Lillian Roy - The Woodcraft Girls in the City

“The red feather flew madly about and when, at a mighty slash of the sword, the evil magic fell to earth, its power was gone forever!

“Then immediately after it came the nine brothers who were not hurt for red feather had lost its magic to hurt any more.

“And on top of the children came down the whitened bones of the villagers, and last of all crashed down the remains of the dogs and cats and donkeys that had lived in the village in the long-ago.

“The wild crab-apple tree had not had its root pulled from the ground before red feather was slashed down to earth, so little sister slid down that root and reached the place where all the brothers, and villagers, and creatures lay in a heap together.

“She spat medicine upon her brothers and they each took a natural form again, and were over-joyed at seeing themselves at home. Then she spat medicine upon the bones of her kins-people and they all returned to life. Next the villagers were brought back and then the dogs, because they are man’s best friends; then the donkeys, for they help carry the burdens of man; and lastly the cats for they kill vermin but are in themselves no other good to man.

“So the people and every creature thanked little sister for the strong medicine she had made to bring them all safe back home. Then she told them that they need never have been dead or kept up in that cloud had they known themselves and their power over all evil magic.

“And from that day, the people taught their children first, above every other knowledge, ‘Know Thyself,’ then the next thing the children were taught was, ‘Know that evil has no power or magic for one who Knows Himself!’”

As Miss Miller concluded the story the Woodcrafters cried “How! How!”

“What a strange story – it sounds almost like an allegory with a deep meaning,” said Jane.

“It is, and has hidden in its fanciful pictures described, the story of the Adam creation, of the Fall of Man, the New Birth of a Saviour, and the final resurrection from the dead when evil has been thrown to earth. At least, that is what I found in it as I studied its text and realised how much was buried in the words,” replied Miss Miller.

“Miss Miller,” came from Zan warningly, “remember – I too have that book from the Smithsonian!”

The Guide laughed. “Well, what if you have?”

“I fear you will be drawn up to the black cloud by black magic unless you hasten to make amends for your deception,” threatened Zan.

“O Chief! I move that you tell us what evil deed the Guide has forced upon us!” cried Jane, watching the two eagerly.

“O Brothers – or in this case, I should say ‘O sistern,’ our hitherto revered Guide wove magic before your eyes as you did not know that her tale was but half the story in the book. Now I shall make strong medicine and you shall see the magic leave her in our power,” spoke Zan, in a thundering tone, meantime, weaving a spell in the air with her hands and fingers, to the amusement of the girls.

Miss Miller, laughing, knew Zan would give her no peace until she had accomplished her purpose – in this particular case, the conclusion of the legend. So she stood up and saluted.

“Ha! the medicine worked quickly, sistern!” laughed Zan, seating herself.

“The second half of this tale may be applied by each one here to some profit,” remarked Miss Miller, as a prelude to her legend.

“The day following the one the people had been returned to their homes and living, the boys found the little red feather in the dust where it had fallen when slashed down from the cloud.

“In great anger and spite they began to tear it to bits and throw the down hither and thither. When they could find no further evidence that the evil magic had once been powerful, they suddenly found themselves in a snow-storm.

“It snowed and snowed until everything was covered. It piled up everywhere – on houses, stalls, town, and trees – all were snowed under and no day-light could peep in at the air-holes or doorways.

“Then little sister, who had been sleeping a long time, awoke and got up. She heard the cries of her people who wanted air and light, and she knew she must make medicine to help them overcome the evil they had brought upon themselves through spite and mistaken punishment.

“So she made strong medicine and gave it to her brothers to rub on the door-posts. They did and the snow melted instantly so that they could breathe and see, but the snow still lay piled up in the streets and over the other houses. And it also covered the smoke-hole of their house so that no fire could burn to prepare the food. Still the snow fell and fell until it seemed that the doorway would again be blocked up.

“Then little sister called upon her mother for help, and together they made medicine and then called upon the birds to help.

“A blue jay soon flew over the smoke-hole of the house and dropped a ripe elder-berry down through the opening. As the berry touched the snow, the ice and sleet melted and soon vanished so that the roof was clear.

“Now little sister took the berry and wherever it touched ice or sleet or snow, the frozen magic melted and left off being.

“The blue jay flew over the other houses and dropped a berry down each smoke-hole. In many homes the berry was used as advised and these families were soon out of the ice and cold. In other places the people were too busy shoveling snow to bother with the blue jay’s berry and they remained frozen still. Some used the berry to melt a way out of the house and then wasted no more effort so the smoke-hole never worked right and nourishment was scarce.

“When the bird had dropped a berry down every smoke-hole it flew back to little sister’s home and said: ‘Now I must be on my way again. Who will come with me to visit heaven, where I go?’

“Most of the children were eager to go so they climbed upon the bird’s back or clung to his wings and feet until he came to the clouds where heaven was hidden away from earth-dwellers’ sight.

“Once in heaven, the blue jay flapped his wings and rolled the children off and told them he had to leave them for a short time to report what he had done on the earth.

“Left alone, the children walked about enjoying the novel sights, until one of the boys saw a djo’lgi sniffing about. He threw a rock at the animal and stunned it, then he ran over and tore it to bits and scattered the fragments about, although the poor djo’lgi had not done anything to merit this cruelty.

“The children now felt hungry and said they would go and seek for something to eat, as the blue jay had failed to return to help them find bread.

“As they walked, they came to a house where a woman stood looking anxiously about as if in search for someone.

“The children drew near and she said: ‘Have you seen my child playing about?’

“And they answered: ‘We saw nothing but a djo’lgi and it we killed.’

“‘Oh, oh! You bad children! You have killed my child!’ cried the woman. Then she suddenly caught the children and pushed them in through the open door and when they were all in she turned and said, ‘Door, bolt yourself.’

“Then the children trembled when they saw the door shut and bolt itself and they knew they were again in the power of black magic.

“But little sister had had nothing to do with the killing of the djo’lgi and she now whispered to the brother who had held a firm root in the earth when red feather tried to tear the crab-apple tree from the ground: ‘I will make medicine and smear some on you. That will turn you into a cinder so that you can fly up the smoke-hole and get out. Then find Blue Jay. With the medicine I smear on your head you can bring the djo’lgi back to life and let Blue Jay bring it home to the old woman. When she finds her child alive and happy she will let us all go.’