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
The voice was coming from beyond the medicine well. Singing Waters ran
on further; then she stopped and called again. The voice replied again,
and Singing Waters knew that she was closer. Brown Fawn’s voice seemed
to be coming from just behind a rise ahead of her. She ran swiftly to
the top of the rise, and there she found a water bag. As she looked down
the side of the rise through the gathering gloom she could make out
Brown Fawn’s figure down the side of the hill. She sat leaning against a
boulder, and she called out to Singing Waters to help her. Singing
Waters slipped and slid in her haste down the side of the hill until she
was at the side of Brown Fawn. Brown Fawn was so glad to see her that
she cried, great tears rolling down her now pale cheeks.
Singing Waters could see that Brown Fawn had twisted her ankle. As she
began to lift the injured woman, Singing Waters asked her how she had
hurt herself and how she had escaped the storm. Brown Fawn told how she
had reached the medicine well just as the dust storm had broken. After
filling her water bag, she had turned quickly to go and had fallen,
twisting her ankle. When she was once again able to rise, putting her
weight on her other ankle, she found that she had lost all sense of
direction and had started hobbling in the wrong direction.
“Why didn’t you lie down among the rocks until the storm passed?”
Singing Waters asked.
“I wanted to rest,” Brown Fawn replied, “but then I would think of my
mother and son and I felt I must return to her and Fat Buffalo
immediately with the medicine water.”
“But,” said Singing Waters, “you are safe now. Now we must return to the
village while there is still a little light or we may become lost out
here on the prairie far away from the warmth of our tepees. Come, Brown
Fawn, lean upon me and I will help you to walk.”
So Brown Fawn placed her arm across Singing Waters’ shoulders. Together
they slowly started back to the village. It was dark by the time they
had reached the fringe of the village, but bright fires had been lighted
to show them the way home. There was much rejoicing as Singing Waters
entered the village half carrying Brown Fawn. Gentle hands grasped Brown
Fawn and placed her gently upon the buffalo robe in her tepee. Soon her
eyelids flickered and she opened them wide, looking around for a face
which meant much to her. But Singing Waters had returned to her own home
and her children and was recounting for them the adventure she had just
had. They smiled, knowing that their mother was a woman of great
courage. They were very proud.
THE WAR THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED
Little Turtle was a young Comanche who lived happily with his mother,
father, and two older brothers on the great prairies. His father was
well respected by the tribe, above all for having three sons who would
grow to manhood and bring honor to the Comanche name.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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