Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-01-13
IKTOnI
AND
THE FAWN.]

In one of his wanderings through
the wooded lands Iktomi saw rare
bird sitting high in tree top. Its
long fan-like tail feathers had caught
all the beautiful colors of the rain
bow. Handsome in the glistening
summer sun sat the bird of rainbow
plumage Iktomi hurried hither with
! his eyes fast on the bird.
/ He stood beneath the tree looking
long and wistfully at the peacock's
bright feathers. At length he heayed
sigh and began: "Oh, wish | had
such pretty feathersi How l wish |
were not T. If only | were a hand
some feathered creature how happy I
would be, I'd be so glad to sit upon
a very high tree and bask in the
summer sun like you!" said he sud-
denly, pointing his bony finger up to-
ward the peacock, who was cycling the
stranger below, turning his head from
( side to SIDE
II beg. of you make me into bird
with green and purple feathers like
yours!" Iktomi, tired now of playing
the brave in beaded buckskins. The
peacock then spoke to Iktomi: Il
have a magic power. My touch. will
change you in a moment into the
most beautiful peacock if you can keep
one condition"
"Yesl yes!" shouted Iktomi, jump
ing up and down, patting his lips with
his palm, which caused his voice to
vibrate in peculiar fashion. 'Yesl
I yesl l could keep ten conditions if
only you would change me into
bird with long, bright tail feathers.
: Oh, l am so uglyl l am so tired of
being myself! Change mel Dol"
Hereupon the peacock spread out
I both his wings, and scarce moving
/. them, he sailed slowly down upon the
ground. Right beside Iktomi he
alighted. Very low in Iktomi's ear
I: the peacock whispered, Are you will
/ ing to keep one condition, though
hard it be-"
Eyes! yes! I've told you ten of
/ them if need BET" exclaimed Iktomi,
with some Impotence.
Then l pronounce you handsome
feathered bird. No longer are you
Iktomi the mischief-maker" Saying
this the peacock touched Iktomi with
/ the tips of his wings.
Iktomi vanished at the touch. There
stood beneath the tree two handsome
peacocks. While one of the pair strut
ted about with a head turned aside
as if dazzled by his own bright-tinted
tail feathers, the other bird scared
] slowly upward. ne sat quiet and I'M
! conscious of his gay plumage. He
seemed content to perch there on
large limb in the warm sunshine.
After little while the vain peacock,
dizzy with his bright colors, spread
out his wings and lit on the same
branch with the elder bird.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, how hard to
fly! Brightly tinted feathers are
handsome, but wish they were light
enough to fly!" Just there the elder
bird interrupted him. That is the
one condition. Never try to fly like
other birds. Upon the day you try
to fly you shall be changed into your
| former self"
feathers. cannot fly into the sky!"
cried the peacock. Already he grew
restless. He longed to soar through
space. He yearned to fly above the
trees high upward to the sun.
ooh, there see flock of birds fly
ing thitheri Oh! OH" said he, flap
ping his wings, 81 must try my wings!
ir0I 0f ierh& toll
want to try my wings"
mo, MOI" clucked the elder bird.
The flock of chattering birds flew by
with whirring wings. "Oop! Oop!"
called some of them to their mates.
Possessed by an irresponsible i'm
pulse the Iktomi peacock called out,
'Hel l want to comet Wait for mel"
and with that he gave lunge into the
air. The flock of flying feathers
wheeled about and lowered over the
trees whence came the peacock's cry.
Only one rare bird sat on the tree,
and beneath, on the ground, stood a
brave in brown buckskins.
II am my old self again!" groaned
Iktomi in a sad voice. Make me
over, pretty bird. Try me this once
againl" he pleaded in vain.
"Old Iktomi wants to fly! All! We
cannot wait for him!" sang the birds
as they flew away.
Muttering unhappy VOWS to himself,
Iktomi had not gone far when he
CHANGED upon bunch of long, slen-
der arrows. One by one they rose in
air and shot a straight line over the
prairie Others shot up into the blue
sky and were soon lost to sight. Only
one was left. He was making ready
for his flight, when Iktomi rushed up
on him and walled. II want to be an
arrowl Make me into an arrow
want to pierce the blue Blue over
head / want to strike yonder sum-
mer sun in its centre. Make me into
an arrow!"
Can you keep condition? One
condition, thugh hard it be-" the ar
row turned to ask
Eyes! yes!" shouted Iktomi, de-
lighted
Hereupon the slender arrow tapped
him gently with his sharp flint beak.
There was no Iktomi. but two arrows
stood ready to fly. Nov, young ar
row, this is the one condition. Your
fight must always be in straight
line Never turn curve nor jump
about like a young fawn." said the
arrow magician. He spoke slowly
and sternly.
At once he set about to teach the
new arrow how to shoot in long
straight line.
This is the way to pierce the Blue
overhead" said he; and off he spun
high into the sky.
While he was gone a herd of deer
came trotting by. Behind them played
the young fawns together. They
frolicked about like kittens They
bounced on all tours like balls. Then
they pitched forward, kicking their