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THE
WONDERFUL BIRD |
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Blackfoot
Lodge Tales, by George Bird Grinnell, [1892] |
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One day,
as Old Man was walking about in the woods, he saw something very queer.
A bird was sitting on the limb of a tree making a strange noise, and
every time it made this noise, its eyes would go out of its head and
fasten on the tree; then it would make another kind of a noise, and its
eyes would come back to their places. |
|
"Little
Brother," cried Old Man, "teach me how to do that." |
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"If I
show you how to do that," replied the bird, "you must not let your eyes
go out of your head more than three times a day. If you do, you will be
sorry." |
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"Just as
you say, Little Brother. The trick is yours, and I will listen to you." |
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When the
bird had taught Old Man how to do it, he was very glad, and did it three
times right away. Then he stopped. "That bird has no sense," he said.
"Why did he tell me to do it only three times? I will do it again,
anyhow." So he made his eyes go out a fourth time; but now he could not
call them back. |
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Then he
called to the bird, "Oh Little Brother, come help me get back my eyes."
The little bird did not answer him. It had flown away. Then Old Man felt
all over the trees with his hands, but he could not find his eyes; and
he wandered about for a long time, crying and calling the animals to
help him. |
|
A wolf
had much fun with him. The wolf had found a dead buffalo, and taking a
piece of the meat which smelled bad, he would hold it close to Old Man.
"I smell something dead," Old Man would say. "I wish I could find it; I
am nearly starved to death." And he would feel all around for it. |
|
Once,
when the wolf was doing this, Old Man caught him, and, plucking out one
of his eyes, he put it in his own head. Then he could see, and was able
to find his own eyes; but he could never again do the trick the little
bird had taught him. |
(Courtesy Tiger Lilli Sakima)
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