Duchess of Weaselskin

Bayfield, Colorado - This week in southwest Colorado Rockies the golden leaves of Aspens have been steadily falling from their perch in the high elevations of Aspen groves. Golden leaves covering green mountain grasses. Remember when you were young in the Fall? You would rack the fallen leaves into a pile, throw a blanket over the top and make a leave bed. You can still do that, but it might be harder to get out of the leave bed in your aging years, huh?

They say we have a cold front coming through here Tuesday and/or Wednesday with a chance of showers and snow (in elevation above 10,000 feet). We shall see what comes our way at over 7600 feet! How's in looking in your neck of the woods?

This Saturday we dawned our OU football shirts to root the Sooner team on against the Texas Tech team, but only wish the outcome could have been better than Texas Tech (41) v. OU (38). Go Pokes (OSU - 45) for a great college football game against Missouri (24).

Good Night & Good Luck! View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

This Day In History (October 24)

America - It was on this day in 1945, October 24, that the United Nations charter took effect. Read the rest of the story HERE.

On Oct. 24, 1915, Bob Kane, the American cartoonist best known for creating 'Batman,' was born. Following his death on Nov. 3, 1998, his obituary appeared in The Times. Go to obituary.

On This Date, October 24:

• 1648 - The Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War and, effectively, the Holy Roman Empire.
• 1861 - The first transcontinental telegraph message was sent from California to President Abraham Lincoln.
• 1931 - The George Washington Bridge, connecting New York and New Jersey, was dedicated.
• 1940 - The 40-hour work week went into effect in the United States.
• 1952 - Republican presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower declared, "I shall go to Korea" as he promised to end the conflict.
• 1992 - The Toronto Blue Jays became the first team outside the United States to win a World Series as they defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in Game 6.
• 2003 - The era of supersonic jet travel came to an end as three British Airways Concordes landed at London's Heathrow Airport.
• 2005 - Civil rights activist Rosa Parks died at age 92.
• 2007 - Facebook Inc. sold a 1.6 percent stake to Microsoft Corp. for $240 million, spurning a competing offer from Google Inc.

NW Okie's Corner

Bayfield, Colorado - The Native American Encyclopedia on Facebook tells us that Sitting Bull once said, "Warriors are not what you think of as warriors. The warrior is not someone who fights, because no one has the right to take another life. The warrior, for us, is one who sacrifices himself for the good of others. His task is to take care of the elderly, the defenseless, those who cannot provide for themselves, and above all, the children, the future of humanity." Sitting Bull sounds very wise and familiar, doesn't he?

This week we bring you a bit of America's Native American Legends that, through our eyes, has been overlooked by many. Do you remember back in your school days of studying history, ever learning any of the Native American cultures or legends? You would think that would be a very important part of the history, wouldn't you?

Where would America be without it's Native American legends? And . . . Why wasn't it a part of the history that we studied in school? It should have been!

When and where has American's compassion gone? Has it left all Americans completely? Why is it that Americans no longer have that urge to take care of the elderly, defenseless, children, those who cannot provide for themselves and the future humanity?

On to another subject matter . . . we have heard from Kathryn Hermansen, in Aptos, CA (Email: k.b.herm@gmail.com) who is researching her HOOVER/HOLUB ancestry and asks, "I'm researching a line that includes Lucille Hoover [1910-1988] who married Emil Holub [1907-1989]. I have an obituary for Lucille, but not much else. Any help would be greatly appreciated."

Can anyone help Kathryn out? Thanks for your help!

Good Night & Good Luck searching your ancestry! View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Kenneth Dwight Pittman Bio

This is only an excerpt of a comment made recently, which concerns an OkieLegacy Ezine article that appeared in Vol. 13, Iss. 3, 2011-01-17, titled Kenneth Dwight Pittman Bio. Joy Maxine Graves left a comment and states, "The granddaughter that Mr. Pittman spoke of, Michelle Rene Graves, his daughter (Sharon's) daughter, is my niece."

