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    By the Side of the Fire
    By the Side of the Fire
    By the Side of the Fire
    Ebook113 pages2 hours

    By the Side of the Fire

    By Rony P

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    About this ebook

    Native American people have a rich oral tradition. History and heritage have been past down from generation to generation These and many others are the tales the Native American loved so much to hear beside the night fire. Under an open sky, nestling close to the earth, the old story-tellers have told these legends. I hope that these tales spark an interest in Native American folk lore.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRony P
    Release dateJan 20, 2012
    ISBN9781466022324
    By the Side of the Fire
    Author

    Rony P

    Rony P has been many things! A soldier, newspaper printer, law officer, manager, phone solicitor, criminal, husband, father, painter, and teacher, just to name a few. His home is Athens, Texas when he is in America. Right now he is travelling around China. He has a passion for the stories and fables told around the world, spending much of his spare time in collecting myths and fables.

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      Book preview

      By the Side of the Fire - Rony P

      Introduction

      Native American people have a rich oral tradition. History and heritage have been past down from generation to generation. These tales are relics of our country's soil. These and many others are the tales the Native American loved so much to hear beside the night fire.

      For him the personified elements and other spirits played in a vast world right around the fire.

      There were other worlds of legendary folk for the young ones, such as The Star- Men of the Sky, The Thunder Birds Blinking Zigzag Lightning, and The Mysterious Spirits of Trees and Flowers.

      Under an open sky, nestling close to the earth, the old story-tellers have told these legends. I have tried to keep the tales, as close as I can to the original way that I heard them. These are just a few of the myths, legends, and fables that are told by the story tellers.

      I hope that these tales spark an interest in Native American folk lore, an interest which will strongly suggests our near kinship with the rest of humanity and points a steady finger toward the great brotherhood of mankind, and by which one is so forcibly impressed with the possible earnestness of life as seen through the story teller’s eyes! If it be true that much lies in the eye of the beholder, then in the Native American as in any other race, sincerity of belief, demands a little respect.

      ****

      Twisted Hair

      Twisted Hair is the Native American term of honor given to the storyteller. Their spirit could hear the heartbeat of Mother Earth and Father Sky.

      To become a storyteller you had to be recognized by an elder Twisted Hair. The Twisted Hair was the bearer of news from one village to the next and the source of gossip for the women of the tribe. They were the light spirit among all the people and made all the people one because the history of the people was kept by the Twisted Hair and passed down from generation to generation.

      The Twisted Hair carried very little with him as he wandered, for the people of the village he was visiting would gift him with food and shelter. He always carried a warm robe, his pipe and his storytellers' bag.

      Stories are usually only told when the weather is a bit nippy because everyone knows that bugs are terrible gossips. If one of them were to overhear a story, they would spread rumors and the story that the spirit is about might be offended. The Twisted Hairs knew so many stories that, in a sacred manner, they would gather clay from Mother Earth and make story tiles. The tiles were put in a leather bag and one of the children would be asked to pick one out. The symbol on the tile would remind him of a particular story.

      The Twisted Hair's pipe was wrapped in a skin given to him by his mother. This gift kept his family close by as he spent little time at home.

      When a Twisted Hair came into a village the children would run to greet him and all the people would stop their work, for they knew it was time to listen and learn. All the people would get their robes and gather in a circle around the Twisted Hair. The children would always be in the front of the circle. When anyone got cold they would pull their robes up around themselves, because unless it was an extreme emergency - no one ever left the circle of the Twisted Hair in the middle of a story, for to do so was a great dishonor.

      Before he told stories, the Twisted Hair always made a prayer fire. He offered tobacco to the Great Mystery and all our relations. Then he first honored the chief, then the elder men and women by offering them to share his pipe. Then he offered it to all others.

      When the storytelling was over, they would feast. The Twisted Hair would stay in the village from one to two weeks. Of all the people that traveled from village to village, he was the most beloved. So remember when you hear a story, you know that a Twisted Hair is nearby, either physically or in spirit.

      ****

      The Origin of Fire

      Long, long ago, animals and trees talked with each other, but there was no fire at that time. Fox was most clever and he tried to think of a way to create fire for the world.

