Then he waved his magic wand and lay down to sleep. When he awoke, he
found himself on the shore of the lake, and far in the east the dawn
was breaking. But he could see farther than he had ever seen before,
and away in the distance he could make out blue hills and smoke rising
from far-off villages. And he knew that strange power was upon him.
But not a sound came from the lake, and the drumming had for ever
ended.
The youth took his magic wand and his gifts and set out for his home.
And he told his people what had happened and he taught them the
secrets of the Dance which was to make them strong and victorious in
war. And among his people it became a great ceremony and was
practised for long ages, and was known as the Dog-Dance. And since
that time, the animals and birds have been friends to the Indians, and
the Indians have acquired much of their cunning and skill and power.
And ever after the night of moonlight by the lake when the youth with
the magic wand received the strange gifts, the Indians have decorated
their war clothes with fur and quills and feathers from the animals
and the birds. And in the far north country, the Dog-Dance is still
held at intervals out of gratitude for the gifts, for the Indians do
not forget the promise of long ago.
[Illustration: AND THEY SAT DOWN TOGETHER ON THE EDGE OF THE LAKE]
SPARROW'S SEARCH FOR THE RAIN
Long ago, in a village near the sea, many Indian people were living.
Among them was a very nice old warrior who had been given great power
at his birth, and who, therefore, could do many wonderful deeds. There
was nothing that was beyond his understanding, for he knew all things.
His wife had long been dead, but he had one daughter. She was very
beautiful and gentle, and she was as nearly perfect as any woman could
be. She took no interest in frivolous things and she lived a very
quiet life, but all the people liked her well, and she was always
welcome wherever she went. Her old father was very proud of her, and
he said boastfully, "She has inherited much of my wisdom, and some day
she will marry a great man." But the girl on her part had little
thought of marriage or of men, for she said they had small minds, and
she would rather live alone than listen always to their boastfulness
and their foolish chatter.
Soon the daughter's fame spread far and wide through the sea-coast
villages, and many suitors came seeking for her hand. But her father
said, "I have nothing to say. She will make her own choice. She must
please herself. For to-day children please themselves and not their
parents." And she said, "I will marry only some one who can amuse me
and interest me and keep me company. I have scant liking for dull
people." One day Loon came to see her. He was very good looking
although he was somewhat tall and skinny, and his neck was a bit
longer and more scrawny than ordinary, but he wore good clothes and he
had great skill as a fisherman. He came because he thought he was very
handsome, and he believed that his good looks would win the maiden.
But she had no love for Loon, for he had not a word to say. When she
talked to him he only stared, and at last he burst out into loud and
foolish laughter. Then the maiden said, "You have a small mind like
the others," and in disgust she withdrew from his presence.
Then Fox came in an effort to win the maiden as his wife. And for a
whole day he cut capers, and chased his tail round and round in a
circle, trying to amuse the serious girl. But he did not succeed very
well, and like Loon he departed in despair. And many others came, but
they met the same fate, and at last the girl decided to see no more of
them, but to live alone with her father. The young men of the village
were all very angry because the girl had spoken of them all so
scornfully, and often they talked among themselves of her proud and
haughty air. "She calls us Scattered-Brains," said one. "She says we
have small minds," said another. "She must pay for these insults,"
said a third. So they vowed that they would somehow break her proud
spirit and bring her sorrow because of her ideas and her decision to
stay single all her life. One of the great men of the village was
Whirlwind. He could make himself invisible, and he was often guilty of
many wicked pranks. So the young men went to him and asked his aid in
humbling the pride of the haughty maiden. As they were talking to him,
they saw the girl approaching not far off. And quite unawares,
Whirlwind rushed towards her and knocked her down in the mud and tore
her hat from her head and swept it into the sea. The young men looked
on at her plight and they all laughed loudly, and the girl was very
much ashamed. She went back home and told her father what had
happened, and showed him her soiled clothes and her blown hair falling
about her face. Her father was very angry, and he said, "Whirlwind
must pay for this. He shall be banished at once."
Then her father went to the Chief and made complaint against
Whirlwind, and the Chief decreed that Whirlwind must leave the village
forthwith. He did not consider very carefully what the result of this
decree might be, and he acted hastily and without thought, for he
feared to differ from the wise man. So Whirlwind prepared to leave the
place. Now his best friend was Rain. Rain had been born without eyes.
He was black blind, and Whirlwind always had to lead him along
wherever he wished to go. So Rain said, "If you are leaving the
village, I want to leave it too, for I cannot live here without you. I
will be helpless if I have no one to lead me." So the two set out
together, Whirlwind leading old Rain along by his side. Where they
went no man knew, for they had told nobody of their destination. They
were gone for many months before the people missed them very much.
