Good Stories for Great Holidays: Arranged for Story-Telling and Reading Aloud and for the Children's Own ReadingOlcott, Frances Jenkins
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Good Stories for Great Holidays: Arranged for Story-Telling and Reading Aloud and for the Children's Own Reading
Olcott, Frances Jenkins
Children's literature; Holidays; Short stories; Storytelling
On the first day he walked alone in the woods looking at the flowers and
plants, and filling his mind with the beautiful images of growing things
so that he might see them in his night-dreams. He saw how the flowers
and herbs and berries grew, and he knew that some were good for food,
and that others healed wounds and cured sickness. And his heart was
filled with even a greater longing to do something for his family and
his tribe.
“Truly,” thought he, “the Great Spirit made all things. To Him we owe
our lives. But could He not make it easier for us to get our food than
by hunting and catching fish? I must try to find this out in my vision.”
So Wunzh returned to his lodge and fasted and slept. On the third day he
became weak and faint. Soon he saw in a vision a young brave coming down
from the sky and approaching the lodge. He was clad in rich garments of
green and yellow colors. On his head was a tuft of nodding green plumes,
and all his motions were graceful and swaying.
“I am sent to you, O Wunzh,” said the sky-stranger, “by that Great
Spirit who made all things in sky and earth. He has seen your fasting,
and knows how you wish to do good to your people, and that you do not
seek for strength in war nor for the praise of warriors. I am sent to
tell you how you may do good to your kindred. Arise and wrestle with me,
for only by overcoming me may you learn the secret.”
Wunzh, though he was weak from fasting, felt courage grow in his heart,
and he arose and wrestled with the stranger. But soon he became weaker
and exhausted, and the stranger, seeing this, smiled gently on him and
said: “My friend, this is enough for once, I will come again to-morrow.”
And he vanished as suddenly as he had appeared.
The next day the stranger came, and Wunzh felt himself weaker than
before; nevertheless he rose and wrestled bravely. Then the stranger
spoke a second time. “My friend,” he said, “have courage! To-morrow will
be your last trial.” And he disappeared from Wunzh's sight.
On the third day the stranger came as before, and the struggle was
renewed. And Wunzh, though fainter in body, grew strong in mind and
will, and he determined to win or perish in the attempt. He exerted all
his powers, and, lo! in a while, he prevailed and overcame the stranger.
“O Wunzh, my friend,” said the conquered one, “you have wrestled
manfully. You have met your trial well. To-morrow I shall come again
and you must wrestle with me for the last time. You will prevail. Do you
then strip off my garments, throw me down, clean the earth of roots and
weeds, and bury me in that spot. When you have done so, leave my body in
the ground. Come often to the place and see whether I have come to life,
but be careful not to let weeds or grass grow on my grave. If you do all
this well, you will soon discover how to benefit your fellow creatures.”
Having said this the stranger disappeared.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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