The Winslow mail., 1923-07-13
Indian
Lodge Tales
THE LEGEND OF THE BIRDS
AND THE BEASTS
BY
Ford G.. Frick

NOV when the Manitou had created
AN the earth and the mountains BY
pouring dirt and rock through a hole
In the sky, he was much pleased with
his handiwork. So he rested for many
days and lived on the earth, and re-
J0iced In the trees and the green
grass and the rivers and the lakes
which his strength had created.
But by and by he became lonely
and wished for some living thing to
enjoy the beauty with him, and his
heart was sad, for there was none to
share his treasure and none to whom
he could turn for comfort and for
pleasure. So he set about to create
living creatures who might inhabit
the world and make 1t more beautiful
with their presence.
He returned to Heaven and took
his staff, and with his staff he went
back again to the earth which he had
formed. From the small end Of his
staff he fashioned the fshes-big ones
and little ones, of various sizes and
various shapes. And when he formed
them he breathed upon them the
breath Of life and placed them In the
streams; and when they were put in
the water they swan away, and 80
were the fishes created.
Then the Manitou went to the for
ests, and here he picked from the
ground great handfuls of dry leaves
which had been cast there by the
wind. These he blew into the air and
there they foated and flew, and wings
and feathers came to them and from
that time on the birds were made to
live upon the earth. And from the
leaves of the oak were the larger
oirds-the eagles, and the ravens, and
the hawks-created; and from the
aspen leaves came the red bird and
the jay. And each leaf made its own
bird, and each tree it's own kind, and
the woods were filed with the music
of the birds when they sang.
From the middle of his staff the
Manitou created the beasts-the ante
lOpe and the bison, the rabbits and
the squirrels, the coyote and the wolf,
and the sheep and the fox-and these
some went to the plains and some to
the mountains, and some lived in the
forests and some among the rocks, and
and so were the beasts created
But when the Manitou had made all
these and had paused to rest from his
labors, they straightway fell to fight
ing and the big killed the little and
the strong attacked the weak, and
the rivers and woods were red with
the blood of the beasts which the
Manitou had made And the Manitou.
when he saw the battle and saw the
creatures killing and being killed
was sick at heart.
So he decided to create some other
living creature, imbued with his own
strength and his own wisdom and
this creature he decided would be set
down upon the earth to rule the 9th
ers and to make the laws and the
rules, and to see that the beasts ceased
their killing and lived in peace and
harmony together as he desired.
So from the big end Of his staff he
fashioned the grizzly, and him he set
down at the foot of the great noun
tain, and gave to him strength and
wisdom to govern the world. And
the grizzly was master of all the 9th
ers, and interpreted to them the words
and the desires Of the Manltou.
When the ManitOu had created the
grizzly then he returned again to his
home In heaven and left the beasts
behind to inhabit the world which he
had created.
So was the creation OF the beasts
and the birds and the fishes and all
liv1ngs things except the red men
who came later and who were born
through the anger Of the Manit0u
with the grizzly and his tribe But
that is another story of another time
which Is told by the wise men of the
tribe, and which shall be told later.
Note-The material of this legenC
also comes from the Ute or Mohoch
tribe, and is clearly connected witt
the legend Of the creation of the
world. 1t was obtained by the writer
from Buckskin Charley, last of the
great Ute chiefs and ward Of the
great Ouray, who was the ruling chie1
of the mountain tribes at the time Of
the white settlement of Colorado ant
New Mexico