Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-17
At the Big House.
The TlaniWa.

The Tlan1wa.
My mamma told me-" said Ned at the
close of the dragon story, "that there were
no such things as dragons; people just
made 1t up about them"
'Look-a-yer, chii," said Aunt 'Phrony.
Il ain wanter raise no 'spute wild yo' NAV.
but she done Farm wat she know fun
books. an 1 done Farm wat 1 know outside
er books. Desc yer writin' men KANT putt
muffin inter books bait wat dey fus. git
fun de outside. an dey ain putt de hull
varsil worf inter books yit, not by a long
ways Yo' NAV got Ter book rarnin', Z
got my eye-an'ear Farnin', an I knows
dis; dar bin all sorts er creeturs an all
sorts er doins In de OF days. an mebbe eft
you sarch up an down de yearf an inter
all de holes an fur-off cornders. YOU
mought I'm some nu em yit. Sho! my paw
SEED Wild his own eyes de ve'y nes whar
one un EN- useter live; de TIaniwa, dey
call hit.
De Tlaniwa.' she explained, "wuz a
greet big bud; bigger. vas, ten times
biggern any bud whar live on de vearf
oese days. Wen I wuz iii young'un nv
paw useter tell me. wen 1 wuz norty. dat
de Tlaniwa gwine git me eff I ain have
myself Hits nes' WIZ halfway I'D de face
At oii oc S|niIfiOWee mountain. wild
oe tennessee river roarin' right blow. so
dat tWuz onposs'bP ter climb I'm fer bit
an de on les way ter reach hit WIZ fer GO
roun an climb de mountain rum de back
an an iet 20 ser down de face err de cliff De
Ilaniwa an his mate felt mighty safe in de
mes an dey live on dar' ear in an ear
out ra1sin der chillen an flynn all roun'
de naberhoods grabbin' up sheep an lambs
yer Ieeo der young uns, an nabbin' up
young chillen. too. wen dey cu'd Git ,em
FER dey thought chillen mex better eatin:
dan anything else. My, my. but dem wiz
powful buds! Wen dey spread der wings
Ter ny hit hide de sun an evything grow
r r,,.t ~ an W en- oey sWoop thu de air de wind
rush py SO sW1f hit seem lax a storm WIZ
comm Folks try ter kill EN- but dey aIluz
git away, an dey scream an boiler an,
cav an beat de air wild der wings 'tway
ev pusson glad ter leave 'em lone fer
"uS SO pig dat dey cud kill even de
growed-up folks widout half irwin
Oar WIZ CONAN in dat kyountrv dona
nave Two NV her chillen stole by de Ianiwa
an at rus she go roun' mo'nin' an groan
IA an kyar yin on. but after vile she saw
10 hussef. 1 gwine show desc mon ro,n,
yer wat CONAN kin do wen she trv T
g"lne redd de kyountry er dem mis'a b,e
bu' ds eft git kilt dom hit Oar aim gwine
De no mo- po'. inherent III chillen cha we'd
VI .el meg V'ttler fer dem owdacious buds.
one lux an tuck string an tied sticks
aA erlong hit an made a swingin' ladder
Zen she go roun' ter de back er de NOM.
tam Whar tain so steep an she climb an,
sne efimn .twel she reach de top. She look
over de aidge er de cliff an seed dat oil,
buds wuz off de mes, gone .wav snr,.a y,
ter git vfttles fer de younguns 60 she
fasten her ladder to tree mar ao
aldge, an den she climbed down, down,
.twei she reach de nes' She XIII de yonnr
ou' ds an th'ow EN- in de river. an fas' ez
sne tn oW 'em down a monst'ous big snake
whole. e'ii
Den de CONAN she 60 an hide In a ca 70
place an watch wat de oil buds gwine do,
fres ny one NV EN- come back wild a
young chill in her claws an wen she seed
Hef~ III uns wuz gone she mex a turr' bl'
fuss an glong off ter fin her mate an, toll
MIN de bad news. He come back wild her.
an de two went succlin' an swoopin' an
screamfn' roun' de nes'. 'Uh-huhr seq de
CONAN to hussef wen she yearn de buds
mo- MIN an cryin': 'uh-huh. reckon you-aIl
knows by dis time how hit feels ter have
yo' chillen stole an ct up inter de bargum
You Kin succle an sweep an swoop, an
wings, but you KANT git back yo' chilien
any mon l kin git back mine Whar Won
done stole an ct, an she went ON dat
away for long time. shakin' her fis' an
moulin at de Tlaniwa.
"De snake he r'ared his haid I'D outen de
water ter see wat mekin' all de fuss. Oar
whar Mistah Snake mex a mistake 'kase
de bu DIS seed I'm an made up der min 5
Mis- able. 'ceitful, sneakin' slidin' wretch.
says de Tlaniwa, sezee. yer me bin feedin'
you wild de bones an de leavin's all dis
time. an yer you done pay me by goin'
teck hit outer yo hide an taller. Gwine
mex minch-meat outen you i'd you Kin
whisp dat ugly tail err yo'n
Wild dat oil Snake he gun ter sip an
slide thu de water, but he cu'dden he u
r'arin' his haid up an stickin out his oil
fork-ed tongue at de Tlaniwa, Oar whar
he wuz mistooken agin, fer de Tlaniwa
swoop down lax streak err liehtnin'. a M
snatch him by de neck an kyar him high
up In de air mos ter de clouds. Or Snake
he wiggle, he twis,' he turn, he SCUM. but
he cudden git way. No use. my squ'mmin'
fren', seq de Tlaniwa, sezee bes' say yo'
pra'rs, 'kase yer whar I gwine show you
wat wufess wum er de worl' you is
Wild dat, his mate she come an tucken her
beak an cut pieces often de Snake w'iles
he wuz hanging fun turr buds mouf
an let 'em drap onter de rock below. Dey
went swishin thu de air an fell ker-smack
onter de stone. an dey fell SO fur an SO
rock. Waits mo-, de pieces turnt ter stone
after vile, an daddy say he done seed
de holes, an done Clipped pieces err de
snake outen de rock. An eff you wuz ter GO
right now ter ell Chilhowee. l boun' you'd
see de same thing In de rocks at de foot
er de mountain whar de river run deep an
strong
DE buds dey ler de nes', 'kase dey see
'twant no fifteen place ter raise der young
uns, an dey want nuver seed no mo- In
dat kyountry. De CONAN go home an tell
'em wat she done an de people wuz
mighty glad. She tell her chillen an her
chillen's chllen bout dem monst Gus bu' DIS,
so't de people ain nuver forgot 'em, an
daddy say all de Injun wimmins useter
skeer der chillen Wen dey wuz norty, teliin'
'em de Tlaniwa gwine ketch 'em. Pity dar
ain no Tlaniwas In desc days ter skeer chill
len whar goes roun' teasin' de dogs an
worryin' de cats whar ain done 'em no
HARM" Here the old woman looked sly
reproof at Ned who had the day before
been unfeeling and disrespectful to the two
cherished companions of her old age: Snip,
the cat, and Snap, the dog.