When the tree flowered : $b An authentic tale of the old Sioux world — John Shaqi
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
“Then I quit yelling, because the fawn began to look so big I wondered
how I was going to get it all the way home. I had my knife yet, because
I was so proud of it that I kept it hidden when we were giving to the
needy. I could cut off a hindquarter and carry that; but I wanted to
show the whole deer all at once. So I began dragging it down the valley
by the heels. But it was getting bigger and bigger, and when the sun
looked over at me, I was all out of breath and had to sit down on it
and pant. Then when I had my breath back, I began dragging again. But
the sun was getting hotter and the deer was getting bigger. Pretty soon
it would be as big as a buffalo, and I could never get it all over the
ridge into the next valley.
“I looked around with a forked mind, wondering what to do, and there
were some stunted trees standing low down on the side of the ridge I
had to cross. I would cut the deer up and put the pieces in a tree, all
but one hindquarter, where my mother and I could find them. So that is
what I did.
“The sun was getting high when I sneaked up to the camp through some
brush because I wanted to surprise my people. And when my mother and
grandmother saw me there, panting and all bloody with the meat on my
shoulder, they just stared awhile with their mouths open. Then my
grandmother began jumping up and down like a little girl, crying: ‘O
see what our grandson has brought us! O see what our big grandson has
brought us!’ Then my grandfather sat up; and when he saw, he clapped
his hands, crying, ‘_hiyay! hiyay!_’ And my mother laughed with joy. It
was the first time since my father went away.
“So my mother sliced the meat and roasted it over a low fire, and we
feasted. But before we ate, my grandfather raised his hands towards
where the sun goes down, and made an offering, like this: ‘Grandfather,
Great Mysterious One, behold me! You have sent our boy a deer and made
us happy. Remembering all living things that are in need, this I offer
to you that my people may live and the children grow up with plenty.’
Then each of us cut off a little piece of meat and tossed it over the
shoulder. It was the first bite to the Spirit that gave. I did not make
mine very big, for I could feel teeth inside of me, I was so hungry.
While we ate I had to tell how I did it, and I told everything but the
dream; for if I told that, maybe I would lose my new medicine power.
“When my mother and I brought the rest of the meat home, we feasted
again; and when we were full, we sang. Then my grandfather blew a big
breath and said: ‘I think this is going to make me well again.’ And so
it was.
“I did not sleep for a long while that night, thinking about what I had
done and all I was going to do. Sometimes I could hear my mother crying
a little so as not to waken anybody, and my grandmother moaning in her
sleep. It made me feel stronger than ever to hear this.
“It is a long way back to where we have been, and I am weary. You will
come again tomorrow.”
V
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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