The San Francisco call. [volume], June 09, 1907, Page 20, Image 20

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
One morning Nokomis found some Strawberry Blossoms among the grass growing about the Wigwam. /"Waughi*
she said, "O-day-e-rain (Heart-Berry) soon be ripe; time to pUntMun^au-min, the Corn!" I; ' :. . >, > :: J
She knew it was the month of June/ the Strawberry Mooni arid that it was high' time to begin planting if she would'
have a good supply of meal for the winter. So she<old Aundak,,the Crow, to fly' to the* HoUow Oak, where Big Bear siepK\l
and tell him she. wanted him to help plant the Corn. She then brought put her corn hoes'- T which were made of fiat pieces of
fiint-stcne, ground sharp and fastened with thongs to long wooden handles— and l made up a pack of food and cooking uten-""
sils to take along'tcrthe cornfield. j The'children carried the baskets of seed corn and Growling Bird shouldered a little hoe. I
Nokomis spread a clean white cloth on the ground and helped them all to
meat from the kettle. ' There were'also fresh-baked corn cakes' with maple syrup, g
' and every one had all he could eat— <xcept,' of course. Little' Bear. ;- ft ...
In the meantime a great many Wild Crowi had gathered and sat perched,,,
on a dead tree, watching and^cawing loudlyA .TheyltKbught;thcy, would; have a "\u25a0
t . fine time scratching up the corn as soon as iNokofnis^ arid the; others jwent home. V
But in this theyVefe mistaken-^s you shall^see! * . •';\u25a0-- ~ '\u25a0'\u25a0\u25a0 *:» !•' - ? '. i .
' * T T Tr *W'.eithey gathered up tiidr pVepiririg to^^»tart homc'th^dld not notice Little Bear sleeping behind the log.^l : '
\u25a0 They suppos^ he gcrie^n a^^
**? \u25a0* Bbisidy-lbokirig figwe guarding thecon^^arid whim the'wihd rnaide the stone strike t^jma'^^^i^iiu^^--''-'
like the sound of a war-gong; th^Arore panic^ttrick«W and Set& minify^^direction! • •, N v /,-''-* '
Little Bear.'of course, knew nothing of all thuu - He,wa« sleepmV. but Ms sleep mi troubled. >.• He had gorged him
self and had a bad dream "about Windego that was sitting en his'stoiMchVs Suddenly the gong clanged out, "DINGJ •
DANGIDONG!" and uo he jumped xnVfrij^tl^'gv^^*.;;^.^ \ :^^y^^ :^^ : -Wrl " ' ' '' -''
fTHErr SANv. FRANCISCO, vSUNDAYi CALt:
\u25a0 .' Nokorhis knew weU enough what^tiie I Wild 'Crows were 'waiting \u25a0 for." but
V she intended , to jiisappoint'them.' *f She told .Growling x Bird 'and Big" Bear , to' get :
?two long sticks and tie them together irTthe form of a cross, and set^it upright with
„: the^white tablecloth 'draped over iv like 'a blanket. '^ She .made a round bundle'of
grass arid tied a 'red_haridkerchief bwr it: thch'with a burnt stick'she drew a pic- ;
; '^e;of,Vh})rnble^hoJTible:fa^! [' :*'-.'' \- -' ' ' ,' /v/ v i •;'/';\u25a0•
-. -yVtC .'Little Bear ate ail the scraps arid lav <dowti behind a log totake'a riap.v^^ :
;• ; *.' When they came to the field Nokbmis madc'a fire arid put some meat in a ; kettl^tojcbbk. ->Th"cn.3he and Growling
-Bird began to hoe narrow trenches in the soil* while Yellow Hair foUowed. thenv^dropping a grain of corn at every step. The
Indians were the "first ;to grow ''Maize." ;Thatb why it is caUed^lndian"Corn !;.*,., 'r>Z±s
- - Because Big Bear's claws were so long he could not grasp "a hoe-handle very well, he busied himself pulling up roots
and snags and picking and piling stones too heavy for Nokbmis wUft. -^ Aundak' ana Little Bear "helped" by hunting along
: the trenches for ,wbrins and grubs, of which queer kind 'of food they, were rather fond. ; Hoeing corn is" pretty hard on little ;
boys' backs." arid Growling Bird was not sorry when the seed was all planted and former ready. • •
' ::r.-i ; .' Alter, tney. had planted the framework .in the "ground, JanQ-puea, stones,
vafound^it^tokeep it firnv they .hung the" white s!bth over t^e arms^while* Nokomis
I ; tied the HorriWe-lodting ;h*ead ontbpbf it. v She"fastened a feather, and bunches"of
/grass pn;it,^rriaking ; it wilder tfiari even i Little Growling Bird ffed tfie ; frying pan to
one bfj the; arms, and a big stone hanging by a string dose beside it. The least ,
I bit ;'of;wind.wbukl have^swung, the, stone. against the . iron spari5 pari arid rnak; a Sg^eat
! p lt was enough^to scare* th"e bold cst Wild Grew* that evercaweti ! ; , j ...