The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-11-23
Little Bravo.

Years ago some ioli lived on the
banks Of beautiful river. The men
fshed ard the women planted corn in
little hilluCkS irStead of in rows.
When they sat down for friendly
gossip they held tloE little babies in
their arms or Strapped upon their
backs one young mother never took
her eyes from the cradle in which her
handsome boy slopt When he waken.
ed, she sang to him and called him
Little Bravo" with such love and
tenderness In her voice that the
other women all stopped to listen.
Years passed nCrrily until Little
Bravo was ten years old. lie could
hunt and FISH. and his mother was
happy dreaming OF the time when he
should be younc man. All her spare
moments were spent In Cmhroidering
clothes for Little Bravo and his
father, with the result that they out
shone all others Of their tribe Little
Bravo always wore moccasins of vel.
low buckslNn trimed with beads and
porcupine quilts lie was noble,
warm hearted and sunny-tCmpered
lad. The Great Spirit, however, saw
that the foolish doting love of his par.
ents was running the gift he had given
him.
One summer night the heat hung
heavy over the land.
There will be storm said the
father Where is Little Bravo?"
Down on the river bank asleep"
replied the mother 81 sat by him a
long time brushing away the insects
that bothered him He had taken off
his moccasius and his feet we're bare
He is very beautiful, our Little Bravo
] will carry him in when the storm
comes without awakening him"
The storm soon broke with great
violence. The mother fastened 10 the
river and justFas she was about to
lift her boy vivid flash of lightning
revealed the two hands of the spirit
who lives in the water They reached
up and drew Little Bravo into the
waves. All the mother saw was the
| print of his body o9 the shore and
his two yellow mucCasins. A scream
brought the father TO the spot They
both dived into The water. though the
storm ragged. What cared they for
that? Their Little Bravo had disap-
peared beneath the surface. Finally,
in heart-brOken accents they pleaded:
"Oh, spirit Of the river! Give him
hack to u.s.
BY and 10y the father arose, and,
looking intd the sky, said: 1T is the
will of the Great Spirit. He has taken
him away, hut will save him for us"
Turning, he disappeared into the for.
est. The mother sat by the river for
many days without food or sleep, kiss
ing and caressing the little yellow
moccasins
One night uu raising her eyes to
the sky, she uCheld the pathway made
OF star dust which leads to the spirit
land. Longing 10 follow il, she felt
the pressure Of small hand upon her
shoulder. Turning, she met the smil-
ing gaze Of her son
"Oh, Great Spirit, thank thee!
The dead is alive,"
Come mother. said the boy. 1--WE
are to follow yurder path tonight. /
have come for thee because thy weep.
ing grieves the happy ones.
The mother Tlgced her hand in the
small clnsr hut said:
Here are thy muCcasias. Thou wilt
need them. the way may be rough"
The boy laughed, and held up his
foot, upon which flashed and cleaned
moccasins of shining gold. lay down
my old moccasins," he said, land
thou shalt see tow q mother love
shall be remembered"
She placed the little yellow mecca.
sins on the ground, and a plant imme.
diately spran" mp. II grew rapidly.
and on the highest branch the mocca-'
sins were fastened. They shrank in
size and changed into flowers. keep.
ing their original shape and color.
Little Bravo sad See, mother. these
flowers shal! bloom on forever by this
shining river Long after the red man
has gone they shall bloom
Wondering bnt happy, the mother