Timid Hare: The Little CaptiveWade, Mary Hazelton Blanchard
General
Timid Hare: The Little Captive
Wade, Mary Hazelton Blanchard
Dakota Indians -- Juvenile fiction; Indian captivities -- Juvenile fiction; Indians of North America -- Juvenile fiction
When Timid Hare heard the news she thought sadly: "Shall I go farther
than ever from my dear White Mink?" The little girl had been so
frightened at the time of her capture that she was not sure in which
direction she travelled.
There was not a moment now, however, to consider herself, as Sweet
Grass and her mother kept the child helping them prepare for the
moving. The stores of grain and other dry food, the dishes and kettles
and clothing must be packed in readiness for the early start on the
morrow.
THE JOURNEY
"Awake, Timid Hare, for there is a faint light in the eastern sky. The
sun is already rising from his bed."
At these words from Sweet Grass, Timid Hare's eyes burst wide open and
she sprang from her bed. There was much to do at once, for the signal
must be given to the whole village from the home of Bent Horn.
So quickly did his squaw and young daughter work that a half-hour
afterwards the walls of the chief's tepee were flapping in the morning
breeze. Immediately afterwards the same thing happened to every other
home in the village. Next, down came the tent poles of the chief's
tepee, and then those of all the others.
Timid Hare went quickly here and there, obeying the orders of her
mistress. Ropes of skin must be brought to tie the poles into two
bundles. The little girl must help hold these bundles in place, while
Bent Horn's best pack horses were brought up and the bundles fastened
against the sides of their bodies, and at the same time allowed to drag
on the ground behind.
"Quick, Timid Hare," Sweet Grass would say, pointing now to this bundle
of bedding, and now to another of dishes or clothing. The horses were
restless and the bundles must be well-fastened to the poles before they
should be ready to start. Some of Bent Horn's dogs were also loaded in
the same way.
While Sweet Grass and her mother, with Timid Hare's help, were packing
their own stores every other woman in the village was doing the same.
In a wonderfully short time the procession was on its way, the squaws
leading the pack horses. When they started out, however, the braves
and youths, riding their favorite horses and ponies, were already far
ahead.
Timid Hare trudged bravely along beside her young mistress who led one
of the pack horses. She carried a big bundle on her back. So did
Sweet Grass and her mother. So did all the other squaws except those
who were too old and feeble.
"Let us move fast while we are fresh," Sweet Grass would say now and
then when Timid Hare began to lag. "When the day grows old, then is
the time to move like the turtle."
As they travelled along. Timid Hare passed The Stone who looked at her
with ugly eyes. The old squaw was thinking, "Had it not been for my
sending the girl that day to Sweet Grass she would now be making my
load light. Fool that I was!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account