Native American Legends
A red man's view of evolution
A Kiowa Legend
One time, while we were camped on the Washita, said the agency
farmer, we were visited by an old Kiowa, a dignified and serious
old man.
I was introduced to him as the "White Father," out there
to help the red men work and to show them the white man's road.
The old man said, "Aye, is that so!" but didn't seem
very much impressed. After a moment's silence he got out his buffalo-horn
tinder-box, and, after carefully examining the punk with which it
was filled, began pecking with his flint in an effort to light his
tinder-box.
I watched him pecking away for a while, sometimes hitting the flint,
often barking his leathery fingers, and at last I said to a Cheyenne:
"Why doesn't he use a match and done with it, not sit there
pecking away all night?"
This being translated to the old Kiowa, he began to speak, but
never for a moment interrupted his play with the flint, and this
is what he said:
"You white men think you are very wise [peck, peck]. You have
made little fire-sticks, and you think the red men can't get along
without them [peck, peck]. I will tell you, we didn't have so much
trouble in the good old days as we do now [peck, peck. The old man's
stroke grew a little vicious.] Before the red man had the white
man's fire-stick, we didn't have so many fires and we didn't have
to move every few days on account of the prairie burning black."
At this point he struck out his spark and hurriedly lighted his
pipe. After puffing vigorously a few times, he continued calmly:
"Now the red man uses the white man's fire-stick; he lights
his pipe, he throws away the end: the grass blazes up, and then
the ponies grow hungry. It is all bad business."
The old man smoked in silence for a few moments, but at last resumed:
"Yes, these white men think they are very clever, but they
are really very foolish; they are very ridiculous [puff, puff].
They think they are men, but look at them [puff], see the hair on
their faces; they are not men, they are only hair-covered animals."
At this everybody in the tepee cried out with delight, and I, in
self-defense, joined in the laughter, but the old man remained as
grave as a bronze image. Reaching up with his forefinger, he outlined
the beard upon my face and said slowly, hopefully, as if to be gently
encouraging: "But they are changing. You see, the hair is wearing
away -- in spots." Then settling back, he blew out a great
cloud of smoke, and with patient paternal benignity concluded: "They'll
be men by and by."
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