Sky-father

the hunt and the trickster

Father-sky was one day watching upon the entirety of his creation with great joy for he loved to see all those that flourished beneath him content in the ministrations of their labor.

F) I am Father-sky said he.

From my intent all being has taken shape,

From the small beasts of the water

To the large beasts of the land.

I am father to all said he

 all things hold equal worth

under my watchful eye.

See now the eternal communion that

Exists between Man and beast.

It came to be that Man growing hungry had need of the meat of the Deer.

M) But lo’ my children’s bellies are lying flat.

This is what I shall do.

I shall take my bow and I will find a Deer.

I shall take my bow and I will find a Deer.

When I find a Deer I will draw back upon my bow

And my children shall be fed.

From the Deer, my children shall be fed.

This is what I shall do.

And so Man set out upon the earth with his bow in search of a Deer, and while he was wandering in search of a Deer he was unaware of Hawk circling above him, both under the watchful gaze of Father-sky.

H) See how I am the Hawk

High above the winds.

I am the Hawk

High above the winds.

I see everything

The ribbons of rivers,

See how they sit small upon

The earth as I soar,

I am Hawk high-above-the winds.

Look now

There moves Man with bow at hand.

But what there is this?

It is Deer and her three young

See how she turns this way and that.

Perhaps I should tell her that

Man moves behind her with bow at hand.

Yes, that is what I will do.

Tell her that Man follows close behind with bow at hand.

            Upon witnessing this Father-sky held conversation with Hawk.

F) Hawk, where do you fly to?

H) I am flying to tell Deer that Man is close behind her.

Indeed Man is very close behind her.

F) Hawk you are high above the winds

And you see much because

You are high above the winds.

Can you not see that Man is full of hunger?

Man is full of hunger and will die without Deer and

His children too shall perish.

For surely I have created Deer to feed Man.

Man is only doing what he must.

With bow at hand Man is doing what he must.

H) Is Man then more important than Deer?

Should Deer die and her children lie alone

So that Man will live?

Her children will lie alone so that his may be full.

Is Man more important than Deer?

F)  Hawk do not go to her.

Stay high above the winds and watch as I watch.

For though you see much I am Father-Sky

 And I indeed see everything.

We shall watch and see what will happen.

H) Look there is Coyote

At the place where the river bends.

He is very close to where Deer is walking with her three young.

Yes I will stay above the winds with you

And watch to see what will happen.

            It happened that Coyote had woken up to a deep rumbling in the pit of his stomach and wondering when he had taken his last meal had sat down near the river to think of how he could cease his hunger .

C)  If only I had some meat

I could stop this complaining from my stomach.

Where now can I find meat?

I have no bow and no animals will come near to me.

If only I had some meat.

Hear now! What is that sound in the wood.

There is a sound as if something coming towards me.

What I will do is climb this tree.

I will climb this tree and see what is coming.

            Coyote climbed the tree and sat very still upon a branch.  So still that he might have been a part of the tree itself.  As he sat Deer walked out of the tree line towards the river her three young following closely behind.

D)  Stay close children,

We will drink of this river and then move on.

Be quick now, I have smelled a man so we must be quick.

There is a man somewhere near so we must be quick.

            Coyote listened to Deer counseling her young with some interest.  He very, very carefully moved further up the tree that he sat upon until he could see the man with the bow.  He then devised a plan in which he could fill his empty stomach.

C)  This must be my lucky day for here I sit

 With great hunger pains and no way to satisfy them,

But here walks a man with a bow.

Yes, here walks a man with a bow and I am hungry

This must be my lucky day.

Deer hearing the approach of the Man quickly ran off with her children in the opposite direction. Coyote scrambled out of the tree and placed himself at its base, so that the Man could not possibly pass him by.

C)  Ho’ there Man, you must be in a great rush

You are making a great deal of noise and I see that

You look hungry and tired.

M) I am hunting a Deer, she must have come this way

I have great need of her meat as my children are home with flat bellies.

It is for my children that I am hunting this Deer.   

C) Come sit at this river and have a drink

You must be tired for you have been hunting Deer.

You have been hunting Deer to feed your hungry children,

And you must be tired, at least stop to have a drink.

Let me hold your bow, and you should take a drink.

M) Have you seen a Deer?

I have been following her for many hours.

I will sit by the river and have a drink but I must

Find this Deer because my children are waiting at home crying.

            Handing Coyote his bow, the man stooped to get a drink of water from the river. Coyote quickly pushed the man into the river, and taking the bow followed after the Deer.  After he had gone some way he stopped suddenly.  There was something wrong, something that had not come to mind until just now.  Yes indeed, something was wrong, but what could it be?

C) I have the Mans bow, and I have seen the Deer

What is it then that troubles my mind.

Of course!

When I pushed that Man into the river

 He had given me his bow to hold, but not his arrows.

Alas, now I have a bow but nothing with which to load it with

And I am still frightfully hungry.

I shall go to the man and get from him his arrows.

I shall find the man I pushed into the waters

And make him give me his arrows.

            By this point the deer and her three young had gotten so far away that neither Coyote nor the Man had any chance of catching up to her.  Coyote travelled back to where he had pushed the man into the river but he could get no sign of him. He leaned far over the riverbank and then farther still.  Suddenly a great gust of wind knocked Coyote into the waters.  The river carried him far out past the horizon, where he was finally deposited upon the riverbed.  When he looked up it was to see the Man above him with outstretched hand.  Coyote cowered in the fear that he was about to be struck.  However the Man had a smile upon his face.

M) Look, here grow all manner of things to eat. 

The corn here is plentiful and we may both have our fill.

I will find my children and bring them here

So that they may never again go hungry.

I know that you only took my bow because you are hungry.

Yes, you were hungry.

But it need not be so

The corn here is plentiful like the stars in the sky,

And we may both have our fill.

Thanks to you I have found this place

And my children will not be hungry.

            Hawk and Father-sky sat high above the winds watching all that had gone on.  And it seemed that Sky-father could not contain his merriment.

 

 

Reviews

[Deborah Leah Krempa]

I am Cherokee from my mother's side and very proud of my American Indian Heritage. I love the story you wrote, it will go into my favorites. Great job! Thank you for sharing. Debileah

[Brette Medb]

Being part Native American I remember being little listening to stories just like this. I loved the story you wove and the ending was perfect. Great write.


Brette