HUMMINGBIRD TALE #3

another native american story as i learned it

HUMMINGBIRD #3

One hot afternoon during the summer dry time
wordweaver was sitting in the shade
on the eastern side of the pueblo
slowly weaving a new hummingbird basket...
she heard the children ask her daughter
why it was so hot and dry
“come” she called out
“come sit here in the shade where it is cooler
and i will tell you the story of the hummingbird
who flew to defeat the demon’s hot curse.”

the children all gathered about and waited eagerly for her to begin
wordweaver, selected a long reed,
a rich blue green in color,
and, as she wove it into the basket, began her tale...

“once long, long ago, a demon lost a bet with the sun god
and was blinded as a result,
like a nasty, naughty, and spoiled child
he spewed lava scorching the earth
making it too hot and dry to support life...
our great shamans gathered to do a ceremony 
asking the gods for help...
a tiny, very plain, brown bird heard their plea,
and traveled to all four corners of the world
repeating the plea of the people...

he started with the north wind, 
who listened, nodded, and sent him to the east wind,
the east wind told him to ask the south wind 
and the south wind sent him to the west wind
each wind god heard his tale of woe
for the people and the dry lava scorched lands...

the wind gods gathered creating a fine rainbow,
west wind god told the tiny bird 
to start at the foot of the rainbow
and dart back and forth
through all the colors,
and when he reached the top of the arch
to fly back to the people
drawing the rains with him...

the tiny bird did as the wind god instructed
and the rains followed him back home
when the tiny bird reached home,
the rains quenched the thirst of the land,
bringing back abundance and life,
the wind god told the tiny brown bird
to make this journey every year
when the wet season was ending...

the tiny bird agreed to do this flight
the wind gods rewarded the tiny
dull colored bird for his kindness
by granting him a new coat of feathers 
showing all the colors he had flown through,
the dry time of the year is the time the hummingbird is making his journey
to bring the rain back...
when you see him dancing in the corn you will know the cool rains are coming soon”...

  

Reviews

[DoormanDan]

This is a miles more than adequate ending to this marvelous trilogy of Hummingbird poems. It plays right off the energy of the previous entry in the series without becoming a complete replica of the second poem. It tells a very sweet native legend, and is just beautiful overall. Excellent performance with these three poems, my friend, excellent performance. :)

[jeannemarie coulter]

thank you so much, i am glad you enjoyed my tales

[Coyote Poetry]

I enjoyed the story. Gave the hummingbird character and reason. I like the hummingbird. In upper Michigan across the bridge. Hummingbirds can still be seen. I liked the ending to the excellent story in the poem.
Coyote

[jeannemarie coulter]

my thanks and blessings to thee

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome and I hope you are enjoying the Summer.

[Sami Khalil]

"our great shamans gathered to do a ceremony
asking the gods for help...
a tiny, very plain, brown bird heard their plea,
and traveled to all four corners of the world
repeating the plea of the people..."

This was a mythical story with great Indian flavor and relevance. The Indians loved the Great Spirit and Mother Nature. Excellent...:).

[jeannemarie coulter]

i love the tales and the telling of them...thank you...

[Perkele.7885]

and this is just after he is all hummed out by playing all the small garden shows early in the summer. If only he had known or could have afforded to wait, but the nest rent was due. A nice poem #3

[jeannemarie coulter]

with chuckles rolling i thank you...

[James]

Another myth from teh Native Americans which I never knew existed. You are educating us with great stories jeanemarie coulter!!!

[jeannemarie coulter]

i truly love the tales native americans tell their following generations...it is a gift we should encourage in all people...the gift og the storyteller...