Treasury of American Indian TalesRessler, Theodore Whitson
General
Treasury of American Indian Tales
Ressler, Theodore Whitson
Indians of North America -- Folklore; Indians of North America -- Juvenile literature
One night the little baby was very restless and did a lot of crying.
Standing Fawn did not sleep well that night and in the morning when she
rose to stir the coals for the morning fire and prepare to cook the
breakfast she was feeling very cross. Her mother called to her from the
wickiup.
“Standing Fawn, will you go to the stream and fetch some fresh water and
heat it for me, please?”
“Yes, mother, I will go, but I am so tired,” Standing Fawn heard herself
answer. “Today I would like to go to grandmother’s to help her with the
quills if I may.”
“But, Standing Fawn, I need your help here today.”
“I want to go to grandmother’s today.”
“All right, Standing Fawn, you may go to grandmother’s today. I will
manage alone.”
So after Standing Fawn had fetched the water she skipped merrily on her
way to join her grandmother who was busy this winter in making fancy
quill work upon moccasins and leggings, knife sheaths, and anything else
that needed bright decoration.
“Welcome, Standing Fawn, you have not been to see your grandmother for a
long time. I was beginning to think that you had forgotten old Granny.”
“No, grandmother, it is just that with the new baby I have been kept so
busy that I have not been able to leave home for very long at all. I
wish the new boy had never come to our home.” With that Standing Fawn
kicked her foot at some soft rabbit hides that lay on the floor of the
wickiup, more angry at herself than anything else.
“Now, now,” said her grandmother. “That is no way to feel, especially
about a little boy who was not able to choose whether he would come to
the house of your father or not. He is very small and he does not
understand if you are angry with him, but he does understand love and
attention.”
“Yes, grandmother, and he is getting plenty of that from everyone who
comes to our house. Since he has come I have been very unhappy, and I
shouldn’t be unhappy, should I, grandmother?”
“No, Standing Fawn, that is not the right feeling to have in your heart.
Let me explain something to you as best I can.
“When you were born your father was disappointed, for you were a girl
and he had hoped so for a warrior son, but he loved you as much as if
you were a boy; for, as your mother said to him, your daughter will bear
many sons. Your parents loved you and cherished you and did everything
they could to make your life a happy and pleasant one. When your mother
was heavy with child you were a great help to her around the wickiup.
When your brother was born, there was much excitement in the village,
for it was a boy and now your father had a warrior son and a beautiful
daughter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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