HUMMINGBIRD TALE #2

humming bird native american myth 2 as i tell it for children

HUMMINGBIRD TALE #2
the hopi grandfather drew deeply on his pipe
and slowly letting the smoke drift from his lips
began his tale of the hummingbird
“long, long ago during a very bad dry time of famine
a mother and father left their son and daughter
alone in the hut and went out to search for food,
they were gone for a very long time,
and to entertain his small sister
the boy carefully carved a toy replica of a humming bird,
she was delighted and played with the tiny carving,
tossing it up into the air,
and catching it in a zig zag pattern,
much like the humming bird flies...
on one toss the hummingbird transformed into a live bird
and flew away, to return with an ear of corn
for the children to eat
he made this trip each day
feeding the hungry children,
after many trips, the humming bird
went deep into the earth and found the god of fertility,
to whom he pleaded and cajoled,
“”please make the upper lands wet fertile again,
so the children’s parents can return to them.”
the kind and generous god granted his wish,
the land of light, above,
knew the blessing of rain once again,
becoming rich with an abundance of life,
that grandchildren,” he said, taking another deep draw from his pipe,
“is when and how we recieved our fine tobacco plant
and the lands became so full of life. The tiny hummingbird
you love to watch flit about brings us joy and fertilelity,
and, it is why your grandmother paints his bright portrait on all our water jars.”“

Author's Note

i love to share thoughts with others who read...

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

Beautiful photo and story. I liked the old stories given to us by kind elders. Thank you dear poet for sharing the excellent poetry and tale.
Coyote

[jeannemarie coulter]

i am a ceramic artist as well as a poet, although the pic is not my work i found it inspiring and it made me remember the tale my grandmother told to me...jc

[Coyote Poetry]

I like the old gifts left to me by dear Grandparent. They have become more valuable with time. I wish I could do art. The hands can accomplish great and beautiful things. You are lucky to be so talented.

[wordman]

a beautiful write,my favorite bird is the humming bird
and a lot of folk lore about it

[jeannemarie coulter]

with kindness and a little laughter and luck we grow from the stories we are told...

[wordman]

yes i agree,i have heard many stories that i could write about
they are all special,as i`m sure yours are to you

[....................]

beautiful penning for children, jeannemarie... I enjoyed this as much as the first and like the way you spin the tale differently for your younger audience... creative you are :)

[jeannemarie coulter]

the children in my family, all my nephews and nieces call me the family story teller...thank you for sharing their belief...

[DoormanDan]

With poem sets such as this one that you are making here, I imagine that it could be easy for people to just end up writing what is essentially the same poem over and over again, which would have to potential to bore many people, but you have easily side stepped that problem with this piece. The inclusion of a story written like those of the past effectively managed to keep this part your Hummingbird Tale series every bit as fresh and as entertaining as the first part. Judging by this, I can tell that you are most definitely a flexible writer, which is a thing that not all writer's have the ability to say they have. I eagerly await the third part of this wonderful little series you've written :)

[Perkele.7885]

and it is why the humming flies from garden to garden every summer morning to provide back-up music for each garden as they awake to face each day(NOW THAT THEY HAVE REVITALIZED FROM BELOW AND ABOVE BY THE APPROPRIATE GODS)