Week 9 Storytelling: The Squirrels of OU

It was yet another beautiful, sunny day on campus. I had just grabbed some lunch from the Union and found an open bench outside. I normally don't like to sit outside because of the pesky squirrels trying to steal my food, but it was too pleasant to stay inside. I had just gotten settled when I saw a squirrel out of the corner of my eye. Before I knew it the squirrel had jumped down, grabbed my bag of chips, and ran off. I was livid. I knew this was going to happen and I didn't do anything to prevent it. I watched as the squirrel sat in the tree and mocked me while eating my bag of chips. 

Although I was mad, I decided not to let it get the best of me because it was too nice of a day. I went back to enjoying my sandwich and scrolling through social media when I noticed the squirrel sneaking up on me again. He was coming back for more. I decided to let him get close enough so that I could catch him before he had the chance to steal the rest of my lunch. He jumped on the back of the bench, and I quickly snatched him up. It took him by surprise and he fiercely tried to squirm his way out. He quickly realized that he couldn't budge and things got interesting. 
The squirrel said, "Let Me Go!" I jumped out of my seat. I couldn't believe it! A squirrel just talked to me! 
When I finally caught my breath I said, "Did you just talk?!"

Squirrel: "Yes, but you can't tell anyone that I can talk! Humans aren't supposed to know, and I'll be in major trouble if my family finds out!"

Me: "Okay, I promise I won't say anything if you tell me how it is that you can talk."

Squirrel: "Well it all started deep in Texas. A long time ago, there was a tribe of indians, the "Aggies". The tribe became obsessed with eating the mescal plant which caused hallucinations. The indians quit all of their obligations, such as collecting food, because all they wanted to do was hallucinate from the plant. One day the children became so hungry that they left camp to look for food. One of the mothers noticed that the children were gone and rounded up the rest of the parents to start searching. The parents came across the Manitou, who told them that he had hid the children in the hollow trees to protect them. He then told the parents that he would turn them into birds so that they could find their children, and when they did he would then turn them back into humans."

Me: "I think I've read about this legend before."

Squirrel: "You probably have, but there's a part the Manitou forgot to mention. The Manitou neglected to tell the parents that he turned the children into squirrels. The parents were never able to find their children because they weren't looking for squirrels. I'm the descendant of one of those children. That's how I'm able to talk."


Author's Note: This week I read about the Tejas Legends. One of the stories explains why the woodpecker pecks. In the story the indians become obsessed with hallucinating from eating the mescal plant, much like my story. They stop gathering food and drop all of their responsibilities. The children become so hungry that they decide to leave camp and go hunting for food. One of the mothers eventually notices and rounds up the rest of the parents to start searching. They come across the Manitou who explains to them that he hid the children in the hollow trees to protect them. He then tells the parents that he will turn them into birds, woodpeckers, so that they can search for their children. He will turn them back into humans when they are reunited with their children. In my story I kept the original story the same, but I decided to give it a new angle. The manitou actually turned the children into squirrels so they could fit into the trees, but he forgot to mention that to the parents. Since the parents were unaware, they never found their children, and these children eventually had children of their own. As they multiplied they began to scatter out and some even travelled as far as Oklahoma. 
Everyone at OU knows about our squirrels. They're famous for stealing food and sneaking up on you. I decided to make the setting of my story on campus, and have one of the squirrels end up talking to me, and telling me how it is that he is able to talk.

Bibliography: When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton (1936).

(Woodpecker)

Week 9 Reading Diary: Tejas Legends

When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton (1936).

When the Storm God Rides

• Storm God rides his bird along the coast to collect feathers from the birds
• He creates thunder, lightning, clouds, wind and rain
• When the Indians would hunt the birds, the birds would cry to the storm god for help
• The storm god hopped on his bird and went to help
• He caused a raging storm and the waters rose over the plains
• When the water receded it dropped pieces of mud and sand and built up islands for the birds off the coast
• Today these small islands remain and the birds are safe there

How the North Wind Lost His Hair

• The north and south wind did not get along
• The north wind was an old man with gray hair that always killed the flowers and made the Indians shiver
• The south wind was young and always brought life to the flowers
• There was a time when the north wind would not leave and the south wind grew angry
• They fought and the south eventually won and pulled the old north's long grey hair out
• He threw it over the trees in excitement, this is still around today known as Spanish Moss

The Plant That Grows In Trees

• The thunder bird was hungry and could only find the berries from mistletoe to eat
• He thanked the bush for its delicious berries and the bush explained that he would not live long
• The bird then carried the mistletoe up into a tree so that animals from the earth could no longer eat and kill the plant
• He promised that other birds would do the same as him and the mistletoe would live forever and grow in the tress

Why the Woodpecker Pecks

• One young indian sneaks out at night to try the mescal plant that the medicine men eat and see miraculous things
• He convinces the other children to eat, then their fathers and then their mothers
• They all quit everything like hunting, gathering and only eat the berries from the mescal plant
• One day the children began to hunt for food and one mother opens her eyes and realizes all of the children are gone
• She wakes everyone up and they begin to search
• The manitou tells them he hid the children in hallow trees away from the hot sun and he will turn them into birds so they can find their children
• When they find their children he will turn them back into humans
• This is why the wood peckers peck

The Woodpecker's Stumpy Tail

• The old frog tried to warn the indians that a big flood was coming
• The birds listened and retreated to high trees, but the indians and the woodpecker laughed at the frog
• The flood came and washed the indians away
• The woodpecker couldn't see from the rain so he flew from tree to tree
• He landed on a tree branch that was above the flood, but his long tail was still in the water
• A fish saw this and bit the wood peckers tail off
• Leaving a jagged, stumpy tail behind

(Storm God)