An American Indian Legend - Nation Unknown by Cynthia

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

First People - the legends

An American Indian Legend - Nation Unknown

Once long ago, on the shores of the great lake, there lived a hunterwho had ten beautiful young daughters. Their hair was as dark andglossy as the wings of the blackbird and when they walked or ranit was with the grace and freedom of the deer in the forest.

Thus it was that many suitors came to court them -- brave and handsomeyoung men, straight as arrows, fleet of foot, who could travel fromsun to sun without fatigue. They were sons of the prairie, wonderfulhorsemen who would ride at breakneck speed without saddle or stirrup.They could catch a wild horse with a noose, tame him in a magicalway by breathing into his nostrils, then mount him and gallop offas if he had always been ridden. There were those also who camefrom afar in canoes, across the waters of the great lake, canoeswhich shot swiftly along, urged by the strong, silent sweep of thepaddle.

All of them brought gifts with which they hope to gain the father'sfavor. Feathers from the wings of the eagle who soars high up nearthe sun; furs of fox and beaver and the thick, curly hair of thebison; beads of many colors and wampum, the shells that the Indiansused for money; the quills of the porcupine and the claws of thegrizzly bear; deerskin dressed to such softness that it crumblein the hands -- these and many more other things they brought.

One by one the daughters were wooed and married, until nine ofthem had chosen husbands. One by one other tents were raised tothat instead of the single family lodge on the shores of the lakethere were tents enough to form a little village. The country wasa rich one and there was game and fish enough for all.

There remained the youngest daughter, Oweenee -- the fairest ofthem all. Gentle as she was beautiful, none was so kind of heart.Unlike her proud and talkative elder sisters, Oweenee was shy andmodest and spoke but little.

She loved to wander alone in the woods with no company but thebirds and squirrels and her own thoughts.

What these thoughts were we can only guess, but from her dreamyeyes and sweet expression, one could suppose that nothing selfishor mean or hateful ever came into her mind. Yet Oweenee, modestthough she was, had a spirit of her own. More than one suitor hadfound this out. More than one conceited young man, confident thathe could win her, went away crestfallen when Oweenee began to laughat him.

The truth is Oweenee seemed hard to please. Suitor after suitorcame -- handsome, tall young men, the handsomest and the bravestin all the surrounding country. Yet this fawn-eyed maiden wouldhave none of them. One was too tall, another too short. One wastoo thin, another too fat. At least, those were the excuses shegave for sending them away. Her proud sisters had little patiencewith her. She seemed to be questioning their own taste, for Oweenee,had she said the word, might have gained a husband more attractivethan any of theirs. Yet no one was good enough. They could not understandher, so they ended up despising her as a silly and unreasonablegirl.

Her father, too, who loved her dearly and wished her to be happy,was much puzzled. "Tell me, my daughter," he said to herone day, "is it your wish to never marry? The handsomest youngmen in the land have sought you in marriage and you have sent themall away -- often with a poor excuse. Why is it?"

Oweenee looked at him with her large, dark eyes.

Father," she said at last. "It is not that I am willful.But it seems somehow as if I had the power to look into the heartsof men. It is the heart of a man and not his face that really matters.And I have not yet found one youth who in this sense is really beautiful."Soonafter, a strange thing happened. There came into the little villagean Indian named Osseo, many years older than Oweenee. He was poorand ugly, too. Yet Oweenee married him.

How the tongues of her nine proud sisters did wag! Had the spoiledlittle thing lost her mind? they asked. Oh, well! They always knewshe would come to a bad end, but it was pretty hard on the family.

Of course they could not know what Oweenee had seen at once --that Osseo had a generous nature and a heart of gold, that beneathhis outward ugliness was the beauty of a noble mind and the fireand passion of a poet. That is why Oweenee loved him.

