The Book of Nature Myth

8/12/2019 The Book of Nature Myth

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THE BOOK OF

NATURE MYTHS


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FROM THE WIGWAM OF THE GREAT SPIRIT


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THE BOOK OF

NATURE MYTHS

BY

FLORENCE HOLBROOK

YESTERDAYS CLASSICS

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA


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Cover and arrangement 2009 Yesterdays Classics, LLC.

Tis edition, rst published in 2009 by Yesterdays

Classics, an imprint o Yesterdays Classics, LLC, isan unabridged republication o the text originallypublished by Houghton, Miffl in and Company in

1902. For the complete listing o the books thatare published by Yesterdays Classics, please visitwww.yesterdaysclassics.com. Yesterdays Classics isthe publishing arm o the Baldwin Online Childrens

Literature Project which presents the completetext o hundreds o classic books or children atwww.mainlesson.com.

ISBN-10: 1-59915-313-0

ISBN-13: 978-1-59915-313-1

Yesterdays Classics, LLCPO Box 3418

Chapel Hill, NC 27515


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CONTENTS

T S F H-B . . . .

T S F B . . . . . . .

T S F W . . . . .

W W H I R . . . . .

W C A F HF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

W S T I F . . . . . . .

W W H H B E . .

W M N I N W

B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W R F A B . . . .

H F W B I . . .

H Q B S . . . . . . . . . .

W S S H S . . . . . . . . .

W D I T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


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W P R W M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

T S F M-B . . . .

W T F H W

T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

T S F F . . . . . . . . . . . . .

W R I T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

W P C R . . . . . . .

W B H S T . . . . . . . . . .

W W F C E .

W H D A S . . .

T S F G . . . . .

T S O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

W P T H H

E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

T S B F . . . . .

T S F M . . . . . . . . . . . .

T S F A . . . . . . . . . . . . .

T F M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


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T S F D . . . . . . . .

T S F P . . . . . . . . . . .

T S F E . . . . . . . .

W E T N L

T L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

W A L T . . . . . . . . .

H B C

H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

H F W G M . . . . . . . . . . .

W J H B . . . . . . . . . . .

W S I S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

T S F W . . . . . . .

W I F T? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

W C H W M .

T S P V . . .

W W R I N S .

H R H M . . . . . . . . . . . .

T S E S . . . .

H S C E . . . . . . .


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T S F S . . . . . .

W F M I W . . . .

W A M L M . . . . . . . . . . .

W T I H M . . . . . .

T C M . . . . . . . . . . . . . W T I M M . . . . . . .

T T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

T L F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


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PREFACE

I preparing the Book o Nature Myths the desire

has been to make a second reader which would beadapted to the childs interest, ability, and progress.

Te subject-matter is o permanent value, culled

rom the olk-lore o the primitive races; the vocabulary,based upon that o the Hiawatha Primer, is increasedgradually, and the new words and phrases will add to

the childs power o expression. Te nave explanationso the phenomena o nature given by the primitiveraces appeal to the childs wonder about the same

phenomena, and he is pleased and interested. Tesemyths will gratiy the childs desire or complete stories,

and their intrinsic merit makes them valuable or oralreproduction.

Te stories have been adapted to youthul mindsrom myths contained in the works o many students

o olk-lore whose scholarship is undisputed. Specialacknowledgment is due Miss Eva March appan or her

valuable assistance in the nal revision o the text.


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1

THE STORY OF THE

FIRST HUMMING-BIRD

PART I. THE GREAT FIRE-MOUNTAIN

L, long ago, when the earth was very young,

two hunters were traveling through the orest. Tey hadbeen on the track o a deer or many days, and they were

now ar away rom the village where they lived. Te sunwent down and night came on. It was dark and gloomy,

but over in the western sky there came a bright light.

It is the moon, said one.

No, said the other. We have watched many andmany a night to see the great, round moon rise above the

trees. Tat is not the moon. Is it the northern lights?

No, the northern lights are not like this, and it isnot a comet. What can it be?

It is no wonder that the hunters were araid, or

the ames ared red over the sky like a wigwam on

re. Tick, blue smoke oated above the ames and

hid the shining stars.

Do the ames and smoke come rom the wigwamo the Great Spirit? asked one.


