Lillian Roy - The Woodcraft Girls in the City

“The boy did as sister told him, and when he was outside the smoke-hole he flew about heaven until he found Blue Jay.

“So medicine was rubbed on the djo’lgi and he was brought back to life and carried home. There, a loud rap on the door made the old woman cry: ‘Who’s there?’

“And the djo’lgi answered: ‘It is your djo’lgi , mother, let me come in.’

“She ran and unbolted the door and was so happy to have her child back in her arms that she forgot to bolt the door again. Then the Blue Jay led the children forth and they all went to the big house on the Cliff where Blue Jay’s grandmother lived. Here a fine feast was spread for the visitors and after they had had all the juicy venison they could eat, Blue Jay said: ‘Come now, let us go to heaven.’

“But the grandmother said: ‘How can all these children crawl through safely when the clouds open and shut?’

“I’ll show them how and if they mind they will get in,’ replied the Blue Jay.

“Then they said good-by to the grandmother and followed after Blue Jay to the place where they had to creep in under the clouds if they wished to see the great Bill-of-Heaven who was known everywhere as the Power-of-the-shining-clouds.

“When they came to the edge of the blue sky where the clouds open and shut continually, Blue Jay dipped his feathers in the blue to make them brighter and meantime, some of the boys tried to run under the cloud and so get into heaven first. But the cloud came down and caught them, so they were turned into rain and poured down to help the earth blossom.

“Then some of the other children tried to rush through, and of these two were caught under the edge of the cloud and were turned to thunder, and the others who only got a glimpse of heaven were turned to lightning from the brightness of the glory they saw.

“Blue Jay came back after a time and was sorry to hear some of the children had not followed his advice but risked their happiness by being rude and disobedient. Then he turned to the remaining children and said: ‘I will watch for the time when you must rush in. I will call “Fly!” then all must fly back and forth along the edge of the cloud till a little rift of blue where a cloud lifts is seen. Dart through that but never try it unless you see the rift of blue.’

“The little sister was told to follow with Blue Jay as he would see her through. Then cinder brother and a few of the others waited and watched, flying back and forth until they saw a rift break through a thick cloud, and quickly they rushed through and found the glory of the sun and lived happy in heaven ever after.”

“How! How” cried the girls, some clapping their hands.

Eleanor sat and looked scornfully at the girls applauding. Then she said, “If that isn’t the silliest nonsense ever! Besides, I think it is positively sacrilegious to talk in that way about heaven!”

“Sacrilegious! Why should it be? It is the simple ancient beliefs of the Indians who had no Bible as we have, and handed down these legends from one generation to another to teach their children respect and obedience to the Great Spirit,” replied Zan.

“You certainly can’t say that calling the Power above by the name of ‘Bill-of-Heaven’ is respect! I almost shivered when I heard Miss Miller use such blasphemy!” retorted Eleanor.

“Why Eleanor, you are mistaken! The name is interpreted from the original language where the Indians never even heard the name of ‘Bill,’ so they could not use it in disrespect. In their tongue the term ‘Bill’ means an entirely different thing than in our English, so we must not condemn a thing because we are ignorant of its uses,” said the Guide, calmly.

“Tell us the germ of truth you found in that allegory, Miss Miller,” begged Jane.

“I told you before I began that you each must apply it for yourselves. I can sit down and find a suitable lesson in it for the short-comings of each one present,” laughed Miss Miller, rising to close the Council Meeting.

As the Woodcrafters left the building, Zan called after them: “Remember to bring a finished product of your carpentry for the next Council!”

The following week, every member of Wickeecheokee Band was busy after school, working hard on their carpentry. Some had decided to make wooden toys for the little ones, some preferred odd pieces of furniture, such as a foot-stool, a tabouret, a waste-paper-basket, etc. The older Woodcrafters were busy making more difficult things as they had had some practise in the handling of tools and wood. May Randall, not to be outdone by the older members, wanted to manufacture a Woodcraft Chest to hold the papers, beads, and other things she would collect in her Woodcraft work as time went on.

“I never dreamed this work could be so tedious,” sighed Ethel Clifford, whittling away at a bit of wood that had to dove-tail into the other section. She was making a set of fire-boards.

“One never realises how long a time hand-made articles take. That is why they always cost more than machine made objects,” added Anne Mason.

“I hope my tilting stools will look like the picture given in the Manual,” now said Mildred Howell. “If they don’t work I shall give up in despair.”

“I think they look great, Mil. Maybe you’ll get a coup ,” remarked Zan, who looked up from the elaborate bead-loom she was decorating, having constructed the entire machine of wood.

“I just adore that bead-loom you made, Zan,” now said May Randall, working industriously at the chest she was etching in pyrography.

“I’ll tell you what, May! If the bead-loom you expect to make turns out half as fine as that chest, it will be better than mine,” praised Zan. “I never saw a girl handle tools as naturally and deftly as you do – for a greenhorn, too!”

May laughed in a pleased tone for honest praise is sweet.

“What is Eleanor Wilbur making, girls?” asked Hilda.

“I don’t know – she hasn’t been with us yet, you know,” replied Anne Mason, evasively.

“Is she doing anything else besides making trouble?” asked May Randall, in her blunt way.

“I’ll thank you to mind your own business, Miss May Randall,” called a voice from the door.

The girls flushed guiltily as they looked up and found Eleanor herself trembling with anger. She had stopped at Zan’s house to leave a borrowed book and the maid told her the girls were on the back-porch working. So she happened there unannounced.

“Well, are you, Eleanor?” persisted May, defiantly.

“I’ll tell you what’s troubling you, all right – you dog-in-the-manger, you! You’re afraid I’ll win out ahead of you in the test for membership, so you go to work in an underhanded way to prejudice the others against me,” declared Eleanor.

“Hardly, Miss Wilbur, for Zan just told us that Ethel handed her a letter to be read at the weekly Council. She is to go to California next month to be gone all Winter so she has withdrawn her application till Spring,” snapped May, with satisfaction.

“Then there are only five after all,” said Eleanor, a gleam of pleasure on her face.

“There may be only four – if one of the new members keeps on the undesirable pathway she has trodden since applying for membership!” taunted May, who had a sharp tongue at times.

“Pooh!” sounded from Eleanor and Jane banged her work down loudly upon the floor and said angrily:

“For pity’s sake, forget it – you two! We never had a single scrap like this when we were at Camp!”

“I’m not scrapping a bit,” defended Eleanor. “It is that hateful old thing over there. But as I am going now anyway, don’t bother to shut her up. I’m on my way to visit Miss Miller, so I will just mention the fact that Miss Randall is running the Tribe now, and she as old Guide can resign gracefully or be ousted by the new Guide!” sneered Eleanor, slamming the door as she left the porch.