Rocky Ford enterprise., 1893-09-07
CORN, rosAcco ANo BEANS.
Lsgsnd Told by Iowa Indians Regarding
the Origin Of the Three.

the Origin of tho Three.
Among the many curious myths
and traditions of the Saukee and
Musquakee Indians of Iowa none are
more singular than the combination
legend which relates the story OF the
origin of corn, tobacco and beans.
The story, as told Colonel Davenport
(the founder OF the city of the same
nancy by the head chief of the allied
tribes and reproduced by the St Louis
Republic, is as follows: In time
many moons past the Indian ate only
meat and roots. Two mighty hunters
were one day sitting by Il fire on the
great prairies roasting their meat
(venison). when they were greatly
astonished to see "a beautiful squaw
descend from many-tinted evening
cloud which was hanging over the
west and alight upon the smooth
sward near by. The first idea that
struck the hunters was that she was
one of their ancestors who had taken
upon her elf the task of acting rs
guardian angel, and that If she had
made the trip fr, M the "happy hunt
ing grounds" US they verify believed
she had, she must be hungry. tired
and cold. She did not attempt to
approach the fire, however. and said
nothing until she had been approached
by one of the hunters, who proffered
her a good-sized slice of the steaming
vension. Before accepting the food
she sat down upon the ground W TIL
out moving her feet from the spot
where they had first come in con-
tact with the earth. While in the
act of seating herself the hunter
noticed that both hands fell help
lcssly at her sides, making great
indcntations in the soft earth. As
soou as she recovered from what
appeared to be a fainting fit, result
ing from overfatigue, she most graci-
ously accepted the food, ate of it, and
almost Immediately started upon her
re turn trip TO the clouds how,
ever, until The had promised to re.
ward the hunters for their k ndness.
Preparatory to her leave-taking she
informed her generous friends that il
they would return to that very spot
in one year they would find their re-
ward in waiting. Upon returning TO
camp the hunters related the story
of their wonderful adventure with
1.-The Woman of the Clouds" and told
OF the promised reward-all OF which
was accepted with taunts and jeers.
During the following year they We're
laughed at so often whenever refer
ence was made to the ..reward" or
..1he Woman of the Clouds" they
were all but deferred from making
a journey in search Of fulfillment
of the promise. Finally, in order not
to be subjects of ridicule for the
whole village, they preten led to make
a hunting excursion in another direc-
tion, and then made a detollr by way
OF the spot where they had met the
vision of the skies. A wonderful sur
prise was In waiting The spot
where the specter sat while eating
with tobacco; where her right hand
had rested when it fell seemingly
helpless to the ground corn had
sprung up in all profusion, and in
the indentation made by the left hand
upon the same occasion bea had
grown and were then hanging in a
multitude of brown and golden clus-
ters. Where the feet of The Woman
of the Clouds" first touched when she
alighted before the astonished hunters
a year previous two springs of water
were gushing forth-one, cold and
sparkling, watered the Indian Eden;
the ether, which flowed in an oppo-
tsite direction to the first, was of a
turbid character, but sufficiently hot
to cook corn and beans. 1t is need
lesS tn add that the two hunte 20 had
thanksgiving then and there, and
that there was great joy among all
the tribes when the news of the new
discovery spread over the country.