Then their absence began to be felt in all the land, for there was no
wind and there was no rain.
At last the Chief summoned a council, and the decree of banishment
against Whirlwind was revoked. The people decided to send messengers
to the two wandering ones to tell them what had happened and to bring
them back. So they first sent Fox out on the quest. Fox went through
the land for many weeks, running as fast as he could over many roads,
in and out among marshy lake shores and over high wooded mountains. He
searched every cave and crevice, but he had no success. Not a leaf or
a blade of grass was stirring, and the country was all parched and the
grass was withered brown and the streams were all getting dry. At
last, after a fruitless search, he came home and shamefully confessed
that his quest had failed.
Then the people called on Bear to continue the search. And Bear went
lumbering over the earth, sniffing the air, and turning over logs and
great rocks with his powerful shoulders, and venturing into deep
caverns. And he made many inquiries, and he asked the Mountain Ash,
"Where is Whirlwind?" But Mountain Ash said, "I do not know. I have
not seen him for many months." And he asked the Red Fir, and the Pine,
and the Aspen, which always sees Whirlwind first, but they were all
ignorant of his whereabouts. So Bear came home and said, "Not a trace
of either of them have I found."
The Chief was very angry because of the failure of Fox and Bear, but
the wise man said, "The animals are useless in a quest like this. Let
us try the birds. They often succeed where the animals fail." And the
Chief agreed, for the land was in great distress. Many fishing-boats
lay silent on the sea near the coast unable to move because Whirlwind
was away, and the wells and streams were all dry because Rain was
absent, and the grass and the flowers were withering to decay. So they
called the birds to their aid. The great Crane searched in the
shallows and among the reeds, thrusting his long neck into deep
places, and Crow looked among the hills, and Kingfisher flew far out
to sea, but they all came back and said, "We, too, have failed. The
wandering ones are nowhere on the land or upon the sea." Then little
Sparrow took up the search. Before he set out, he plucked from his
breast a small down-feather and fastened it to a stick no bigger than
a wisp of hay. He held the stick in his bill and flew off. For many
days he went towards the south-land, all the time watching the feather
hanging to the stick in his bill. But it hung there motionless. One
day, after he had travelled a great distance, he saw the down-feather
moving very gently, and he knew that Whirlwind must be not far away.
He went in the direction from which the feather was blowing. Soon he
saw beneath him soft green grass and wonderful flowers of varied
colours, and trees with green leaves and many rippling streams of
running water. And he said to himself, "At last I have found the
wanderers." He followed a little stream for some distance until it
ended in a cave in the hills. In front of the cave many flowers were
blooming and the grass was soft and green, and the tall grasses were
nodding their heads very gently. He knew that those he was seeking
were inside, and he entered the cave very quietly. Just beyond the
door a fire was smouldering and near it lay Rain and Whirlwind both
fast asleep. Sparrow tried to wake them with his bill and his cries,
but they were sleeping too soundly. Then he took a coal from the fire
and put it on Rain's back, but it spluttered and fizzled and soon went
out. He tried another, but the same thing happened. Then he took a
third coal, and this time Rain woke up. He was much surprised to hear
a stranger in the cave, but he could not see him because he was blind.
So he woke up Whirlwind to protect him.
Then Sparrow told them of the great trouble in the north country and
of the great hardship and sorrow their absence had brought to the
people, and of how sadly they had been missed and of the decision of
the council to call them back. And Whirlwind said, "We shall return
to-morrow if we are so badly needed. You may go back and tell your
people that we are coming. We shall be there the day after you
arrive." So Sparrow, feeling very proud of his success, flew back
home. But when he arrived after many days, he went first to his own
people to tell them the good news. And the Sparrow-people all gathered
together and held a feast of celebration, and they twittered and
danced and made a great hub-bub in their excitement because Rain was
coming back on the morrow. Then Sparrow went to the Chief and said,
"Oh, Chief, I have found Rain and Whirlwind and to-morrow they will be
here," and he told the story of his flight to the south and of his
discovery. And the Chief said, "Because of your success, you will
never be hunted for game or killed for food."
The next morning the two travellers who had been so long away came
back to the land. Whirlwind came first and great clouds of dust
foretold his coming, and the sea dashed high against the rocks, and
the trees shrieked and tossed their heads, all dancing gaily because
of his return. When Whirlwind had passed by, Rain came along following
close, because of his blindness. For several days Rain stayed with
the people and the flowers bloomed and the grass was green again and
the wells and streams were no longer dry. And since that time Wind and
Rain have never long been absent from the Atlantic Coast. And to this
day the Sparrow-people know when Rain is coming, and to signal his
approach they gather together and twitter and hop along and make a
great hub-bub, just as they did when their ancestor found him by means
of his down-feather in the olden days. But the Indians have been true
to the Chief's promise, and they will not hunt Sparrows for game nor
kill them for food or for their feathers. For they remember that of
all the birds it was old Sparrow who long ago searched successfully
for the Rain.