Now, although Oweenee did not suspect it, Osseo was really a beautifulyouth on whom an evil spell had been cast. He was in truth the sonof the king of the Evening Star -- the star that shines so gloriouslyin the western sky, just above the rim of the earth as the sun issetting. Often on a clear evening it hung suspended in the purpletwilight like some glittering jewel. So close it seemed, and sofriendly, that the little children would reach out their hands,thinking that they might grasp it before it was swallowed by thenight, and keep it always for their own. But the older ones wouldsay, "Surely it must be a bead on the garments of the GreatSpirit as he walks in the evening through the garden of the heavens."

Little did they know that poor, ugly Osseo had really descendedfrom that star. And when he, too, stretched out his arms towardit, and murmured words they could not understand, they all madefun of him.

There came a time when a great feast was prepared in a neighboringvillage and all of Oweenee's kinfolk were invited to attend.

They set out on foot -- the nine proud sisters, with their husbands,walking ahead, much pleased with themselves and their finery, andall chattering like magpies. But Oweenee walked behind in silence,and with her walked Osseo.

The sun had set. In the purple twilight, over the edge of the earth,sparkled the Evening Star. Osseo, pausing, stretched out his handstoward it, as if imploring pity. But when the others saw him inthis attitude they all made merry, laughing and joking and makingunkind remarks.

"Instead of looking up at the sky," said one of the sisters,"he had better be looking on the ground. Or else he may stumbleand break his neck." Then calling back to him she cried, "Lookout! Here's a big log. Do you think you can manage to climb overit?"

Osseo did not answer, but when he came to the log he paused again.It was the trunk of a huge oak tree blown down by the wind. Thereit had lain for years, just as it fell, and the leaves of many summerslay thick upon it. There was one thing, however, but the sistershad not noticed. The tree trunk was a solid one, but hollow, andso big around that a man could walk inside it from one end to theother without stopping.

But Osseo did not pause because he was unable to climb over it.There was something mysterious and magical in the appearance ofthe great hollow trunk. He gazed at it a long time, as if he hadseen it in a dream and had been looking for it ever since.

"What is it, Osseo?" asked Oweenee, touching him on thearm. "Do you see something that I cannot see?"

But Osseo only gave a shout that echoed through the forest, andhe leaped inside the log. Then as Oweenee, a little alarmed, stoodthere waiting, a man came out from the other end.

Could this be Osseo? Yes, it was he -- but how transformed! Nolonger bent and ugly, no longer weak or ailing, but a beautifulyouth -- vigorous and straight and tall. His enchantment was atan end. He smoked his pipe to give thanks to the Creator.

But the evil spell had not been wholly lifted, after all. As Osseoapproached he saw that a great change was taking place in his lovedone. Her glossy black hair was turning white, deep wrinkles linedher face, she walked with a feeble step, leaning on a staff. Althoughhe had regained his youth and beauty, she had suddenly grown old.

"Oh, my dearest one!" he cried. "The Evening Starhas mocked me in letting this misfortune come upon you. Better farhad I remained as I was. Gladly would I have borne the insults andlaughter of your people rather that you should be made to suffer."

"As long as you love me," answered Oweenee, "I amperfectly content. If I had the choice to make, and only one ofus could be young and fair, it is you that I would wish to be beautiful.

Then he took her in his arms and caressed her, vowing that he lovedher more than ever for her goodness of heart. And together theywalked hand in hand, as lovers do.

When the proud sisters saw what had happened they could scarcelybelieve their eyes. They looked enviously at Osseo, who was nowfar handsomer than any one of their husbands and much their superiorin every other way. In his eyes was the wonderful light of the EveningStar, and he spoke all men turned to listen and admire him. Butthe hardhearted sisters had no pity for Oweenee. Indeed, it ratherpleased them to see that she could no longer dim their beauty andrealize that people would no longer be singing her praises in theirjealous ears.

The feast was spread and all made merry except Osseo. He sat likeone in a dream, neither eating nor drinking. From time to time hewould press Oweenee's hand and speak a word of comfort in her ear.But for the most part he sat there gazing through the door of thetipi at the star-besprinkled sky.

