The Strange Dream
: Thirty Indian LegendsA warrior and his wife once had a beautiful boy, for whom they made
many plans. But when he grew up, and reached the right age, he would
not consent to the fast. They wished him to blacken his face with
charcoal, and not to eat anything for three days. But he threw away
the charcoal, and when they denied him food, he ate birds' eggs and the
heads of fish which had been cast away.
At length one day he c
face. Then he went out of the lodge and lay down on the grass to
sleep. As he lay there, he had a wonderful dream. He thought a
beautiful maiden came to him, and said, "Onawataquto, come with me.
Step in my tracks." He arose and did so, and felt himself mounting up
over the tree-tops, until he reached the sky.
The maiden entered through a small opening, and he followed her.
Looking around, he found himself on a beautiful, grassy plain. A tall
lodge stood in the distance. She led him to it, and he saw that it was
divided into two parts. In one end there were bows, arrows, clubs, and
spears, and other things that belong to a warrior. In the other end
were strings of colored beads, bright pieces of cloth, and fancy
moccasins, such as belong to a maiden. On a frame was a broad belt,
beautifully colored, that she was weaving.
"My brother will soon be home," she said, "and I do not wish him to see
you, so come until I hide you." She put him in a corner and spread the
belt over him.
In a short time the brother returned, and sat down in his end of the
lodge. He took down his pipe, and began to smoke. Then, in a little
while, he said, "Sister, when are you going to stop this practice? Do
you forget that the Greatest of the Spirits has forbidden you to take
the children of the earth? I know whom you have behind that belt.
Come forth, Onawataquto."
When the young man came forth, he presented him with bows and arrows
and a pipe of red stone. Now this meant that he was married to the
maiden.
After that the brother used to take him with him over the beautiful
plains, and he found everything very peaceful. Then he began to notice
that the brother left the lodge each morning, and did not return until
night. He asked him what he did when he was away.
"Come with me, and I shall show you," said the brother.
So they set off early next morning, and walked on for a long time. At
last Onawataquto began to feel hungry.
"Wait a few minutes," said the brother, "and I shall show you how I get
food."
When they reached a spot where they could see down to the earth below,
he said, "Now sit down and watch." And Onawataquto did so.
When he looked down, he could see the earth quite plainly. In one
village he saw a war party getting ready. In another he saw them
dancing, and in another, a group of children playing beside a lodge.
"Do you see that beautiful boy down there?" asked the brother.
"Yes," he replied. Suddenly the brother darted something from his hand
at the child, and he fell senseless.
The parents rushed out and carried him into the lodge, and made great
wailing. Then they saw people gather around the lodge, and the
medicine man arrived. He addressed himself to the spirit brother, and
asked him what sacrifice he desired.
"I shall allow the boy to get better if you will make me the sacrifice
of a white dog," answered the brother, through the opening in the sky.
They at once caught a white dog, and killed and roasted it. The meat
was then put on dishes, which at once floated up to the spirit brother.
"Now eat," he said to Onawataquto. "This is the way I get all my
meals."
After a while the young man grew tired of the quiet days, and desired
to go back to the earth. His wife was angry when she heard him say
this, and said she would not let him go. But after a while she
consented, and said, "You may go; but remember you are not to marry any
of the earth maidens, for at any time I can draw you back here."
Next morning Onawataquto found himself lying on the grass by his
father's lodge, with his face still blackened. His father and mother
and all his friends were standing near him in glad surprise. They told
him he had been away a year.
For some days he went around very quietly; then he began to forget his
dream. After a while he could hardly remember it at all.
In a few months, he married one of the maidens of the tribe. That
night he went out of his father's lodge, and was never seen again.
It is said that the spirit maiden had drawn him back to her home in the
sky.