Joy goes on to tell us, "She is actually about 3 weeks older than me. Her father (my brother) Ray J. Graves passed on when she and I were 2 years old. Sharon moved her & Michelle up from Redondo to San Leandro short after my brother passed and so our contact with her was about extinct."

"My father went and saw her from a distance when she was 15, across in a parking lot in San Leandro, I do not know that she ever knew he was there. She had contacted us, to our surprise out of the blue shortly after we moved from Santa Ana up to Salem, Oregon. She was about 13 and said she had tracked us down thru a school computer. We were so happy to have heard from her, and she expressed how much she missed and loved us, and thought about us all the time, same as we had always felt about her."

"My father took ill in 2006, and while on his death bed, my 1/2 brother told our father and I that he still was in frequent contact with Michelle at that time, and that she had actually moved up to Oregon to be nearer to us. He said she had married and had 2 daughters, was working and doing real good."

"A short while later, I decided to make a trip down to San Leandro to meet Mr. Pittman. Though I was unexpected, he was very nice and invited mother and I in for a visit. He told me of the years we'd missed of her life, but unfortunately, he didn't have any pictures of Michelle to see, all boxed away he said, the pictures of she and Sharon, even his wife, all the loved ones who'd passed."

"I understood, though, still I wonder what she looked like all grown up, I hadn't seen her since we were 5, and to that point, we had been very close, until she moved up north and her mother had began to move on. Sharon was never married to my brother. Though, I had tried over the years to find them, I was never given a clue where to look other than in Redondo."

"I would sure like to reconnect with them so I could Learn about my niece and her life. Maybe even see a picture of her grown up."

"We were 18 when she was ejected out of the sunroof from the back seat of that car at 19 I was diagnosed "terminally ill" and told I would not live to see 20. Sharon never recovered from losing Michelle, which drastically reduced her life force."

"Maybe somehow through here? Here is my contact information just in case: Reverend Joy M. Graves - my email is: joy.m.graves@gmail.com - I have 2 mailing addresses in Oregon, one is: 1065 Glenview Way NW Salem, Or 970304 , and the other is 1630 N. Curtin Road Cottage Grove, OR 97424."

"If Anyone knows or is willing to share anything about my niece, I would so much appreciate it! Sorry if I've seemed to carry on. I tend to do that, especially about things that mean so very much to me. I hope I cause no upset. I've just been trying for so long to find any possible thread to her. I look forward to finding more. Bountiful blessings and well wishes everyone, you're doing good things!" View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Chief Sitting Bull (1831-1890)

America - Sitting Bull (Tatanka-Iyotanka) was a Hunkpapa lokota chief and holy man, whom the Lokota tribes united in their struggle for survival on the northern plains. Sitting bull remained defiant toward American military power and contemptuous of American promises to the end.

Tatanka-Iyotanka was born around 1831 on the Grand River in what is now present day South Dakota, at a place the Lakota called "many Caches" for the number of food storage pits they had dug there. The name Tatanka-Iyotanka describes a buffalo bull sitting on its haunches. Sitting Bull would live up to his name throughout his life.

Sitting Bull became a young leader of the Strong Heart warrior society and a distinguished member of the Silent Eaters, a group concerned with tribal welfare. He first went to battle at the age of 14 years in a raid on the Crow. He saw his first encounter with American soldiers in June, 1863 when the army mounted a broad campaign in retaliation for the Santee Rebellion in Minnesota.

The next year Sitting Bull fought US troops again at the Battle of Killdeer Mountain. In 1865 Sitting Bull led a siege against the newly established Fort Rice in in present-day North Dakota. Sitting Bull was respected for his bravery and insight and became head chief of the Lakota nation about 1868.

Have you heard the legend and courage of Sitting Bull in 1872, when during a battle with soldiers protecting railroad workers on the yellowstone River, Sitting Bull led four other warriors out between the lines and sat calmly sharing a pipe with them as bullets buzzed around, carefully reamed the pipe out when they were finished and then casually walked away.

