The Winslow mail., 1923-07-06
THE CANOE

4 n Sangre De CriSto range, and Just
across the New Mexico border, is a
peculiar rock formation. Half way up
the slope between two giant peaks is
a canoe Of rock. and in the canoe are
two persons-one holding paddle
poised In midair as if about to take q
stroke. The formation is so lifelike
that it has attracted the attention Of
hundreds of scientists who have Wis
tied the place. And about this rock
canoe, with its two passengers, the
Indians have woven a beautiful little
legend which follows
Long ages ago-before our fathers
fathers or our fathers fathers
fathers were born, in the ancient days
when the chosen people lived in hap
piness and peace in the shadow Of the
great mountain which points the way
to Heaven, the world was young and
beautiful. Here the chosen people
played and the sun shone and there
were no shadows upon the earth and
no sorrow in the hearts of mankind.
The Manitou, in his gracious goodness,
gave heed to the wishes of his chil-
dren and from his home in Heaven sent
to them joy and happiness and blood
shed was unknown and death was
only a passing journey between earth
and Heaven.
But evil spirits came out Of the sea
and visited the beautiful valley at the
shadow of the great white mountain,
and they filled the hearts Of the chosen
people with envy and hate, and mur.
der and bloodshed and the chosen
people turned their faces from Heaven
and cursed the Manitou and wicked
ness reigned throughout the valley.
And Of all the chosen people there
were only two, one man and one wom-
an. who held their faith.
And so the all-wise Manitou sent the
foods to visit the valley, and the
waters came and all the evil spirits
were swallowed up and the chosen
people were lost and the earth was
covered with water and no one might
live. But first the Manitou warned
these two. this man and woman, and
they fashioned themselves a canoe Of
maize and in it they floated on the top
of the floods until they landed on the
very summit of the Holy mount, which
points the way to Heaven, and there
they thanked the Manitou for their de
livery.
And when the foods were gone the
sun shone and all the world was bright
and beautiful and new. And the man
and woman looked down from the
dizzy heights and saw the fertile plains
below. They saw the green fields,
and the lakes and streams, and the
trees and they were unhappy and asked
the Manitou to assist them down the
mountain and back into the beautiful
valley where they might play and ba
happy as Of old.
The Manitou was good and kind
and heard their call. SO he fashioned
for them a magic canoe, filed with the
light Of Heaven, and this the two,
the man and the woman, glided gently
down the mountain side from the very
gates Of Heaven to the plains of earth
In order that the chosen people
might have new faith, the Manitou
caused the canoe to make track over
the rock adown the eastern slope into
the plain. And there it remains to this
day-a broad track where shadows hide
and where the sunlight glows forever
more.
SO the two returned to the beau.
tiful valley, where they lived to wor
ship long the glory of the Manitou, who
saved them from the floods. And when
finally they died, the ManitOu lifted
them with the magic canoe to a place
midway between Heaven and earth on
the great mountain, beside the seat of
wisdom. There it stood as a guide
to the chosen people and as a monu'
ment to the mercy Of the Manitou.
Those who do not believe have but
to go and see. For the canoe, with
two who ply the paddle, seems to ride
the tossing waves that roll from the
Holy mountain to the south and east
toward st. Peters dome. And there
shall it stand so long as man endures