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FROM THE WIGWAM OF THE GREAT SPIRIT


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THE STORY OF THE FIRST HUMMING-BIRD

I ear that he is angry with his children, and thatthe ames are his ery war-clubs, whispered the other.

No sleep came to their eyes. All night long they watchedand wondered, and waited in terror or the morning.

When morning came, the two hunters were stillwatching the sky. Little by little they saw that there was

a high mountain in the west where the light had been,and above the mountain oated a dark blue smoke.

Come, said one, we will go and see what it is.Tey walked and walked till they came close to

the mountain, and then they saw re shining through

the seams o the rocks. It is a mountain o re, onewhispered. Shall we go on? We will, said the other,and they went higher and higher up the mountain. Atlast they stood upon its highest point. Now we know

the secret, they cried. Our people will be glad whenthey hear this.

Swifly they went home through the orest to theirown village. We have ound a wonder, they cried. Wehave ound the home o the Fire Spirit. We know where

she keeps her ames to help the Great Spirit and his

children. It is a mountain o re. Blue smoke rises aboveit night and day, or its heart is a ery sea, and on the

sea the red ames leap and dance. Come with us to thewonderul mountain o re.

Te people o the village had been cold in thewinter nights, and they cried, O brothers, your words

are good. We will move our lodges to the oot o themagic mountain. We can light our wigwam res rom


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THE BOOK OF NATURE MYTHS

its ames, and we shall not ear that we shall perish inthe long, cold nights o winter.

So the Indians went to live at the oot o the re-mountain, and when the cold nights came, they said,

We are not cold, or the Spirit o Fire is our good riend,and she keeps her people rom perishing.

PART II. THE FROLIC OF THE FLAMES

For many and many a moon the people o thevillage lived at the oot o the great re-mountain. On

summer evenings, the children watched the light, andwhen a child asked, Father, what makes it? the athersaid, Tat is the home o the Great Spirit o Fire, whois our good riend. Ten all in the little village wentto sleep and lay saely on their beds till the coming o

the morning.

But one night when all the people in the village

were asleep, the ames in the mountain had a great

rolic. Tey danced upon the sea o re as warriors

dance the war-dance. Tey seized great rocks and threw

them at the sky. Te smoke above them hid the stars;the mountain throbbed and trembled. Higher and stillhigher sprang the dancing ames. At last, they leaped

clear above the highest point o the mountain andstarted down it in a river o red re. Ten the gentleSpirit o Fire called, Come back, my ames, come back

again! Te people in the village will not know that youare in a rolic, and they will be araid.

Te ames did not heed her words, and the river


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o re ran on and on, straight down the mountain. Teowers in its pathway perished. It leaped upon great

trees and bore them to the earth. It drove the birds

rom their nests, and they uttered about in the thicksmoke. It hunted the wild creatures o the orest romthe thickets where they hid, and they ed beore it in

terror.

At last, one o the warriors in the village awoke. Te

thick smoke was in his nostrils. In his ears was the war-

cry o the ames. He sprang to the door o his lodgeand saw the ery river leaping down the mountain.

My people, my people, he cried, the ames are upon


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us! With cries o ear the people in the village ed araway into the orest, and the ames easted upon the

homes they loved.Te two hunters went to look upon the mountain,

and when they came back, they said sadly, Tere areno owers on the mountain. Not a bird-song did we

hear. Not a living creature did we see. It is all dark andgloomy. We know the re is there, or the blue smoke

still oats up to the sky, but the mountain will neveragain be our riend.

PART III. THE BIRD OF FLAME

When the Great Spirit saw the work o the ames,

he was very angry. Te res o this mountain must

perish, he said. No longer shall its red ames lightthe midnight sky.

Te mountain trembled with ear at the angrywords o the Great Spirit. O ather o all re and light,

cried the Fire Spirit, I know that the ames have beencruel. Tey killed the beautiul owers and drove yourchildren rom their homes, but or many, many moons

they heeded my words and were good and gentle. Teydrove the rost and cold o winter rom the wigwams o

the village. Te little children laughed to see their redlight in the sky. Te hearts o your people will be sad,i the ames must perish rom the earth.

Te Great Spirit listened to the words o the gentle

Spirit o Fire, but he answered, Te res must perish.Tey have been cruel to my people, and the little children

will ear them now; but because the children once loved


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them, the beautiul colors o the ames shall still live to

make glad the hearts o all who look upon them.