Remember from your history, when in 1874 the US Army was led in an expedition by General George Armstrong Custer confirmed that gold had been discovered in the Black Hills of Dakota Territory, an area sacred to many tribes and placed off-limits to white settlement by the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868.

Prospectors began a rush for gold in the Black Hills, which pro coked the Lakota to defend their land. Wouldn't you defend your sacred land if you were in their place? When the government efforts to purchase the Black Hills failed, the Fort Laramie Treaty was set aside and the commissioner of Indian Affairs decreed that all Lakota not on reservations by January 31, 1876, would be considered hostile. BUT . . . Sitting Bull and his people held their ground!

Could the moral to this story be, "Hold your ground when you know what is right for all!" View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Goodspeed's History of Rhea County

Rhea County, Tennessee - We have been looking for history books online at Google and Amazon for The History of Rhea County Tennessee to help in our Johnson-McGill (paternal) ancestry. Someone sent us a link to the following website for Goodspeed's History of Rhea County, published by Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1887. I will only put the first two paragraphs here and let you wonder over to the site to learn more.

It states, "RHEA COUNTY lies on the left bank of the Tennessee River, and is divided between the valley of East Tennessee and the Cumberland table-land. Parallel with the Tennessee River are a series of broken knobs, between which and Walden's Ridge is a narrow valley, extending the entire length of the county. The principal streams are White Creek, Clear Creek, Big and Little Richland, Sole Creek, Muddy Creek and Piney River. Like other counties through which Walden's Ridge passes, it is rich in coal, iron and limestone.

"The settlement of the county dates back to the beginning of the century. In 1805, by treaty. the Cherokees relinquished all right and title to the lands. An Indian agency was then established on the Tennessee River in the southern part of the county, where a fort covering an area of about two acres was constructed. It was used until 1819, when the agency was removed to the site of the present town of Charleston, in Bradley County. The Hiwassee purchase having been made in that year the limits of the county were extended south of the Tennessee River to include the greater portion of the present county of Meigs." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

An Iroquois Legend

America - Have you ever wondered how the chipmunks got their stripes? Does this sound non-sense to you? Living here in the Southwest Rockies of Colorado we have lots of chipmunks around here and I love watching their every little movement.

I love learning Indian legends and the following is one that I am intrigued with. As found on Native American Encyclopedia on Facebook, I found this uniquely interesting on "How Chipmunks got their stripes."

"A grandmother and granddaughter were living together. They had a skin blanket, ut it was old and a good deal of the hair was worn off.

"The two women went to the forest to camp and cut wood, and they carried the blanket to cover themselves with at night. They had been in the forest only a few days when they found hat their skin blanket was alive and was angry. They threw the blanket down and ran toward home as fast as they could go. Soon they heard the skin following them.

"When it seemed very near the grandmother began to sing and her song said,"My granddaughter and I are running for our lives."

"When the song ended, the women could scarcely hear the skin following them, but not long afterward they heard it again. When they reached home, the skin, now a bear, was so near that as they pushed open the door it clawed at them and scratched their backs, but they got in.

"The old woman and her granddaughter were chipmunks. Since that time chipmunks have stripes on their backs, the result of the scratches given by the bear. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Native American's & Their Legends

America - Has the time come to listen to echoes from our land. The wisdom and teachings of our Native American Indians. Their words were simple and their voices were soft. Why have we not heard them or taken the time to open our ears and our hearts to the words of wisdom they have to say and listened to them?

Some of the more "popular groups of Native Americans were the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Chippewa, Choctas (Chocktaw), Creeks, Delawares, Iowa, Kansa, Kickapoo, Menominee, Miami, Osage Ottawa, Potawatami, Sauk and Foxes, Sioux, Seneca, Winnebago, Wyandot, Six and Seven Nations.

