Indian mythology -- North America -- Juvenile literature; Indians of North America -- Folklore -- Juvenile literature
Waupee’s heart leaped up like a deer when he heard the music of the
song, and running to the magic circle he clasped his wife and his son
in his strong, loving arms.
The Star Maiden gave him the message from her father, and though
Waupee loved the forests and the prairies, he prepared to go to the
Sky Land. He hunted day after day, and from each bird or animal that
he shot he cut a wing, or a foot, or a tail, to carry with him. At
last he was ready, and with the Star Maiden and their son, he stepped
into the magic boat and was carried far up to the land of stars.
All the people of that far-off country gathered to greet him, and to
welcome the return of the Star Maiden and her boy. Her father took the
great bundle of strange objects that Waupee had brought, and he said
to his people: “Come, I will let you choose! Those of you who wish to
stay in the Star Land may remain as you are. The others may select one
object from this strange bundle, and according to your choice, so
shall you be in the future.”
Many of the people crowded forward, and one took the tail of a deer,
and immediately he was changed into a deer, and bounded away to the
Earth country. Another took the claw of a bear, and at once he became
a bear, and shuffled off to find his way to the Earth. And so it was
with the choice of every one. Some became birds and flew away.
“Come,” said Waupee, to the Star Maiden, “let me choose the wing of
the White Hawk, and do you the same, and our son. Then we may visit
both the Earth and the Sky, and be always together.”
So they chose. And so they have lived, ever since.
HOW MOSQUITOES CAME TO BE
(Iroquois)
IN the long-ago time, the Red Men tell us that their fathers were
greatly troubled by the visits of an enormous bird called Mosquito. No
one knew whence it came, or where it went. But always it brought
terror and destruction.
Sometimes it would fly over the growing corn and with the great force
of its wings beat it all to the earth. Sometimes it would swoop down
and strike a child playing beside the lodge. Again it would come
swiftly and throw a man or a woman of the tribe to the earth, and
leave them bleeding and torn.
At length its visits became so frequent that the people were afraid to
leave their lodges, and so a great council was called, to see what
could be done to get rid of the monster.
At this council one of the young braves said, “I will go out and try
to snare the bird. I will offer my life to save my people.”
[Illustration: “WITH A TERRIBLE CRY THE GREAT MOSQUITO FLEW DOWN WITH
HIS ENORMOUS WINGS OUTSTRETCHED”]
The young man cut strong bands of rawhide. He said, “I will try to
throw one of these bands about the great bird, and snare him before he
ends my life. Then you must come and kill him.”
So the young brave started out, and when he reached a bare place on
the mountain side he sat down on the ground and sang his death-song
while he waited.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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