The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-24
New Indian Animal Storie,
Why the Chickadce Is Called Truth TelZe,
Long time ago. in tho days when tho |
by John NJ. onhi.ou.

Long time ago. In tho days when tho
little Indian boys and girls were
taught to listen for the songs OF the
birds, the old people used to tell them
stories about how the birds had help
| ed the people or about how they had
worked against the people.
Those stories of course. went back
very far-so far back that they reach
ed a time when tho birds and the ami
mails and tho insects of the earth talk
ed with the people. And when tho
chickadee cano close to the camp 10
sit on high limb and start singing
his song. of tho old men would
say to tho little ones:
Now. you watch Tsi-kilNi Cthe
| chickadec). and you Will see that after
he has finished his song. he will dart
down quickly to tho ground" And to
OK plain why the chicadee darted down
suddenly. tho red man would tell this
story:
| Far. far back in the days whom tho
witches lived In the high places In the
! mountains. there was ono terrible old
woman witch whose skin was as hard
right hand was long and sharp. bony
and hard like n spear. So, sho was
called Spear Finger.
! Day aftcr day Spear Finger went
about tho woods and over the noun
| tains, and whenever she found any-
Z
her blanket and began to talk to them
! in ii very friendly way. And after tho
two had talked for n while Spcar-Fn-
ger would stab her victim and take
/ out the heart to eat And sometimes
sthe person who was stabbed did not
even know II until he tried TO walk
away. and then he would find out that
| lie had no breath
t And after tho people had tried a
great many ways to get rid Of this
terrible witch, some hunters said that
they ought to dig q deep hole in the
/ trail whore Finger walked, COW
or the hole over with small sticks and
leaves and let the old woman witch
fall into It,. Everybody thought It was
a good plan, and SO they dug a very
deep hole.
! And while the people watched bc-
side tho trail, they saw an old wom-
an come walking along with her right
hand under her blanket. Some did not
think she was Spear Finger, because
J she looked 80 much like any good ola
| grandmother; but those who had seen
the witch woman said IT was she.
! So the old woman came along the
trail with her head down, as II che
was studying about something. and
she fell into the hole. And al noon
as she fell everybody knew It was
Spear Finger, for she began TO shout
and wave her finger about as she tried
/ 10 CLIMB Out OF the mole.
/ Then tho hunters gathered close TO
tho edge of the hole and began TO
shoot arrows ut the old woman witch.
But her skin was hard as stone. and
they could not hurt her. She laughed
at them.
While tho hunters wondered what
they could do to destroy the old witch
woman Utsugi (tho titmouse) came
and perched on tree close by and be-
gan TO sing, 'un. un. unI' The hun
tors thought no was saying, ''unahu''
7 (hcarp. and so they tried shooting
their arrows at Spear Fingers heart.
But that was no good. and the old
witch woman still laughed at them.
Then the hunters caught Utsu-gi and
cut off his tongue; and ever since the
titmouse's tongue has been short. and
everybody haze known that lie Is n
liar
Next came little KIM Uhe chick
adee). and after ho had finished his
song, he dropped straight down and
lit on tho right hand OF the old WON
an witch In the hole.
Then the hunters knew that Spear
| Fingers heart was In her right hand.