🧚 The Grizzly Bear’s Medicine · page 2

The next morning the Bear took the boy out on the prairie and showed him the different roots and leaves of medicines, and told him how to use them; how he should eat some medicine and then he could cure the wounded by just breathing on the wound.107

That night the Bear said to him: “Hereafter you shall have the same feelings as the bear.108 When you get angry, you will have a grunt like a bear; and if you get too fierce, tushes like a bear’s will stick out of your mouth, so that the people will know that you are very angry.109 You shall have my power, and you can go into any of the lodges of the animals, of which I am the chief.”110 And he told him how to get into these lodges.111

That day they stayed in the Bear’s lodge, and the Bear took the claw off from his little finger and gave it and a little bundle of medicine to the boy.112 He said, “Take this claw and this bundle of medicine and put them on a string and wear them on your neck always, the claw hanging in front.”113 He taught him how to make plums grow on trees, and how to make ground-cherries come out of his mouth.114

That night he sent the boy back to the camp.115 He said: “Tell your father and mother not to mourn for you, for you will return in two days more.116 I have driven plenty of buffalo to this place, and the people will kill them and dry the meat.117 Now go to the camp and get a pipe and some tobacco, and bring them here.”118

The boy went back to the camp.119 When he went into the lodge his father and mother were glad to see him.120 He told them not to be anxious about him, and not to say anything about his having been away.121 Then he went out and found his brother, the chief’s son, asleep.122 He said to him: “Wake up, brother.123 I want you to get some tobacco and a pipe from your father.124 Tell no one that it is for me.125 Bring it here.126 I want to smoke with you.127 I am going away again, but you must stay in camp.128 I shall return in a few days.”129 The chief’s son got the things and gave them to the boy.130 He wanted to go with him, but the poor boy would not let him.131

That same night the boy went back to the Bear’s den, carrying with him the pipe and tobacco.132 After he went into the lodge he filled his pipe and lighted it, and he and the Bear smoked together.133 The Bear said to him: “After you have gone home, whenever you smoke, always point your pipe towards my den and ask me to smoke with you.134 After lighting your pipe, point it first to Atíus Tiráwat, and then blow a few whiffs to me.135 Then I shall know that you still remember me.136 All my power comes from Atíus.137 He made me.138 There will be an end to my days as there is to those of every mortal.139 So long as I live I shall protect you; when I die of old age, you shall die too.”140

After this he said, “Now bring my youngest boy here.”141 The boy brought the little cub, and the Bear said, “Now kill him.”142 The boy hesitated to do this.143 He did not want to kill the little bear, but it said to him: “Go on, my brother, kill me.144 After this I am going to be a spirit, and always to be with you.”145 Then the boy killed him, and skinned him, and tanned his hide.146 After it was tanned he put some red medicine paint on the hide.147 When this was done the Bear told him to put his paint, his feather, and his war-club in this hide, and to wrap them up and make a bundle of them.148 Then he said: “Now, my son, go to your people, and when you get home hang your bundle up at the back of the lodge, and let the people know nothing of all this.149 Keep it secret.150 Wherever you go, or wherever you are, I shall be with you.”151

The boy went home to the camp, and told his mother to hang up his bundle, as the Bear had said.152 Next morning he was in camp and all the people saw him.153 They were surprised, for they had thought that he had been killed.154 By this time the Pawnees had all the buffalo they wanted, and the next day they started back to their village.155

After they had reached their home, the boy told the chief’s son that he wanted him to go off with him on the war-path.156 His brother said: “It is good.157 I will go.”158 The poor boy took his bundle, and they started.159 After travelling many days they came to a camp of the enemy.160 They went into the village in the daytime, and took many horses and started away with them, riding hard.161 Soon the enemy pursued them, and at length they could see them coming, and it seemed as if they must soon overtake them.162 Then the poor boy got off his horse and stopped, telling his brother to go on, driving the horses.163

The boy had painted himself red over his whole body.164 He held his war-club in his hand, and had his feather tied on his head and the little bear-skin on his back.165 The enemy soon came up and tried to kill him, but they could not.166 He would run after one and kill him, and all the others would shoot at him with their arrows, but they could not hurt him, and at last they left him and went back, and he went on and overtook the chief’s son.167 Then his brother saw that he had great power.168 After this they travelled on slowly, and at last reached the village.169 His brother told the people that this man was powerful, that they had taken the horses in broad daylight, and the young man had stayed behind on foot and fought the enemy off, while he drove on the horses.170

