This is in the long time ago when the sun is younger an’ not so big an’ hot as now, an’ Kwa-Sind, the Strong Man, is a chief of the Upper Yellowstone Sioux. It is on a day in the Moon-of-the-first-frost an’ Moh-Kwa, the Wise Bear, is gathering black-berries an’ filling his mouth. As Moh-Kwa pulls the bush towards him, he pierces his paw with a great thorn so that it makes him howl an’ shout, for much is his rage an’ pain. Moh-Kwa cannot get the great thorn out; because Moh-Kwa’s claws while sharp an’ strong are not fingers to pull out a thorn; an’ the more Moh-Kwa bites his paw to get at the thorn, the further he pushes it in. At last Moh-Kwa sits growling an’ looking at the thorn an’ wondering what he is to do.
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While Moh-Kwa is wondering an’ growling, there comes walking Shaw-shaw, the Swallow, who is a young man of the Sioux. The Swallow has a good heart; but his spirit is light an’ his nature as easily blown about on each new wind as a dead leaf. So the Sioux have no respect for the Swallow but laugh when he comes among them, an’ some even call him Shau-goh-dah-wah, the Coward, for they do not look close, an’ mistake lightness for fear.
When the Swallow came near, Moh-Kwa, still growling, held forth his paw an’ showed the Swallow how the thorn was buried in the big pad so that he could not bite it out an’ only made it go deeper. An’ with that the Swallow, who had a good heart, took Moh-Kwa’s big paw between his knees an’ pulled out the great thorn; for the Swallow had fingers an’ not claws like Moh-Kwa, an’ the Swallow’s fingers were deft an’ nimble to do any desired deed.
When Moh-Kwa felt the relief of that great thorn out of his paw, he was grateful to the Swallow an’ thought to do him a favor.
“You are laughed at,” said Moh-Kwa to the Swallow, “because your spirit is light as dead leaves an’ too much blown about like a tumbleweed wasting its seeds in foolish travelings to go nowhere for no purpose so that only it goes. Your heart is good, but your work is of no consequence, an’ your name will win no respect; an’ with years you will be hated since you will do no great deeds. Already men call you Shau-goh-dah-wah, the Coward. I am Moh-Kwa, the Wise Bear of the Yellowstone, an’ I would do you a favor for taking my paw an’ the thorn apart. But I cannot change your nature; only Pau-guk, the Death, can do that; an’ no man may touch Pau-guk an’ live. Yet for a favor I will give you three gifts, which if you keep safe will make you rich an’ strong an’ happy; an’ all men will love you an’ no longer think to call you Shau-goh-dah-wah, the Coward.”
Moh-Kwa when he had ended this long talk, licked his paw where had been the great thorn, an’ now that the smart was gone an’ he could put his foot to the ground an’ not howl, he took the Swallow an’ carried him to his house in the rocks. An’ Moh-Kwa gave the Swallow a knife, a necklace of bear-claws, an’ a buffalo robe.
“While you carry the knife,” said Moh-Kwa, “all men will respect an’ fear you an’ the squaws will cherish you in their hearts. While you wear the bear-claws, you will be brave an’ strong, an’ whatever you want you will get. As for the skin of the buffalo, it is big medicine, an’ if you sit upon it an’ wish, it will carry you wherever you ask to go.”
Besides the knife, the bear-claws an’ the big medicine robe, Moh-Kwa gave the Swallow the thorn he had pulled from his foot, telling him to sew it in his moccasin, an’ when he was in trouble it would bring Moh-Kwa to him to be a help. Also, Moh-Kwa warned the Swallow to beware of a cunning squaw.
“For,” said Moh-Kwa, “your nature is light like dead leaves, an’ such as you seek ever to be a fool about a cunning squaw.”
When the Swallow came again among the Sioux he wore the knife an’ the bear-claws that Moh-Kwa had given him; an’ in his lodge he spread the big medicine robe. An’ because of the knife an’ the bear-claws, the warriors respected an’ feared him, an’ the squaws loved him in their hearts an’ followed where he went with their eyes. Also, when he wanted anything, the Swallow ever got it; an’ as he was swift an’ ready to want things, the Swallow grew quickly rich among the Sioux, an’ his lodge was full of robes an’ furs an’ weapons an’ new dresses of skins an’ feathers, while more than fifty ponies ate the grass about it.
