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
“Do not be afraid, for I will watch over you, mother,” he promised. “To
show that I can get all the food we need, I will go into the woods and
bring us a fine fat rabbit for supper.”
Now Little Thunder had a good hunting bow which his grandfather had made
for him many moons ago. It was of stout hickory and had an even curve to
it when the sinew string was pulled tight. Little Thunder had worked
carefully to make straight, strong arrow shafts. He had chosen the best
willow shoots from which be peeled the bark. Then he seasoned and
straightened them over the fire, and rubbed them smooth with sandstone.
His arrowpoints were made of flint which he had chipped with a piece of
deer’s antler after much practice under the eyes of his father. These
were his best arrows and he was saving them for the time he would go
with his father on the hunt.
Little Thunder laid these big-game arrows aside and picked up the set he
had made for use now as a young Indian boy. They had bone points which
he had ground sharp and bound into the split end of the shaft with wet
sinew that tightened as it dried. On the other end he had glued and tied
carefully trimmed goose and turkey feathers to help the arrow fly
straight to its mark. He selected several arrows and tested his bow.
Little Thunder knew he would find plenty of game because the Indians
never killed without needing the food or skin of an animal. Having
finished all preparations for the hunt, he said good-bye to his mother
and started off to find the fat juicy rabbit he had promised her.
Little Thunder trotted along the forest trails at a fast jog, looking in
all directions for signs of game. He moved softly on his toes and the
balls of his feet, as his father had taught him, so that he would not
frighten the creatures of the forest.
Soon he came out of the forest into a large clearing that he believed
would yield the game he was after. He had walked watchfully only a short
while when, not seven paces from him, he saw a rather large clump of
tall grass move. He dropped to the ground, pressed his body flat against
the earth and waited. The grass did not move again. He tested the slight
breeze by wetting a finger in his mouth and holding his finger in the
air. The side of his finger away from him felt cool and he knew that the
breeze was blowing toward him. Whatever was in the grass ahead of him
would not be able to catch his scent. He crept forward softly. When he
was about three paces from the clump of grass, he stood up with bow and
arrow ready to shoot.
But before he let the arrow fly, he stopped short. There, nestled in the
grass, was a young fawn which appeared to have been born only a short
while ago. The fawn, frightened by Little Thunder, lay perfectly still,
his coat blending in almost perfectly with the grasses and shrubs around
him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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