The stories of this book have been chosen for the purpose of showing how the early Red Men accounted for the phenomena of nature—the presence of the birds, the moaning of the wind, the whispering of the leaves. The nature myths of the North American Indian are full of poetry, and occasionally of a rich humor. In retelling the stories for children the author has sought to retain the original spirit of the tales, and through them to give to the reader a better understanding of the inner life and thought of the primitive Red Man at his best. The tales have been gathered from many sources, and are representative of many tribes.
It is well known that the same tale in varying form is told among many different tribes, just as the folk tales have been carried in early times from one nation to another and are variously accredited. It is not always possible to determine the original source.
Before reading or telling the Indian Nature Myths to the children, it is best to explain that just as they love to wonder and imagine about the new and strange sights and sounds of the world, so the early races of men, the children of time, loved to wonder and imagine. And so these stories of nature grew out of their imaginings; and some of the stories are so beautiful, and some of them are so odd, that men have repeated them from one generation to another, ever since,—for even when they no longer believed them to be true, they loved them.
CONTENTS
| PAGES | |
| How the Seasons Came to Be (Ojibwa) | [11] |
| Birth of the Arbutus (Ojibwa) | [18] |
| The Maiden with Golden Hair (Chippewa) | [24] |
| Origin of the Violet (Iroquois) | [29] |
| The Beginning of Birds (Blackfeet) | [33] |
| Why the Wind Wails (Algonquin) | [37] |
| Story of the Humming Bird (Shoshonee) | [43] |
| The Gift of Indian Corn (Chippewa) | [48] |
| The Stars That Dance (Iroquois) | [56] |
| The Pukwudjee and the Morning Star (Ojibwa) | [60] |
| The White Hawk (Shawnee) | [65] |
| How Mosquitoes Came to Be (Iroquois) | [74] |
| How Birds and Fairies Came to Be (Algonquin) | [78] |
| Why the Aspen Leaves Are Never Still (Blackfeet) | [83] |
| Why the Baby Says “Goo” (Algonquin) | [88] |
| Why the Squirrel Coughs (Algonquin) | [93] |
| Why the Frogs Croak (Algonquin) | [95] |
| The Rock of the Measuring Worm; El Capitán, in the Yosemite (California Tribes) | [99] |
| How the Flying Squirrel Got His Wings (Iroquois) | [103] |
| Why Brother Bear Wears a Stumpy Tail (Ojibwa) | [111] |
| The Thunder People (Passamaquoddy) | [118] |
| Keepers of the Winds (Algonquin) | [123] |
ILLUSTRATIONS
| “The Thunder Maiden Fastened His Purple Wings to His Shoulders and Bade Him Good-Bye” | [Frontispiece] |
| PAGES | |
| “Omeme Said, ‘I Will Not Shoot You, Tell Me Your Secret’” | [13] |
| “‘The Arbutus!’ Cried the Children” | [21] |
| “Day After Day ... She Stood and Waited for His Coming” | [27] |
| “There Arose a Great Flock of Winged Birds” | [35] |
| “The Wind Tried to Catch Her in His Embrace” | [41] |
| “He Grappled with the Youth and They Wrestled Together” | [51] |
| “‘I Am a Pukwudjee—A Little Man of the Mountains,’ He Said” | [63] |
| “Waupee Heard the Strains of the Magic Song” | [71] |
| “With a Terrible Cry, the Great Mosquito Flew Down with His Enormous Wings Outstretched” | [75] |
| “The Older Sister Looked on with Scorn” | [85] |
| “Wasis Sent Forth Such Piercing Yells and Shrieks, that the Warrior Stopped in Amazement” | [91] |
| “He Was Fat and Ugly, and His Back Was Covered with Green Slime from the Pool” | [97] |
| “Little Jo-nis-gy-ont Had His Own Ideas” | [105] |
| “North Wind Saw Him Sitting There with His Eyes Closed and His Tail Hanging Down in the Water” | [115] |
| “Wabun Wooed Her with His Soft Breezes ... and the Songs of Birds” | [125] |