Flying Owl was a very happy little Seneca brave. He had all he could
wish for. His father was a very brave and honored member of the tribe.
His mother was kind and made the best-tasting dishes of food for him
when he was hungry. His sister and he would quarrel now and then, but
most of the time they played and lived together very happily.
Their home was strong and warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
There were always many nice clothes to wear and plenty to eat. Flying
Owl was learning from his father every day about the ways of the forest
and the stream. When anyone watched Flying Owl at play, he would think,
“Now there is a lucky and happy little boy. I wonder if he knows how
fortunate he is.” But Flying Owl was a rare little Indian brave, for he
did realize how lucky he was. When he was still young, Flying Owl gladly
shared his toys and other things with his friends. For this reason he
was very much liked by both the braves and women and by the other boys
and girls of the tribe.
One bright summer day, Flying Owl rose early from his bed and looked out
at the bright warm sun shining down on the green forest and the
blue-green lake at the edge of their village. He thought to himself,
“What a wonderful day this is to go fishing. Only a short way from our
home is the beautiful little hidden lake which my father has shown me.
Surely there must be big fish in that lake. If I could catch some of
them all by myself, my father would be proud of me and we would have a
delicious supper this evening.”
So without any delay, Flying Owl gathered together his fishing tackle
which he and his father had made with such care during the cold winter
nights. Flying Owl was often allowed to go off by himself on short trips
like this, so long as he did not go too far or stay away from his home
after dark. He packed his fishing gear and some food and started out,
waving good-bye to his mother and sister who stood at the entrance to
their wigwam. His mother called to remind him to be back in time for
supper. Flying Owl shouted that he not only would be back before supper
but would bring their supper home with him. Then his mother and sister
watched him trotting from the village until he was out of sight.
Flying Owl ran gaily along the forest paths, thinking that the many wild
creatures had been awake since dawn. Now they were scurrying through the
brush and the tree tops, enjoying the warm sunshine and cool breezes
which blew gently through the forest. Flying Owl’s heart felt very
happy. It was good to be alive, discovering new wonders of nature here
in the forest instead of playing in the village that he knew too well.
And he thought, “Perhaps some great adventure is waiting for me here in
the green forest!”
He hurried on, impatient to reach the secret lake and catch the many
large fish that he was sure were there. At the pace he was keeping, it
was not long before he saw, through an opening in the trees, the
blue-green, shimmering waters of the lake. Running faster, he reached
the lake shore quickly and stopped a moment to look out across the
waters and wonder where he would find the best place to fish.
He saw a tree that had fallen out into the lake, and decided to stand on
the end of the log in the lake. He cast his line into the water and
settled down to await the first nibble. He did not have to wait long.
There was a sharp tug upon his line and he felt the line go taut in his
hands. In fact, it had come so suddenly that Flying Owl was almost
thrown off balance. Bracing the heels of his moccasins against the curve
of the log, he started pulling at the line and brought in a fine fat
fish. The catch now lay on the bank next to him and he was ready to cast
again. In only a few moments, he felt another sharp tug and soon had
landed another plump fish. “This is really fun!” Flying Owl said aloud.
Just then he heard a movement behind him. Turning quickly, he saw a tall
handsome Indian brave dressed in the costume of the Woodland Indians,
wearing the headdress of a chieftain. Flying Owl was startled, but the
tall brave reached out his hand in friendship.
“Do not be afraid, Flying Owl,” he said. “I will not hurt you.”
“Who are you?” Flying Owl asked as he looked up at the brave. “I do not
recognize you as a member of our tribe. How do you know my name?”
The brave smiled, stepped closer, and said, “Oh, I know your name
because I _am_ of your tribe. I remember you as a baby who looked so
much like his father whom I knew well.”
“But I do not ever remember seeing you and I thought I knew everyone. If
you are one of our tribe, I should know you, and above all because you
are wearing the headdress of our Chief. Surely all, even the children,
know our great Chieftains.”
The brave drew closer until he was no more than a pace from Flying Owl.
Then he took a small deerskin jacket from his shoulders, laid it on the
ground, and sat cross-legged upon it, facing the boy. “My name is Bear
Claw and I am truly your Chief. If you do not believe me, you may ask
any question you wish about our tribe, and I will give you the answer.”
Flying Owl accepted the challenge and began to question the tall brave
carefully until he was sure that the man was telling the truth. Still he
had never seen or heard of him.
“Surely,” the chieftain said, “you must know now that I am one of your
tribe. But let me ask you a few questions. You have been asking me many,
and now it is my turn.” He waited with a laughing sparkle in his eyes
while Flying Owl watched his face closely. “What reason would you have
for questioning me, Bear Claw?” Flying Owl asked.
“I would merely like to ask why you came to the still lake on such a
beautiful summer day,” replied the brave, not taking his eyes from the
boy for one moment.
“Well,” said Flying Owl, “I thought it would be fun if I came here today
and caught enough fish for my mother to cook for our supper.”
