Latest / Old Native American Legends / 007 - The Tree-bound

Transcript

007 - The Tree-bound · Old Native American Legends

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Old Indian Legends by Zitkala Shah, Section seven. This is
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Old Indian Legends Section seven. The tree Bound. It was
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: a clear summer day. The blue blue sky dropped low
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: over the edge of the green level land. A large
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: yellow sun hung directly overhead. The singing of birds filled
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: the summer space between earth and sky with sweet music.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: Again and again sang a yellow breasted birdie Coda knee
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: dakhoda Koda knee Dakota. He insisted upon it, Koda knee Dakota,
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: which was friend yor a Dakota friend yor a Dakota.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: Perchance the bird he meant the avenger with the magic arrow.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: For there across the plain he strode. He was handsome
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: in his paint and feathers, proud with his great buckskin
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: quiver on his back and a long bow in his hand.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: Afar to an eastern camp of cone shaped teepees. He
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: was going there. Over the Indian village hovered a large
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: red eagle, threatening the safety of the people. Every morning
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: rose this terrible bird out of a high chalked bluff,
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: and spreading out his gigantic wings, sword slowly over the
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: round campground. Then it was that the people, terror stricken,
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: ran screaming into their lodges, covering their heads with their blankets.
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: They sat trembling with fear. No one dared to venture
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: out till the red eagle had disappeared beyond the west
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: where meet the blue and Green. In vain tried the
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: chieftain of the tribe to find among his warriors a
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: powerful marksman who could send a death arrow to the
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: man hungry bird. At last, to urge his men to
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: their utmost skill, he bade his crier proclaim a new
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: reward of the chieftain's two beautiful daughters. He would have
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: his choice, who brought the dreaded red eagle with him
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: arrow in its breast. Upon hearing these words, the men
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: of the village, both young and old, both heroes and cowards,
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: trimmed new arrows for the contest. At gray Dawn, there
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: stood indistinct under the shadow of the bluff, many human figures,
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: silent as ghosts and wrapped in robes, girdled tight about
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: their waists. They waited with chosen bow and arrow. Some
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: cunning old warriors stayed not with the group. They crouched
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: low upon the open ground, but all eyes alike were
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: fixed upon the top of the high bluff. Breathless, they
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: watched for the soaring of the red eagle from within
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: in the dwellings, many eyes peeped through the small holes
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: in the front lapels of the teepee with shaking knees
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: and hard set teeth. The women peered out upon the
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: Dakota men prowling about with bows and arrows at length,
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: when the morning sun also peeped over the eastern horizon
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: at the armed Dakotas, the red eagle walked out upon
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: the edge of the cliff, Pluming his gorgeous feathers, he
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: ruffled his neck and flapped his strong wings together. Then
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: he dived into the air. Slowly he winged his way
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: over the round campground, over the men with their strong
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: bows and arrows. In an instant, the long bows were bent.
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: Strong arrows with red feathered tips sped upward into the
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: blue sky. Ah slowly moved those indifferent wings, untouched by
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: the poison beaked arrows, off to the west, beyond the
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: reach of arrow. Beyond the reach of eye, the red
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: eagle flew away. A sudden clamor of high pitched voices
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: broke the deadly stillness of the dawn. The women talked
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: excitedly about the invulnerable red of the eagle's feathers, while
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: the would be heroes sulked within their wigwams. He he groaned.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: The chieftain. On the evening of the same day, sat
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: a group of hunters around a bright burning fire. They
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: were talking of a strain young man whom they spied
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: while out upon a hunt for deer. Beyond the bluffs.
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: They saw the stranger taking aim. Following the point of
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: his arrow with their eyes they beheld a herd of buffalo.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: The arrow sprang from the bow. It darted into the
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: skull of the foremost buffalo, But unlike other arrows, it
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: pierced through the head of the creature, and, spinning in
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: the air, lit into the next buffalo head. One by one,
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: the buffalo fell upon the sweet grass they were grazing.
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: With straight, quivering limbs. They lay on their sides. The
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: young man stood calmly by counting on his fingers the
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: buffalo as they dropped dead to the ground. When the
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: last one fell, he ran thither, and, picking up his
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: magic arrow, wiped it carefully on the soft grass. He
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: slipped it into his long fringed quiver. He is going
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: to make a feast for some hungry tribe of men
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: or beasts, cried the hunters among themselves, as they hastened away.
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: They were afraid of the stranger with the sacred arrow.
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: When the hunter's tail of the stranger's arrow reached the
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: ears of the chieftain, his face brightened with a smile.
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: He sent forth fleet horsemen to learn of him, his birth,
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: his name, and his deeds. If he is the avenger
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: with the magic arrow sprung up from the earth out
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: of a clot of buffalo blow ud, bid him come hither.
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: Let him kill the red eagle with his magic arrow.
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: Let him win for himself one of my beautiful daughters,
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: he had said to the messengers, for the old story
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: of the Badger's man son was known all over the
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: level lands. After four days and nights the braves returned.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: He is coming, they said, we have seen him. He
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: is straight and tall, handsome in face, with large black eyes.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: He paints his round cheeks with bright red and wears
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: the penciled lines of red over his temples, like our
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: men of honored rank. He carries on his back a
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: long fringed quiver in which he keeps his magic eyes arrow.
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: His bow is long and straight. He is coming now
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: to kill the big red eagle. All around the campground,
