Native American Legends
The origin of the Prairie Rose
A Lakota Legend
Long, long ago, when the world was young and the people had not
come out yet, no flowers bloomed on the prairie. Only grasses and
dull greenish gray shrubs grew there. Earth felt very sad because
her robe lacked brightness and beauty.
"I have many beautiful flowers in my heart,"Earth said
to herself. "I wish they were on my robe. Blue flowers like
the clear sky in fair weather, white flowers like the snow of winter,
brilliant yellow ones like the sun at midday, pink ones like the
dawn of a springs day...all these are in my heart. I am sad when
I look on my dull robe, all gray and brown."
A sweet little pink flower heard Earths sad talking. "Do not
be sad, Mother Earth, I will go upon your robe and beautify it."
So the little pink flower came up from the heart of the Mother
Earth to beautify the prairies. But when the Wind Demon saw her,
he growled,"I will not have that pretty flower on my playground."
He rushed at her, shouting and roaring, and blew out her life. But
her spirit returned to the heart of Mother Earth.
When other flowers gained courage to go forth, one after another,
Wind Demon killed them also...and their spirit returned to the heart
of Mother Earth.
At last Prairie Rose offered to go. "Yes, sweet child,"said
Mother Earth,"I will let you go. You are very lovely and your
breath so fragrant that surely the Wind Demon will be charmed by
you. Surely he will let you stay on the prairie."
So Prairie Rose made the long journey up the dark ground and came
out on the drab prairie. As she went Mother Earth said in her heart.
Oh, I do hope that Wind Demon will let her live."
When Wind Demon saw her, he rushed towards her, shouting"She
is pretty, but I will not allow her on my playground. I will blow
out her life." So he rushed on, roaring and drawing his breath
in strong guests. As he came closer, he caught the fragrance of
Prairie Rose. "Oh...how sweet!, he said to himself, "I
do not have it in my heart to blow out the life of such a beautiful
maiden with so sweet a breath. She must stay here with me. I must
make my voice gentle and I must sing sweet songs. I must not frighten
her away with my awful noise."
So Wind Demon changed. He became quiet. He sent breezes over the
prairie grasses. He whispered and hummed little songs of gladness.
He no longer was a demon.
The other flowers came up from the heart of the Mother Earth, up
through the dark ground. They made her robe the prairie, bright
and joyous. Even Wind came to love the blossoms growing among the
grasses of the prairie. And so the robe of Mother Earth became beautiful
because of the loveliness, the sweetness and the courage of the
Prairie Rose.
Sometimes Wind forgets his gentle songs and becomes loud and noisy,
but his loudness does not last long and he does not harm a person
whose robe is the color of Prairie Rose.
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