A warrior and his wife once had a
beautiful boy, for whom they made many plans.
But when he grew up, and reached the right age, he
would not consent to the fast. They wished him
to blacken his face with charcoal, and not to eat
anything for three days. But he threw away the
charcoal, and when they denied him food, he ate birds’
eggs and the heads of fish which had been cast away.
At length one day he came home, and,
taking some coals, blackened his face. Then
he went out of the lodge and lay down on the grass
to sleep. As he lay there, he had a wonderful
dream. He thought a beautiful maiden came to
him, and said, “Onawataquto, come with me.
Step in my tracks.” He arose and did so,
and felt himself mounting up over the tree-tops, until
he reached the sky.
The maiden entered through a small
opening, and he followed her. Looking around,
he found himself on a beautiful, grassy plain.
A tall lodge stood in the distance. She led
him to it, and he saw that it was divided into two
parts. In one end there were bows, arrows, clubs,
and spears, and other things that belong to a warrior.
In the other end were strings of colored beads, bright
pieces of cloth, and fancy moccasins, such as belong
to a maiden. On a frame was a broad belt, beautifully
colored, that she was weaving.
“My brother will soon be home,”
she said, “and I do not wish him to see you,
so come until I hide you.” She put him
in a corner and spread the belt over him.
In a short time the brother returned,
and sat down in his end of the lodge. He took
down his pipe, and began to smoke. Then, in a
little while, he said, “Sister, when are you
going to stop this practice? Do you forget that
the Greatest of the Spirits has forbidden you to take
the children of the earth? I know whom you have
behind that belt. Come forth, Onawataquto.”
When the young man came forth, he
presented him with bows and arrows and a pipe of red
stone. Now this meant that he was married to
the maiden.
After that the brother used to take
him with him over the beautiful plains, and he found
everything very peaceful. Then he began to notice
that the brother left the lodge each morning, and did
not return until night. He asked him what he
did when he was away.
“Come with me, and I shall show you,”
said the brother.
So they set off early next morning,
and walked on for a long time. At last Onawataquto
began to feel hungry.
“Wait a few minutes,”
said the brother, “and I shall show you how I
get food.”
When they reached a spot where they
could see down to the earth below, he said, “Now
sit down and watch.” And Onawataquto did
so.
When he looked down, he could see
the earth quite plainly. In one village he saw
a war party getting ready. In another he saw
them dancing, and in another, a group of children
playing beside a lodge.
“Do you see that beautiful boy
down there?” asked the brother.
“Yes,” he replied.
Suddenly the brother darted something from his hand
at the child, and he fell senseless.
The parents rushed out and carried
him into the lodge, and made great wailing.
Then they saw people gather around the lodge, and the
medicine man arrived. He addressed himself to
the spirit brother, and asked him what sacrifice he
desired.
“I shall allow the boy to get
better if you will make me the sacrifice of a white
dog,” answered the brother, through the opening
in the sky.
They at once caught a white dog, and
killed and roasted it. The meat was then put
on dishes, which at once floated up to the spirit brother.
“Now eat,” he said to
Onawataquto. “This is the way I get all
my meals.”
After a while the young man grew tired
of the quiet days, and desired to go back to the earth.
His wife was angry when she heard him say this, and
said she would not let him go. But after a while
she consented, and said, “You may go; but remember
you are not to marry any of the earth maidens, for
at any time I can draw you back here.”
Next morning Onawataquto found himself
lying on the grass by his father’s lodge, with
his face still blackened. His father and mother
and all his friends were standing near him in glad
surprise. They told him he had been away a year.
For some days he went around very
quietly; then he began to forget his dream.
After a while he could hardly remember it at all.
In a few months, he married one of
the maidens of the tribe. That night he went
out of his father’s lodge, and was never seen
again.
It is said that the spirit maiden
had drawn him back to her home in the sky.