Let us start out with a Abenaki (Blackfoot) Legends. Have you heard the "Abenaki Creation Story - the Importance of Dreaming?" It goes something like the following:

"The Great Spirit, in a time not known to us looked about and saw nothing. No colors, no beauty. Time was silent in darkness. There was no sound. Nothing could be seen or felt. The Great Spirit decided to fill this space with light and life.

"From his great power he commanded the sparks of creation. He ordered Tôlba, the Great Turtle to come from the waters and become the land. The Great Spirit molded the mountains and the valleys on turtle's back. He put white clouds into the blue skies. He was very happy.He said, "Everything is ready now. I will fill this place with the happy movement of life."He thought and thought about what kind of creatures he would make.

"Where would they live? What would they do? What would their purpose be? He wanted a perfect plan. He thought so hard that he became very tired and fell asleep.

"His sleep was filled with dreams of his creation. He saw strange things in his dream. He saw animals crawling on four legs, some on two. Some creatures flew with wings, some swam with fins. There were plants of all colors, covering the ground everywhere. Insects buzzed around, dogs barked, birds sang, and human beings called to each other. Everything seemed out of place. The Great Spirit thought he was having a bad dream. He thought, nothing could be this imperfect.

"When the Great Spirit awakened, he saw a beaver nibbling on a branch. He realized the world of his dream became his creation. Everything he dreamed about came true. When he saw the beaver make his home, and a dam to provide a pond for his family to swim in, he then knew every thing has it's place, and purpose in the time to come.

"It has been told among our people from generation to generation. We must not question our dreams. They are our creation." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Caddo - Crow Legend

America - Our next Native American Legends takes us to the legend of the "Buffalo Woman, A Story of Magic." Have you heard this Caddo (Crow) legend about the Bufflo Woman and a story of magic?

As this story goes, there was a Snow Bird, the Caddo medicine man, who had a handsome son. When the boy was old enough to be given a man's name, Snow Bird called him Braveness because of his courage as a hunter. There were many of the girls in the Caddo village who wanted to win Braveness as a husband, but he paid little attention to any of them.

There was one morning that Braveness started out for a day of hunting. While he was walking along looking for wild game, he saw someone ahead of him sitting under a small elm tree. He approached and was surprised to find that the person was a young woman and he started to turn aside.

"Come here," she called to him in a pleasant voice. Braveness went up to her and saw that she was very young and very beautiful.

"I knew you were coming here," she said, "and so I came to meet you."

"You are not of my people," he replied. "How did you know that I was coming this way?"

"I am Buffalo Woman," she said. "I have seen you many times before, from afar. I want you to take me home with you and let me stay with you."

"I can take you home with me," Braveness answered her, "but you must ask my parents if you can stay with us."

They started for his home at once, and when they arrived there Buffalo Woman asked Braveness's parents if she could stay with them and become the young man's wife. "If Braveness wants you for his wife, we will be pleased," said Snow Bird, the medicine man. "It is time that he had someone to love."

And so Braveness and Buffalo Woman were married in the custom of the Caddo people and lived happily together for several moons. One day she asked him, "Will you do whatever I may ask of you, Braveness?"

"Yes," he replied, "if what you ask is not unreasonable."

"I want you to go with me to visit my people."

Braveness said that he would go, and the next day they started for her home, she leading the way. After they had walked a long distance they came to some high hills, and all at once she turned round and looked at Braveness and said: "You promised me that you would do anything I say."

"Yes," he answered.

"Well," she said, "my home is on the other side of this high hill. I will tell you when we get to my mother. I know there will be many coming there to see who you are, and some may provoke you and try to make you angry, but do not allow yourself to become angry with any of them. Some may try to kill you."

"Why should they do that?" asked Braveness.

"Listen to what I am about to tell you," she said. "I knew you before you knew me. Through magic I made you come to me that first day. I said that some will try to make you angry, and if you show anger at even one of them, the others will join in fighting you until they have killed you. They will be jealous of you. The reason is that I refused many who wanted me."