Ten the Great Spirit struck the mountain with hismagic war-club. Te smoke above it aded away; its

res grew cold and dead. In its dark and gloomy heartonly one little ame still trembled. It looked like a star.

How beautiul it was!

Te Great Spirit looked upon the little ame. He saw

that it was beautiul and gentle, and he loved it. Teres o the mountain must perish, he said, but you,

little, gentle ame, shall have wings and y ar away

rom the cruel res, and all my children will love youas I do. Swifly the little thing rose above the mountainand ew away in the sunshine. Te light o the ames

was still on its head; their marvelous colors were on

its wings.

So rom the mountains heart o re sprang the rst

humming-bird. It is the bird o ame, or it has all thebeauty o the colors o the ame, but it is gentle, andevery child in all the earth loves it and is glad to see it

uttering over the owers.


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THE STORY OF THE

FIRST BUTTERFLIES

Great Spirit thought, By and by I will makemen, but rst I will make a home or them. It shall be

very bright and beautiul. Tere shall be mountains andprairies and orests, and about it all shall be the blue

waters o the sea.

As the Great Spirit had thought, so he did. He gave

the earth a sof cloak o green. He made the prairiesbeautiul with owers. Te orests were bright with

birds o many colors, and the sea was the home o

wonderul sea-creatures. My children will love the

prairies, the orests, and the seas, he thought, but themountains look dark and cold. Tey are very dear to

me, but how shall I make my children go to them andso learn to love them?

Long the Great Spirit thought about the mountains.

At last, he made many little shining stones. Some were

red, some blue, some green, some yellow, and somewere shining with all the lovely colors o the beautiul

rainbow. All my children will love what is beautiul,he thought, and i I hide the bright stones in the seamso the rocks o the mountains, men will come to ndthem, and they will learn to love my mountains.


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THE STORY OF THE FIRST BUTTERFLIES

When the stones were made and the Great Spiritlooked upon their beauty, he said, I will not hide you

all away in the seams o the rocks. Some o you shallbe out in the sunshine, so that the little children whocannot go to the mountains shall see your colors. Ten

the southwind came by, and as he went, he sang soflyo orests ecked with light and shadow, o birds andtheir nests in the leay trees. He sang o long summer

days and the music o waters beating upon the shore.

He sang o the moonlight and the starlight. All thewonders o the night, all the beauty o the morning,were in his song.

Dear southwind, said the Great Spirit here are

some beautiul things or you to bear away with youto your summer home. You will love them, and all the

little children will love them. At these words o theGreat Spirit, all the stones beore him stirred with lie

and lifed themselves on many-colored wings. Teyuttered away in the sunshine, and the southwind sang

to them as they went.


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THE STORY OF THE

FIRST WOODPECKER

I the days o long ago the Great Spirit came downrom the sky and talked with men. Once as he wentup and down the earth, he came to the wigwam o awoman. He went into the wigwam and sat down by the

re, but he looked like an old man, and the woman didnot know who he was.

I have asted or many days, said the Great Spirit tothe woman. Will you give me some ood? Te womanmade a very little cake and put it on the re. You can

have this cake, she said, i you will wait or it to bake.I will wait, he said.

When the cake was baked, the woman stood and

looked at it. She thought, It is very large. I thought itwas small. I will not give him so large a cake as that. So

she put it away and made a small one. I you will wait,I will give you this when it is baked, she said, and theGreat Spirit said, I will wait.

When that cake was baked, it was larger than the

rst one. It is so large that I will keep it or a east, shethought. So she said to her guest, I will not give you


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this cake, but i you will wait, I will make you anotherone. I will wait, said the Great Spirit again.

Ten the woman made another cake. It was stillsmaller than the others had been at rst, but when shewent to the re or it, she ound it the largest o all. Shedid not know that the Great Spirits magic had madeeach cake larger, and she thought, Tis is a marvel, but

I will not give away the largest cake o all. So she said

to her guest, I have no ood or you. Go to the orestand look there or your ood. You can nd it in the bark

o the trees, i you will.

