm and good.