The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-11-10

When the Indians sit around thei
fires amusing themselves and teach
ing their children, they tell them tn,
truths of life In their own way, ant
some of this Is done by telling then
stories that are not literally true
but like q good many of the pretty
stories told to white children, they
get the idea across. We tell oui
children the story OF Santa Claus
and keep on telling 1t until they are
pretty good sized, and we are going
to publish some of the pleasing
things that Indians of various tribes
tell their young folks. Here is bne
of them:
Why the Wind Walls
(Algonquin)
When the pale moon looks down
from the sky and when the wind
cries mournfully around the wigwam
this is the story that the old man Of
the tribe tells to the Indian children:
Many, many moons ago the great
chief of our tribe had q very beauti-
full daughter.
"She shall marry a great warrior"
said the chief, "and mighty hunter.
Then she will be well cared for, and
I shall be happy
So the great chief kept watch of
the young men Of the tribe, to see
which one would prove worthy Of his
daughter.
One day, as the chief sat in the.
door OF his lodge, there came sud-
den rushing sound, and young man
stood before him. It was the Wind,
who had made himself visible that
he might talk with the chief.
When he had saluted, he said,
Great Chief, ! love your daughter.
May I carry her away to my lodge.
and make her my wife,"
The chief looked at the Wind, and
he answered, mo. My daughter is
not for such as you. You are no
warrior. You are no hunter. You
love to play pranks. You cannot
marry my daughter"
So the Wind went away sorrowing
Tor he loved the Indian maiden.
The next day the maiden came to
her father and said, Father, love
the Wind better than any young war
rior of our tribe. May I go to his
lodge, and be his wife?'
The chief looked at his daughter
and said, mo. The WindAs no mate
for you. He is no warrior. He is
no hunter. He loves only to play
pranks. You cannot marry him."
The maiden went away Borrowing,
for she loved the Wind
: The nnyt dow vuhon ho ;Jo,, |
went out to gather sweet marsh
grass for her basket weaving, she
heard sudden rushing sound above
her head. She looked up, and as she
looked the Wind swept down and
carried her in his arms far away to
his lodge.
There they lived happily together,
for the maiden became his wife. But
the great chief was full of wrath.
He hunted thru all the land for the {
lodge of the Wind, but he could not ::
lind 1t for. many moons. Still he
would not give up the search, for his
heart was hot with wrath.
One day the Wind heard a great t
crashing sound among the trees near
his lodge and his heart stood still. t
1T is your father" he cried, and
ne hid the chiefs daughter in a 8
shicket, while he made himself in Il
visible, that he might stay close be- Il
side her. a
The great chief looked inside the T
odge Of the Wind, but he found it W
Empty. Then he went thru the II
'rush, striking to right and left with al
lis heavy club, and calling, "My IL
laughter; my daughter!' G,
And when the Winds wife heard tt
Ter fathers voice, she answered, OF
Oh, my father, strike not! We are P.
ere" !
But before her words could reach
i'm, the chief swung his great club a.
nee more, and it fell upon the head al
the invisible Wind, who, without m
sound, dropped unconscious upon CO
he ground. And because he was in tn
isible, neither the chief nor his an
aughter knew what had happened. co
Then the chief took his daughter
his arms and fastened back to his Ia
'ibe. But each day she grew more 6.
nd more sorrowful and longed for
er husband, the Wind.
For many hours the Wind Law I'M
,nscious beside his lodge. When he ad