Indian Myths

The Hawk Clan lived in the village by the lake. An old Man of the Bear Clan lived there also. For he had taken a wife of the Hawk people. They had two daughters.

No man knows what time may hold for him. The Old Man did not. For one after another he lost his wife and his beautiful daughters. They went on to the Land of the Little People. So the Old Man of the Bear Clan was left alone. He went about the village to do good. The People loved him.

One day the Old Man stood on the bank of the lake. Others came and stood there also. For a strange noise arose from beyond the other shore. It was not long until a large flock of Hawks came from the blue hills to fly over the lake. One Hawk had bright red wings. It fell to the ground at the edge of the water. It lay with its wings thrown up as if in pain. The other Hawks flew about the lake screaming to one another. Then they passed behind the wooded hills and disappeared.

The people had never before seen Hawks so large. They were frightened. They thought something dread­ful was about to come upon them. They ran about and shouted aloud for fear.

But the Old Man was not afraid. He said, “I will go and see the Hawk that fell down.”

“Do not go, we pray!” the others cried. “Great harm may come to you by this Hawk.”

But the Old Man answered, “I am old. I am alone. It matters little if I die. I am not afraid. The people of the village must know what the coming of these strange birds means. I will speak to the Hawk that fell down.”

He went on. When he came near the Hawk it became suddenly dark. But he was brave. He came very near the Hawk. Then a bright flame came out of the sky and burned the Hawk to ashes. He went nearer. Lying in the ashes was a glowing coal of fire. In this coal he saw his eldest daughter. He thought this could not be. He stopped to look carefully. It was indeed his daughter. He took her up. She spoke to him. This made him very happy.

The people came near. “Why did you come back this strange way?” they asked the little girl.

“I have come back with a wonderful gift for my people,” she answered. “Hoo wa’ neh took me from the land of the Little People. He carried me into the Upper World. There, with his own hands, he gathered these seeds from some of the Trees of Light. Then he sent me to bring them to you, O my Hawk people!”

She opened her hands and showed them the seeds. These she planted in the ashes around her. At once a large field of corn grew up. In it, among the corn, were squashes, pumpkins, and beans.

The girl taught them how to gather and cook the corn and the other gifts she had brought. So the Hawk People had food when the hunters could not find bears and deer in the forests. Soon all the people had food from the corn and beans and pumpkins which Hoo wa’ neh sent by the Hawk Girl.

Then the Old Man saw that his troubles had been the best, after all. Great good had come to the people because of his trials and his grief. So he was filled with joy. He was a happy man to the end of his days.

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