This old story which involves my family is a true story which never gets old. Stories like this get better with each telling, for the story teller can embellish an old one like this however they may choose. Stories were told when we were kids instead of watching the television and all the modern conveniences we have today. These are the days and the stories, told in the Bodewadmi language that we lack in our lives today.
Old time stories told by a gifted story teller was a rare treat....
Nin se Neaseno.
Ode se atsokan...
A long time ago it was told by some of the elders that a certain
young woman took a white man for her husband and this man was very devoted to her and the people she grew up with. It was said that he took her ways unto himself, learning the language and he even attended the ceremonies of her people until the day she died and left him alone among her people.
After her death, some of the people wondered what he would do; would he go back to his own people, or would he stay among the people of his deceased wife?
He answered the queries of the people by continuing to show up at the ceremonies of the Neshnabek and praying with them. He also stayed on at the dwelling place they had made together during the time of her sojourn with her people and took loving care of their garden and other things they had shared as husband and wife, including a little dog she had loved.
Now this little dog was a little rascal of a fellow and he followed the man everywhere, as he missed 'the woman who was his mistress very much. One day a Neshnabe stopped by and gave the man some tobacco/sema to come to a song service that evening. He was told to make sure this dog did not follow him as the spirits didn't take kindly to animals around a ceremony. They
might think you want to sacrifice this little dog to them if you allow him to follow you, the Neshnabe told him, with a twinkle in his eye. He assured his guest the little dog would be locked up for the night inside his house where he would not be able to follow anyone.
When it was time to leave, the man locked the little dog inside the house, but he had forgotten to close the window in his bedroom, so the little pet sneaked out and followed his master to the drum doings. The song service lasted until about 10 PM and the people gathered in the kitchen of the home they had met in for some refreshments before returning to their homes. The Shkabewes of the drum also gave the men sema for the next doings and debated with one of the others as to whether or not to give the white man some. They assured him the man was all right and he gave him plenty of sema with the admonition not to give it all away to the night spirits, should they decide to follow him.
Some of the other men joked with the man and told him about one of the spirits of the forest who liked to follow folks at night just so he could get tobacco/sema from them. They cautioned him
to give any spirit an offering of tobacco whenever he heard any distinct sounds in the woods. With a final friendly warning not to give all his tobacco away to the spirits, they all departed in various directions. The man visited with his hosts for a little while before departing for his home again, not knowing his little dog was waiting in the woods for him, so he could secretly follow him again.
Upon exiting the home of his hosts, he followed his favorite trail toward his home. Presently he heard some sounds behind him which he took to be that spirit they had told him about, and he quickly squatted down and gave a small offering of sema to the forest spirit. He began to walk with a faster gait toward his home thinking of his little dog he had left there.
After walking for a few more minutes, he heard a louder noise behind him. Thinking it was the spirit of the forest the men had warned him about, he quickly squatted and put down a bigger offering of tobacco this time. He was to walk only a few more minutes and he again heard the same sound behind him. I must have done something to displease this spirit he thought, and he quickly placed a larger offering of tobacco beside the trail, this time praying even; "Oh Spirit of the Woods," he prayed, "Don't hurt me, I mean you no harm and I've given you a large offering of tobacco, as you can see." "I'll give you even a larger offering if you would like, even the whole bag of tobacco, should you insist," he further stated.
After getting back on his feet and moving as swiftly as he could, he again heard a rather loud sound coming from the woods. He quickly dumped out the remaining tobacco he had in his bag and then took off running toward his home. As he ran toward his house, the little dog sped past him in an attempt to reach the house before him. Realizing his "spirit of the woods" was none other than his own dog, he quickly stopped, puffing hard, but laughing at himself for being so foolish and becoming frightened as he had. This will make a good story to tell the others when we meet again he thought to himself as he scolded the little dog for following him yet again.
There are many stories like this among the Neshnabek which we shall be sharing with you from time to time. The period of time when they first met the white people was an especially good time with many humorous happenings among them, learning the English language.
Ahau, iw enajmoyan,
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