Te Great Spirit was angry when he heard the wordso the woman. He rose up rom where he sat and threw

back his cloak. A woman must be good and gentle, he

said, and you are cruel. You shall no longer be a woman

and live in a wigwam. You shall go out into the orestand hunt or your ood in the bark o trees.

Te Great Spirit stamped his oot on the earth, andthe woman grew smaller and smaller. Wings startedrom her body and eathers grew upon her. With a

loud cry she rose rom the earth and ew away to the

orest.

And to this day all woodpeckers live in the orestand hunt or their ood in the bark o trees.


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WHY THE WOODPECKERS

HEAD IS RED

O day the woodpecker said to the Great Spirit,Men do not like me. I wish they did.

Te Great Spirit said, I you wish men to love you,you must be good to them and help them. Ten they

will call you their riend.

How can a little bird help a man? asked thewoodpecker.

I one wishes to help, the day will come when he can

help, said the Great Spirit. Te day did come, and thisstory shows how a little bird helped a strong warrior.

Tere was once a cruel magician who lived in a

gloomy wigwam beside the Black-Sea-Water. He did notlike owers, and they did not blossom in his pathway.He did not like birds, and they did not sing in the treesabove him. Te breath o his nostrils was atal to all lie.North, south, east, and west he blew the deadly ever

that killed the women and the little children.

Can I help them? thought a brave warrior, and he

said, I will nd the magician, and see i death will notcome to him as he has made it come to others. I willgo straightway to his home.


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For many days the brave warrior was in his canoetraveling across the Black-Sea-Water. At last he saw

the gloomy wigwam o the cruel magician. He shot anarrow at the door and called, Come out, O coward!

You have killed women and children with your atal

breath, but you cannot kill a warrior. Come out and

ght, i you are not araid.

Te cruel magician laughed loud and long. One

breath o ever, he said, and you will all to the earth.Te warrior shot again, and then the magician was

angry. He did not laugh, but he came straight out o

his gloomy lodge, and as he came, he blew the everall about him.

Ten was seen the greatest ght that the sun hadever looked upon. Te brave warrior shot his int-

tipped arrows, but the magician had on his magic cloak,and the arrows could not wound him. He blew romhis nostrils the deadly breath o ever, but the heart othe warrior was so strong that the ever could not kill

him.

At last the brave warrior had but three arrows in his

quiver. What shall I do? he said sadly. My arrows aregood and my aim is good, but no arrow can go throughthe magic cloak.

Come on, come on, called the magician. You

are the man who wished to ght. Come on. Ten a

woodpecker in a tree above the brave warrior said sofly,

Aim your arrow at his head, O warrior! Do not shootat his heart, but at the crest o eathers on his head. Hecan be wounded there, but not in his heart.


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WHY THE WOODPECKERS HEAD IS RED

Te warrior was not so proud that he could not

listen to a little bird. Te magician bent to lif a stone,

and an arrow ew rom the warriors bow. It buzzedand stung like a wasp. It came so close to the crest oeathers that the magician trembled with terror. Beore

he could run, another arrow came, and this one struckhim right on his crest. His heart grew cold with ear.

Death has struck me, he cried.

Your cruel lie is over, said the warrior. Peopleshall no longer ear your atal breath. Ten he said

to the woodpecker, Little bird, you have been a goodriend to me, and I will do all that I can or you. He putsome o the red blood o the magician upon the littlecreatures head. It made the crest o eathers there as

red as ame. Whenever a man looks upon you, said

the warrior, he will say, Tat bird is our riend. Hehelped to kill the cruel magician.

Te little woodpecker was very proud o his red

crest because it showed that he was the riend o man,and all his children to this day are as proud as he was.


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WHY THE CAT ALWAYS

FALLS UPON HER FEET

S magicians are cruel, but others are gentleand good to all the creatures o the earth. One o thesegood magicians was one day traveling in a great orest.Te sun rose high in the heavens, and he lay down at

the oot o a tree. Sof, green moss grew all about him.Te sun shining through the leaves made ecks o light

and shadow upon the earth. He heard the song o thebird and the lazy buzz o the wasp. Te wind rustled

the leay boughs above him. All the music o the orestlulled him to slumber, and he closed his eyes.

As the magician lay asleep, a great serpent camesofly rom the thicket. It lifed high its shining crest

and saw the man at the oot o the tree. I will kill him!it hissed. I could have eaten that cat last night i hehad not called, Watch, little cat, watch! I will kill him,I will kill him!

