Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Week 10 Reading Diary: American Indian Fairy Tales

American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned (1921).

Iagoo, the Story-Teller

  • Iagoo was the wisest old man
  • He told the children stories, which they loved
  • There wasn't a story he didn't know
Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind
  • A group of fishermen were fishing in the north for the summer
  • Just as it started to get colder the fishermen decided to head back south for winter
  • Shin-ge-bis laughed at them
  • He said when the north wind came he could cut a hole in the ice to fish instead of using a net
  • He dared the north wind to come in his wigwam next to his fire
  • The fishermen left, but Shin-ge-bis stayed behind laughing at them
  • They never expected to see him again
(continued)...
  • Shin-ge-bis fished his holes during the day, and stayed warm in his wigwam at night
  • The north wind came across and wondered who dared to be this far north in the winter after the other animals had fled
  • He decided to put out Sin-ge-bis' fire that night
  • That night the north wind tried to weaken his fire, but he couldn't and he even began to melt himself
  • Shin-ge-bis laughed at him and mocked him
  • The north wind dared Shin-ge-bis to come outside if he dared
  • Shin-ge-bis decided he was warm enough to leave his wigwam and overpower the north wind
  • They wrestled until daybreak
  • Shin-ge-bis' blood remained warm due to the effort he put forth
  • The north wind eventually weakened and fled north
  • *Cheerfulness and courage can overcome even the north wind
The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds
  • Iagoo tells the children the story of the magical Big Rock
  • There was a valley where a boy and girl lived in harmony with all of the animals
  • Everyone was friendly with each other
  • The valley was the most beautiful place
  • The boy and girl's favorite animals were the jack rabbit and the antelope
  • The river that ran through it especially made it such a pleasant place to live
  • The beaver taught them to swim in a little pool and this became their favorite activity on a warm afternoon
(continued)...
  • One day they swam too long and grew tired
  • They decided to climb on a rock to get warm and dry, but they fell asleep
  • The rock began to grow while they slept
  • It grew so high that the top of the rock became lost in the clouds
  • Their parents began searching for them, but had no such luck
  • They asked all of the animals, and no one had seen the children
  • The coyote decided to help because he could sniff out anything
  • He led them to the rock and said that the children were at the top, lost in the clouds
  • They wondered how this was, and each animal began to take its turn trying to jump to the top of the rock
  • Finally a small voice claimed he could try, it was the measuring worm
  • It took him a whole month to get to the top
  • When he reached the summit, he awoke the children and led them down a path no one else knew of
  • The Indians named the rock after him because of the big, brave thing he did

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