DRY RAIN AND THE HATCHET
I. How Dry Rain Got His Name
In the Indian country there was once a great drought. The land was very dry. No rain had fallen for many weeks. The crops and cattle were suffering from thirst.
Now, in one of the tribes there was a young Indian who had a very high opinion of himself. He pretended that he could foretell what was about to happen, long before it really did happen.
So he foretold that on a certain day a high wind would blow up, bringing with it a great rain-storm with plenty of water for everybody.
The day came. Sure enough a high wind did blow up, but it brought only a violent sand-storm without a drop of rain, and it left the land drier than before.
So the Indians laughed at the young man who foretold before he knew and called him “Dry Rain.”
Although he afterwards became a noted chief, he never lost his name.