More
-
The Story Of The Bees And The Flies
There were once two tribes of little people who lived near together. They were not at all alike, for one of the tribes looked for food and carried it away to put it up safely for winter, while the other played and sang and danced all day long. ... The Story Of The Beginning
The people who lived long ago, in the far-off lands of the north, watched the wonderful things that happened out of doors every day, just as we do; but they did not know about the one loving God, who is the Father of all, who made them and the wor... The Story Of The Children Of Cloud
There was a woman who lived in the mountains, who was very beautiful, and had many suitors, but she never married anyone. And one day she was making mats of cane; and she fell asleep and a rain came and a drop fell on her navel. And she had t... The Story Of The Creation
In the beginning there was no earth, no water--nothing. There was only a Person, uh-wert-a-Mah-kai (The Doctor of the Earth). He just floated, for there was no place for him to stand upon. There was no sun, no light, and he just floated about in... The Story Of The Earth And The Sky
The sky used to be very close to the earth, and of course the earth had no sunshine. Trees did not grow, flowers did not blossom, and water was not clear and bright. The earth did not know that there was any other way of living, and so she did not... The Story Of The First Ants
"This jar is full of smoked flesh," said one voice. "This has fish, this is full of honey, and that one is almost running over with oil," said another voice. "We shall have all that we need to eat for many days to come." These are the words t... The Story Of The First Butterflies
The Great Spirit thought, "By and by I will make men, but first I will make a home for them. It shall be very bright and beautiful. There shall be mountains and prairies and forests, and about it all shall be the blue waters of the sea." As the... The Story Of The First Diamonds
The chief of an Indian tribe had two sons whom he loved very dearly. This chief was at war with another tribe, and one dark night two of his enemies crept softly through the trees till they came to where the two boys lay sound asleep. The warriors... The Story Of The First Emeralds
In the days of long ago there was a time when there were no emeralds on the earth. Men knew where to find other precious stones. They could get pearls and diamonds, but no one had ever seen an emerald, because the emeralds were hidden away in the ... The Story Of The First Frog
Once upon a time there was a man who had two children, a boy and a girl, whom he treated cruelly. The boy and the girl talked together one day, and the boy, Wah-wah-hoo, said to his sister, "Dear little sister, are you happy with our father?" "... The Story Of The First Grasshopper
In a country that is far away there once lived a young man called Tithonus. He was strong and beautiful. Light of heart and light of foot, he hunted the deer or danced and sang the livelong day. Every one who saw him loved him, but the one that lo... The Story Of The First Mocking-bird
Far away in the forest there once lived the most cruel man on all the earth. He did not like the Indians, and he said to himself, "Some day I will be ruler of them all." Then he thought, "There are many brave warriors among the Indians, and I must... The Story Of The First Moles
A rich man and a poor man once owned a field together. The rich man owned the northern half, and the poor man owned the southern half. Each man sowed his ground with seed. The warm days came, the gentle rain fell, and the seed in the poor man's ha... The Story Of The First Pearls
There was once a man named Runoia, and when he walked along the pathways of the forest, the children would say shyly to one another, "Look, there is the man who always hears music." It was really true that wherever he went he could hear sweet mu... The Story Of The First Snowdrops
An old man sat alone in his house. It Was full of shadows; it was dark and gloomy. The old man cared nothing for the shadows or the darkness, for he was thinking of all the mighty deeds that he had done. "There is no one else in the world," he mut... The Story Of The First Whitefish
One day a crane was sitting on a rock far out in the water, when he heard a voice say, "Grandfather Crane, Grandfather Crane, please come and carry us across the lake." It was the voice of a child, and when the crane had come to the shore, he saw ... The Story Of The First Woodpecker
In the days of long ago the Great Spirit came down from the sky and talked with men. Once as he went up and down the earth, he came to the wigwam of a woman. He went into the wigwam and sat down by the fire, but he looked like an old man, and the ... The Story Of The Flood