"But you are now my wife," Braveness said.

"I have told you what to do when we get there," Buffalo Woman continued. "Now I want you to lie down on the ground and roll over twice."

Braveness smiled at her, but he did as she had told him to do. He rolled over twice, and when he stood up he found himself changed into a Buffalo.

For a moment Buffalo Woman looked at him, seeing the astonishment in his eyes. Then she rolled over twice, and she also became a Buffalo. Without saying a word she led him to the top of the hill. In the valley off to the west, Braveness could see hundreds and hundreds of Buffalo.

"They are my people," said Buffalo Woman. "This is my home."

When the members of the nearest herd saw Braveness and Buffalo Woman coming, they began gathering in one place, as though waiting for them. Buffalo Woman led the way, Braveness following her until they reached an old Buffalo cow, and he knew that she was the mother of his beautiful wife.

For two moons they stayed with the herd. Every now and then, four or five of the young Buffalo males would come around and annoy Braveness, trying to arouse his anger, but he pretended not to notice hem. One night, Buffalo Woman told him that she was ready to go back to his home, and they slipped away over the hills.

When they reached the place where they had turned themselves into Buffalo, they rolled over twice on the ground and became a man and a woman again. "Promise me that you will not tell anyone of this magical transformation," Buffalo Woman said. "If people learn about it, something bad will happen to us."

They stayed at Braveness's home for twelve moons, and then Buffalo Woman asked him again to go with her to visit her people. They had not been long in the valley of the Buffalo when she told Braveness that the young males who were jealous of him were planning to have a foot-race. "They will challenge you to race and if you do not outrun them they will kill you," she said.

That night Braveness could not sleep. He went out to take a long walk. It was a very dark night without moon or stars, but he could feel the presence of the Wind spirit.

"You are young and strong," the Wind spirit whispered to him, "but you cannot outrun the Buffalo without my help. If you lose, they will kill you. If you win, they will never challenge you again.

"What must I do to save my life and keep my beautiful wife?" asked Braveness. The Wind spirit gave him two things. "One of these is a magic herb," said the Wind spirit.

"The other is dried mud from a medicine wallow. If the Buffalo catch up with you, first throw behind you the magic herb. If they come too close to you again, throw down the dried mud."

The next day was the day of the race. At sunrise the young Buffalo gathered at the starting place. When Braveness joined them, they began making fun of him, telling him he was a man buffalo and therefore had not the power to outrun them. Braveness ignored their jeers, and calmly lined up with them at the starting point.

An old Buffalo started the race with a loud bellow, and at first Braveness took the lead, running very swiftly. But soon the others began gaining on him, and when he heard their hard breathing close upon his heels, he threw the magic herb behind him. By this time he was growing very tired and thought he could not run any more. He looked back and saw one Buffalo holding his head down and coming very fast, rapidly closing the space between him and Braveness. Just as this Buffalo was about to catch up with him, Braveness threw down the dried mud from the medicine wallow.

Soon he was far ahead again, but he knew that he had used up the powers given him by the Wind spirit. As he neared the goal set for the race, he heard the pounding of hooves coming closer behind him. At the last moment, he felt a strong wind on his face as it passed him to stir up dust and keep the Buffalo from overtaking him. With the help of the Wind spirit, Braveness crossed the goal first and won the race. After that, none of the Buffalo ever challenged him again, and he and Buffalo Woman lived peacefully with the herd until they were ready to return to his Caddo people.

Not long after their return to Braveness's home, Buffalo Woman gave birth to a handsome son. They named him Buffalo Boy, and soon he was old enough to play with the other children of the village. One day while Buffalo Woman was cooking dinner, the boy slipped out of the lodge and went to join some other children at play. They played several games and then decided to play that they were Buffalo. Some of them lay on the ground to roll like Buffalo, and Buffalo Boy also did this. When he rolled over twice, he changed into a real Buffalo calf. Frightened by this, the other children ran for their lodges.

