The Night Sun is cold and cannot hurt even an owl. He has to do all the things his twin brother tells him to do. He is not strong, and he breaks to pieces trying to do so much. He hides his face and tries to go away, but he always comes back and is glad to start again.
The strong Day Sun comes every morning from the wigwam of Hannanna the Morning Light. This wigwam is made of the smoke of burning rivers. You can see this smoke go up from the water if you will sit still and watch. The Day Sun can burn up a little [[269]]river. He paints the smoke of the rivers with rainbows that have come and gone. They are saved to make the Place of the Morning Light so beautiful that men will watch for the coming of the Day Sun.
All the animals and the birds call to Hannanna in the morning to open the door of his wigwam and let the red light come. There is no war paint on the land that is as red as the Day Sun. When Hannanna has his wigwam by the water you can see more than when it is over the land. The Day Sun is happy by the water.
When the red warrior of the sky goes out of sight in the west he rides in a canoe behind the trees and hills to his place in the east. On his way he talks to the Night Sun. You cannot see the canoe of the Day Sun.
The Night Sun does not care if men see that he rides in a canoe like an Indian. He comes from the White Land in the east. He walks over the Bridge of Stars, the pathway of the spirits. The Night Sun helps the spirits that walk on this path to the happy Summer Land. He does much good.
The Day Sun makes the corn grow. He makes all the seeds and the trees grow when it is summer. The Night Sun has to take care of them when he is gone.
The Indians dance the sun dance when the Night Sun is round and white. He looks at the Indians and tells his brother of the dance. The Day Sun is glad to know that the Indians give thanks for his gifts to them. [[270]]
XVI. CUSTER’S HEART
(Dakota, 1895)