The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-08-04
WHEN INDIANS LAUGH.
A Custom That Is Strictly Observed Among
the Redskins of the West.

A Custom That is Strictly Observed Among
the Red=;<fns of the West.
Some Indian school-boys found THEN
teacher had 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 up in the table drawer.
The teacher entered the room. All were
in order; butwhen sheopened the drawer
the frog, glad to gain its liberty, leaped
out upon the table. and the teacher
made great ado. One of the boys, in
agentlemanly 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 retaining their solemn dig.
nifty. Afterward, as they told it, they
laughed until the tears came, laughed
over and over again as they remem.
bered the dismay Of the teacher. Why
did they not laugh at first? They had
not yet come into the ways of white
men enough to realize that we would
excuse rudeness in our pupils, even un'
der these circumstances, and they con-
slider it rude to laugh aloud, or to laugh
at the expense of another in the others
presence.
An old woman who owned a poor old
pony which was almost dead from starva-
ton and hard work, had brought the
pony in and tied him to the fence. He
was literally ''skin and bones" While
was in the house heard the woman
making great outcry, and ran to the
door just in time to see an immense
flock Of crows fly 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.
She saw the funny side of it as well as |,
and laughed very heartily. When one
of the young lady missionaries asked an
Indian woman for her 'Wakan sica
tanka, y instead of her ..Waksica tanka,
no one laughed till the teacher was
gone. When l inquired why the dish
pan was not given. the reply was she
did not ask for the dish-pan, she asked
for ''the great evil spirit (the deviD,
and assure you no Indian woman
hears that story without laughing heart
| lily. Another teacher meaning to ask
for tub asked for young man, and
though to her face they did not laugh,
have seen whole sewing school con
vulsed with laughter over the mis-
take several times since. Whel
one of the ministers from TIN
east attending one of our meet
ings went up to group of Indians wh'
could not speak or understand wore
of English and tried to enter into con
versation of course there was no re
Spouse. He said to me as l came up
"Why do they look SO solemn?'
simply interpreted what he said to tn
Indians, and all laughed and said
1--WE did not know what he said; VIII,
should we laugh?'' 1t does not seem t
occur to those asking the question VIII.
they do not laugh that they have bu
little to laugh at in the presence of whit
men. They can not understand us o
our ways. Indian children are in tn
house quiet and orderly; they sit an
listen to hear older people talk. and
anything is said that is very amusing
so much so that they feel that they ca
not control themselves, they put thei
hands on their mouths and run outsid
to laugh. Men will laugh gently an
quietly, and now and then you may hea
an old woman laugh long and loud;
so, some relative will say aside: "Hea
, how she laughs, like white man; ST
is unwomanly." They are very socis
, people, and around the campfire on
: may hear many legends and fables, hes
many old war songs and nursel
rhymes. -American Missionary.