Post by blackcrowheart on Mar 7, 2008 12:59:26 GMT -5
Flying-Squirrel and the Seasons - Seneca
Characters
DOSENO´ DAIA - Flying-squirrel
DJEONYAIK - Robin
DOWISDOWE - Tip-up (a bird)
DEnDEnÁNE - Caterpillar
DJIHOnSDUQGWEn - Ants
GÁSYONDETHA - Meteor
FLYING-SQUIRREL was a poor man. He could kill no game and he didn't know how
to get food for his wife and children. One day he sat from morning till
evening with his head bent down, thinking what he could do. That night, just
as he was going to sleep, a man came in, and said, "War is being forced upon
the people across the lake. They want all the assistance they can get. They
have sent for you. You are to start two moons from now." "I will go," said
Flying-squirrel.
The stranger left and Flying-squirrel fell asleep. While sleeping he dreamed
and his dream said, "I have come to help you. You have promised to go to
war. Those people will try to kill you. They will do this to find out how
much power you have. I will be there and will save you." The next morning
Flying-squirrel was low-spirited. He sat with his head down. His wife asked
what troubled him, but she got no answer.
At midday he raised his head, and said, "I am going to war, and I am
thinking how I am to conquer the enemy." After telling his thoughts,
Flying-squirrel was no longer sad. When two moons had passed, he took his
bow and arrows, and said, "I am going now and I may be away a long time, but
I think we will all live."
Flying-squirrel traveled many days without food or rest, then he said to
himself, "I am hungry," but he kept on. Just at midday, he heard a noise
behind him that sounded as though some animal were following. He turned and
saw ten deer in line. He killed them all, built a fire and roasted the meat.
He ate the ten deer and wasn't satisfied. He was still hungry, but he
started on. That night, for the first time, he stopped, crawled into a
hollow tree, and slept.
The next morning he was up early. He felt so much stronger that he wondered
how he would feel. if he slept longer. He lay down again and was just
falling asleep when someone kicked the hollow tree, and said, "You had
better come out and go on. If you don't start soon, the animal that lives in
this tree will come and kill you." "Let it come," said Flying-squirrel.
Right away he heard a great noise and felt the earth tremble. Then the tree
he was in was torn to pieces. Just as enormous jaws were about to close on
him, he sprang into the animal's mouth and fell on his back in its stomach.
Soon he knew that the creature was running and he thought, "This is
pleasant; I am being rocked, and it is nice and warm in here."
The creature traveled for a long time, then lay down. Flying-squirrel. went
to sleep and when he woke up, he thought it must be morning. By and by he
felt a movement and he said to himself, "The person who is taking care of me
is waking up." Then be knew that he was being carried along swiftly. "Now I
am traveling fast," thought he as he rocked from side to side.
While the creature was running at great speed what seemed like a terrible
gust of wind swept through him and Flying-squirrel was blown out. He got up,
and, looking saw a great black object going on ahead. Flying-squirrel
thought, "Oh, what a dreadful animal has been taking, care of me!" The sun
was in the middle of the sky and he couldn't tell which way to go. After a
while he started, as he thought, toward the West, but he went directly
North.
Flying-squirrel traveled many days and nights without food or rest, then he
thought, "I am hungry." That minute he heard a noise and turning around saw
ten bear in a line. He killed the bears, then built a fire and roasted the
meat. After he had eaten the last morsel he said "I've had a meal that will
last me a long time, and he went on.
He traveled many moons, resting nights, then be was stopped by a precipice
so deep that he couldn't see the bottom. As he stood wondering how he could
go on he saw a man coming from the East. The man's hair was long and bright.
Then he saw a man coming from the West. His hair was fiery red. As he looked
another man came from the South. He had long light hair. Then he saw one
coming from the direction he himself was going in. That man had a very long
nose.
The man from the East spoke to Flying-squirrel, asking "Which one of the
four will you choose?" Then the man from the West said to the man from the
East, "I am sorry that you got ahead and spoke first." Then he asked
Flying-squirrel, "Which one of the four will you choose?!"