Now, this made Kwa-Sind, the Strong Man, angry in his soul’s soul; for Kwa-Sind was a mighty Sioux, an’ had killed a Pawnee for each of his fingers, an’ a Blackfoot an’ a Crow for each of his toes, an’ it made his breast sore to see the Swallow, who had been also called Shau-goh-dah-wah, the Coward, thought higher among the Sioux an’ be a richer man than himself. Yet Kwa-Sind was afraid to kill the Swallow lest the Sioux who now sung the Swallow’s praises should rise against him for revenge.
Kwa-Sind told his hate to Wah-bee-noh, who was a medicine man an’ juggler, an’ agreed that he would give Wah-bee-noh twenty ponies to make the Swallow again as he was so that the Sioux would laugh at him an’ call him Shau-goh-dah-wah, the Coward.
Wah-bee-noh, the medicine man, was glad to hear the offer of Kwa-Sind, for he was a miser an’ thought only how he might add another pony to his herd. Wah-bee-noh told Kwa-Sind he would surely do as he asked, an’ that the Swallow within three moons would be despised among all the Sioux.
Wah-bee-noh went to his lodge an’ made his strongest medicine an’ called Jee-bi, the Spirit. An’ Jee-bi, the Spirit, told Wah-bee-noh of the Swallow’s knife an’ bear-claws an’ the medicine robe.
An’ now Wah-bee-noh made a plan an’ gave it to his daughter who was called Oh-pee-chee, the Robin, to carry out; for the Robin was full of craft an’ cunning, an’ moreover, beautiful among the young girls of the Sioux.
The Robin dressed herself until she was like the red bird; an’ then she walked up an’ down in front of the lodge of the Swallow. An’ when the Swallow saw her, his nature which was light as dead leaves at once became drawn to the Robin, an’ the Swallow laughed an’ made a place by his side for the Robin to sit down. With that the Robin came an’ sat by his side; an’ after a little she sang to him Ewah-yeah, the Sleep-song, an’ the Swallow was overcome; his eyes closed an’ slumber settled down upon him like a night-fog.
Then the Robin stole the knife from its sheath an’ the bear-claws from about the neck of the Swallow; but the medicine robe the Robin could not get because the Swallow was asleep upon it, an’ if she pulled it from beneath him he would wake up.
The Robin took the knife an’ the bear-claws an’ carried them to Wah-bee-noh, her father, who got twelve ponies from Kwa-Sind for them an’ added the ponies to his herd. An’ the heart of Wah-bee-noh danced the miser’s dance of gain in his bosom from mere gladness; an’ because he would have eight more ponies from Kwa-Sind, he sent the Robin back to steal the medicine robe when the Swallow should wake up.
The Robin went back, an’ finding the Swallow still asleep on the medicine robe, lay down by his side; an’ soon she too fell asleep, for the Robin was a very tired squaw since to be cunning an’ full of craft is hard work an’ soon wearies one.
When the Swallow woke up he missed his knife an’ bear-claws. Also, he remembered that Moh-Kwa had warned him for the lightness of his spirit to beware of a cunning squaw. When these thoughts came to the Swallow, an’ seeing the Robin still sleeping by his side, he knew well that she had stolen his knife an’ bear-claws.
Now, the Swallow fell into a great anger an’ thought an’ thought what he should do to make the Robin return the knife an’ bear-claws she had stolen. Without them the Sioux would laugh at him an’ despise him as before, an’ many would again call him Shau-goh-dah-wah, the Coward, an’ the name bit into the Swallow’s heart like a rattlesnake an’ poisoned it with much grief.
While the Swallow thought an’ the Robin still lay sleeping, a plan came to him; an’ with that, the Swallow seeing he was with the Robin lying on the medicine robe, sat up an’ wished that both himself an’ the Robin were in a far land of rocks an’ sand where a great pack of wolves lived.
Like the flash an’ the flight of ............