Indians of North America; Indians of North America -- Folklore
The council was held in the woods close by. Wolves, bears, foxes, and
deer came. The mother sent her young porcupines to call these animals
to the council. The boy was glad he had not hurt any one in the
porcupine’s cave.
The mother porcupine stood in the council and said: “I have found this
creature in the house I have made for my little ones. He is hungry, but
he cannot eat what my children eat. Tell me what to give him so that he
may live.”
A great gray fox rose then and answered: “I live on geese and the birds
of the forest. He is the child of the red man. The red man has fire and
clay. He cooks his food; I do not.”
The council decided that the fox should not take the boy.
A wolf stood in the council: “I have many cubs in my den. They are
always hungry. I am always hungry. It is better for the boy never to
see the place where I sleep.”
And the council agreed that the wolf mother should not take the boy.
The deer did not stand. His head was covered with tall antlers. He sat
and looked with kind eyes at the man-child. He said: “I have hidden my
family in the thick bushes. They are safe while I am in this council.
We feed on wild grass and the tender leaves of the trees. We love one
another, but there are many who hunt us. The child could never run as
we run. Our eyes see much. We see, we hear, and we run. The child has
two feet; we have four. He could not follow us.”
The council said that the deer should not take the boy.
The bear rose on his hind legs and said: “I feed on nuts. My little
ones are warm and not hungry. I will take the boy.”
The council said that the bear was wise. The boy should go with him,
and all the other animals would help to gather the nuts for his
feeding. The council fire was put out, and each one went home. The boy
followed the bear to a hole in a great tree. The mother bear and the
cubs welcomed him, and the boy was happy.
He learned to talk as the bears talk and to walk like them. Nothing
hurt him, and he was never hungry. Some Indians saw the father bear one
day and chased him. Then they found the mother and her cubs, and all
were killed.
The boy hid in the hollow tree. The Indians found him and took him
away. He was very wild and did not love his people, for they had killed
the bears.
The Indian boy was kept in the wigwam. He learned the ways of his
people again, but never did he shoot or trap a bear.
XVI. LEGEND OF NIAGARA FALLS
(Seneca)
An old war chief came to the wigwam of Red Eagle. The old chief wanted
to marry the young daughter of Red Eagle. He brought many furs and much
food to pay for her. Red Eagle told his daughter that this old chief
was to be her husband.
White Cloud was the name of the girl. She shed many tears when the war
chief was gone. She was afraid to show her dislike before.
Red Eagle said: “He has brought his presents to us. We have taken them.
We cannot give them back. He is a great war chief, and we cannot offend
him.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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