Each one of the four asked the same question, then the first speaker said,
"We have all asked. We don't know which one he will choose, but we will put
ourselves to trial and the strongest will be the one to have the care of
him. The bright-haired man said to Flying-squirrel, "You who have come here
are the cause of our fighting, but I warn you to be careful. Should the man
from the North conquer, he would devour you. Should the man from the South
conquer, he would enslave you. The man from the West is my friend, but he is
not as powerful as I am. There isn't much chance of his winning."
"Let me talk," said the man from the West. are proud. Each one thinks that
he is the strongest. I have conquered everything I have met. I have been all
over the world. I think that I am the most powerful of the four. My friend,
whose hair is bright, is not very powerful; all he can do is to give you
light. I can do anything. I can aid you in battle. Look at my hair, it is
red, covered with the blood of fighting. I shall be sorry if you fail to
choose me. I don't know the other two, but I think they are man-eaters."
"Let me talk," said the man from the South, the flaxen-haired man. "I have
great strength in jumping, and I am a swift runner. When in war people run
away, I can overtake them. The man who comes from the North is a friend of
mine, but he is not as powerful as I am. You should choose me."
"Let me talk," said the Northern man. "I am a man of great power. No matter
how steep a place is, I can climb it. I can overpower every creature that
lives in the water, and all the animals that roam around in this world. Only
five things do I fear: the Ancient of Bears, Blue Lizard, Whirlwind, the lee
King, and Thunder. I shall be sorry if you don't choose me."
Flying-squirrel didn't speak. "Stand aside," said the bright-haired man.
"The trial of strength must begin." "Let us begin fairly," said the
red-haired man. "Let this man make his choice before we begin." "Let us have
the trial first," said the flaxen-haired man. "Let us have the trial first
and the one who is the strongest will have the care of the man," said the
long-nosed one.
"Now begin!" said the flaxen-haired man, and he sprang toward the red-haired
man. The other two advanced, but the red-haired man drew aside, and said,
"Wait! Let us have peace." But, after a little he said, "Very well, we will
decide it by fighting. You all know how strong I am." The three consented.
The four clinched and went down, the red-haired man at the bottom. As they
struggled he still insisted that they should have peace, but when they hurt
him, he got angry and fought in earnest, then the three were powerless. He
pounded them, killed them all, then said to Flying-squirrel, "I told you
what my strength was. Now will you have my care?"
"I am on a journey," said Flying-squirrel. "I want you to help me all you
can. I want you to give me power to change myself to any form I wish for."
"I am the most powerful person in the world," said the red-headed man. "I am
he whom you call GÁSYONDETHA (Meteor). I am the oldest person in the world.
The three fear me for I have often overpowered them. I will give you power
and it will be the same as if I went with you, When you use this power you
must say, 'Grandfather you and I have never failed in anything we have
undertaken.' I will give you a piece of flesh, from my head and neck and
down my back, long enough for a belt."
Flying-squirrel took his flint knife and cut out the piece of flesh. When he
was through, the red-headed man appeared to be dead, but as Flying-squirrel
looked at the wound he saw the edges come together and heal.
That minute the man said, "You see what power I have, I cannot die. As for
the men you saw me kill, I only sent them home; they are not dead. Now go in
the direction I came from and do all you can to help yourself. The
bright-haired man will soon be here and it would not be well for us to be
together when he comes. I am going.
The red-haired man leaped into the air, and, giving a whoop, called out, "I
am the strongest person in the world! No one can conquer me." As he traveled
there were sparks in the air. Flying-squirrel felt limber and strong and he
ran on swiftly till night came. Then he lay down under a tree. He was almost
asleep when he heard footsteps on the dry leaves. Then a voice said,
"Flying-squirrel, I am in search of you. I am sent by the red-haired man.
During the night men will come and try to get the belt you are wearing, but
nothing will happen for I will be here. Help me gather wood, we must have a
fire."
The two gathered wood and made a big fire. As it blazed up they heard one
voice and then another and another till there were voices everywhere and
those voices said, "Throw away what you have around your waist; it isn't
good for you; it will poison you." Their cries increased and their number
increased. Flying-squirrel said in his own mind, "If the fire wasn't here,
that great crowd of people would pounce upon me and kill me." He didn't see
these men for they were in the dark. They didn't come even to the edge of
the light thrown out by the fire. They cried louder and louder till just
before dawn, then their cries began to recede and at daybreak all was
silent.
