So we have set down some of the legends told by the Red Men to their children in the Land of the Midnight Sun, where sometimes in the heavens are seen long, gorgeous-hued fingers of light flashing here and there—“Spirits of departed warriors returned to dance once more their war dances.”
Would you know the legend of the Sun, Moon, Star and Rainbow Houses? Then read the tale as it was told by one of the last great Indian Story Tellers.
The Gift of “Tsow”
Farther back than the memory of the oldest Red Man there once lived an old woman named Cowoh. She was very proud for she was the daughter of a great chief. She had three sons and one daughter. They lived in the village of Naha, which was built along one side of a creek. On the other side, the length of twenty canoes away, was the village of Tee-hi-ton (Cedar Bark).
Now in the time of falling leaves, as was their custom, the three sons went up on the mountain to hunt groundhogs. Each of the young men had his own lodge and a fine hunting ground in the valley. They set their traps and three days later the two younger brothers found their traps full, but those of the eldest brother, Koot-da-nah, were empty. This continued for as many days as there are fingers on both hands.
Then the hearts of the two young men were heavy and in sorrow for their brother they proposed that they should give up hunting groundhogs and hunt beavers instead.
So the next morning they went down to a nearby lake where the beavers had made a big dam with a great tree to keep it from breaking.
Koot-da-nah said, “I shall knock down the tree and you boys stand ready to club the animals when the water breaks and forces them out.”
His brothers were fearful and warned him to be careful, but as the tree fell Koot-da-nah caught his foot in its roots and, pitching forward into the lake, was drowned.