CONTENTS
| Page | |
| Acknowledgment | [8] |
| Foreword by the Chiefs | [9] |
| INTRODUCTORY | |
|---|---|
| How the Stories came to Be | [11] |
| Why I was called the Story-teller | [13] |
| The Little People | [18] |
| Story-telling Time | [23] |
| How the Iroquois give Thanks | [27] |
| A Firemaker and a Peacemaker | [34] |
| IROQUOIS WONDER STORIES | |
| How the White Man came | [45] |
| Why the Eagle defends Americans | [49] |
| How the Turkey Buzzard Got His Suit | [60] |
| Why the Partridge drums | [66] |
| How the Indians learned to Heal | [69] |
| Why Dogs chase Foxes | [75] |
| Why Hermit Thrush is so Shy | [79] |
| How Good and Evil came to Be | [85] |
| How a Boy was Cured of Boasting | [90] |
| Why the Cuckoo is so Lazy | [95] |
| How the Coon outwitted the Fox | [99] |
| Why the Goldfinches look like the Sun | [103] |
| What the Ash and the Maple Learned | [107] |
| How the Woman overcame the Bear | [112] |
| Why the Woodpecker bores for its Food | [115] |
| Why the Ice Roof Fell | [119] |
| Why the Chipmunk has Black Stripes | [122] |
| How Two Indian Boys settled a Quarrel | [125] |
| How Mice overcame the Warriors | [130] |
| Why Crows are Poor | [135] |
| Why the Indian loves his Dog | [139] |
| Greedy Fawn and the Porridge | [145] |
| Why Hounds outrun other Animals | [152] |
| Why Indians never shoot Pigeons | [155] |
| How Old Man Winter was driven Back | [159] |
| Why Lightning sometimes Strikes | [168] |
| Why the Hare has a Split Lip and Short Tail | [176] |
| Corn Plume and Bean Maiden | [180] |
| How the Robin burned his Breast | [187] |
| IROQUOIS FAIRY STORIES | |
| How Morning Star lost her Fish | [195] |
| How Little Shooter lost his Luck | [201] |
| How an Indian Boy won his Name | [205] |
| How the Fairies worked Magic | [211] |
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
If the Red Children had not welcomed the writer to their lodge fires, these stories the Iroquois tell their children could not have been retold. With one or two exceptions, the ideas found in the stories have been had from the lips of the Indians themselves. To Arthur C. Parker—Ga wa so wa neh—for his careful review of the stories and assistance in securing authentic Iroquois illustrations; and to the following story-tellers who so kindly welcomed her to their lodges, and told her stories, the writer is most grateful.
| Edward Cornplanter (So son do wah—"Great Night") | Seneca Wolf |
| William Patterson (Ga reh hwonts—"Power has come down") | Tuscarora Deer |
| Moses Shongo (Ho non da a suh—"Keeper of the hills") | Seneca Wolf |
| Clifford Shongo (Ouhn yah dah goh—"Very dark blue sky") | Seneca Wolf |
| Charles Doxon (Hoh squa sa ga dah—"Woodsman") | Onondaga Turtle |
| Daniel George (Jo ha a ga dah—"Roadscraper") | Onondaga Eel |
| Mary Printup (Wah le sa loh) | Mohawk Snipe |
| Dan Williams (Oh geh rah u reh ru ha neh—"Running Bear") | Tuscarora Bear |
| Eli Henry | Tuscarora Deer |
| Harriett Pembleton (Gah do rehn tah—"Dropping Husks") | Tuscarora Turtle |
| Amos Killbuck (Har wen do dyoh—"He has forsaken early dawn") | Seneca Wolf |
| Alfred Jimeson (Har neh a oh—"Hatchet in his hands") | Seneca Heron |
| William Hoag (O no nah—"Very cold") | Seneca Wolf |
| Ellen Pierce Shongo (Yea wen noh aih—"The high word") | Seneca Wolf |
| Baptist Thomas (Sa ha whe—"Long feather") | Onondaga Turtle |
| Albert Cusick (Sha go na qua da—"Made them mad") | Onondaga Eel |
| Theodore Jimeson (Jah o yah) | Seneca Snipe |
| David Warrior (Dwen o gwah) | Cayuga White Heron |
| Willett Jimeson (So i as ah—"Owner of fine cornstalks") | Seneca Wolf |
| Nancy Greysquirrel (Gah gwah tah—"One who lifts") | Seneca Bear |
| Emily Tallchief (Gi das was—"Wind blowing through corn") | Seneca Turtle |
| Louise Pierce Logan (Ga yah was—"The quivering heaven") | Seneca Wolf |
| Thomas Jones (Gah ne yehs—"The dropping snow") | Seneca Wolf |
FOREWORD
Once our fathers own these lands of New York State. Once the Iroquois were great people. Their council fires burn from Hudson on east to Lake Erie on west, from rising to setting sun. Then White man come. He ask for small seat size buffalo skin. He take larger and larger one, till Indian have but small place to sit.
Now we have little left but stories of our fathers. They, too, will soon be lost and forgotten, but a voice has come to speak for us. Yeh sen noh wehs—the one who tells the stories—will carry these stories of our fathers to Paleface. She will help White man to understand Indian, Indian to be understood. She will have all men brothers.
Indian's heart is glad that Yeh sen noh wehs, our white friend, has come to us. She have good eyes. She see right. She like things Indian. She try to preserve them. Our old men and women tell her the stories told them, many, many moons ago, when little children.
Yeh sen noh wehs write down these stories so our children and our children's children may read and know them; and so Paleface Children may learn them also. Indian tell these stories to his children to make them good and brave and kind and unselfish. May they teach Paleface Children how they should do.
Again we say, Indian is glad to have some one speak for him. He is glad to have some one write down the great and beautiful thoughts in Indian's mind and heart. We have spoken. Na ho.