Two Indian Children Of Long Ago Part 15

HOW SICKNESS CAME

In the old days when the beasts, birds, fishes, insects, and plants could talk, they lived in peace and friendship with the children of men.

But, as time went on, the people increased in number, and they crowded the animals out of their homes.

This was bad enough, but, to make it worse, man invented bows and arrows, spears, knives, and hooks, and began to kill the animals.

They were killed for clothing, and they were killed for food, and still they were patient. But when man began to kill them for sport, they determined to unite for common safety.

The bears first met in council with their chief. After each in turn had complained of the cruel treatment of man, they all declared war against him.

Some of the bears proposed to make weapons and use them. But the chief said: "It is better to trust to the teeth and claws which Nature has given us."

As no one could think of other plans, their chief dismissed the council. The bears returned to the woods, and have done little harm to man ever since.

The deer next held a council. They decided that any one who killed a deer without asking his pardon should be lame with many pains.

The reptiles and the fish talked the matter over. They agreed to punish man by making him dream of snakes and of eating raw fish.

In the last council the birds, rabbits, squirrels, ducks, and the smaller animals came together. All complained of stolen nests, stones, and arrows.

The ground squirrel alone said a good word for man. This made the others so angry that they fell upon the little animal and tore him with their claws. You can see the stripes on his back even to this day.

Then all the squirrels that had lost legs or tail by arrows, all rabbits running on three legs, all birds that had seen their little ones die, all wild ducks lamed, and all animals that had ever been wounded for sport rose up and called for revenge.

"Let the pains and the trouble that man has sent to us and our children be sent to him and his children," they demanded.

"But how can we do this?" asked the others. "We cannot turn man's weapons against him."

"Let us send new diseases," proposed a limping fox.

All rose up with pleasure at this proposal. And they commenced to invent diseases so fast that they had soon named every kind of sickness that you ever heard of. Had they thought of many more, no human beings would now be alive.

The grubworm, who had been stepped on by man, was so delighted that he fell over backwards and has had to wriggle on his back ever since.

But the plants continued friendly to man. When they heard what the animals had done, they promised to help him and his children forever.

Every tree and plant, even the gra.s.s and the moss, agreed to furnish a cure for one of the diseases sent by the animals.

Each said in turn: "I shall help man when he calls on me in his need."

Thus came medicine. And if we only knew where to look, we might find among the plants a cure for every kind of sickness.

HOW SPRING CONQUERED WINTER

Far to the North lives the terrible giant, Winter. When he leaves his home, all people dread his coming. He whistles, and the storms roar about him. Where he steps, the ground turns to rock and plants bow their heads to the earth.

All the animals flee before him and hide in caves and hollow trees. The children leave their happy play and sit shivering by the wigwam fire.

One day old Winter looked about him. He saw no life in field or forest. The wind raged, and the drifts almost hid the lodges of the Indians.

"The world is conquered; I am the only king," said giant Winter. He sat alone in his lodge. The fire was white with ashes, and the tempest howled.

A step was heard, and a young warrior entered the lodge.

He was tall and straight and youthful.

Old Winter welcomed the stranger. "Sit here on the mat beside me," he said. "Let us pa.s.s the night together. You shall tell me of your strange adventures, and of the lands in which you have traveled."

The old man drew his long peace pipe from its pouch. It was made of red sandstone, and its stem was a smooth reed. He lighted the pipe from the dying embers and pa.s.sed it to his guest.

Long they talked and smoked together, each boasting of his power.

"When I blow my breath about me," said old Winter, "rivers stop their flowing, and water turns to stone."

The young man smiled. "When I blow my breath about me," he replied, "I free your prisoned waters, and they rush onward to the seas."

"My power is greater than yours," boasted Winter. "I have only to shake my long hair and the leaves die on the branches. Plants bow their heads before me and go back into the earth."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

And now the stranger laughed as he boasted of greater power. "When I shake my curling locks, I call the leaves back on the branches. The plants come out of the brown earth and bring forth their flowers and fruit."

Old Winter frowned. "I speak, and the birds fly away. I command, and the wild beasts obey me. They hide in caves. They burrow in the earth. They do not venture to look upon my face!"

"I call back the birds you have sent away," replied the stranger.

"They hear my voice and return to their nesting places. I speak, and the beasts leave their shelters and fill the forests and the plains with life."

"I am the king," shouted Winter, "for even man obeys me. When I send the tempest, the mightiest warriors turn and flee. They close the doors of their lodges, and I imprison them with drifts of snow."

"I also have power over man," replied the stranger. "My name is Spring. I melt your snow and open the wigwam doors. All men rejoice, and they come forth to hunt and feast and dance."

The night waned, and the sun came from his lodge like a painted warrior. The air grew warm and pleasant, and the bluebird and the robin sang on the lodge poles.

But the giant! What was taking place? He was growing smaller. Now he was no larger than a common man. His war bonnet was no longer white, but old and gray, and its feathers were falling one by one.

Still the giant dwindled. Smaller and smaller he grew. Tears flowed from his eyes. He vanished from sight, and fled away with a noise like the rush of waters. Far to the north he flew where the snow never melts.

Thus did Spring, the beautiful youth, conquer the great and mighty Winter.

"Thus it was that in the Northland Came the Spring with all its splendor, All its birds and all its blossoms, All its flowers and leaves and gra.s.ses."