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
How well they knew the sounds which came from the forests on the edge of
the camp! The wolves were hungry, for their hunting season had been a
poor one too. These lean and starving savage beasts had been drawn to
the outskirts of the village by the smell of the large quantities of
meat cooking in the many vessels throughout the village. The howling
continued, and it grew louder as many more voices joined the circle of
wolves slowly closing in on the village.
Food and hunger were forgotten by the older squaws as they hurried to
carry their children to the comparative safety of the wigwam. Suddenly,
all were stricken with panic except Little Fawn. Though her little heart
pounded in her breast, Little Fawn searched her mind for a solution to
this threat of death to her people. She ran quickly to her home and
there found her younger brother, Flying Squirrel, crouched in the corner
of the wigwam, shaking with fear. Slowly she explained to him that he
must stop shaking and listen carefully. Though only a young boy, she
told him, he must now become a man. He must leave immediately upon the
trail of the hunting party to bring help to the village while she,
Little Fawn, stayed behind to do whatever she could to help her people.
Flying Squirrel knew the job he must do. So he immediately set out upon
the trail of the hunting party, helped by the bright moon and driven on
by thoughts of his brave young sister who was staying behind to face
this howling menace of a pack of wolves. Both fear and courage lent
wings to his feet as he sped through the circle of wolves and down the
trail in pursuit of the hunting party.
Meanwhile, Little Fawn called two other young Indian girls to her and
explained that the only reason the wolves were staying as far from the
village was their fear of the many fires which still burned brightly in
the village.
“So,” Little Fawn said, “it is our job to keep those fires burning all
night, and to make torches and light them on the edge of the village to
keep the wolves away.” Reluctantly the girls agreed, and fires were
built up. The three girls made torches of pine knots and placed them in
a wide circle at the edge of the village.
All night they kept the fires burning, and all night the howling of the
wolves kept up. With the coming of dawn, however, the wolves scurried
back into the forest. Only then did the girls who had helped Little Fawn
decide to take a much needed rest. But Little Fawn could not rest
because she was so worried about her little brother, Flying Squirrel. At
just about this time, he reached the hunting party and, after explaining
what had happened, collapsed in the arms of his father.
Wolf’s Tooth chose a half dozen warriors and immediately started home
for the village which was almost a full day’s journey away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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