“Oh,” said Bear Claw smiling, “that is a very good reason. Please do not
let me stop your fishing.” Then Bear Claw stretched out on the bank of
the lake and lay gazing up through the trees at the bright blue sky.
Flying Owl hesitated, thinking about this strong brave’s strange
behavior. Then he remembered the fish he must catch and how he must
return home before dark. So he cast his line into the water again and
almost immediately caught another large fish. This he placed with the
other two and went on fishing until he soon had a good catch. Seeing the
sun sinking lower in the afternoon sky, he knew that he must hurry to
reach the village in time for his mother to cook the fish for supper.
Taking a stout birch branch, he ran one end of the branch through the
gills of the fish to carry his catch over his shoulder. As he turned to
say good-bye to the brave who had kept him company at the lakeside, he
was surprised to find him gone. Beneath the tree, he saw only the
flattened fir needles where the brave had lain watching him. He looked
all around and could find no further trace of him. Flying Owl moved even
faster toward home, because now he certainly had a great deal to tell
his friends. He reached home in plenty of time before supper and handed
the fish to his mother, telling her that, like his father, he had
brought their meal for the evening. His mother was very proud and told
him so. Then she asked, “Did you have any strange and wonderful
adventures today, my little Flying Owl?”
The boy was just about to blurt out that he had, when he decided that he
should wait to tell his father first about everything that had happened.
So all he said was, “We will talk later, mother. I have much to tell
you.”
Impatient now to break the news to his father, he went outside to look
for him. Flying Owl found him talking with another brave and waited
respectfully until his father had finished and was starting home.
Planting himself in front of his father, Flying Owl began to tell his
story, but he was speaking so fast that his father could hardly
understand him.
“Wait, my son! You must speak more slowly. I want to hear about
everything that happened to you today, but your words tumble out so
swiftly that my brain can’t make any sense of them. Now start from the
beginning again.”
Flying Owl took a deep breath and began slowly this time to tell his
father all about his adventure at the great still lake in the deep
forest. As he talked, his father’s face looked more and more puzzled.
When Flying Owl had finished, his father put one hand on his son’s
shoulder, and they started for the wigwam. Nothing more was said about
the adventure until they reached home. While Flying Owl was washing, his
father turned to his mother and asked her what she thought of their
son’s story.
“He has not told me about it yet. He wanted to wait until he found you
and tell you first.”
When the family had begun eating the supper of fish Flying Owl had
caught, the young brave told his story once again for his mother’s
benefit. When he had ended it, his parents looked at each other and
smiled and said no more about it.
When the children had gone to bed, Flying Owl’s mother said to her
husband, “Surely you do not believe this story that Flying Owl has told
us. It must be something he imagined. He probably had a dull day and
believed that he had to think up some adventure to tell his father.”
“No,” said her husband, “that is not the reason, for the catching of
many sweet fish would be enough of a story. There is something more
behind this and I must find out what it is. How would he know Bear
Claw’s name? He was only a baby when the great chief vanished. Tomorrow
I will go with the boy and see for myself this place where he says he
met Bear Claw.”
The next morning, Flying Owl’s father remarked to his son that it was
such a nice day that they ought to go fishing once again at the still
lake. Surely if there were more fish like those they had eaten the night
before, they should try to make another large catch and share them with
other families in the village. Flying Owl was thrilled with the thought
of going fishing with his father and gathered his gear together quickly.
Father and son started off together into the forest, traveling at a
slower pace than Flying Owl had gone the day before. It was almost
mid-day when they reached the side of the lake. Flying Owl’s father
suggested that they eat lunch before they began fishing. When they were
through eating, Flying Owl’s father looked at the boy curiously.
“My son, show me where you saw this Seneca Chief yesterday.”
“Certainly, father,” Flying Owl said confidently.
He took his father’s hand and walked back to the fir tree under which
the warrior had rested. They both looked carefully at the ground.
“I see no signs of where a person lay under this tree, my son,” Flying
Owl’s father finally said. “Are you sure that you saw a Seneca Chief
when you were here yesterday?”
“Oh yes, father, I know I did. We can’t find any trace of the spot he
lay on because the fir needles have risen again like the grass on which
a deer has lain. Surely you don’t believe that I would lie to you,
father?”
“No, my son. I do not believe you would, but I know of no one by the
name of Bear Claw who lives in our village. Perhaps one of our
unfriendly neighbors was playing a trick on you, or maybe your
imagination wanted a little adventure of its own.”
Flying Owl paused for a moment, thinking seriously.
“No, father, you have taught me to be truthful at all times, and to tell
you exactly what I have seen and heard. I did see a tall Seneca standing
right there, wearing a Chief’s headdress that was one of the most
beautiful I have ever seen. It was not something in my imagination, and
it was not one of our neighbors, for he wore no mask and no paint to
hide behind. His costume was Seneca, and when I questioned him about our
village, he knew every answer.”
