Indian Why Stories [14]
You must be in trouble.'
"'I am the Unlucky-one, ' the young-man replied. 'I can do nothing well. I can find no woman who will marry me. In the hunt my bow will often break or my lance is poor. My medicine is bad and I cannot dream. The people do not love me, and they pity me as they do a sick child.'
"'I am sorry for you, ' said the white Beaver --chief of all the Beavers in the world--'but you must find my brother the Coyote, who knows where OLD-man's lodge is. The Coyote will do your bidding if you sing that song when you see him. Take this stick with you, because you will have a long journey, and with the stick you may cross any river and not drown, if you keep it always in your hand. That is all I can do for you, myself.'
"On down the river the Unlucky-one travelled and the sun was low in the west on the fourth day, when he saw the Coyote on a hillside near by. After looking at Coyote for a long time, the young-man commenced to sing the song the old woman had taught him. When he had finished the singing, the Coyote came up close and asked:
"'What is the matter? Why do you sing that song? I never heard a man sing it be- fore. What is it you want of me?'
"Then the Unlucky-one told the Coyote what he had told the white Beaver, and showed the stick the Beaver-chief had given him, to prove it.
"'I am hungry, too,' said the Unlucky-one, 'for I have eaten all the dried meat the old woman gave me.'
"'Wait here,' said the Coyote, 'my brother the Wolf has just killed a fat Doe, and per- haps he will give me a little of the meat when I tell him about you and your troubles.'
"Away went the Coyote to beg for meat, and while he was gone the young-man bathed his tired feet in a cool creek. Soon the Coyote came back with meat, and young-man built a fire and ate some of it, even before it was warm, for he was starving. When he had finished the Coyote said:
"'Now I shall take you to OLD-man's lodge, come.'
"They started, even though it was getting dark. Long they travelled without stopping --over plains and mountains--through great forests and across rivers, until they came to a cave in the rough rocks on the side of a mighty mountain.
"'In there,' said the Coyote, 'you will find OLD-man and he can tell you what you want to know.'
"The Unlucky-one stood before the black hole in the rocks for a long time, because he was afraid; but when he turned to speak to the Coyote he found himself to be alone. The Coyote had gone about his own business-- had silently slipped away in the night.
"Slowly and carefully the young-man be- gan to creep into the cave, feeling his way in the darkness. His heart was beating like a tom-tom at a dance. Finally he saw a fire away back in the cave.
"The shadows danced about the stone sides of the cave as men say the ghosts do; and they frightened him. But looking, he saw a man sitting on the far side of the fire. The man's hair was like the snow and very long. His face was wrinkled with the seams left by many years of life and he was naked in the firelight that played about him.
"Slowly the young-man stood upon his feet and began to walk toward the fire with great fear in his heart. When he had reached the place where the firelight fell upon him, the OLD-man looked up and said:
"'How, young-man, I am OLD-man. Why did you come here? What is it you want?'
"Then the Unlucky-one told OLD-man just what he had told the old woman and the white Beaver and the Coyote, and showed the stick the Beaver had given him, to prove it.
"'Smoke,' said OLD-man, and passed the pipe to his visitor. After they had smoked OLD-man said:
"'I will tell you what to do. On the top of this great mountain there live many ghost- people and their chief is a great Owl. This Owl is the only one who knows how you can change your luck, and he will tell you if you are not afraid. Take this arrow and go among those people, without fear. Show them you are unarmed as soon as they see you. Now go!'
"Out into the night went the Unlucky-one and on up the mountain.
"'I am the Unlucky-one, ' the young-man replied. 'I can do nothing well. I can find no woman who will marry me. In the hunt my bow will often break or my lance is poor. My medicine is bad and I cannot dream. The people do not love me, and they pity me as they do a sick child.'
"'I am sorry for you, ' said the white Beaver --chief of all the Beavers in the world--'but you must find my brother the Coyote, who knows where OLD-man's lodge is. The Coyote will do your bidding if you sing that song when you see him. Take this stick with you, because you will have a long journey, and with the stick you may cross any river and not drown, if you keep it always in your hand. That is all I can do for you, myself.'
"On down the river the Unlucky-one travelled and the sun was low in the west on the fourth day, when he saw the Coyote on a hillside near by. After looking at Coyote for a long time, the young-man commenced to sing the song the old woman had taught him. When he had finished the singing, the Coyote came up close and asked:
"'What is the matter? Why do you sing that song? I never heard a man sing it be- fore. What is it you want of me?'
"Then the Unlucky-one told the Coyote what he had told the white Beaver, and showed the stick the Beaver-chief had given him, to prove it.
"'I am hungry, too,' said the Unlucky-one, 'for I have eaten all the dried meat the old woman gave me.'
"'Wait here,' said the Coyote, 'my brother the Wolf has just killed a fat Doe, and per- haps he will give me a little of the meat when I tell him about you and your troubles.'
"Away went the Coyote to beg for meat, and while he was gone the young-man bathed his tired feet in a cool creek. Soon the Coyote came back with meat, and young-man built a fire and ate some of it, even before it was warm, for he was starving. When he had finished the Coyote said:
"'Now I shall take you to OLD-man's lodge, come.'
"They started, even though it was getting dark. Long they travelled without stopping --over plains and mountains--through great forests and across rivers, until they came to a cave in the rough rocks on the side of a mighty mountain.
"'In there,' said the Coyote, 'you will find OLD-man and he can tell you what you want to know.'
"The Unlucky-one stood before the black hole in the rocks for a long time, because he was afraid; but when he turned to speak to the Coyote he found himself to be alone. The Coyote had gone about his own business-- had silently slipped away in the night.
"Slowly and carefully the young-man be- gan to creep into the cave, feeling his way in the darkness. His heart was beating like a tom-tom at a dance. Finally he saw a fire away back in the cave.
"The shadows danced about the stone sides of the cave as men say the ghosts do; and they frightened him. But looking, he saw a man sitting on the far side of the fire. The man's hair was like the snow and very long. His face was wrinkled with the seams left by many years of life and he was naked in the firelight that played about him.
"Slowly the young-man stood upon his feet and began to walk toward the fire with great fear in his heart. When he had reached the place where the firelight fell upon him, the OLD-man looked up and said:
"'How, young-man, I am OLD-man. Why did you come here? What is it you want?'
"Then the Unlucky-one told OLD-man just what he had told the old woman and the white Beaver and the Coyote, and showed the stick the Beaver had given him, to prove it.
"'Smoke,' said OLD-man, and passed the pipe to his visitor. After they had smoked OLD-man said:
"'I will tell you what to do. On the top of this great mountain there live many ghost- people and their chief is a great Owl. This Owl is the only one who knows how you can change your luck, and he will tell you if you are not afraid. Take this arrow and go among those people, without fear. Show them you are unarmed as soon as they see you. Now go!'
"Out into the night went the Unlucky-one and on up the mountain.