Native American Legends
The Wonderful Bird
A Blackfoot Legend
One day, as Old Man was walking about in the woods, he saw something
very queer. A bird was sitting on the limb of a tree making a strange
noise, and every time it made this noise, its eyes would go out
of its head and fasten on the tree; then it would make another kind
of a noise, and its eyes would come back to their places.
"Little Brother," cried Old Man, "teach me how to
do that."
"If I show you how to do that," replied the bird, "you
must not let your eyes go out of your head more than three times
a day. If you do, you will be sorry."
"Just as you say, Little Brother. The trick is yours, and
I will listen to you."
When the bird had taught Old Man how to do it, he was very glad,
and did it three times right away. Then he stopped. "That bird
has no sense," he said. "Why did he tell me to do it only
three times? I will do it again, anyhow." So he made his eyes
go out a fourth time; but now he could not call them back. Then
he called to the bird, "Oh Little Brother, come help me get
back my eyes." The little bird did not answer him. It had flown
away. Then Old Man felt all over the trees with his hands, but he
could not find his eyes; and he wandered about for a long time,
crying and calling the animals to help him.
A wolf had much fun with him. The wolf had found a dead buffalo,
and taking a piece of the meat which smelled bad, he would hold
it close to Old Man. "I smell something dead," Old Man
would say. "I wish I could find it; I am nearly starved to
death." And he would feel all around for it. Once, when the
wolf was doing this, Old Man caught him, and, plucking out one of
his eyes, he put it in his own head. Then he could see, and was
able to find his own eyes; but he could never again do the trick
the little bird had taught him.
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