Now Seeurhuh was very powerful, like Juhwerta Mahkai, and as he took up his residence with them, as one of them, he did many wonderful things which pleased Juhwerta Mahkai, who liked to watch him. And after doing many marvelous things he, too, m... The Story Of The Forty-first Brother
There was once upon a time an old man who had forty-one sons. Now when this old man was at the point of death, he divided all he had among his sons, and gave to each of the forty a horse; but when he came to the forty-first he found he had no more... The Story Of The Gambler's War
And after this, for a long time, there was peace toward the Apaches, but it happened, once, that two brothers of the country went to gamble with the Awup, playing the game called waw-pah-tee in which the gamblers guess in which piece of cane a lit... The Story Of The Indian Corn
Some years ago the Ottawa Indians inhabited the Manatoline Islands. Their enemies were the Iroquois Indians, who lived on the lake shore near the islands. One night they came and attacked the Ottawas. The two tribes fought for a long time, but at ... The Story Of The Monkeys
Such a row there had been all day in Animal Town. Sa'-zada, the Keeper, had told Magh, the Orang-outang, that the Monkeys were to tell stories that night at the usual meeting. That was the cause of the excitement. All day the Monkeys, living ... The Story Of The Oriole
The king of the north once said to himself, "I am master of the country of ice and snow, but what is that if I cannot be ruler of the land of sunshine and flowers? I am no king if I fear the king of the south. The northwind shall bear my icy breat... The Story Of The Picture On The Vase
On some of the beautiful vases that are made in Japan there is a picture of a goddess changing a dragon into an island. When the children of Japan say, "Mother, tell us a story about the picture," this is what the mother says:-- "Long, long ago... The Story Of The Tortoise
There was once a man who had two wives. Now as everybody knows it is always the chief wife that the husband loves best, while the other instead of being Mae Long, is only Mae Noi, and this often causes jealousy and trouble in the family. It was so... The Story Of The Tribe Of King Cobra
It was the fifth night of the Sa'-zada tales. As usual, Hathi, Grey Wolf, and all the other animals, jostling each other merrily like a lot of schoolboys, had gathered in front of Tiger's cage. Said the Keeper: "Comrades, you must all be very ... The Story Of The Turquoises And The Red Bird
And at the vahahkkee which the white men now call the Casa Grande ruins was the home of Seeollstchewadack Seeven, or the Morning green Chief. And one morning the young women at that place were playing and having a good time with the game of the ... The Story Of The Unlucky Days
At the end of a village on the verge of the steppe dwelt two brothers, one rich and the other poor. One day the poor brother came to the rich brother's house and sat down at his table; but the rich brother drove him away and said, "How durst thou ... The Story Of The Wind
Once upon a time there dwelt two brethren in one village, and one brother was very, very rich, and the other brother was very, very poor. The rich man had wealth of all sorts, but all that the poor man had was a heap of children. One day, at ha... The Story Of Tremsin The Bird Zhar And Nastasia The Lovely Maid Of The Sea
There was once upon a time a man and a woman, and they had one little boy. In the summertime they used to go out and mow corn in the fields, and one summer when they had laid their little lad by the side of a sheaf, an eagle swooped down, caught u... The Story Of Two Princesses
A certain raja had two daughters, who were in the habit of amusing themselves out side of the palace walls. One day they saw a crow flying towards them with a ripe Terel [21] fruit in his beak. They then said to each other, "What fruit is it? It l... The Story Of Unlucky Daniel
There was once upon a time a youth called Unlucky Dan. Wherever he went, and whatever he did, and with whomsoever he served, nothing came of it: all his labour was like spilt water, he got no good from it. One day he took service with a new master... The Story Of Unt The Camel
The clink of a loose chain; the complaining wail of a swinging iron door; the squeak of a key turning an unwilling lock--a heavy-bolted lock; a flutter of wings; the crunch of giant feet on the echoing gravel; huge forms slipping through the moonl... The Story Of Vandaih The Man-eagle
And thus Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai became famous for the killing of game; and there was another young man, named Van-daih, who wanted to be his friend. So one day Vandaih made him four tube-pipes of cane, such as the Indians use for ceremonious smo... The Story Of Wayhohm Toehahvs And Tottai
And Seeollstchewadack Seeven wondered what this action of the bird meant, and he studied about it till he found out who it was that had sent the bird and for what purpose. And he sent a cold rain upon the home of Dthas Seeven. And it rained a h... The Strange Builder
