Myths and Legends of the Great Plains | Page 7

chipping stones. They
found a bluish stone that was easily flaked and chipped; so they made
knives and arrowheads out of it. But they were still poor and cold. They
thought, "What shall we do?"
Then a man found an elm root that was very dry. He dug a hole in it
and put a stick in and rubbed it. Then smoke came. He smelled it. Then
the people smelled it and came near. Others helped him to rub. At last a
spark came. They blew this into a flame. Thus fire came to warm the
people and to cook their food.
After this the people built grass houses; they cut the grass with the
shoulder blade of a deer. Now the people had fire and ate their meat
roasted. Then they grew tired of roast meat. They thought, "How shall
we cook our meat differently?"
A man found a piece of clay that stuck well together. Then he brought
sand to mix with it. Then he molded it as a pot. Then he gathered grass
until he had a large heap of it; he put the clay pot into the midst of the
grass and set it on fire. This made the clay hard. After a time he put
water into the pot; the water did not leak out. This was good. So he put
water into it and then meat into it, and put the pot over the fire. Thus
the people had boiled meat to eat.
Now their grass coverings would grow fuzzy and drop off. It was hard
to gather and keep these coverings. The people were not satisfied.
Again they thought, "What can we do to have something different to
wear?"
Before this, they had been throwing away the hides from the game
which they killed. But now they took their stone knives to scrape down
the hides and make them thin. They rubbed the hides with grass and
with their hands to make them soft. Then they used the hides for
clothing. Now they had clothing and were warm.
Now the women had to break the dry wood to keep up the fires. They
had no tools. So the men made a stone ax with a groove. Then they put
a handle on the grooved stone and fastened it with rawhide. This was

used. Then they wanted something better to break the wood. So they
made wedges of stone.
Now the grass shelter came to pieces easily. Then the people thought,
"What shall we do? How can we get something that will not come to
pieces?" Then they tried putting skins on poles.
First they tried deerskins. But they were too small. They tried elk skins.
But they became hard and stiff in the rain and sun. Then they did not
try skins longer. They used bark to cover the poles of their tepees.
But the bark houses were not warm. Then the people took the leg bone
of the deer and splintered it So they made sharp pieces for awls. Then
they took buffalo skins and sinews, and with the awl they fastened the
skins together. So they made comfortable covers for their tepees.
Then a man wandered around a long time. One day he found some
small pieces of something which were white, and red, and blue. He
thought they must be something of great value, so he hid them in a
mound of earth. Now one day he went to see if they were safe. Behold!
When he came to the mound, green stalks were growing out of it. And
on the stalks were small kernels of white, and red, and blue. Behold! It
was corn. Then the man took the corn, and gave it to the people. They
tried it for food. They found it good, and have ever since called it their
life.
Now when the people found the corn good, they thought to hide it in
mounds as the first man had done. So they took the shoulder blade of
an elk and made mounds. Then they hid the corn in it. So the corn grew
and the people had food.
Now as the people wandered around, they came to a forest where the
birch trees grew. There was a great lake there. Then they made canoes
of birch bark. They traveled in them on the water. Then a man found
two young animals. He carried them home. He fed them so they grew
bigger. Then he made a harness which he placed upon them and
fastened it to poles. So these animals became burden bearers. Before
that, every burden had to be carried on the back. Now the dogs helped

the people.

THE LEGEND OF THE PEACE PIPES
Omaha
The people came across a great water on logs