Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1921-12-15
An Ozark Legend.

One of the most charming Indian |
legends of the Current River Ozarks |
is that OF the Big Blue Spring.
This legend was told to the writer
half century ago by an old French
man, Bowler, nearing the century
mark, who was living at Old Mines,
in Washington county, Mo. Della
wares and Shawnees moved into the
Current River Ozarks from the Cape
Girardeou district shortly after the
Louisiana purchase, but this legend
probably was handed down by some
tribe antedating that period, the
Osages likely, as they inhabited many
parts of the Ozarks long before the
coming of the earliest French adj
venturers. The Blue Spring, one of
the most beautiful in the Ozarks, is
near Current River, betweenIEminence
and Van Buren,. "Swift Water' and
"Tumbling Waters" are now known
respectively as Current River and
Jacks Fork. The legend follows
In the long ago there dwelled along
the banks of Swift Water the people
OF Oona pa qua. Their village was
just below the junction of Swift
Water and Tumbling Waters, but they
hunted for many miles among the
hills and valleys, and for years kept
out of their country all hostile tribes.
Chief Oona- pa qua's young, daugh-
ter, Nina qua -sa, was beloved of all
the tribe and there were many young
warriors who would have won her
for mate. But Nina qua sa had no
thoughts of mating. She was happy
in her life of freedom among the hills
and valleys and on the shimmering
waters OF the streams that ran swirl
ing between the mountains.
The beasts of the forest were gentle
to Nina qua-sa; the birds came to her
fearlessly and the fishesin the streams
swan to the sides of her canoe. She
loved them all and they loved her.
To Oona- -pa.qua came the young
braves, asking that he give Nina qua
sa to one of them for mate. When
the old chief learned the maiden had
no choice among all the young
warriors he issued a mandate that
Nina qua-sa should become the mate
of the warrior who excelled in battle
and in the hunt.
When the trials and contests wers
ended the young warrior Wa-sa-ca ia
was declared victor by Chief Oona'
pa qua, who issued commands that
marriage feast should be prepared
for Wa-sa- Gaia and Nina qua-sa.
The day arrived for Wa-ss- ca ia te
claim his bride and the people o.
Oona- pa-qua assembled for the feast
But the maiden could not be found
She had fed into the mountains.
Long they searched. At last the!
found her hidden in small grottt
half way up q bluff short distance
! from Swift Water. She was carried
before Chief Oona- -pa-qua, her father
who commanded her to prepare 10
the nuptial ceremony.
In vain the daughter pleaded will
her father to be permitted to remall
, maiden. The old chief was OBJ
: durate, and when Nina qua sa refus
ed to obey bis orders he commanded
T that she be imprisoned in the grott
wheIe she had been found until sh
! consented to become the bride of Wa
sa- GAIA.
From the prison the maiden coul'
not see the sky, nor the river she lov
ed SO we'll, though she could hear tn
f murmuring of its waters.
"Oh, Great Maniton," she prayed
"let me see once more the blue O
the skies and the shimmering Of tn
) waters that sparkle in the sunlight" !"
In answer to her prayer, ManitoI
struck the foot of the mountain an
; there came water that sparkled lik
t crystals and it was blue as the sum
. mer skies.
! ! And today those waters come fror
! beneath the mountain, sparkling an
y shimmering in the sunlight that filter
9 through the treesgsowing at the side
2 of the Big Blue Spring, and the waite
4 is blue, azure blue. And on the sid
# of the bluff above the spring may b
Q seen traces of the grotto where Nina
. qua-sa ended her life in captivity, he
only pleasure being the sight Of th
It sparkling waters that had the color
d the skies she loved SO well.-Sprine
! field Leader.
n An Effect Of the War.