Once upon a time, when the gods were building their abodes, a certain builder came and offered to erect them, in the space of three half-years, a city so well fortified that they should be quite safe in it from the incursions of the forest-giants ... The Strange Dream
A warrior and his wife once had a beautiful boy, for whom they made many plans. But when he grew up, and reached the right age, he would not consent to the fast. They wished him to blacken his face with charcoal, and not to eat anything for three ... The Strange Guests
Many years ago there lived, near the borders of Lake Superior, a noted hunter, who had a wife and one child. His lodge stood in a remote part of the forest, several days' journey from that of any other person. He spent his days in hunting, and his... The Straw Ox
There was once upon a time an old man and an old woman. The old man worked in the fields as a pitch-burner, while the old woman sat at home and spun flax. They were so poor that they could save nothing at all; all their earnings went in bare food,... The Strong Man
There was once a Strong man but no one knew of his strength. He was in the service of a farmer who made him headman over all his labourers. In those days much of the country was still covered with jungle. One day the farmer chose a piece of forest l... The Student Who Was Forcibly Made King
A student started on a journey, and as he went over a field he found some peas which were cracked. He thought that they might be of use to him as he was a poor lad, and his father had advised him to pick up anything he saw, if it was worth no more... The Study Of Magic Under Difficulties
In the island of Sicily, and in the fair and famous city of Messina, dwelt a man, Lactantius by name, who was a great proficient in two different arts. By day, and ostensibly to his fellow-citizens, he carried on the trade of a tailor; but by ... The Sturgeon
The Convent of Schwartz-Rheindorf was founded in the year of our Lord 1152 by the Bishop of Cologne, Arnold Graf von Wied, for the reception of noble ladies alone, and was placed by him under the strict rule of St. Benedict. The prelate, who died ... The Summer-maker
Once in the far north there lived a Manitou whose name was Ojeeg, or the fisher. He and his wife and one son lived on the shore of a lake and were very happy together. In that country there was never any spring or summer, and the snow lay deep o... The Sun A Bushman Legend
Outa, having disposed of his nightly tot, held his crooked hands towards the cheerful blaze and turned his engaging smile alternately on it and his little masters. "Ach! what it is to keep a bit of the Sun even when the Sun is gone! Long ago Ou... The Sun And The Frogs
Rejoicing on their tyrant's wedding-day, The people drown'd their care in drink; While from the general joy did AEsop shrink, And show'd its folly in this way. "The sun," said he, "once took it in his head To have... The Sun And The Moon
There were once ten brothers who hunted together, and at night they occupied the same lodge. One day, after they had been hunting, coming home they found sitting inside the lodge near the door a beautiful woman. She appeared to be a stranger, and ... The Sun Fire At Sault Sainte Marie
Father Marquette reached Sault Sainte Marie, in company with Greysolon Du Lhut, in August, 1670, and was received in a manner friendly enough, but the Chippewas warned him to turn back from that point, for the Ojibways beyond were notoriously hostil... The Sun-catcher Or Boy Who Set A Snare For The Sun
A MYTH OF THE ORIGIN OF THE DORMOUSE. FROM THE ODJIBWA. At the time when the animals reigned in the earth, they had killed all but a girl, and her little brother, and these two were living in fear and seclusion. The boy was a perfect pigmy,... The Swallow
The joy with which the first swallow is welcomed is almost if not quite equal to the welcome given to the cuckoo. One swallow does not make a summer is an old saw. There is a superstition connected with the swallow that is common in Wales, whi... The Swallowing Earthquake
The Indian village that in 1765 stood just below the site of Oxford, Alabama, was upset when the news was given out that two of the squaws had given simultaneous birth to a number of children that were spotted like leopards. Such an incident betoken... The Swan
The eggs of the swan are hatched by thunder and lightning. This bird sings its own death song. ... The Swan And The Cook
The pleasures of a poultry yard Were by a swan and gosling shared. The swan was kept there for his looks, The thrifty gosling for the cooks; The first the garden's pride, the latter A greater favourite on the platte... The Swift
This bird's motions are looked upon as weather signs. Its feeding regions are high up in the air when the weather is settled for fair, and low down when rain is approaching. Its screaming is supposed to indicate a change of weather from fair to... The Swim At Indian Head