“All right, my son, we will speak no more about it. But come, we must
cast our lines. It is growing late and we must hurry if we are to bring
home another meal this evening.”
So they started to fish and waited a long time without getting even a
nibble. They changed their bait and moved to a new position farther
along the lake shore, but nothing did any good. When the sun had sunk
very low, Flying Owl’s father announced that it was time to start for
home. As they trotted back through the forest, neither spoke to the
other, because both were thinking busily about Flying Owl’s story, his
good catch of yesterday, and their poor luck today.
When Flying Owl’s mother saw them returning empty-handed, she said
nothing of the fact that there were no fish. When the children had
finished their supper and gone to bed, their parents spoke of the boy’s
adventure. Now they were more puzzled than ever. Just at that moment
there was a loud muttering of voices, followed by such shouting and
laughter and cheers as had not been heard in the village for many moons.
Flying Owl’s father dashed from his home, grasping his bow as he went.
Certainly something wonderful must be happening. As he reached the
center of the village, the first thing he saw was a tall Seneca
Chieftain standing amidst many warriors who were shouting and dancing.
It was Bear Claw, a Seneca Chief who had disappeared after a great
battle. His people had returned to their village defeated and heartsick,
believing him dead, and there had been much sadness. It had happened so
many moons ago that Chief Bear Claw had almost been forgotten. Now he
had appeared in the village as if from nowhere. Finally Bear Claw raised
his arms in the air, asking for silence.
“Your Chief has returned. I have much to tell you, but I must wait
because I am tired and need rest. Tomorrow we shall have feasting and
dancing and a Great Council. Then I will speak.”
The great warrior turned and walked to his wigwam where his wife and
young son, who had been leading the tribe, waited for him. Flying Owl’s
father walked slowly back to his home where the boy lay sleeping,
unaware of the great event that had been taking place.
The next day the sun rose and covered the small village with a warm
glow, as though greeting Bear Claw’s return. Flying Owl walked out into
the sunshine and found everyone preparing for a great celebration. He
ran to ask his father about the reason for all the excitement.
“My son, sit beside your father who doubted you. Today a miracle has
come to pass, and together we will hear how that miracle happened.”
Although he was bubbling over with curiosity to learn what had happened,
Flying Owl sat patiently and silently beside his father. Soon it was
time for the special meeting. The whole village began to gather in front
of the home of the great Chief who had returned to his people. Flying
Owl and his father joined the others and sat watching the entrance of
the wigwam. Soon a great warrior with a magnificent headdress stepped
out. Flying Owl grasped his father’s arm and whispered, “That’s the
Seneca Chief I told you about, father!”
“Yes, my son. That is Bear Claw, warrior Chief of our tribe, who has
returned to us after we had believed him dead.”
Bear Claw signaled for silence. Then he began speaking with great
dignity.
“Many moons ago, when we were at war with our enemies to the north, I
fell, wounded by an enemy arrow. Before I could escape, the enemy fell
upon me and took me prisoner. I was taken to their village where I was
kept under close guard. They did not kill me but made me a slave—a far
greater punishment for any Seneca. For many moons I worked in the enemy
camp, often being whipped and beaten and spit upon by their warriors and
their squaws, and even their children. Two moons ago I escaped and began
my long trek homeward. But I moved slowly because the path was long and
I was weary. They sent a war party after me to bring me back. So for
many suns I hid in the deep forest. I led their war party in a chase,
first toward our village, and then away from it. I did not want to come
too close to our homes until I was sure they had lost my trail. I knew
they would not dare to attack our village because they were a small
band, but still big enough to take prisoner any of our people who might
have wandered too far away.
“Yesterday I arrived at the secret lake with the only things that I had
been able to find and bring with me from the enemy camp—my knife, my
bow, and my headdress which they had taken from me when they captured
me. Suddenly I saw a Seneca boy fishing. I approached and spoke with
him. Last night I slept in the forest until it was late and dark enough
to enter our village. The rest of the story you know. But first, before
the celebration, I would like to see that young lad I spoke to at the
lakeside, the young brave who is called Flying Owl.”
Flying Owl rose and stepped forward to face the Chief.
“You were the first of my people to see me, young brave, and it was the
sight of you, fishing in the lake, which first made me feel that I was
really home. You are a good fisherman and a bright lad, and I am sure
you will become a great warrior. Because you were the first and because
you appeared so brave in the face of what might have been great danger,
I wish to reward you. Here is the bow which I carried all through my
homeward trip. Keep it and remember the Seneca Chief you spoke to the
day the fish were biting so well and the sun was warm—the day that
happiness once again filled that Chief’s heart.”
“Thank you, Bear Claw,” the boy replied proudly. “May I hope that some
day my father and I may go fishing with you at the secret lake?”
Everyone laughed and, most of all, Bear Claw. There was joy in the
village for their leader had returned, and a boy had made him welcome.