Closer and closer the deadly serpent moved. Temagician stirred in his sleep. Watch, little cat, watch!

he said sofly. Te serpent drew back, but the magicianseyes were shut, and it went closer. It hissed its war-cry.Te sleeping magician did not move. Te serpent wasupon himno, ar up in the high branches o the tree


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SHE LEAPED DOWN UPON THE SERPENT


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above his head the little cat lay hidden. She had seen theserpent when it came rom the thicket. She watched it

as it went closer and closer to the sleeping man, and sheheard it hiss its war-cry. Te little cats body quivered

with anger and with ear, or she was so little and theserpent was so big. Te magician was very good to me,she thought, and she leaped down upon the serpent.

Oh, how angry the serpent was! It hissed, and

the ames shot rom its eyes. It struck wildly at thebrave little cat, but now the cat had no ear. Again and

again she leaped upon the serpents head, and at lastthe creature lay dead beside the sleeping man whom ithad wished to kill.

When the magician awoke, the little cat lay on theearth, and not ar away was the dead serpent. He knew

at once what the cat had done, and he said, Little cat,what can I do to show you honor or your brave ght?Your eyes are quick to see, and your ears are quick tohear. You can run very swifly. I know what I can do or

you. You shall be known over the earth as the riend oman, and you shall always have a home in the home o

man. And one thing more, little cat: you leaped romthe high tree to kill the deadly serpent, and now as long

as you live, you shall leap where you will, and you shallalways all upon your eet.


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At last man stood erect beore the Great Spirit andsaid, O Great Father, the serpent easts upon my blood.

Will you not give him some other ood?And why? asked the Great Spirit.

Because I am the rst o all the creatures you havemade, answered man proudly.

Ten every animal in the lodge was angry to hearthe words o man. Te squirrel chattered, the wasp

buzzed, the owl hooted, and the serpent hissed.

Hush, be still, said the Great Spirit. You are, O

man, the rst o my creatures, but I am the ather o all.Each one has his rights, and the serpent must have hisood. Mosquito, you are a great traveler. Now y awayand nd what creatures blood is best or the serpent.

Do you all come back in a year and a day.

Te animals straightway went to their homes. Somewent to the river, some to the orest, and some to theprairie, to wait or the day when they must meet at thelodge o the Great Spirit.

Te mosquito traveled over the earth and stung

every creature that he met to nd whose blood wasthe best or the serpent. On his way back to the lodgeo the Great Spirit he looked up into the sky, and therewas the swallow.

Good-day, swallow, called the mosquito.

I am glad to see you, my riend, sang the swallow.Are you going to the lodge o the Great Spirit? And have

you ound out whose blood is best or the serpent?


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WHY THE SWALLOWS TAIL IS FORKED

Te blood o man, answered the mosquito.

Te mosquito did not like man, but the swallow had

always been his riend. What can I do to help man?he thought. Oh, I know what I can do. Ten he askedthe mosquito, Whose blood did you say?

Mans blood, said the mosquito; that is best.

Tisis best, said the swallow, and he tore out themosquitos tongue.

Te mosquito buzzed angrily and went quickly tothe Great Spirit.

All the animals are here, said the Great Spirit.

Tey are waiting to hear whose blood is best or theserpent.

Te mosquito tried to answer, Te blood o man,but he could not say a word. He could make no soundbut Kss-ksss-ksssss!

What do you say?

Kss-ksss-ksssss! buzzed the mosquito angrily.

All the creatures wondered. hen said theswallow:

Great Father, the mosquito is timid and cannot

answer you. I met him beore we came, and he told me

whose blood it was.

Ten let us know at once, said the Great Spirit.

It is the blood o the rog, answered the swallowquickly. Is it not so, riend mosquito?

Kss-ksss-ksssss! hissed the angry mosquito.


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Te serpent shall have the rogs blood, said theGreat Spirit. Man shall be his ood no longer.

Now the serpent was angry with the swallow, orhe did not like rogs blood. As the swallow ew nearhim, he seized him by the tail and tore away a little oit. Tis is why the swallows tail is orked, and it is why

man always looks upon the swallow as his riend.

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The Book of Nature Myth