New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-07-21
Politeness of the Indians.
american Missionary.

Politeness of the Indians.
American Missionary
Some Indian schoolboys found their
teacher had a very great aversion to
frogs. To them it was a continual
source OF amusement to see her run
away from them. One day boy
caught one and shut it upin the table
drawer. The teacher entered the.
room. All were in order, but when
she opened the drawer the frog, glad
to gain it's liberty, leaped out upon
the table and the teacher made great
ado. One of the boys, in agentleman-
w way, took up the frog, carried it to.
the door and threw it out. No
sign of enjoyment could be
discerned in their faces. They
remained through school hours
maintaining their solemn dignity.
Afterward as they told OF it they
laughed until the tears came, laughed
ever and over again as they remem-
bered the dismay Of the teacher. Why
did they not laugh at first? They had
not vet come into the ways of the
white men enough to realize that We
would excuse rudeness in our pupils,
even under these circumstances, and
they consider it rude to laugh aloud
or to laugh at all at the expense OF
another in the others presence.
An old woman, who owned a poor
old pony which was almost dead from
10, boI
brought the pony in and tied him to-
the fence. He was literally "skin and
bones" While was in the housed
heard the woman making great out
cry, and ran to the door in time to
see an immense flock OF crows hy
away. said: "What is the matter?''
She replied that the crows had come
to pick her poor old pony's bones
while he still lived. Shesaw the funny
side of it as we'll as land laughed very
heartily.
When one OF the young lady mis-
sionaries asked an Indian woman for
her "waka sica tanka," instead of her
"wasica tanka," no one laughed till
why the dishpan was not given, there
ply was, she did not ask for the dish
pan; she asked for 1.-THE great evil spir-
it'' 1.-THE devil, and l assure you no.
Indian woman heard that story with
out laughing heartily. Another teach
er, meaning TO ask for a tub, asked for
a young man, and, though to her face
they did not laugh, have seen whole
sewing school convulsed with laughter
over the mistake several times since.
When one of the ministers from the
east attending one OF our meetings
went up to a group OF Indians who
could not speak or understand a
word of English, and tried to enter
into conversation, OF course therewas
no response. He said to me as came
up: "Why do they look SO solemn?'
SIMPLY interpreted what he said to
the Indians, and all laughed and said:
1--WE did not know what he said, why
should we laugh?" 1t does not seem
to occur to those asking the question,
why they do not laugh, that they
have little to laugh at in the presence
of white men. They cannot under
stand us or our ways. Indian
children are in the house
quiet and orderly, they sit and
listen to hear older people talk, and if
anything is said that is very amusing,
SO much SO that they feel that they
cannot control themselves, they put
their hands on their mouths and run
outside to laugh. Men will laugh
gently and quietly, and now and then
you may hear an old woman laugh
long and loud If SO, some relative will
say aside. "Hear how loud she laughs,
like a white man: she is unwomanly"
They are very sociable people, and
around the campfire one may hear
many legends and fables, hear many
old war SONGS and nursery rhymes.