THE BOY IN THE LAND OF SHADOWS
Two orphan children, a boy and a girl, lived alone near the mountains.
Their parents had long been dead and the children were left to look
after themselves without any kindred upon the earth. The boy hunted
all day long and provided much food, and the girl kept the house in
order and did the cooking. They had a very deep love for each other
and as they grew up they said, "We shall never leave each other. We
shall always stay here together." But one year it happened that in the
early spring-time it was very cold. The snow lingered on the plains
and the ice moved slowly from the rivers and chill winds were always
blowing and grey vapours hovered over all the land. And there was very
little food to be had, for the animals hid in their warm winter dens
and the wild-geese and ducks were still far south. And in this cruel
period of bad weather the little girl sickened and died. Her brother
worked hard to provide her with nourishing food and he gathered all
the medicine roots he thought could bring her relief, but it was all
to no purpose. And despite all his efforts, one evening in the
twilight his sister went away to the West, leaving him alone behind
upon the earth.
The boy was heart-broken because of his sister's death. And when the
late spring came and the days grew warm and food was plentiful again,
he said, "She must be somewhere in the West, for they say that our
people do not really die. I will go and search for her, and perhaps I
can find her and bring her back." So one morning he set out on his
strange quest. He journeyed many days westward towards the Great
Water, killing game for food as he went, and sleeping at night under
the stars. He met many strange people, but he did not tell them the
purpose of his travels. At last he came to the shore of the Great
Water, and he sat looking towards the sunset wondering what next to
do. In the evening an old man came along. "What are you doing here?"
asked the man. "I am looking for my sister," said the boy; "some time
ago she sickened and died and I am lonely without her, and I want to
find her and bring her back." And the man said, "Some time ago she
whom you seek passed this way. If you wish to find her you must
undertake a dangerous journey." The boy answered that he would gladly
risk any dangers to find his sister, and the old man said, "I will
help you. Your sister has gone to the Land of Shadows far away in the
Country of Silence which lies out yonder in the Island of the Blest.
To reach the Island you must sail far into the West, but I warn you
that it is a perilous journey, for the crossing is always rough and
your boat will be tossed by tempests. But you will be well repaid for
your trouble, for in that land nobody is ever hungry or tired; there
is no death and no sorrow; there are no tears, and no one ever grows
old."
Then the old man gave the boy a large pipe and some tobacco and said,
"This will help you in your need." And he brought him to where a small
canoe lay dry upon the beach. It was a wonderful canoe, the most
beautiful the boy had ever seen. It was cut from a single white stone
and it sparkled in the red twilight like a polished jewel. And the old
man said, "This canoe will weather all storms. But see that you handle
it carefully, and when you come back see that you leave it in the cove
where you found it."
Soon afterwards, the boy set out on his journey. The moon was full and
the night was cold with stars. He sailed into the West over a rough
and angry sea, but he was in no danger, for his canoe rode easily on
the waters. All around him he saw in the moonlight many other canoes
going in the same direction and all white and shining like his own.
But no one seemed to be guiding them, and although he looked long at
them not a person could he make out. He wondered if the canoes were
drifting unoccupied, for when he called to them there was no answer.
Sometimes a canoe upset in the tossing sea and the waves rose over it
and it was seen no more, and the boy often thought he heard an
anguished cry. For several days he sailed on to the West, and all the
time other canoes were not far away, and all the time some of them
were dropping from sight beneath the surging waters, but he saw no
people in them.
At last, after a long journey, the sea grew calm and the air was sweet
and warm. There was no trace of the storm, for the waves were quiet
and the sky was as clear as crystal. He saw that he was near the
Island of the Blest of which the old man had spoken, for it was now
plain to his view, as it rose above the ocean, topped with green grass
and trees, and a snow-white beach. Soon he reached the shore and drew
up his canoe. As he turned away he came upon a skeleton lying flat
upon the sand. He stopped to look at it, and as he did so, the
skeleton sat up and said in great surprise, "You should not be here.
Why have you come?" And the boy said, "I seek my sister. In the early
spring-time she sickened and died, and I am going to the Land of
Shadows in the Country of Silence in search of her." "You must go far
inland," said the skeleton, "and the way is hard to find for such as
you." The boy asked for guidance and the skeleton said, "Let me smoke
and I will help you." The boy gave him the pipe and the tobacco he had
received from the old man, and he laughed when he saw his strange
companion with the pipe between his teeth. The skeleton smoked for
some time and at last, as the smoke rose from his pipe, it changed to
a flock of little white birds, which flew about like doves. The boy
looked on in wonder, and the skeleton said, "These birds will guide
you. Follow them." Then he gave back the pipe and stretched out again
flat upon the sand, and the boy could not rouse him from his sleep.
