American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-03-15
a Tradition of the Usage Indians.

lofty mountains. 1t was in the SPRING
time of the year. The SHOWS of the
mountains melted and swelled the stream
till it overfowedits banks and washed the
snail away.
After floating down the rapid current
many days, clinging to ansold log which
occupied prominent place in a raft of
driftwood, the snail found himself, as the
river fell, cast upon muddy and desc
late shore, more dead than alive. The
sun came out with all his power, and COM
menced drying the mud and slime left by
the receding waters, and the snail with
them. 1t was bad show for the help
less insect, but being one of them per-
severing of his species, he did not drown
all hope in despair. lie knew that Great
Spirit had created him, and in that Great
Spirit he placed his trust, fully convinced
that the proper disposition would be made
of his comely person.
Just as the last spark of vitality was on
the point of quitting the snail, "change
came over the spirit of his dream. >
Throughout his system he felt the sudden
springing up of new vigor His shell
burst asunder, and very soou it became
evident that he was rapidly increasing in
proportions. Larger and larger they grew,
until he became quite a monster, standing
for above the muddy deposits of the riv-
er, and able to move further than he was
iu his former condition, in whole day
to the instinct of such a creature, he struck
out to explore the country.
Ere the newly created man had jour
neyed far he discovered that he was the
possessor of wants he knew not how to
supply. Prominentamong these the want
of food. There were beasts and birds at
every hand as he walked along, but he
had no means Of taking them-in fact he
did not know that they were suitable for
food. The food which sustained him
while snail could not be used by him
now, and, consequently, he early began to
repent the change, for starvation was Wild
ly staring him in the face, and jeering him
with the assurance that he had only been
shaken out of the frying-pan into the
fire."
But the Great Spirit finally came to his
rescue, and placing bow and arrow in
his hands, told him how to use them, what
to use them upon, and how to prepare his
food. Thus the man was sent on his way
rejoicing, having first been crowned mon
arch of all he surveyed, and invested
with string Of wampum as an insignia
Of his Office.
At the time of mans creation the roy
al family of the earth was among the beav-
ers. There was a queen among them,
ruling over all the beasts and birds, and
to her palace the newly-appointed sover-
eign bent his way. He was gracefully
received by the princess, who entertained
him to the best of her ability until he
had declared his position, and exhibited
his string of wampum as evidence 'At
this she was struck speechless, and all her
subjects round about were struck speech
less also, for the thought Of being ruled
| by such monster as man was blow too
powerful for them to endure.
The sufferings of the queen beaver
touched the finer feelings of the man, and
he begged the Great Spirit either to do
something for her relief, or to take back
the string of wampum and restore her
once more to power and speech. The
Great Spirit heard his appeal, and com
promised the matter by Transforming the
queen beaver into woman, and placing
her with the man as joint ruler of all
created things. The man was so delight
ed with the arrangement that he thought
on more about the subjects, and, as con-
sequence, they have remained speechless
to this day.