The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-09-16
TIE COCOON CRADLE
MODE OF WRAPPING UP THE llTTle
REDSklN PAPooSe.
Head beSecLed Buckskin Bng Is
which the Indiaa BABY Bunting
Grows and Tkrivcs-Origin of This
Queer CrNmpsd Cradle.

bucklcd up snugly In n queer buck skin
bag that resembles nothing in nature
SO much as the coxy cocoon cradle OF
bGby butterfly and then draw HpoH
your imagination still further, pictur-
ing this odd receptacle swinging from
the leafy canopy of.nn Indian wicklup
or m'ush arbor, and you have before
you an Indian baby and his wondSrfu
cradle.
Gorgeous yellow butterflies and
brown kiowa babies are seldom linked
together in song or story, yet I'm real
life their wraprings while In the chrys-
alls state bear remarkable resem-
blance to each other
The cocoon cradle proper and Ms
various notifications as found among
the different tribes of.North American
Indians are constructed from the ak iiis
OF animals. And right here. we may
pause and trace the origin of another
famous nursery rhyme to the lndiaA
cocoon cradle. for did not the father
OF Baby Bunting 20 a-hunting 10 get
little rabbits skinfto, wrap that myth.
icai baby hg All full blood Kiova
babteSsarc born into the pho.h.yoys,
or rabbit circle. and arc taught to
dance III tho mysterious circle OF rub-
bits as soon as they learn to toddle,
belonging to the rabbit order ~ tho
kiowa soldlcry.
Hence rabbit skin would be very
appropriate wrapping for Il Kiowa
Baby Hunting. though neither large
enough nor strong enough FOR his era
die. The red deer OF the fcrcst. quarry
OF the rcdskinncd hunter, gives OF his
beautiful covering 10 lsakc the cradle
that IN To swing from the tree top, III.
orally, tree tops cut from the cotton.
woods and cl,s that fringe the clear
littac streams ripping through the
kiowa reservation and piled hlA on n
framework of poles 10 serve M a sam
mcr parlor' In front OF his fathers
tepoc
The crude deer hide IN carefully
dressed by tedious and secret process
known only TO these Indians, and when
finished Ia ms SOFT and plant IA the
most expensive chamois skin. Then
loving nngora rkillfully embroidcr with
quilts beautiful bcadvork designs up.
on the dclicatcly tinted dccrskm. Kio-
wa cradles nro more ornamental than
those OF other tribes, and kiowa
squnws excel IN that marvellous Indian
beadwork now the popular fad OF their
nu Ia ala Of
work embroidery IL not only very beau-
tiful, but very elaborate. The Sioux
squaws, who alone rival their lviown
sisters, ornament the Cradles of thcir
little ones with bands ~ dccrskln, up
Oh which are wrought In colored beads
gorgeous patterns of.men. horses. birds,
fish and flowers. Instead oEa wooden
framcworkS they substitute basket
work frame of reeds md sometimes
they uso seed nnd grasseN instead OF
beads.
Tho Cheyenne, Apache and CONAN.
che Indians all use cocoon cradles pat.
termed after tho Kiown cradles, but
theirs are not ornamcntod' as clabo-
rntoly ms those of the Kiowas. In
truth, the grlm.and wnrlite Comanohe
Of the plains wastes very lltthc time In
decorating the receptacle OF his Off.
spring. A stout piece of dcerskin. fas-
tened to an equally stout wooden frame
and laced up securely with rawhidc
thongs, suniccs his simple need.
The origin Of the cocoon cradle itself,
like that OF the redskins, seems wrap.
ped In mystery, though we might with
reason trace this primitive cradle back
10 the Lapps Of northern Europe, whose
babies sleep Ia little followed out af
fairs swung down from the lower
limbs Of tr'cs. They are Hned With
moss anl laced up, md In shape srs
exactly like the primitive indian 60.
coon cradle from which the modern
cocoon crndlc, bcautlAed and improved,
has been evolved.
After the bcndwork embroidery IL
completed the dccrskin pouch or bag
IL fastened securely upon a strong
board whose two upright handles, pro-
jcctinr above the headpcce or hood,
src strengthened by n crosspicce NJ the
back Those handles are very con
ycnicnt when the mother is busy about
her many tasks, II it.bc warm weather,
baby Is swung from the top OF the
brush arbor. lis round, brown face
pccrlug fmlingly from out It's trap
pings OF gayly beaded dcerskin, his
bright little cyes' blinking at the sun
beams shining through tho lcafy roof.
or the flames OF the nightly campfire
lcapug up 10 minglo with the moon
light When trading nt the ngcucy
stores, the squaw props the cradle,
baby and all against the counter
ana goes calmly about the important
business Of laying in supply for her
family ln their tepec far out Oh the
reservation.
Mother love Oils the heart Of n poor
Hquaw as completely aB II does that
VI her more fortunate paleface sister.
JcT clumsy fingers fashion plnythines
u shells, odd shaped bones, carved
wooden beads, bright pieces Of tin.
cbina or glass, which she hangs about
the hOId Of tho cocoon cradle In reach
Of the chubby brown fists. Baby soon
Icarns 10 rattle these primitive play.
things glcefully.
Srtaugc as II may appear, the red
skinned Baby Buntlngs seem 10 thrive
Ia their cramped quarters. but they en-
.0y az famous treat change 20 the
blankets upon their mothers backs.
when the tpllng squnws are forced
TO so down 10 the scant timber