At Indian Head, Maryland, are the government proving-grounds, where the racket of great guns and splintering of targets are a deterrent to the miscellaneous visitations of picnics. Trouble has been frequently associated with this neighborhood, as it... The Swing By The Lake
There was an old hag of a woman who lived with her daughter-in-law and her husband, with their son and a little orphan boy. When her son-in-law came home from hunting, it was his custom to bring his wife the moose's lip, the kidney of the bear, or... The Talking Eggs - A Story From Louisiana
There was once a widow who had two daughters, one named Rose and the other Blanche. Blanche was good and beautiful and gentle, but the mother cared nothing for her and gave her only hard words and harder blows; but she loved Rose as she loved t... The Telltale Wife
Once upon a time a man was setting out in his best clothes to attend a village meeting. As he was passing at the back of the house his maid-servant happened to throw a basket of cowdung on the manure heap and some of it accidentally splashed his clo... The Ten Princes
The ten sons of a chief went hunting, and all took their wives with them except the youngest brother, who was unmarried. They all camped together at night, and in the morning the eldest prince went out in search of game. The first thing he saw wa... The Tengus Or The Elves With Long Noses
(After Hokusai.) Curious creatures are the tengus, with the head of a hawk and the body of a man. They have very hairy hands or paws with two fingers, and feet with two toes. They are hatched out of eggs, and have wings and feathers, until full... The Tenth Labor
When the hero laid the sword belt of Queen Hippolyta at the feet of Eurystheus, the latter gave him no rest, but sent him out immediately to procure the cattle of the giant Geryone. The latter dwelt on an island in the midst of the sea, and possesse... The Terrestrial Paradise
The exact position of Eden, and its present condition, do not seem to have occupied the minds of our Anglo-Saxon ancestors, nor to have given rise among them to wild speculations. The map of the tenth century in the British Museum, accompanying ... The Teutonic Emigration Saga Found In Tacitus
The migration sagas which I have now examined are the only ones preserved to our time on Teutonic ground. They have come down to us from the traditions of various tribes. They embrace the East Goths, West Goths, Longobardians, Gepidae, Burgundians... The Theft Of Fire
Karok (near Klamath River, Cal.) There was no fire on earth and the Karoks were cold and miserable. Far away to the east, hidden in a treasure box, was fire which Kareya had made and given to two old hags, lest the Karoks should steal it. So Coyote... The Theft Of Fire
Sia (New Mexico) Along, long time ago, the people became tired of feeding on grass, like deer and wild animals, and they talked together how fire might be found. The Ti-amoni said, "Coyote is the best man to steal fire from the world below," so he ... The Thief's Son
Once upon a time a goat strayed into the house of a certain man who promptly killed it and hid the body. At evening the owner of the goat missed it and came in search of it. He asked the man who had killed it whether he had seen it, but the latter p... The Thieves And The Ass
Two thieves, pursuing their profession, Had of a donkey got possession, Whereon a strife arose, Which went from words to blows. The question was, to sell, or not to sell; But while our sturdy champions fough... The Third Labor
The third demand of Eurystheus was that Hercules bring to him alive the hind Cerynitis. This was a noble animal, with horns of gold and feet of iron. She lived on a hill in Arcadia, and was one of the five hinds which the goddess Diana had caught on... The Thirsty Quails
Pima (Arizona) A Quail once had more than twenty children, and with them she wandered over the whole country in search of water and could not find it. It was very hot and they were all crying, "Where can we get some water? Where can we get some wat... The Three Brothers
There were, once upon a time, three brothers, and the third was a fool. And in their little garden grew golden apple-trees with golden apples, and not far off lived a hog that had taken a fancy to these apples. So the father sent his sons into the... The Three Brothers
There was once a poor man who had three sons. "My sons," said he to them one day, "you have not seen anything yet, and you have no experience whatever; it is time for you to go to different countries and try your luck in the world; so get ready fo... The Three Dogs
Once upon a time there was a king who travelled to a strange country, where he married a queen. When they had been married some time the queen had a daughter, which gave rise to much joy through the whole land, for all people liked the king, he wa...