A few days after they reached home, a war-party of the enemy attacked the village.171 All the Pawnees went out to fight them, but the poor boy stayed behind in the lodge.172 He took down his bundle, filled the pipe, and pointed it first to Atíus, and then towards the Bear’s lodge, and smoked.173 Then he took the paint and mixed it with grease, and rubbed it all over his body except his face: that he painted black.174 Then he put the feather on his head and the little bear-robe on his back, and took his war-club in his hand and started out.175 The Bear had told him that in going into battle he must never start towards the east, but must attack going towards the west.176 So he went around, and came on the battle-field from one side.177

As he came up he saw that his people were having a hard time, and were being driven back.178 There was one of the enemy who seemed to be the bravest of all.179 The poor boy rushed at this man and killed him with his club, and then ran back to his own line.180 When his people looked at him, and saw that it was really the poor boy who had just done so brave a deed, they knew that what the chief’s son had said was true.181 When he started again to rush towards the enemy’s line, all the Pawnees followed him.182 He ran among the enemy, and with his club killed one here and one there, and the enemy became afraid and ran, and the Pawnees followed and killed many of them.183 That night they returned to the village, rejoicing over the victory.184 Everybody was praising the young man.185 Old men were calling his name, young women were singing about him, and old women dancing before him.186 People no longer made fun of his father or mother, or of him.187 Now they looked upon him as a great and powerful person.188

The Bear had told him that when he wanted his name changed he must call himself Ku ruks la war´ uks ti, Medicine Bear.189

That night the Bear came to the boy in his sleep and spoke to him.190 He said: “My son, to-morrow the chief of the tribe is going to ask you to take his daughter for your wife, but you must not do this yet.191 I wish you to wait until you have done certain things.192 If you take a wife before that time, your power will go from you.”193

The next day the chief came to Medicine Bear and asked him to marry his daughter, and told him the people wanted him to be their head chief.194 He refused.195

Some time after this all the different tribes that had been attacked by them joined forces and came down together to fight the Pawnees.196 All the people went out to meet them, but he stayed in his lodge and painted himself, and put his feather in his head and the bear-claw on his neck and his bear-skin on his back, and smoked as he always did, and took his club and went out.197 When he came to the battle, the Pawnees were having a hard time, because the enemy were so many.198 Medicine Bear charged, and killed a man, and then came back, and the second time he charged, the people charged all together, following him, and they killed many and drove the enemy off, and those who had the fastest horses were the only ones who got away.199 The Pawnees went home to the village.200 Everybody rejoiced, and there were many scalp-dances.201 Now the poor boy was more highly thought of than ever.202 Even the chiefs bowed their heads when they saw him.203 They could not equal him.204 This time he called himself Ku ruks ti carish, Angry Bear.205

After the excitement had quieted down, one day the head chief said: “Medicine Bear, in all this tribe there is no chief who is equal to you.206 Sit down by my daughter.207 Take her for your wife, and take my place as chief.208 I and my wife will go out of this lodge, and it shall be yours.209 You shall be the chief of the tribe.210 Whatever you say we will abide by.”211 The poor boy said: “My father, I will think about this.212 By morning I will let you know.”213 In the night, before he slept, he filled the pipe and smoked as the Bear had told him to do, and then he went to bed.214 In dreams the Bear said to him: “My son, you have done what I wished you to do.215 Now the power will remain with you as long as you shall live.216 Now you can marry, if you will.”217

But the boy was not yet ready to do this.218 The girl was very pretty, and he liked her, but he felt that before he married there were still some things that he must do.219 He called his brother and said to him, “Go, kill the fattest of the buffalo; bring it to me, and I will take a long journey with you.”220

His brother went hunting and killed a buffalo, and brought the meat home, and they dried it and made a bundle of it.221 Medicine Bear told his brother to carry this bundle and a rawhide rope and a little hatchet, and they started on a journey towards the Missouri River.222 One day towards evening they reached the river, and they found themselves on top of a steep-cut bluff.223 The river ran at its foot.224 The poor boy cut a cottonwood pole and drove it into the ground, and tied the rope to it, and then tied the other end of the rope about his brother’s body.225 Then he sharpened a stick and gave it to his brother and said: “Now take the bundle of meat, and I will let you down over the bank.226 You must put the meat on a ledge of the cliff, and when the birds come you must feed them.227 Give a piece to the first one that comes, and then take your sharp stick and get another piece, and so feed all the birds.228 They are the ones that have power, and they can take pity on you.”229 So he let the chief’s son down.230