The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-07-10
A Filipino
Fairy Tale

Now he was a famous hunter. and the
strongest man in those parts. go that
he was very well thought of and much
respected. He could scale cliffs such
as few others dared to attempt. But
1T was in he use OF the bow hat he far
surpassed all others w~homsoeVer. His
bow. which was named Ulumeet,
meaaing the treetrunk. was the stiff
est ever known. and no other man
could make shift TO bend it in the very
least. But he drew it back till it look
ed like the new noon, the mock of the
arrow touching his ear. which he then
sent whistling way like the stems of
tosue grass driven before the hurri-
cane.
Nantoneka had a daughter. Koko,
named for koko, the wind-bell, which
grows on the mountain and blooms
when the rains come. She was the
most beautiful creature for leagues
around; more beautiful thar tongue
can tell. Her hair was very long and
fine, and her eyes like small suns. Her
teeth We're also beautiful, and she was
as graceful as the young reeds waving
by the pool in the moonlight. OF low
ers she of course had more tina
enough, since no young man could
coming to love her past all reason. Old
Nantoneka counted no less THAI three
score who had asked leave to pay
court to her, and he declared the
thing had become a great nuisance.
So one day he went outside his
door with Ulumeet in his hand, and
an arrow with a gold tip, and taking
his stand he drew the mock of the ar
row to his ear, and then it whistled in
the wind across a level field before
his house farther thar any arrow had
ever been shot before. Finally it
came down and stuck up straight in
the ground, and Nantoneka said:
There, the man who can stand
with his knee against that arrow and
land another within three PAGES OF my
door shall have Koko for his wife, and
none other shall" And his word went
forth n You may we'll believe that
the sixty lovers hung their heads like
the windbells when the drought is
upon them.
But the mountain folk. as you know,
are brave, and the lovers We're not
slow to try the shot, and the most OF
them many times. But it was like
dining on the south wind. Their az
rows fell far short. and every night
the old wife of Nantoneka went out
and gathered up an armful of them
for iirewood.
Now it happened that each day one
arrow was shot far before the others,
though eve this fell short. koko did
not fail to remark this arrow as her
mother brought Them in every night,
and she readily knew it to be that of
Nahsig. a tall, handsome youth who
dwclt down the valley a way. Now
the girl favored Nahsig of all her low.
ers in fact, She cared no more than
the stone that trips YOU for any of the
others. SO one night as the old WON
an came back Koko said to her father:
well. it seems that | shall never
have a husband at this rate and she
tossed her head and pouted her red
lips.
Just So" answered her father,
chuckling; just So"
That doesn't fit my notions at all >
she said.
But her father only chuckled again,
In truth. it fitted his notions all we'll
enough, since he wanted to keep koko
to wait ON him when the old woman
| fell sick. as she did every now and
then.
For my part | think that tnat ar.
row which is shot fartherest is quite
near enough-it can't be over ten
paces.'' Wen on koko.
Twenty. twenty" answered the old
man. II measured it. The other side
of the sail bush never nearer
mo doubt he could shoot it nearer
but he is afraid of hitting you as you
hit here said the girl.
"Ilo. ho." cried the old man; I'D
like to sec him do it,"
Well. twenty is nea enough I'm
willing to throw off the other seven.
teen" answered the girl.
Her words aroused the old mans
suspicious. 1T it Nahsig who shoots
that arrow to the bush?' he asked.
How should | know" answered the
girl. Besides. what do | care? It's
my duty to take the husband that my
father chooses like a good daughter
Then you don't care for Nahsig??'
Not in the least"
"And he doesn't care for you?"
n suppose not"
"Then he can't be taking the trou
BILE to shoot"
"Of course he is shooting every
day
The truth is that the old mar didn't
like Nahsig. since he knew that the
other could shoot almost as well as
he could himself, and that some day
he would shoot better.
1t happened the e day that Nah.
sig said to himself (for it was really
he who was shooting to the sal
bushl: We'll. it's no use for me to
try any longer to plant an arrow with
in three PAGES of that old rascals
door. !, must get help So he went
to the cave of old Somgo, the bear.
Now old Somgo was really a demon
Who had been condemned by the king
Of TIE mountain to take the form of a
VERY m%isshapen bear for being, while
a demon. no better han he, ought to
he; but no one knew this. Nahsig