When the tree flowered : $b An authentic tale of the old Sioux worldNeihardt, John G.
History
When the tree flowered : $b An authentic tale of the old Sioux world
Neihardt, John G.
Historical fiction; Oglala Indians -- Fiction
“So the third husband was dead, and Sees-White-Cow was a widow once
more. She cut her hair again and mourned and mourned, and she did not
want to get married to anybody at all. She always had such bad luck
that she thought she would just live alone and maybe save a few men.
But she was still a young woman, and she was good to see, after her
hair began to get long again.
“There was a brave young man called Red Horse, and he was very
handsome. After a while he wanted Sees-White-Cow for his woman. She
already had three dead husbands and maybe he would be the fourth. So
she would not listen to him for a long time. But her brothers liked Red
Horse, whose father was a chief, and when he offered four good horses
to her father, she forgot about her dead husbands for a while, and took
him.
“Red Horse was from another band and he was visiting relatives. Of
course he wanted to go back home and take his woman along, but she
would not go. She would not even let him go on war parties, and she was
always watching him, for she was afraid something might happen.
“They got along well together that winter, and afterwhile the grass
appeared again and got tall in the valleys. One day Red Horse came
back from taking care of his horses, for he still had some after he
traded off the four; and horses were few in those days. So he said
to his woman, ‘I saw many turnips, and they look good. Why do we not
go out and get ourselves some?’ And Sees-White-Cow said, ‘I think it
would be good to do that.’ So that is what they did. It was not far,
so they went afoot. Many people were out there with their sticks
digging turnips, laughing and having a good time. The scouts had been
all around, and there were no signs of enemies, so the people were not
afraid.
“Sees-White-Cow and her man had some food with them, and when it was
getting evening Red Horse said, ‘Why do we not make a little camp in
the ravine yonder and stay all night? We can peel and braid the turnips
we have, and in the morning we can dig some more.’ The woman was
afraid, for she was thinking about her other husbands. She said, ‘There
may be enemies.’ But Red Horse laughed and said, ‘The scouts have been
looking all around, and there are no enemies here. I think it will be
good to camp and braid the turnips.’ Sees-White-Cow did not want to do
this, but afterwhile she gave in. So they made a little shelter with
their turnip sticks and a blanket thrown over these. When they were
through eating and braiding turnips by their little fire, they lay down
to sleep under the blanket. But Sees-White-Cow could not sleep at all
for thinking and thinking. Afterwhile an otter whistled--then another
one whistled--then another.”
Moves Walking paused, listening tensely, mouth open, hands cupped
behind his ears.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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