Flying-squirrel's protector said, "You are safe now. Go on in the same
direction. At midday you will come to a fallen tree. I will meet you there."
Flying-squirrel went on till he came to the tree and passed it. He didn't
remember the man's words till he came to a second tree, then he said to
himself, "I should have stopped at the first tree," and he was about to turn
back when he thought, "What good will it do? I am on a journey. I'll not
turn back. If he wanted to give me food, I don't care for it. I'm not
hungry," and he traveled on.
When night came, he lay down by a tree. Soon he heard footsteps. Someone
stopped near him and said, "I have come to keep you company. There is a
person with me. You may sleep. We will build a fire." The sun was in the sky
when Flying-squirrel woke up. There was no one around. Those who had come in
the night had disappeared. A great many nights passed in the same way: as
soon as darkness came and Flying-squirrel lay down to sleep two men came to
protect him and just at daylight they disappeared.
At last he came to a precipice and could go no farther. Then he remembered
that his friend had given him the power to change to any form he wished. "My
friend," said he, "I will be a black eagle and go down into the ravine and
look around." That minute he was an eagle. He flapped his wings, flew off,
and came back, then flew off quite a distance and began to sink down. After
a time he saw that there were trees under him, then he sank as fast as he
could and soon was in a beautiful country. He saw a great patch of
strawberries. He picked and ate as many as he wanted.
Then, taking his own form, he went on till he came to a house. Stealing up
to the house he looked through a crack and saw a very old woman with long
white hair. she was sitting with head down but she raised it, and said,
"Game has come to me, I smell it." "This woman wants to kill me," thought
Flying-squirrel. "If she touches me, I'll cut off her head." A second time
the woman said, "I smell game," then she called, "Grandson, come in, why do
you stand out there?" "It seems this old woman is my grandmother," said
Flying-squirrel. "I'll go in." The woman said, "I heard, a long time ago,
that you were coming. You have been invited by my grandchildren who live
beyond the lake. I will carry you over there."
This woman was old Caterpillar and she was called the long-haired woman. "I
don't want you to carry me over," said Flying-squirrel. "I can get there
myself." "Well, Grandson, I have a game that I play with those who come
here. We take mallets, go to an opening near here, and run. As we overtake
each other we strike with the mallet." "Very well," said Flying-squirrel,
"but you must lend me a mallet." The old woman brought two mallets, and
said, "Take your choice."
One was good, the other was old, he took the old one, and they started for
the opening. Just as they came to the edge of the field, the old woman
struck Flying-squirrel a heavy blow and ran. He ran after her, overtook her
and struck her. She fell but was soon up and after him. When she struck at
Flying-squirrel a second time, he dodged and the mallet came down on her
knee.
They kept this game up till sunset, then the old woman said, "Let us rest a
while." Flying-squirrel sat down but Caterpillar struck him and ran. This
time she went along the edge of a high cliff.
All at once she turned and gave Flying-squirrel such push that he went over
the cliff. He fell into a river and a great fish swallowed him. Soon he
heard a woman say, "Sister, we have caught a fish in our trap. Help me get
it out." These sisters were of the Tip-up (water-bird) family. The women got
the fish to the bank and cut it open. "Oh, Sister!" cried one of the women,
"there is a child in this fish! Hurry and tell our mother to come."
Flying-squirrel had changed to an infant. When old Tip-up came, she said,
"This boy will be my grandson." The three women took good care of the child.
It grew very fast and soon walked and talked. One day the boy began to cry.
"What is the trouble, Grandson?" asked the old woman. "My Grandmother," said
the boy, "I am lonesome. I want to see my friends."
"Stop crying, Grandson, I will give you something to play with." She gave
him a bright red fox-skin of wonderful power. He stopped crying and was
happy. One day the boy said, "I am going into the woods to shoot birds."
The women cautioned him not to go toward the South. He hunted a long time
but found no birds, while off in the South, he heard the beautiful songs of
many birds. At last he turned and went toward the South. As he advanced, the
singing receded. He followed it on and on till he came to an opening and saw
a house. He crept up to the house, looked in through a crack, and saw the
long-haired woman who had pushed him over the cliff. She raised her head,
and said, "Well, Grandson, come in. Why do you stand outside?"
