“Then Falling Star went to the tepee that the head men had made tight with a little fire inside, and he pushed the white crow in under the bottom of it. All at once it is like Thunder Beings fighting inside that tepee! People all watch and listen! Hardly breathe! Squawk! Squawk! Flap! Flap! Big noise in there! Looks like that tepee is going to fall down! People come running to hold it up. Everybody holding that tepee up. Then all at once, the tepee-top breaks open, and out flies the white crow with the smoke!”
Moves Walking clapped his hands violently, then paused, open-mouthed, to follow the escaping culprit with one astonished, and one angrily glaring eye.
“Sheetsha! sheetsha!” muttered the others, deploring the unfortunate situation. His excitement having subsided, Moves Walking continued.
“No, Grandsons,” he said with a reassuring smile, “it was not bad. It was good, very good. The white crow got away, but he was black, black from the smoke, black all over just like all the other crow people. No power any more. Tries to say something to the bison. Squawk, squawk—that is all he can say. Bison let him squawk, go right on feeding. Hunters come. Plenty bison. Children stop crying. Nobody hungry any more.”
“Washtay! Washtay!” Eagle Voice and No Water applauded the happy outcome.
“So there was a big feast in that village,” Moves Walking continued. “Then Falling Star said to the old, old man and the old, old woman in their fine new tepee, ‘Grandfather, Grandmother, there is another village, and they need me over there. I must go on a long journey.’ So he went.”
After a waiting silence, Moves Walking turned to Eagle Voice. “Grandfather,” he said, “you started this. You finish it.”
“Chief’s arm!” urged No Water.
“Dho,” Eagle Voice began. “The chief’s right arm. It is stolen and somebody must get it back. So Falling Star was walking again. When he had walked far, he came to the top of a hill, and there was an old man. And this old man said, ‘Hun-hi, Grandson, where are you going?’ And Falling Star said, ‘I am on a journey.’ And the old man said, ‘You will come to a big village, and there will be great difficulties. I do not give you anything; but you must remember the gifts you have received already, for you shall need them. This is going to be very difficult.’ Then Falling Star said, ‘I will remember all my gifts, Grandfather,’ and he went on walking.
“Afterwhile there was a high ridge, and in the valley below was this big village. While he was looking, there was a little patched tepee on one side, and he thought, ‘That is where I will go.’ So he turned himself into a little boy like you, Grandsons—six, seven winters maybe—and went to the little patched tepee. When he lifted the flap and said, ‘How,’ there was an old, old woman sitting in there all alone, with thin white hair and the point of her chin close to the point of her nose. And she said, ‘Grandson, my Grandson, I am so glad you have come! Your grandfather did not come back from the war-path. I am always waiting, but he does not come, and I am all alone here.’ And Falling Star said, ‘I will stay with you and bring you tender meat, Grandmother.’