About this time his mother came out to look for him, and when she saw the children running in fear she knew that something must be wrong. She went to see what had happened and found her son changed into a Buffalo calf. Taking him up in her arms, she ran down the hill, and as soon as she was out of sight of the village she turned herself into a Buffalo and with Buffalo Boy started off toward the west.

Late that evening when Braveness returned from hunting he could find neither his wife nor his son in the lodge. He went out to look for them, and someone told him of the game the children had played and of the magic that had changed his son into a Buffalo calf.

At first, Braveness could not believe what they told him, but after he had followed his wife's tracks down the hill and found the place where she had rolled he knew the story was true. For many moons, Braveness searched for Buffalo Woman and Buffalo Boy, but he never found them again. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Tlingit Legend of Adam and Eve

America - This Native American legend is also a legend of the Thompson and Tlingit legend of when the Earth was very young and only two people lived on it. A man called A'taam and a woman called Iim. The Chief lived in the upper world, while the Outcast lived in the lower world.

As always, they were enemies of each other. They tried to do each other harm. The Chief was the more powerful, and he frequently visited the Earth and talked with A'taam and Iim.

One day the Outcast created an animal like a horse, making it appear before the man and woman. When the latter saw it, she said, "That is Chief come to visit us." But A;team said it was not. At last, he believed it must be the Chief and they went and spoke with it.

Soon afterwards the Chief appeared, and they recognized the difference. Chief was angry and said, "Why do you mistake the Outcast for me and converse with him? Have I not told you he is evil and will do you harm?" Looking at the animal, the Chief said to the couple, "Well, since this beast is here, I will so transform him that he will be useful to you."

The Chief wetted both his thumbs, pressed them on the animal's front legs, and thus marked him, saying, "Henceforth you will be a horse and a servant and plaything of the people, who will ride you, and use you for many purposes. You will be a valuable slave of man."

Now the mosquitoes were tormenting the horse very much, so the Chief plucked some long grass which grew near by, and threw it at the animal's backside, and it became a long tail. He also threw some on the horse's neck, and it became a mane. He said, "Henceforth you will be able to protect yourself from the mosquitoes."

Then he plucked out more grass, and threw it ahead of the horse, saying, "That will be your food." It turned into bunch grass, which soon spread over the whole country.

The Chief departed, telling the man and woman he would soon return and show them which trees bore the proper kinds of food to eat. Hitherto they had eaten no fruit, for they did not know the edible varieties. At that time all trees bore fruit, and the pines and firs in particular had large sweet fruit. The Outcast soon appeared again, pretending to be the Chief, he took the large long fruit of the white pine, and gave it to him.

Iim thought he was the Chief, ate the fruit as directed, and gave some to A'taam. Then the Outcast disappeared and all the fruit on the trees withered up, and became transformed into cones. Some kinds shriveled up to a small size, and became berries.

When the Chief came and saw what had happened, he sent the woman to live with the Outcast. The Chief took A'taam, and broke off his lower rib, and made a woman out of it. This rib-woman became A'taam's wife, and bore many children to him. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Tewa - Ute Legends

America - Have you ever wondered how to scare a bear? The Tewa (Ute) legend of "How To Scare A Bear" might have some insight to help you. But . . . not sure I would try it. Have you heard of this Ute legend? The legend starts out "Long ago and far away this did not happen."

On top of Red Rock Hill there lived a little rabbit. Prickly pears were his favorite food. Every day he would hunt for them along the east bank of the Rio Grande. Eventually he ate all the prickly pears along that bank, so he cast his hungry eyes across the river. He said to himself, "I'll bet plenty of them grow over there. Now, how am I going to get across the river to look?"

The rabbit knew the river was too deep and too wide for him to swim on his own, and he sighed, "Oh, how I wish that Uncle Fast Water, who moves the current, were here to take me across."

Fast Water heard and replied, "Child, I'm lying right here. What can I do for you?"