[Illustration: THEN THE OLD MAN GAVE THE BOY A LARGE PIPE AND SOME
TOBACCO]
The boy followed the little white birds as he had been told. He went
along through a land of great beauty where flowers were blooming and
countless birds were singing. Not a person did he meet on the way. The
place was deserted except for the song-birds and the flowers. He
passed through the Country of Silence, and came to a mysterious land
where no one dwelt. But although he saw no one he heard many voices
and he could not tell whence they came. They seemed to be all around
him. At last the birds stopped at the entrance to a great garden, and
flew around his head in a circle. They would go no further and they
alighted on a tree close by, all except one, which perched on the
boy's shoulder. The lad knew that here at last was the Land of
Shadows.
When he entered the garden he heard again many low voices. But he saw
no one. He saw only many shadows of people on the grass, but he could
not see from what the shadows came. He wondered greatly at the strange
and unusual sight, for back in his homeland in that time the sunlight
made no shadows. He listened again to the voices and he knew now that
the shadows were speaking. He wandered about for some time marvelling
greatly at the strange place with its weird unearthly beauty. At last
he heard a voice which he knew to be his sister's. It was soft and
sweet, just as he had known it when they were together on the earth,
and it had not changed since she left him. He went to the shadow from
which the voice came, and throwing himself on the grass beside it, he
said, "I have long sought you, my sister. I have come to take you
home. Let me see you as you were when we dwelt together." But his
sister said, "You have done wisely to keep me in your memory, and to
seek to find me. But here we cannot appear to the people of earth
except as shadows. I cannot go back with you, for it is now too late.
I have eaten of the food of this land; if you had come before I had
eaten, perhaps you could have taken me away. Who knows? But my heart
and my voice are unchanged, and I still remember my dear ones, and
with unaltered love I still watch my old home. And although I cannot
go to you, you can some day come to me. First you must finish your
work on earth. Go back to your home in the Earth Country. You will
become a great Chief among your people. Rule wisely and justly and
well, and give freely of your food to the poor among the Indians who
have not as much as you have. And when your work on earth is done you
shall come to me in this Land of Shadows beyond the Country of
Silence, and we shall be together again and our youth and strength and
beauty will never leave us."
And the boy, wondering greatly and in deep sorrow, said, "Let me stay
with you now." But his sister said, "That cannot be." Then she said,
"I will give you a Shadow, which you must keep with you as your
guardian spirit. And while you have it with you, no harm can come to
you, for it will be present only in the Light, and where there is
Light there can be no wickedness. But when it disappears you must be
on your guard against doing evil, for then there will be darkness, and
darkness may lead you to wrong."
So the boy took the Shadow, and said good-bye for a season and set out
on his homeward journey. The little white birds, which had waited for
him in the trees, guided him back to the beach. His canoe was still
there, but the skeleton-man had gone and there was not a trace of him
to be found upon the sand. And the Island of the Blest was silent
except for the songs of the birds and the ripple of the little
streams. The boy embarked in his canoe and sailed towards the east,
and as he pushed off from the beach the little white birds left him
and disappeared in the air. The sea was now calm and there was no
storm, as there had been on his outward journey. Soon he reached the
shore on the other side. He left his canoe in the cove as the old man
had told him, and in a few days he arrived at his home, still bearing
the Shadow from the Country of Silence.
He worked hard for many years but he did no evil, and in the end he
became a great Chief and did much good for his people. He ruled wisely
and justly and well, as his sister had commanded him. Then one day,
when he was old and his work was done, he disappeared, and his people
knew that he had gone to join his sister in the Land of Shadows in the
Country of Silence far away somewhere in the West. But he left behind
him the Shadow his sister had given him; and while there is Light the
Indians still have their Shadow and no harm can come to them, for
where there is Light there can be no evil.
But always in the late autumn the Shadows of the Indian brother and
sister in the Country of Silence are lonely for their former life. And
they think of their living friends and of the places of their youth,
and they wish once more to follow the hunt, for they know that the
hunter's moon is shining. And when their memory dwells with longing on
their earlier days, their spirits are allowed to come back to earth
for a brief season from the Land of Shadows. Then the winds are silent
and the days are very still, and the smoke of their camp fires appears
like haze upon the air. And men call this season Indian Summer, but it
is really but a Shadow of the golden summer that has gone. And it
always is a reminder to the Indians that in the Land of Shadows, far
away in the Country of Silence in the West, there are no dead.
THE END