Then the eagle spoke again, saying, “His words are not true. Turn him away. He can do nothing for you. I, myself will make you great if you will do as I request. It is I who speak the truth. My feet are not held to the earth and I can also fly in the air far above the earth. I am successful in all the things I attempt.”

Once more the jack-rabbit made his plea. “Believe him not, and do not turn me away! Even though I must remain upon the ground, and cannot fly like the eagle, still I have knowledge proper to my conditions of life, and I know how to do many things suitably and successfully.”

The man made his decision in favor of the jack-rabbit and saved him from the eagle. And the jack-rabbit kept his promise to the man, for he gave him of his own powers and made him successful in his undertakings and helped him with good and wise counsel in times of trouble and doubt and perplexity. So the man gained great renown and honor and influence among his people.

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INDEX

Page
Dedication[5]
Introduction[7]
[LAND AND PEOPLE]
Nature and Health[9]
Spirit of Life[10]
Attitude Towards Native Life[10]
Indians’ Appreciation and Love of Their Homeland[12]
Song to the Trees and Streams[12]
Thrilling Escape of a Besieged War Party[12]
A Mandan Monument[14]
The Legend of Standing Rock[15]
The Holy Hill Pahuk[17]
The Lodge of the Black-tail Deer which Talked with Its Captor[23]
The Wonderful Basket[24]
Cause of the Breaking up of Ice in the Missouri River[26]
The Waterspring of the Holy Man[27]
The Sacred Symbol of the Circle[31]
The Sacred Number Four[31]
The Pristine Prairie[32]
Aboriginal American Agriculture[35]
Description of an Earth-lodge[37]
Hymn to the Sun[38]
Description of a Tipi[39]
An Omaha Ghost Story[40]
An Omaha Hero Song[41]
[STORIES OF THE PLANT PEOPLE]
Sacred Trees[43]
The Song of the Pasque Flower[46]
The Prairie Rose[48]
The Song of the Wild Rose[49]
Use of the Ground Bean[50]
Tipsin: An Important Native Food Plant[52]
How the People Obtained the Precious Gift of Corn[53]
A Group of Pawnee Hymns to Corn[56]
The Forgotten Ear of Corn[58]
How the Usefulness of Wild Rice Was Discovered[58]
A Story of the Sunflower[59]
Dakota Folklore of the Spiderwort[60]
[STORIES OF THE FOUR-FOOTED PEOPLE]
The Faithful Dog[61]
How Coyote Chief Was Punished[63]
The Skunk and the Bear[65]
The Song of the Old Wolf[65]
[STORIES OF THE PEOPLE OF THE AIR]
Folk Sayings About the Meadowlark[67]
How the Meadowlark Won the Race[68]
Folklore of the Horned Lark[72]
How It Came About that Geese Migrate[72]
The Captive Bird[73]
The Chickadee[74]
The Song of the Wren[75]
The War Eagle and the Jack-rabbit[76]
MAPS
Map to Show Distribution of Tribes[4]
Map to Show Aboriginal Agriculture[34]
Map of Geographical Distribution of Pasque Flower[46]

Bismarck Tribune Print

Transcriber's Note