The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-01-18
Observation-Disclosures
Indian
Lodge Tales
By
Ford C. Frick
THE BIRTH OF THE PEAK


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 conten<ment. 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
DCAA AACos anu -kAOlu tnG kLOuhu SBhHnk
up the luscious maize that the chosen
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 a 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 we'll
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 defiled 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-
ceeding 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. nee
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
i. 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 handfuis Of dirt
and rock toward the Heaven they
mocked. And there they formed
mountain. s..st In size. towering above
the advancing flood and shutting of all
view of Heavens light. As the flood
receded 1t left the peak. monument
Of precious stones and gifts, marking
the path to Heaven. but in its vastness
shutting of all view of Manitou and
casting its great shadow over all where
once was earthly paradise.
So today 1t stands on guard against
the further ambitions of man and
beast. In years that passed the white
man came and gave to 1t the name of
Pixies peak in honor of their leader,
who first saw its 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 Its
great height a guiding mound that
points the way to Heaven. yet shuts OF
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 Manitou.
Note-Thls legend of Pixies peak,
most famous Of American mountains,
Is told by Ute, Comanche and Shoshone
alike 1t is repeated, too. by the Ara
pahoes and Cheyennes-tribes of DIFF
ferent family who knew the Pixies
peak region and who. in all probabil-
lty. had the tale from some of the
mountain tribes. 1t is very beautiful
ly told, in part, in poem by Ernest
Whitney. who spent years with the
Utes of the mountain region.