The Myths of the North American IndiansSpence, Lewis
History
The Myths of the North American Indians
Spence, Lewis
Indian mythology -- North America; Indians of North America -- Folklore
Feather-woman trembled violently, for she knew that he who spoke to her
was a god, and replied hesitatingly that she must bid farewell to her
father and mother. But this Morning Star would not permit. He took a
rich yellow plume from his hair and directed her to hold this in one
hand, while she held a juniper branch in the other. Then he commanded
her to close her eyes, and when she opened them again she was in the
Sky-country, standing before a great and shining lodge. Morning Star
told her that this was the home of his parents, the Sun and Moon, and
requested her to enter. It was daytime, so that the Sun was away on
his diurnal round, but the Moon was at home. She welcomed
Feather-woman as the wife of her son, as did the Sun himself when he
returned. The Moon clothed her in a soft robe of buckskin, trimmed
with elks' teeth. Feather-woman was very happy, and dwelt contentedly
in the lodge or Morning Star. They had a little son, whom they called
Star-boy. The Moon gave Feather-woman a root-digger, and told her that
she could dig up all kinds of roots, but warned her on no account to
dig up the large turnip which grew near the home of the Spider Man,
telling her that it would bring unhappiness to all of them if she did
so.
The Great Turnip
Feather-woman often saw the large turnip, but always avoided touching
it. One day, however, her curiosity got the better of her, and she was
tempted to see what might be underneath it. She laid her little son on
the ground and dug until her root-digger stuck fast. Two large cranes
came flying overhead. {202} She begged these to help her. They did
so, and sang a magic song which enabled them to uproot the turnip.
Now, although she was unaware of it, this very turnip filled up the
hole through which Morning Star had brought her into the Sky-country.
Gazing downward, she saw the camp of the Blackfeet where she had lived.
The smoke was ascending from the lodges, she could hear the song of the
women as they went about their work. The sight made her homesick and
lonely, and as she went back to her lodge she cried softly to herself.
When she arrived Morning Star gazed earnestly at her, and said with a
sorrowful expression of countenance: "You have dug up the sacred
turnip."
[Illustration: "Gazing downward, she saw the camp of the Blackfeet"]
The Moon and Sun were also troubled, and asked her the meaning of her
sadness, and when she had told them they said that as she had disobeyed
their injunction she must return to earth. Morning Star took her to
the Spider Man, who let her down to earth by a web, and the people
beheld her coming to earth like a falling star.
The Return to Earth
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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