      One day, he decided to visit the Geese, te-tl, whose cry he wished to learn how to imitate. They promised to teach him if he would fly with them. So they contrived a way to attach wings to Fox, but cautioned him never to open his eyes while flying.

      Whenever the Geese arose in flight, Fox also flew along with them to practice their cry. On one such adventure, darkness descended suddenly as they flew over the village of the fireflies, ko-na- tcic-a. In mid-flight, the glare from the flickering fireflies caused Fox to forget and he opened his eyes--instantly his wings collapsed! His fall was uncontrollable. He landed within the walled area of the firefly village, where a fire constantly burned in the center.

      Two kind fireflies came to see fallen Fox, who gave each one a necklace of juniper berries, katl-te-i-tse.

      Fox hoped to persuade the two fireflies to tell him where he could find a way over the wall to the outside. They led him to a cedar tree, which they explained would bend down upon command and catapult him over the wall if he so desired.

      That evening, Fox found the spring where fireflies obtained their water. There also, he discovered colored Earth, which when mixed with water made paint. He decided to give himself a coat of white. Upon returning to the village, Fox suggested to the fireflies, Let's have a festival where we can dance and I will produce the music.

      They all agreed that would be fun and helped to gather wood to build up a greater fire. Secretly, Fox tied a piece of cedar bark to his tail. Then he made a drum, probably the first one ever constructed, and beat it vigorously with a stick for the dancing fireflies. Gradually, he moved closer and closer to the fire.

      Fox pretended to tire from beating the drum. He gave it to some fireflies who wanted to help make the music. Fox quickly thrust his tail into the fire, lighting the bark, and exclaimed, It is too warm here for me, I must find a cooler place.

      Straight to the cedar tree Fox ran, calling, Bend down to me, my cedar tree, bend down!

      Down bent the cedar tree for Fox to catch hold, then up it carried him far over the wall. On and on he ran, with the fireflies in pursuit.

      As Fox ran along, brush and wood on either side of his path were ignited from the sparks dropping from the burning bark tied to his tail.

      Fox finally tired and gave the burning bark to Hawk, i-tsarl-tsu- i, who carried it to brown Crane, tsi-nes-tso-l. He flew far southward, scattering fire sparks everywhere. This is how fire first spread over the Earth.

      Fireflies continued chasing Fox all the way to his burrow and declared, Forever after, Wily Fox, your punishment for stealing our fire will be that you can never make use of it for yourself.

      ****

      How Rabbit Stole Otter’s Coat

      Long ago the Cherokee say, the animals had coats of many different colors and textures. Some had long hair and others had short hair. Some had lovely, decorated tails, but others had no tails at all. One day, a quarrel began between some of the animals because each thought his or her coat was the best looking. They called a council to determine which had the prettiest coat of all.

      Some said that Otter had a very fine coat, indeed, but no one knew for sure because they hardly ever saw him. They sent for Otter who lived far away up the creek and seldom came to visit, but they were certain he would come if he was invited.

      Rabbit wanted to win the contest. So always being the Trickster, he decided to figure out a way he could trick Otter out of his coat. He asked around until he learned the trail Otter would take to get to the council meeting, and secretly he went ahead on the journey which took four days until he met Otter.

      As soon as Rabbit saw Otter, he saw that Otter’s coat of soft, brown fur was, indeed, the most beautiful coat to be found among any of the animals, so he resolved to get it.

      When Rabbit saw Otter, he said in his most friendly manner, I am so glad to see you! The council members sent me to accompany you to the meeting because you live so far away and they were afraid you would get lost.

      Otter thanked Rabbit, and together they traveled all day toward the council ground. That night, Rabbit chose a resting place, knowing that Otter was a stranger to the area. In the morning, they continued their journey. In the afternoon, Rabbit began to pick up wood and bark which he placed on his back.

      Why do you pick up wood and carry it on your back? Otter asked him.

      I wish for us to be comfortable and warm when we stop tonight, Rabbit replied, and that evening the two stopped and made camp for the night.

      After supper, Rabbit took a stick and whittled it down to form a paddle. Otter asked him, What areyou doing that for?

      I have good dreams when I sleep with a paddle under my head, Rabbit said.

      After whittling the paddle, Rabbit began

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