Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-12-26
Grow Folklore Rivals Greek Mythology
erself to death before his eyes.

herself to death before his eyes
Then the Sun was angry with the
Crows for the wrong that had been
done him. and the loss of his beloved
wife, and so he determined to destroy
fall, prevented the buffalo from COM
ing into their country and gave their
enemies power over them.
Visit Of White Wolf
Then the Crows were forced to be-
come wanderers on the earth, seeking
a new home where they might have
food and rest. A long time they wan
dered, suffered grievously from fam
inc and were in danger Of total desti-
tuition when White Wolf. who was a
servant of the Sun. took pity or them
and resolved to save them.
Coming among them he told them
to make a pile Of rice stalks and other
fuel. They were then to make little
pellets Of meat and cornmeal and
throw them one by one upon the pile
until it burst into flames, when 10
buffalo would arise from the midst of
the flame All of which the Crows
must destroy. Should one escape, it
was told them, he would go to the
Sun and tell him what the Crows
were doing, then there would be no
hope for them.
The Crows were in distress at this,
for though they could find enough
meat for the sacrifice, they did not
believe there was so much as a kernel
of corn among them ALL At last it
was ascertained, however, that an old
woman had preserved small guam
tity of seed, which she gladly contrib
uted in the belief that it would aid
in saving them from starvation.
Ten pellets were made, the pile Of
rice stalks and other fuel was gath
cred and while the assembled warriors
stood ready with drawn bows to kill
the expected buffalo, the pellets were
thrown one by one upon the pile.
The first produced no results, the
second, the third and so on until the
ninth was reached, but no sign Of
flames appeared. The Crows began to
despair, when the 10th was tossed into
the pile. Immediately a bright flame
burst forth and 10 well-favored buffalo
galloped out of the midst of the pile.
The Crows let fly a shower of arrows,
and the 10 buffalo fell dead in the
midst of the Grow warriors.
Joy in Camp
Then there was feast and joy per-
vaded the camp. The Crows danced
and sang and became exceedingly
jubilant.
At the suggestion of White Wolf,
the charm was repeated, the next
flame producing 20 buffalo, the next
80 and so on, 10 more each time until
the number reached 80, all of which
were destroyed by the Crows and an
abundance of food secured.
In those days the Crows did not
possess either firearms or horses, and
it became difficult for them on foot
and with only bows and arrows to kill
the multitude of buffalo that now ap-
peared, so that their abundance was
a source of much disquiet, lest one
should escape, and going to the Sun,
cause him to rekindle his anger
against the tribe.
One Buffalo Escapes
When the number of buffalo reached
100, misfortune took place, as only
SO were killed, and the one that es-
capped fled directly to the Sun and
told him the whole story. Then was
the Sun angry with the Crows.
His anger was directed more against
White Wolf than the tribe, however,
because the former had not been a
faithful servant. The Sun was con-
WINGED that the Crows were a good