Characters
DOSENO´ DAIA - Flying-squirrel
DJEONYAIK - Robin
DOWISDOWE - Tip-up (a bird)
DEnDEnÁNE - Caterpillar
DJIHOnSDUQGWEn - Ants
GÁSYONDETHA - Meteor
FLYING-SQUIRREL was a poor man. He could kill no game and he didn't know how
to get food for his wife and children. One day he sat from morning till
evening with his head bent down, thinking what he could do. That night, just
as he was going to sleep, a man came in, and said, "War is being forced upon
the people across the lake. They want all the assistance they can get. They
have sent for you. You are to start two moons from now." "I will go," said
Flying-squirrel.
The stranger left and Flying-squirrel fell asleep. While sleeping he dreamed
and his dream said, "I have come to help you. You have promised to go to
war. Those people will try to kill you. They will do this to find out how
much power you have. I will be there and will save you." The next morning
Flying-squirrel was low-spirited. He sat with his head down. His wife asked
what troubled him, but she got no answer.
At midday he raised his head, and said, "I am going to war, and I am
thinking how I am to conquer the enemy." After telling his thoughts,
Flying-squirrel was no longer sad. When two moons had passed, he took his
bow and arrows, and said, "I am going now and I may be away a long time, but
I think we will all live."
Flying-squirrel traveled many days without food or rest, then he said to
himself, "I am hungry," but he kept on. Just at midday, he heard a noise
behind him that sounded as though some animal were following. He turned and
saw ten deer in line. He killed them all, built a fire and roasted the meat.
He ate the ten deer and wasn't satisfied. He was still hungry, but he
started on. That night, for the first time, he stopped, crawled into a
hollow tree, and slept.
The next morning he was up early. He felt so much stronger that he wondered
how he would feel. if he slept longer. He lay down again and was just
falling asleep when someone kicked the hollow tree, and said, "You had
better come out and go on. If you don't start soon, the animal that lives in
this tree will come and kill you." "Let it come," said Flying-squirrel.
Right away he heard a great noise and felt the earth tremble. Then the tree
he was in was torn to pieces. Just as enormous jaws were about to close on
him, he sprang into the animal's mouth and fell on his back in its stomach.
Soon he knew that the creature was running and he thought, "This is
pleasant; I am being rocked, and it is nice and warm in here."
The creature traveled for a long time, then lay down. Flying-squirrel. went
to sleep and when he woke up, he thought it must be morning. By and by he
felt a movement and he said to himself, "The person who is taking care of me
is waking up." Then be knew that he was being carried along swiftly. "Now I
am traveling fast," thought he as he rocked from side to side.
While the creature was running at great speed what seemed like a terrible
gust of wind swept through him and Flying-squirrel was blown out. He got up,
and, looking saw a great black object going on ahead. Flying-squirrel
thought, "Oh, what a dreadful animal has been taking, care of me!" The sun
was in the middle of the sky and he couldn't tell which way to go. After a
while he started, as he thought, toward the West, but he went directly
North.
Flying-squirrel traveled many days and nights without food or rest, then he
thought, "I am hungry." That minute he heard a noise and turning around saw
ten bear in a line. He killed the bears, then built a fire and roasted the
meat. After he had eaten the last morsel he said "I've had a meal that will
last me a long time, and he went on.
He traveled many moons, resting nights, then be was stopped by a precipice
so deep that he couldn't see the bottom. As he stood wondering how he could
go on he saw a man coming from the East. The man's hair was long and bright.
Then he saw a man coming from the West. His hair was fiery red. As he looked
another man came from the South. He had long light hair. Then he saw one
coming from the direction he himself was going in. That man had a very long
nose.
The man from the East spoke to Flying-squirrel, asking "Which one of the
four will you choose?" Then the man from the West said to the man from the
East, "I am sorry that you got ahead and spoke first." Then he asked
Flying-squirrel, "Which one of the four will you choose?!"
