One day as LITTLE BEAVER was playing on the prairie before his mother's
tepee, he saw his father coming across an arroyo from a hunting trip he
had taken. LITTLE BEAVER looked very intently, for on top of one of the
pack horses, he saw two black things flapping their wings.
As soon as his father had got home and the things were unpacked, he
said, "Come, my little warrior, I want to tell you a story." As soon as
his little boy was on his knees he said: "While I was riding through the
woods, I heard something say, 'Caw, Caw.' At first, I didn't see where
it was and then I wished I had my little bright-eyed boy, for he could
see. By and by it said 'Caw, Caw,' again and then, looking up, I saw an
old mother crow standing on a limb, with a little crow on each side of
her. I shot the mother and then climbed the tree and captured these two
little crows and brought them home to my boy."
LITTLE BEAVER was very much pleased, and he used to play a great deal
with these two new pets.
[Illustration]
Not long after, when the crows had grown quite big and mischievous,
LITTLE BEAVER sat outside of the tepee on the ground, to eat some
dinner. The crows saw him and came running over to him. While LITTLE
BEAVER tried to frighten one away the other would try to steal his meat
and they kept it up quite a while until the little boy whipped them
away. Then the crows felt very mournful to think they had been beaten,
and walked away with their heads drooping, as if they knew enough to be
ashamed of what they had tried to do.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]