The Winslow mail., 1923-07-06
I T1iar7
Lodge T ales
By
Ford G.. Fricll
THE BIRTH OF THE PEAK

IN THE golden ages of memory and
legend, when all the world was new
and fair, and all the sky was blue as
babies eyes and just as clear, the
paradise of earth, wherein all was
happiness and cOntentment, was stu.
ated upon the smiling slopes that rose
to meet the sunset sky. In those days
there was no mountain range no land
of eternal SHOWS piercing to the heav-
ems, that made barrier 'twixt east
and west. Instead, all was golden with
the sunshine of happiness and purple
with the afterglow of peace.
Here lived the chosen people, and
over them was the constantly watch
ing eye of the Manitou, creator Of man
and beast, ruler of earth and heaven
And the world was good to look upon
The chosen people, roaming the hills,
felt not the heat of summer or the cold
of winter, for the seasons were as one
The trees brought forth their fruit
without cultivation, and the vines their
berries, and from the ground sprang
ones might not wax hungry and lean
The streams teemed with fish, and the
air with wild fowl and the woods and
fields with beasts that gave themselves
up gladly to be q meal for man. In
those days there was no war, and no
sorrow, and no discomfort, but man
was willing to follow the rules laid
down by the all-wise Manitou, who
governed wisely and well.
But by and by bad spirits came
weak spirits from the lowlands by
the sea-nOt strong enough to fight
the chosen ones in open battle, but
crafty in deceit and discomfort. And
long they journeyed through the land,
spreading their lawless tales and turn
ing each against the other, until no
man was safe and lawlessness held
undisputed sway.
Then the chosen race lost faith !;
they cursed the Manitou and wished
him evil; they spat upon his image in
the woods and deffled his name at
every thinking breath And bad grew
worse, and soon their homes were
broken and horror ruled upon the land,
and the sunshine vanished and the
SHOWS came and the world was world
of sorrow.
When the Manitou saw what the evil
spirits had wrought, he became eX-
ceedng wroth. He stamped his foot
and the rain gods came and swept
down upon the earth and the waters
of the deep were released and hid the
land; and everywhere was desolation
and death And the chosen race, fee
ing in fear from the rising food,
rushed toward the western gate that
leads to Heaven, bearing in their
hands fragments of soil and rocks and
precious stone with which to build
elsewhere a better world But Manitou
saw in their actions nothing of good
or sympathy or repentance, but only
evil and fear, and so he forbade that
they should bring their worldly spoil
to Heaven.
SO the floods caught them and swept
them into its grasp, and as they died
each evil spirit, lost for evermore,
cursed the great and wise Manitou,
and they cast their handfuls of dirt
and rock toward the Heaven they
mocked And there they formed
mountain, v..st in size, towering above
the advancing flood and shutting of all
view of Heavens light. AS the flood
receded it left the peak, a monument
of precious stones and gifts, marking
the path to Heaven, but in it's vastness
shutting off all view of Manitou and
casting it's great shadow over all where
once was earthly paradise.
SO today it stands on guard against
the further ambitions of man and
beast In years that passed the white
man came and gave to it the name of
Pixies peak in honor of their leader,
who first saw it's giant head stretching
above the clouds But those of us who
know the story of the chosen race,
which was our fathers, still see in it's
great height a guiding mound that
points the way to Heaven, yet shuts off
our view and bids us bide our turn and
wait till we are called to do our pen
ance there before the throne where
sits the Manitod.
Note-This legend of Pixies peak,
most famous of American mountains,
is told by Ute, Comanche and Shoshone