The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-04-21
How the Seasons Came to Be

(Ojibwa)
There was once a little lndia1
boy who wanted above everything
else to become a mighty hunter.
His father, whose name was
Ojeeg, the Fisher, was the might
lest hunter Of his tribe, and
Omeme wanted to be like his father
Often he went out into the forest
with the little bow and arrows
which his father had made for him
to hunt the small creatures of the
woods. But it was too cold fol
him to stay long; for in those days
there were no seasons, only cold
and snow day after day, moon fol-
lowing moon.
So little Omeme often came back
to the lodge with fingers stiff and
numb. AS he shivered and held
his fingers over the fire of the lodge
he cried, There is nothing tor
Omeme to shoot. The birds fly up
to the sun for warmth. The little
creatures hide in the forest; they
hide far down beneath the snow
blanket. It is cold, Omeme can
get no game"
One day Omeme met a squirrel
in the forest, and the squirrel said,
do not shoot me, Omeme. l will
tell you great secret"
Then Omeme said, l will not
shoot you. Tell me your secret"
And the squirrel said, Away up
in the Sky Land 1t is always warm.
There is no frost, no snow. II we
could have some of the warmth of
the Sky Land, we should not always
be cold. There would be good
hunting for Omeme. There would
be plenty for us all to eat"
"But the Sky Land is far away"
said Omeme.
Eyes," replied the squirrel, "but
Ojeeg is mighty. Could he not 60
to the Sky Land and bring away
some of it's WARMTH"
my father is mighty" answered
Omeme. II will ask him."
He ran home, for he had grown
cold while listening to the squir-
rel's secret.
Ojeeg was in the lodge.
vi, My MdIuCI, OACldluOu
Omeme, "all we little creatures are
SO cold! The squirrel tells me
there is warmth in the Sky Land.
Could you not go there and bring
some of its warmth to the earth?"
Ojeeg was silent for a long, long
time. He loved Omeme dearly. He
was sorry that Omeme was cold.
But the journey to the Sky Land
was long 1t was full of dangers.
At length Ojeeg said, "The earth
is cold. l will hold a council with
my neighbors."
So Ojeeg, the Fisher, called to-
gether his neighbors, the Otter, the
Beaver, the Badger, the Lynx and
the Wolverine. Long and earnestly
they considered the matter, and at |
length they decided to undertake
the journey to the Sky Land.
Upon a given day they started |
1t was great adventure, and Ojeeg
felt sure that he would never return |
to his lodge, and never again would |
he see the little Omeme.
For a long, long distance they |
travelled and at last, tired and |
spent with hunger, they reached
the top of very high mountain.
So high it was that the sky seemed |
almost to rest upon it.
There they found meat and a
fire, as tho some traveller had left |
them. So they rested and were re-
freshed.
Then Ojeeg said to the Otter,
Nov we will try to gain entrance
to the Sky Land. It is just above
us. Jump, and see If you cannot
break thru and we will follow"
The Otter tried, but he could not
jump high enough, and he fell, and
slid all the way down to the foot
OF the mountain. So he gave up
and returned to his home.
Then Ojeeg said to the Beaver,
Jump and see if you cannot do bet
ter than the Otter.'' The Beaver
jumped, but neither could he Jump
high enough, and he too fell, and
slid all the way down to the bot
tom OF the mountain. So the Beaver
gave up and returned to his home.
Then Ojeeg said to the Badger,
Jump. Let us see If you cannot
Wv DOSSCA SAoA JAC OlIcT anu Tie
Beaver"
The Badger jumped; but neither
could he jump high enough, and
back he slid to the bottom of the
mountain. So the Badger gave up
and returned to his home.
i Then Ojeeg said to the Lynx,
Surely you are stronger than the
Otter, and the Beaver, and the
Badger, and you can jump farther.
Try, and see II you cannot break
thru into the Sky Land, and we will
follow
The Lynx jumped; but neither
could he break thru the Sky, tho
he made deep scratch upon it with
one Of his sharp claws; and back
he slid to the bottom of the mount
ain. So the Lynx gave up and re-
turned to his home.
Then said Ojeeg to the Wolver-
Inc. You are stronger and more