Soon a silence fell on all the company. From out of the night,from the dark, mysterious forest, came the sound of music -- a low,sweet music that was like, yet unlike, the song sung by the thrushin summer twilight. It was magical music such as none had ever heard,coming, as it seemed, from a great distance and rising and fallingon the quiet summer evening. All those at the feast wondered asthey listened. And well they might! For what to them was only music,was to Osseo a voice that he understood, a voice from the sky itself,the voice of the Evening Star. These were the words that he heard:

"Suffer no more, my son, for the evil spell is broken andhereafter no magician shall work you harm. Suffer no more. For thetime has come when you shall leave the earth and dwell here withme in the heavens. Before you is a dish on which my light has fallen,blessing it and giving it a magic virtue. Eat of this dish, Osseo,and all will be well."

So Osseo tasted the food before him and behold! The tipi beganto tremble, and rose slowly into the air; up, up above the treetops-- up, up toward the stars. As it rose the things within it werewondrously changed. The kettles of clay became bowls of silver,the wooden dishes were scarlet shells, while the bark of the roofand the poles supporting it were transformed into some glitteringsubstance that sparkled in the rays of the stars. Higher and higherit rose. Then the nine proud sisters and their husbands were allchanged into birds. The men became robins, thrushes, and woodpeckers.The sisters were changed into various birds with bright plumage.The four who had chattered most, whose tongues were always wagging,now appeared in the feathers of the magpie and the blue jay.

Osseo sat gazing at Oweenee. Would she, too, change into a birdand be lost to him? The very thought of it made him bow his headwith grief. Then, as he looked at her once more, he saw her beautysuddenly restored, while the color of her garments was to be foundonly where the rainbows are made.

Again the tipi swayed and trembled as the currents of the air boreit higher and higher, into and above the clouds. Up, up, up -- untilat last it settled gently on the land of the Evening Star.

Osseo and Oweenee caught all the birds and put them in a greatsilver cage where they seemed quite content in each other's company.Scarcely was this done when Osseo's father, the king of the EveningStar, came to greet them. He was attired in a flowing robe, spunfrom stardust, and his long white hair hung like a cloud on hisshoulders.

"Welcome," he said, "my dear children. Welcome tothe kingdom in the sky that has always awaited you. The trials youhave passed through have been bitter, but you have borne them bravelyand now you will be rewarded for all your courage and devotion.Here you will live happily. Yet of one thing you must beware."

He pointed to a little star in the distance -- a little winkingstar, hidden from time to time by a cloud of vapor.

"On that star," he continued, "lives a magiciannamed Wabeno. He has the power to dart his rays, like so many arrows,at those he wishes to injure. He has always been my enemy. It washe who changed Osseo into an old man and cast him down on the earth.Be careful that his light does not fall on you. Luckily, his powerfor evil has been greatly weakened, for the friendly clouds havecome to my assistance and form a screen of vapor through which hisarrows cannot penetrate."

The happy pair fell upon their knees and kissed his hands in gratitude.

"But these birds," said Osseo, rising and pointing tothe cage. "Is this also the work of Wabeno, the magician?"

"No," answered the king of the Evening Star. "Itwas my own power, the power of love, that caused your tipi to riseand bear you here. It was likewise my power that the envious sistersand their husbands were transformed into birds. Because they hatedyou and mocked you, and were cruel and scornful to the weak andthe old, I have done this thing. It is not so great a punishmentas they deserve. Here in the silver cage they will be happy enough,proud of their handsome plumage, strutting and twittering to theirhearts' content. Hang the cage there, at the doorway of my dwelling.They shall be well cared for."

Thus it was that Osseo and Oweenee came to live in the kingdomof the Evening Star and, as the years passed by, the little winkingstar where Wabeno, the magician, lived grew pale and paler and dimand dimmer, until it quite lost its power to harm. Meanwhile, alittle son had come to make their happiness more perfect. He wasa charming boy with dark, dreamy eyes of his mother and the strengthand courage of Osseo.

It was a wonderful place for a little boy to live -- close to thestars and the moon, with the sky so near that it seemed a kind ofcurtain for his bed and all the glory of the heavens spread outbefore him. But sometimes he was lonely and wondered what Earthwas like -- the Earth his father and mother had come from. He couldsee it far, far below -- so fare that it looked no bigger than anorange. And sometimes he would stretch out his hands toward it,just as the little children on Earth stretch out their hands forthe moon.

His father had made him a bow, with little arrows, and this wasa great delight to him. But still he was lonely and wondered whatthe little boys and girls on Earth were doing, and whether theywould be nice to play with. Earth must be a pretty place, he thought,with so many people living on it. His mother had told him strangestories of that faraway land, with its lovely lakes and rivers,its great green forests where the deer and the squirrel lived, andthe yellow rolling prairies swarming with buffalo.

These birds, too, in the great silver cage had come from Earth,he was told. And there were thousands and thousands just like them,as well as others even more beautiful that he had never seen atall. Swans with long, curved necks, that floated gracefully on thewaters, whippoorwills that called at night from the woods, the robinredbreast, the dove, and the swallow. What wonderful birds theymust be!

Sometimes he would sit near the cage, trying to understand thelanguage of the feathered creatures inside. One day a strange ideacame into his head. He would open the door of the cage and let themout. Then they would fly back to Earth and perhaps they would takehim with them. When his father and mother missed him they wouldbe sure to follow him to Earth, and then --

He could not quite see how it would all end. But he found himselfquite close to the cage, and the first thing he knew he had openedthe door and let out all the birds. Round and round they flew. Andnow he was half sorry, and a little afraid as well. If the birdsflew back to Earth and left him there what would his grandfathersay?

"Come back, comeback!" he called.

But the birds only flew around him in circles and paid no attentionto him. At any moment they might be winging their way to Earth.

"Come back, I tell you" he cried, stamping his foot andwaving his little bow. "Come back, I say, or I'll shoot you."

Then, as they would not obey him, he fitted an arrow to his bowand let it fly. So well did he aim that the arrow sped through theplumage of a bird, and the feathers fell all around. The bird itself,a little stunned but not much hurt, fell down and a tiny trickleof blood stained the ground where it lay. But it was no longer abird, with an arrow in its wing. Instead there lay in its placea beautiful young woman.

Now, no one who lives in the stars is ever permitted to shed blood,whether it be of man, beast, or bird. So when the few drops fellup the Evening Star everything was changed. The boy suddenly foundhimself sinking slowly downward, held up by invisible hands, yetever sinking closer and closer to Earth. Soon he could see its greenhills and the swans floating on the water. Until at last he restedon a grassy island in a great lake. Lying there, and looking upat the sky, he could see the tipi descending, too. Down it softlydrifted, until it in turn sank upon the island. And in it were hisfather and mother, Osseo and Oweenee -- returned to Earth, to liveonce more among men and women and to teach them how to live. Forthey had learned many things in their life upon the Evening Starand the children of Earth would be better for the knowledge.

As they stood there, hand in hand, all the enchanted birds camefluttering after them, falling and fluttering through the air. Thenas each one touched the Earth it was no longer a bird but a humanbeing...

Each was a human being, yet not quite as before. For now they wereonly dwarfs, Little People, or Puk-Wudjies, as the Indians calledthem. Happy Little People they became, seen only by a few. Fishermen,they say, would sometimes get a glimpse of them dancing on a summernight in the light of the Evening Star.

The Little People became great helpers to humans. They warn ofpending danger and find plants deep in the forest to cure the sick.It is now a custom to honor the Little People with gifts tied totiny poles stuck in the ground near the place where they live.

http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Child-Of-The-Evening-Star...