Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-04-04
Indian
Lodge Tales
By
Ford C.. Fricl6
Observation-Disclosures
THE LOST RACE OF THE
PAWNEES

VETHEN the world was new and
wv young, there were Indians who
roamed the plains, even as We do now.
These We're large mdiaus-men Of 81
ganuc stature and great strength. And
they were created by T-ra-wa, who
created all the world, and all the an
imals, and all the people.
With these great Indians lived the
animals even as we have them today
The giants ruled the world, for they
were very strong; and they were 50
swift that they hunted the buffalo on
foot; and they would run down a buf.
falo and kill it with a stone, or a
club or a knife. Then even though il
was a great buffalo bull, they would
swing it to their shoulders and carry
it into camp. So you can see that
they were very strong, and that they
had great power on earth, For they
We're feared by all the animals.
For many years they dwelt on the
plains. But as time went on they
ceased to honor Ti-ra-wa, who had ere
ated them; and they ceased to believe
In him and in the things he did. They
thought they were very strong, anC
that they were more powerful thar
Tl-ra-wa himself, and they would nc
longer pray to him.
When the rains would come they
would shake their fists at the sky and
curse, and call out bad words. And Il
it was too warm or too cold, theI
they would laugh at T-ra-wa, anC
scott at his strength, and tell each 9th
er stories Of how they would run the
world if they were in power All thb
time Ti-ra-wa tried to keep them hap
py, and did favors for them, and con
tlnued them in their strength, and die
all he could to make the world a hap
Ply one for them to live in.
But finally Ti-ra-Wa became angry
and he no longer would smile at thu
giant people on earth. He sent the
black clouds and the storms and TIT
lightning and the thunder down up0I
the giants, who had scoffed him. AND
the water rose and rose, and thesG
giant people fled before it. But rui
as they might they were unable to es
cape, and by and by the water arosc
over the level of the land, and thesC
great people, even to the last man ant
the last woman, sank down into the
soft ground and tile mud and werC
drowned.
When all the giants had been de
stroyed and had disappeared, then III
ra-wa recalled the rain and the thun
der, and the lightning and the storm
And lie made the sunshine to shint
again and the grass to grow and the
trees to bloom and grow green. AND
the world was restored to the animals
as it was before, but the giants, whc
had scoffed Tl-ra-wa, were gone for
ever. tf #1
So Ti-rawa made a man and 8
woman And he made them small
stature; and they did not have the
strength of the giants. But they vert
good and they honored Ti-ra-wa Ant
so that they might live, he gave t.
them the corn, and taught them to cul
ttvate it and to dry it and to MAXI
meal, and to make it their food Thi.
they did and so Ti-ra-wa sent Il
them children; and The children grew
up and a tribe was formed, and that
tribe was the Pawnees, And today
they are still the Pawnees, and the
Pawnees have become a great people
for ever they have honored Ti-ra-ws
who made them and who gave then
the corn, and the meat which is then
food.
Today you may go on the prairie and
find the great bones Of the giants who
were drowned; and you can find then
in the deep canons, and deep in the
ground-and that is the proof that
they really did sink into the ground
as is told US by our fathers.
, n