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: from mouth to ear passed these words of the returned messengers.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: Now it chanced that immortal Iktomi, fully recovered from the
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: brown burnt spots, overheard the people talking. At once. He
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: was filled with a new desire. If only I had
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: the magic arrow, I would kill the red eagle and
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: win the chieftain's daughter for a wife, said he in
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: his heart. Back to his lonely wigwam, he hastened beneath
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: the tree in front of his teepee. He sat upon
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: the ground with chin between his drawn up knees. His
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: keen eyes scanned the wide play. He was watching for
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: the avenger. He is coming, said the people, muttered old Iktomai.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: All of a sudden, he raised an open palm to
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: his brow and peered afar into the west. The summer
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: sun hung bright in the middle of a cloudless sky.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: There across the green prairie was a man walking bareheaded
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: toward the east. Ha ha tis he the man with
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: the magic airw laughed ik Toomai, and when the bird
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: with the yellow breast sang loud again, Koda knee, Dakota, friend,
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: you are a dakota. Ik Toomai put his hand over
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: his mouth as he threw his head far backward, laughing
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: at both the bird and the man. He is your friend,
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: but his arrow will kill one of your kind. He
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: is a dakota, but soon he'll grow into the bark
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: of this tree. Ha ha ha, he laughed again. The
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: young avenger walked with swaying strides, nearer and nearer toward
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: the lonely wigwam and tree. Iktomai heard the swish swish
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: of the stranger's feet through the tall grass. He was
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: passing now beyond the tree, when Iktomi, springing to his feet,
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: called out, how how, my friend, I see you are
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: dressed in handsome deerskins and have red paint on your cheeks.
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: You are going to some feast or dance? May I ask?
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: Seeing the young man only smile, Iktomi went on, I
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: have not had a mouthful of food this day, have
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: pity on me, young brave, and shoot yonder bird for me.
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: With these words, Iktomi pointed toward the tree top, where
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: sat a bird on the highest branch. The young avenger,
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: always ready to help those in distress, sent an arrow upward,
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: and the bird fell in the next branch. It was
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: caught between the forked prongs. My friend, climbed the tree
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: and get the bird. I cannot climb so high. I
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: would get dizzy and fall, pleaded Iktomai. The avenger began
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: to scale the tree, when Iktomi cried to him, my friend,
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: your beaded buckskins may be torn by the branches. Leave
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: them safe upon them the grass till you are down again.
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: You are right, replied the young man, quickly slipping off
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: his long fringed quiver together with his dangling pouches and
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: tinkling ornaments, he placed it on the ground. Now he
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: climbed the tree unhindered. Soon from the top he took
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: the bird. My friend, toss to me your arrow, that
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: I may have the honor of wiping it clean on
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: soft deer skin, exclaimed Iktomai. How said the brave, and
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: threw the bird and arrow to the ground at once.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: Iktomai seized the arrow, rubbing it first on the grass
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: and then on a piece of deer skin. He muttered
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: indistinct words all the while. The young man, stepping downward
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: from limb to limb, hearing the low muttering, said Iktomi,
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: I cannot hear what you say, oh my friend, I
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: was only talking of your big heart. Again, stooping over
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: the arrow, Iktomi continued his repetition of charm words grow fast,
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: grow fast to the bark of the tree, he whispered. Still,
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: the young man moved slowly downward, suddenly dropping the arrow
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: and standing erect. Iktomi said aloud, grow fast to the
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: bark of the tree. Before the brave could leap from
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: the tree, he became tight grown to the bark, Aha,
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: laughed the bad Iktomi. I have the magic arrow. I
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: have the beaded buckskins of the great Avenger. Hooting and
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: dancing beneath the tree, he said, I shall kill the
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: red eagle. I shall wed the Chieftain's beautiful daughter. Oh
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: Iktomai set me free, begged the tree bound Da Kota Brave.
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: But Iktomay's ears were like the fungus on a tree.
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: He did not hear with them. Wearing the handsome buckskins
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: and carrying proudly the magic arrow in his right hand,
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: he started off eastward, imitating the swaying strides of the avenger.
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: He walked away with a face turned slightly skyward. Oh
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: set me free. I'm glued to the tree like its
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: own bark. Cut me loose, moaned the prisoner. A young woman,
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: carrying on her strong back a bundle of lightly bound
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: willow sticks, passed near by the lonely teepee. She heard
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: the wailing man's voice. She paused to listen to the
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: sad words. Looking around, she saw nowhere a human creature.
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: It may be a spirit, thought she. Oh, cut me loose,
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: set me free. Iktomi has played me false. He has
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: made me bark of his tree, cried the voice again.
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: The young woman dropped her pack of firewood to the ground.
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: With her stone axe, she hurried to the tree. There
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: before her astonished eyes clung a young brave close to
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: the tree, Too shy for words, yet too kind hearted
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: to leave the stranger rebound. She cut loose the whole
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: bar like an open jacket. She drew it to the ground.
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: With it came the young man also free once more,
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: he started away, Looking backward a few paces from the
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: young woman, he waved his hand upward and downward before
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: her face. This was a sign of gratitude, used when
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: words fail to interpret strong emotion. When the bewildered woman
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: reached her dwelling, she mounted a pony and rode swiftly
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: across the rolling land to the campground in the east,
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: to the chieftain. Troubled by the red eagle, she carried
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: her story and of section seven read by Robert Scott,
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: July the thirty first, two thousand and seven,