The little rabbit leaped toward the sound. "Uncle, so this is where you live!"

"Yes, this is the place," said his uncle. "What kind of work do you want from me?"

"I want to cross the river to pick prickly pears, but the water is too deep and too wide for me. Will you help me get across? "Fast Water agreed, so the little rabbit sat on top of his head. "Splash! Splash! Splash!" went the water, and quickly the two were on the other side. "Be sure and call me when you want to come back," Fast Water said when they landed.

The rabbit wanted to get home before night fell, so he wasted no time but went right to picking and eating prickly pears. Then Brother Bear appeared. "Little Rabbit!" "Yes, Brother Bear?" "My! What a pretty necklace you have."

"Yes, isn't it?" "I want to make a bet with you for that necklace," said Brother Bear. "I'm willing to bet my red necklace for yours. If I win, you'll give me yours, and if you win, I'll give you mine." Little rabbit agreed, and they arranged to meet at noon the next day in the same spot.

That afternoon the little rabbit returned to the river, and his uncle easily carried him back across the water. "Tomorrow you must wait for me, Uncle. I have placed a bet with Brother Bear, and I'll need you to carry me across the river again!" "I'll wait for you," replied his uncle. "I know you'll win."

The next day the little rabbit got up early and hurried to meet Brother Bear. Because of his early start, he arrived first and decided to stroll in the woods. As he was hopping around, he spotted an old horse bell that still had a dried-up piece of leather tied to it. He hung it around his neck, and with each jump the bell went "Clank! Clank!" the little rabbit said to himself, "I think this bell will come in very handy with Brother Bear." And he hid the bell carefully in the woods.

When noon came, Brother Bear appeared. "You're here early," he said. "Yes," answered the little Rabbit, but he said nothing more. The two picked a place in the dense wooded area to have their contest. Then Brother Bear made a circle on the ground with a stick. "Little Rabbit, you can go first," said Brother Bear. "Oh no," said the little rabbit. "You wanted to bet, and you should go first."

"Yes, I'll go first. I'll bet you I'm the braver of us two. See that circle? You sit in it, and if you move even a little from where you're sitting I win." Little Rabbit sat down, and Brother Bear took off into the woods. A few minutes later the rabbit heard strange sounds.

Aaah...Aaaah...Aaah...
Tweet...Tweet...Tweet...
Aaah...Aaaah...Aaah...
Tweet...Tweet...Tweet...

"I know that's Brother Bear," thought the little rabbit. "He's trying to scare me, but I won't move."

Closer and closer came the strange sounds. Suddenly, with a crash, a great big tree came tumbling down and barely missed the little rabbit.

"You moved! You moved! I saw you move!" shouted Brother Bear. "No, I didn't move. Come and see for yourself," answered the rabbit. Brother Bear couldn't find any foot marks and had to agree that the little rabbit had not moved at all.

Little Rabbit said to Brother Bear, "Now you must sit in this circle as I did in yours." The rabbit drew a circle, and Brother Bear sat in it.

Leaving Brother Bear sitting in the circle, the rabbit headed into the woods. He just put the old horse bell around his neck and headed toward the place where Brother Bear was waiting.

After he had hopped a few steps, the little rabbit stopped, rang the horse bell, and sang:

Ah nana-na --- Ah nana-na ---
Is cha-nay --- Cha nana-ne ---
Coo ha ya
Where are you sitting, my bear friend?

When Brother Bear heard this, he thought, "That's not my friend Little Rabbit. This is something else altogether. "Coming closer to the circle where Brother Bear was sitting, the little rabbit rang his horse bell louder and sang his song once more. Brother Bear, growing really frightened, stood up and ran. The little rabbit jumped out and called, "You've lost! Let me have your necklace!"

As the story goes, the little rabbit defeated Brother Bear. And today if you see a rabbit around the Tewa country, and if he has a red ring around his neck, you can be sure that the rabbit is descended from the little rabbit who won Brother Bear's pretty red necklace. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe