Post by blackcrowheart on Jan 15, 2008 11:59:27 GMT -5
Itsayaya and the Chokecherries - Nez Perce
Many moons ago when Itsayaya, the coyote, was ruler of the animal kingdom in Siminikum, a cousin from the west came to visit in the valley of the Koos-koos-ki. This cousin told of a great lake, so wide that no one had ever crossed it, so wide that no one could even see across it.
Itsayaya was curious about this strange lake for he only half believed his cousin. "How could a lake be that big?" he asked.
"I don't know," answered his cousin. "I only know that no one has ever seen the opposite shore."
Itsayaya thought and thought about the huge lake.
Finally his curiosity became so great that he decided to go see for himself.
"It's a very long journey," said his cousin.
"Never mind. I am strong and I shall take powerful medicine with me."
So Itsayaya had his wife pack some dried venison, salmon, and dried berries in a little buckskin bag, and carrying this with him, he said goodbye to all his family and friends and started toward the setting sun.
There were hot deserts to cross and stony mountains to climb, but Itsayaya kept on. Finally he became so tired and footsore that he fell over in the sand and slept for a very long time. And while he slept he dreamed that he found some huge red luscious chokecherries growing be-side a clear rushing river.
When Itsayaya awoke he could remember nothing but this dream. It was so clear that he was sure it must be true, so he set out again toward the southwest to look for the river and to find that huge lake his cousin had told about. About the middle of the morning Itsayaya came to a rushing river at the bottom of a canyon. He hurried down through the rocks to get to the water. When he reached it he put his head down and drank until he could hold no more. Just as the coyote started to raise his head from the clear water, he saw, right in the stream, great bunches of red chokecherries.
"Just like my dream," he said and dived in to get the cherries. But they were just beyond his reach. H climbed out of the stream and there were the chokecherries still dancing in the water. Itsayaya dived again but once more he could not reach the fruit. He dived and dived until he was completely exhausted. Then he lay down on his back to sleep - and just as he dosed his eyes, he saw, hanging over the water just above his head, great bunches of red chokecherries. There, growing right at the edge of the water, was a wonderful chokecherry bush.
"How foolish I have been," he thought. "To think that the great Itsayaya would dive for a shadow when the real chokecherries were right here above the water." And he reached out for the fruit and had the most wonderful meal he had eaten since he left his home in the mountains.
"Next time," said Itsayaya, the coyote, "I will remember my cunning and strong medicine and I shall not be fooled."
Then he filled his almost empty buckskin bag with chokecherries and started down the rushing river to find the great lake his cousin had described.
Taken from Tales of the Nimipoo - From the Land of the Nez Perce Indians, Eleanor B. Heady, 1969
Many moons ago when Itsayaya, the coyote, was ruler of the animal kingdom in Siminikum, a cousin from the west came to visit in the valley of the Koos-koos-ki. This cousin told of a great lake, so wide that no one had ever crossed it, so wide that no one could even see across it.
Itsayaya was curious about this strange lake for he only half believed his cousin. "How could a lake be that big?" he asked.
"I don't know," answered his cousin. "I only know that no one has ever seen the opposite shore."
Itsayaya thought and thought about the huge lake.
Finally his curiosity became so great that he decided to go see for himself.
"It's a very long journey," said his cousin.
"Never mind. I am strong and I shall take powerful medicine with me."
So Itsayaya had his wife pack some dried venison, salmon, and dried berries in a little buckskin bag, and carrying this with him, he said goodbye to all his family and friends and started toward the setting sun.
There were hot deserts to cross and stony mountains to climb, but Itsayaya kept on. Finally he became so tired and footsore that he fell over in the sand and slept for a very long time. And while he slept he dreamed that he found some huge red luscious chokecherries growing be-side a clear rushing river.
When Itsayaya awoke he could remember nothing but this dream. It was so clear that he was sure it must be true, so he set out again toward the southwest to look for the river and to find that huge lake his cousin had told about. About the middle of the morning Itsayaya came to a rushing river at the bottom of a canyon. He hurried down through the rocks to get to the water. When he reached it he put his head down and drank until he could hold no more. Just as the coyote started to raise his head from the clear water, he saw, right in the stream, great bunches of red chokecherries.
"Just like my dream," he said and dived in to get the cherries. But they were just beyond his reach. H climbed out of the stream and there were the chokecherries still dancing in the water. Itsayaya dived again but once more he could not reach the fruit. He dived and dived until he was completely exhausted. Then he lay down on his back to sleep - and just as he dosed his eyes, he saw, hanging over the water just above his head, great bunches of red chokecherries. There, growing right at the edge of the water, was a wonderful chokecherry bush.
"How foolish I have been," he thought. "To think that the great Itsayaya would dive for a shadow when the real chokecherries were right here above the water." And he reached out for the fruit and had the most wonderful meal he had eaten since he left his home in the mountains.
"Next time," said Itsayaya, the coyote, "I will remember my cunning and strong medicine and I shall not be fooled."
Then he filled his almost empty buckskin bag with chokecherries and started down the rushing river to find the great lake his cousin had described.
Taken from Tales of the Nimipoo - From the Land of the Nez Perce Indians, Eleanor B. Heady, 1969