Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1924-11-06
Indian
Lodge Tales
-
Ford c. Frick
THE LEGEND or THE SUN
AND THE RAIN

MANI. many years src-ao nxny
@sA years that No man b able % ceunt
them-the sod q the ssn and the GOD
q ne rain had q quarrel E&ch IN
SISTED that the other mas larry and
nd no w0rk. ana each wns seaicus 81
The cther and declared th2t his own
Importance was great
The eoA Of the sun declared that
without HIN the word w~ul& Re DESC
late and that the rays o. the sun we're
murA mere fmporfant than the rain
fnT and the water. And the Eed az
rain Insisted that the sun MAS only
mfnor god and that NEXT % the MAJ
fto1. hinzelf. the rain god vas the
raoss trnportxnf GOD IN all the hexvenk
So they Qnarreled and cnArre}ct
these two gods-unrn finally their
argument reached the ears Of Mani
ton himself. who called them unto
hlm- when the Manitoa beard the
cause Of their argument be was
angered. and be decided that an ex-
ample sh0uid be made az the two
sodS IN order that they should know
their true worth % the world and TO
the people who dweif there
80 be caused test to be made and
he called the two gods 10 him First
he turned 10 the god Of rain and 20
him be said:
-YOu have said that your inpor
tznce II overwhelning. and that you
are greater and more powerful than
the sun and 90 this test win Be made
And for sfx months I wfl set aside
a certain section % land and there
you win Dwell and DO all in Jour
power to make the grass green and
the crops grow. The sun shall not
come near you. or disturb you. until
the sfx months are up. and az the end
Of that time the sun god shah have
bis turn. and when the test h com
pleted then shall we determine which
IL the greater and which 10 the most
important
So the Manitou designated q Ger
tain bit Of land and there the rain
god went 70 dwell. and each day he
brought gentle showers to nourish the
earth and the flowers and the trees
and the grasa
But finally the water rose and cor
cred the ground and there was no sur
and no warmth to dry up the earth
and the flowers began to withsr and
the trees to die. And the tribes wit
fweit In the land were unable 90 liv'
there-and they had 10 move 20 othel
parts and the entire land became Al
ocean.
The rain god. seeing the desoistion
became sad and repenfnnt and went
20 the Manitou and asked that the
sun be permitted 10 come In But the
Nanitou declared that the test was
not Jet through and 90 he sent the
sun 20 the spot and ordered the rain
god away while the sun made the
test.
with the coming az the sunshine the
water disappeared. and once more the
trees and the grass and the flowers
aourished and the trlsexmen came
back again 20 their homes and every
one was happy.
But as the days went on and there
was no rain the trees and the grass
turned brown and died: the flowers
disappeared and even the beasts and
the birds were unable 10 live--4nd
died Of thirst And the land became
a desert and the trfbexmen once more
were forced 70 leave and seek other
spots whre there was sim food and
wafer.
when the desert had been formed
and the flowers ard the trees had dis
appeared then the Manitou called the
two gods before hin and 90 them be
said:
% gods Of rain and sun. the test
has been made. IND now you know
the strength which II yours You who
are gods are only servants Of the
vorid-and together you bring happi-
ness and content md prosperity. But
alone you are as nothing. for IN this
world each must do his part 20 aid
the other-and there 10 none who 10
greater and none who n lesser than
the others
In order that you may remember
this lesson shall leave the desert
as II Ii. barren and desolafe-a warn
Ing TO all Of you And when NEXT yon
feel that you are sIl-imporfsnf. or
that your work Is better or greater
than that Of your brother gods. look
you 20 the desert In all rs desolsfe-
Tess and remember that only By work
Ing together can we bring hsppiness
and prosperity 10 our red ehildren
who seek our protection--
The two gods. -repenfant. went their
way and worried together. the one
bringing the warmth and beauty Of
the sunshine; the other the gentle
coolnes and refreshment Of the rain
From that day 70 this have they
worked together-buf the desert h
still there AZ q rebuke from the Mani
tou 20 his lesser ehildren-and II you
doubt this story 60 forth into the
so1fhlAnds and see for yourself