Each one of the four asked the same question, then the first speaker said,
"We have all asked. We don't know which one he will choose, but we will put
ourselves to trial and the strongest will be the one to have the care of
him. The bright-haired man said to Flying-squirrel, "You who have come here
are the cause of our fighting, but I warn you to be careful. Should the man
from the North conquer, he would devour you. Should the man from the South
conquer, he would enslave you. The man from the West is my friend, but he is
not as powerful as I am. There isn't much chance of his winning."
"Let me talk," said the man from the West. are proud. Each one thinks that
he is the strongest. I have conquered everything I have met. I have been all
over the world. I think that I am the most powerful of the four. My friend,
whose hair is bright, is not very powerful; all he can do is to give you
light. I can do anything. I can aid you in battle. Look at my hair, it is
red, covered with the blood of fighting. I shall be sorry if you fail to
choose me. I don't know the other two, but I think they are man-eaters."
"Let me talk," said the man from the South, the flaxen-haired man. "I have
great strength in jumping, and I am a swift runner. When in war people run
away, I can overtake them. The man who comes from the North is a friend of
mine, but he is not as powerful as I am. You should choose me."
"Let me talk," said the Northern man. "I am a man of great power. No matter
how steep a place is, I can climb it. I can overpower every creature that
lives in the water, and all the animals that roam around in this world. Only
five things do I fear: the Ancient of Bears, Blue Lizard, Whirlwind, the lee
King, and Thunder. I shall be sorry if you don't choose me."
Flying-squirrel didn't speak. "Stand aside," said the bright-haired man.
"The trial of strength must begin." "Let us begin fairly," said the
red-haired man. "Let this man make his choice before we begin." "Let us have
the trial first," said the flaxen-haired man. "Let us have the trial first
and the one who is the strongest will have the care of the man," said the
long-nosed one.
"Now begin!" said the flaxen-haired man, and he sprang toward the red-haired
man. The other two advanced, but the red-haired man drew aside, and said,
"Wait! Let us have peace." But, after a little he said, "Very well, we will
decide it by fighting. You all know how strong I am." The three consented.
The four clinched and went down, the red-haired man at the bottom. As they
struggled he still insisted that they should have peace, but when they hurt
him, he got angry and fought in earnest, then the three were powerless. He
pounded them, killed them all, then said to Flying-squirrel, "I told you
what my strength was. Now will you have my care?"
"I am on a journey," said Flying-squirrel. "I want you to help me all you
can. I want you to give me power to change myself to any form I wish for."
"I am the most powerful person in the world," said the red-headed man. "I am
he whom you call GÁSYONDETHA (Meteor). I am the oldest person in the world.
The three fear me for I have often overpowered them. I will give you power
and it will be the same as if I went with you, When you use this power you
must say, 'Grandfather you and I have never failed in anything we have
undertaken.' I will give you a piece of flesh, from my head and neck and
down my back, long enough for a belt."
Flying-squirrel took his flint knife and cut out the piece of flesh. When he
was through, the red-headed man appeared to be dead, but as Flying-squirrel
looked at the wound he saw the edges come together and heal.
That minute the man said, "You see what power I have, I cannot die. As for
the men you saw me kill, I only sent them home; they are not dead. Now go in
the direction I came from and do all you can to help yourself. The
bright-haired man will soon be here and it would not be well for us to be
together when he comes. I am going.
The red-haired man leaped into the air, and, giving a whoop, called out, "I
am the strongest person in the world! No one can conquer me." As he traveled
there were sparks in the air. Flying-squirrel felt limber and strong and he
ran on swiftly till night came. Then he lay down under a tree. He was almost
asleep when he heard footsteps on the dry leaves. Then a voice said,
"Flying-squirrel, I am in search of you. I am sent by the red-haired man.
During the night men will come and try to get the belt you are wearing, but
nothing will happen for I will be here. Help me gather wood, we must have a
fire."
The two gathered wood and made a big fire. As it blazed up they heard one
voice and then another and another till there were voices everywhere and
those voices said, "Throw away what you have around your waist; it isn't
good for you; it will poison you." Their cries increased and their number
increased. Flying-squirrel said in his own mind, "If the fire wasn't here,
that great crowd of people would pounce upon me and kill me." He didn't see
these men for they were in the dark. They didn't come even to the edge of
the light thrown out by the fire. They cried louder and louder till just
before dawn, then their cries began to recede and at daybreak all was
silent.
