rose to his feet, nodded at the eleven beside him, and they stood to follow him out of the clearing in the thicket, to leave the silence of it and the fire to the old warrior.
Later that afternoon, he led the initiates back into the trees to the fire pit. They positioned themselves in a semicircle around the teacher. Bear as a younger man was known through the country for his hunting and battle exploits, and that renown had magnified him as a teacher. He waited patiently for them to settle. He well knew that young blood was still intemperate by the lack of sacrifice and discipline. Their eyes had not yet become bold. He remained still until they all found their position around him. Then he spoke slowly.
“We hear the legends. They tell us who we are, where we came from. They tell us about the order of things, and where we are with the Creator, Esaugetu Emissee. They are the truth, as told to us by the elders, who heard them from the elders before them. These stories have been told for as many years as there are stars. You commit to them because they are the first steps along the path in knowing yourself. They tell you how men are wise or foolish, how they are obedient or disobedient. They tell you about cunning, and love and power.
“Now listen, this is how it all began. It was all darkness once. There was no light. The far heights were unlit by the sun and they were left wide and empty by the absence of the stars and the moon. The earth was there, but it was covered entirely by water. There was no land, only a flat, boundless expanse of water, as wide as the sky vault. Beneath the waves lived the fish, the tie snake, and other water creatures. They swam wildly in the deep, cold current, content in their world beneath the waves. Esaugetu Emissee, who was the voice before he created, lived above in the far heights with the old time beings. They were Panther, Bear, Eagle, Owl, Spider, Buzzard, Rabbit, Crawfish, Raccoon, and all the other creature spirits, the spirits from which many of us, you and I included, take our names. Each of the old time beings followed in his own way, going about their habits as each does on earth now; only they existed in the spirit form. In this order, which was the way the world had been forever, there was harmony and peace, for all the creatures of the sky world were the beloved of Esaugetu Emissee. He ruled in the quiet.
“The sky world and the sea world were undisturbed. There was no preying of spirit upon spirit. There was no shriek or loud call. There was only the great quiet. But there was doubt. Though water everywhere covered the face of the earth, the sky spirits knew what lay beneath it. They knew that beneath the dark waves there was land. Only they did not know how to get it. The flying beings first grew anxious. They began to despair that there was no one capable of bringing up the land. Soon the roaming beings, too, grew distraught. The swimming beings beneath the waves knew it was there, but did not believe that the land could be gotten because it was too far down. Esaugetu Emissee, in his seat behind the dark sun, had resolved to leave them to their own cunning in finding it, for those were the devices he gave them in the beginning. He knew they would find a way, for once they used these faculties and the earth became opened up to all the creatures, there was more for him to do.
“At last, the flying beings determined to find the land. They called a council of all the old time beings to decide which order was best: to have land amid water, which would be a new way, or to have all water, which was the way they had always known. Eagle presided because he could fly nearest the dark sun and was one of the most cunning and fierce. Eagle sat before them. When the talk started among them some of the flying and roaming beings said, ‘Let us have land, so that we may have an abundance of food,’ because they thought that with no land to offer them continued sustenance they might eventually starve to death. They had visions of what bounty the earth might offer. But some of the swimming creatures disagreed, because they were content with the world as it was.
“They shook their heads and argued. They spoke angrily in high voices and grew disconsolate. Eagle could not quiet them. Master of Breath heard the growing clamor and saw that there was dissension. He looked down on them, yet he remained unmoved. Time was moving as it should, and time was his. Then Bear arose. He told them their bickering had no cunning, and he asked the creatures to calm their talk. So they told Eagle to decide one way or the other, whether the world should be land and water, or all water. Eagle left the council for a period to find quietness and solitude in which to ponder it, for he knew that his decision must agree with Master of Breath. To choose carelessly and without good sense was to risk corrupting Master of Breath’s future work. He remained by himself for a good while.
“Then Eagle decided. He returned to the council and announced that he had chosen for land and water, and they all agreed. So they looked around for someone they could send out to find land. Dove thought he could do it, and so he spoke up to offer himself as the first one for the task. So they sent him. He was given only four days, as we know it, in which to perform his task.
“When he returned, they saw he had nothing to show for his search. He told them he could not find land; water lay everywhere. So Eagle said they would yet find a way. They agreed to try another plan.
“Now, Crawfish was the one who claimed he could find land. Eagle gave him an equal period of time, and sent him off. Crawfish disappeared beneath the water. They called aloud for Crawfish to succeed, and drew close over the waters where he descended. They waited. After a while the water became muddy, and they were lifted with hope. At last, Crawfish began to emerge from the depths of the dark sea, and as he neared the surface they saw he swam very slowly. When he broke the water, they picked him up and saw that he was nearly dead. But in his claws they found a small chunk of earth. They picked it out of Crawfish’s claws and carefully made a ball of it. They gave it to Eagle, who flew away with it. Not a word was said. None doubted his power.
“When he returned, he told them that this was land, that they should follow him east where it lay. They all went with him. There they found an island; it was small and still soft from being taken from the water. Then one of them said, ‘Who will now spread out the land and make it so that it is dry and hard?’ Some said Hawk should, because his wings were among the strongest of all. But Buzzard agreed to it. He flew above them, spreading out his long, ragged wings in continuous looping glides over the featureless landscape. He sailed over the earth; he spread it out.
“Now, after a long while, Buzzard became tired of flying that way. He began to beat his wings in an effort to stay aloft. He beat them so hard the force of wind from his wings formed hills and valleys in the soft dirt. Soon the water receded from the land, leaving the earth much larger than before. Lakes remained and rivers were left running through the land as remnants of the broad water. Seeing that they were now able to live on dry land and draw water, the old time beings descended to it. They rejoiced in the hospitable earth. Along the banks of rivers they found broad fields, and beyond them great hills and mountains. Master of Breath saw that the land was good. His children had discovered his creation, and seeing that his plan was being made manifest by his good children, he smiled on their satisfaction and delight. This was far better than the sky world, they said. Master of Breath rejoiced in the clarity of their talk and their cleverness.
“So, by their own devices the old time beings had formed earth. Master of Breath was pleased with it, and He instructed them that they should stay there. They did, and each creature found his roost, his burrow, his den on land.
“Yet everywhere there was still darkness. Though the earth was dry there was no light to illuminate it. Yet they knew time had to be distinguished in different cycles, so that they would have a period to hunt and to work and a period to rest and procreate. It was in the plan of Master of Breath.
“So they called a council to deliberate who should furnish light for the newly made earth. Again, Eagle sat at the head of the council. Panther, who was strong, inexhaustible, and very swift, volunteered. They agreed to appoint him to give light since he with his long tail leaves a brilliant streamer in his wake as he runs back and forth across the heavens. They instructed him to go east and come back across the west to see if his light was good enough to illuminate the earth. He ran off to the east, turned, crossed the heavens and came down to the