Flying-squirrel's protector said, "You are safe now. Go on in the same
direction. At midday you will come to a fallen tree. I will meet you there."
Flying-squirrel went on till he came to the tree and passed it. He didn't
remember the man's words till he came to a second tree, then he said to
himself, "I should have stopped at the first tree," and he was about to turn
back when he thought, "What good will it do? I am on a journey. I'll not
turn back. If he wanted to give me food, I don't care for it. I'm not
hungry," and he traveled on.
When night came, he lay down by a tree. Soon he heard footsteps. Someone
stopped near him and said, "I have come to keep you company. There is a
person with me. You may sleep. We will build a fire." The sun was in the sky
when Flying-squirrel woke up. There was no one around. Those who had come in
the night had disappeared. A great many nights passed in the same way: as
soon as darkness came and Flying-squirrel lay down to sleep two men came to
protect him and just at daylight they disappeared.
At last he came to a precipice and could go no farther. Then he remembered
that his friend had given him the power to change to any form he wished. "My
friend," said he, "I will be a black eagle and go down into the ravine and
look around." That minute he was an eagle. He flapped his wings, flew off,
and came back, then flew off quite a distance and began to sink down. After
a time he saw that there were trees under him, then he sank as fast as he
could and soon was in a beautiful country. He saw a great patch of
strawberries. He picked and ate as many as he wanted.
Then, taking his own form, he went on till he came to a house. Stealing up
to the house he looked through a crack and saw a very old woman with long
white hair. she was sitting with head down but she raised it, and said,
"Game has come to me, I smell it." "This woman wants to kill me," thought
Flying-squirrel. "If she touches me, I'll cut off her head." A second time
the woman said, "I smell game," then she called, "Grandson, come in, why do
you stand out there?" "It seems this old woman is my grandmother," said
Flying-squirrel. "I'll go in." The woman said, "I heard, a long time ago,
that you were coming. You have been invited by my grandchildren who live
beyond the lake. I will carry you over there."
This woman was old Caterpillar and she was called the long-haired woman. "I
don't want you to carry me over," said Flying-squirrel. "I can get there
myself." "Well, Grandson, I have a game that I play with those who come
here. We take mallets, go to an opening near here, and run. As we overtake
each other we strike with the mallet." "Very well," said Flying-squirrel,
"but you must lend me a mallet." The old woman brought two mallets, and
said, "Take your choice."
One was good, the other was old, he took the old one, and they started for
the opening. Just as they came to the edge of the field, the old woman
struck Flying-squirrel a heavy blow and ran. He ran after her, overtook her
and struck her. She fell but was soon up and after him. When she struck at
Flying-squirrel a second time, he dodged and the mallet came down on her
knee.
They kept this game up till sunset, then the old woman said, "Let us rest a
while." Flying-squirrel sat down but Caterpillar struck him and ran. This
time she went along the edge of a high cliff.
All at once she turned and gave Flying-squirrel such push that he went over
the cliff. He fell into a river and a great fish swallowed him. Soon he
heard a woman say, "Sister, we have caught a fish in our trap. Help me get
it out." These sisters were of the Tip-up (water-bird) family. The women got
the fish to the bank and cut it open. "Oh, Sister!" cried one of the women,
"there is a child in this fish! Hurry and tell our mother to come."
Flying-squirrel had changed to an infant. When old Tip-up came, she said,
"This boy will be my grandson." The three women took good care of the child.
It grew very fast and soon walked and talked. One day the boy began to cry.
"What is the trouble, Grandson?" asked the old woman. "My Grandmother," said
the boy, "I am lonesome. I want to see my friends."
"Stop crying, Grandson, I will give you something to play with." She gave
him a bright red fox-skin of wonderful power. He stopped crying and was
happy. One day the boy said, "I am going into the woods to shoot birds."
The women cautioned him not to go toward the South. He hunted a long time
but found no birds, while off in the South, he heard the beautiful songs of
many birds. At last he turned and went toward the South. As he advanced, the
singing receded. He followed it on and on till he came to an opening and saw
a house. He crept up to the house, looked in through a crack, and saw the
long-haired woman who had pushed him over the cliff. She raised her head,
and said, "Well, Grandson, come in. Why do you stand outside?"