THE LEGEND OF THE BLUEBONNET
An old Tale of Texas
Retold by Joan Predmore
The people danced around the great fire at the centre of their village and sang to the Great Spirits.
"O Great Spirits, your people are dying! What have we done to anger you? Please have pity on us. Save your people. Bring back the rains and end this drought."
For three days these Comanche people beat their drums and sang; and for three days they watched and waited for a sign. But even though the harsh winter was over, no healing rains came.
The very old and the very young suffered the most from the drought and the famine.
Few children survived. But, among those who DID was a young girl named "She-who-is-alone), an orphan. She sat by herself watching the dancers. In her lap lay a doll made from buckskin. It was a warrior doll. Its eyes, nose and mouth were painted on with the juice of berries. It wore beaded leggings and a belt of polished bone. On its head were brilliant blue feathers...feathers that came from the bird that cries "jay-jay-jay".
"She-who-is-alone" loved her doll very much. She raised it up to her face and whispered: "Soon, the Shaman will go off alone to the top of the hill to listen for the words of the Great Spirits. Maybe then we will know what to do so that, once more, the rains will come and the Earth will be green and alive. The buffalo will be plentiful and the bellies of the people will be full again."
As she talked, she thought of her loving mother who had made the doll, and of her dear father who had provided the blue feathers. She thought also of the grandfather and the grandmother she had never known. They were all like shadows. It seemed long ago that they all had died from the famine. She alone survived because some of the people of her village had cared for her, and had given her the name: "She-who-is-alone.
Her warrior doll was the only thing she had left from those distant days.
"The sun is setting", a runner called as he ran through the camp. "The Shaman is returning". All the people gathered in a circle to hear the words the Shaman spoke. They became very quiet.
"I have heard the words of the Great Spirits," he said gravely. "They said that we have become selfish. For years we have taken from the Earth without giving anything back".
"The Great Spirits say we must make a sacrifice, a burnt offering of the most valued possession among us. The ashes of this offering will then be scattered to the four points of the Earth, the home of the Winds. Only when this is done will drought and famine cease and life again be restored to the Earth and to us"!
The people sang a song of thanksgiving to the Great Spirits for telling them what they must do.
One brave exclaimed: "I'm sure it is not my new BOW that the Great Spirits want". "Or my special blanket", a woman added, as everyone went to their tepees to talk and think over what the Great Spirits asked.
But the young girl, "She-who-is-alone", held her doll tightly to her heart. "You", she said looking at the doll, "You are MY most valued possession. It is YOU that the Great Spirits want".
And then she KNEW what she must do.
As the council fires died out and the tepee flaps began to close, the small girl returned to the tepee where she slept, and waited.
The night outside was very quiet except for the distant sound of the night bird with the red wings. Soon everyone was asleep except for "She-who-is-Alone". At one corner of the ashes of the tepee fire was a glowing stick. "She-who-is-alone" took the glowing ember and quietly crept out into the night. She ran to the place on the hill where the Great Spirits had spoken to the Shaman. Stars filled the sky, but there was no moon.
With tears shining in her eyes, she said: "Oh Great Spirits, I am 'She-who-is-alone'. Here is my warrior doll. It is the only thing I have from my family who died in this famine. It is my most valued possession. Please accept it."
Then, gathering twigs, she started a fire with the glowing ember, and watched as the twigs began to catch and burn. She thought of the grandmother and the grandfather, and her mother and father. Then she thought of all the people...their suffering and their hunger. And before she could change her mind, she thrust the doll into the fire.
She watched until the flames died down and the ashes had grown cold. Then, scooping up a handful, she scattered the ashes to the Home of the Winds, the North, and the East, the South and the West. Finally, exhausted, she fell asleep until the first light of the morning woke her.
She looked wide-eyed out over the hill. Stretching out from all sides where the ashes had fallen, the ground was covered with flowers...beautiful flowers, as blue as the feathers on the hair of the doll, as blue as the feathers of the bird who cries: "jay-jay-jay".
The people came out of their tepees and could hardly believe their eyes. They gathered on the hill with "She-who-is-alone" to look at the miraculous sight. There was no doubt about it...the flowers were a sign of forgiveness from the Great Spirits.
Then, as the people sang and danced their thanks to the Great Spirits, a soft, warm rain began to fall and the land began to live again.
From that day "She-who-is-alone" was known by another name: "One-who-dearly-loved-her-people". And every spring the Great Spirits remember the sacrifice of a little Indian girl, and fill the hills and valleys of the land, now called Texas, with the beautiful flowers.
......Even to this very day.♥
"O Great Spirits, your people are dying! What have we done to anger you? Please have pity on us. Save your people. Bring back the rains and end this drought."
For three days these Comanche people beat their drums and sang; and for three days they watched and waited for a sign. But even though the harsh winter was over, no healing rains came.
The very old and the very young suffered the most from the drought and the famine.
Few children survived. But, among those who DID was a young girl named "She-who-is-alone), an orphan. She sat by herself watching the dancers. In her lap lay a doll made from buckskin. It was a warrior doll. Its eyes, nose and mouth were painted on with the juice of berries. It wore beaded leggings and a belt of polished bone. On its head were brilliant blue feathers...feathers that came from the bird that cries "jay-jay-jay".
"She-who-is-alone" loved her doll very much. She raised it up to her face and whispered: "Soon, the Shaman will go off alone to the top of the hill to listen for the words of the Great Spirits. Maybe then we will know what to do so that, once more, the rains will come and the Earth will be green and alive. The buffalo will be plentiful and the bellies of the people will be full again."
As she talked, she thought of her loving mother who had made the doll, and of her dear father who had provided the blue feathers. She thought also of the grandfather and the grandmother she had never known. They were all like shadows. It seemed long ago that they all had died from the famine. She alone survived because some of the people of her village had cared for her, and had given her the name: "She-who-is-alone.
Her warrior doll was the only thing she had left from those distant days.
"The sun is setting", a runner called as he ran through the camp. "The Shaman is returning". All the people gathered in a circle to hear the words the Shaman spoke. They became very quiet.
"I have heard the words of the Great Spirits," he said gravely. "They said that we have become selfish. For years we have taken from the Earth without giving anything back".
"The Great Spirits say we must make a sacrifice, a burnt offering of the most valued possession among us. The ashes of this offering will then be scattered to the four points of the Earth, the home of the Winds. Only when this is done will drought and famine cease and life again be restored to the Earth and to us"!
The people sang a song of thanksgiving to the Great Spirits for telling them what they must do.
One brave exclaimed: "I'm sure it is not my new BOW that the Great Spirits want". "Or my special blanket", a woman added, as everyone went to their tepees to talk and think over what the Great Spirits asked.
But the young girl, "She-who-is-alone", held her doll tightly to her heart. "You", she said looking at the doll, "You are MY most valued possession. It is YOU that the Great Spirits want".
And then she KNEW what she must do.
As the council fires died out and the tepee flaps began to close, the small girl returned to the tepee where she slept, and waited.
The night outside was very quiet except for the distant sound of the night bird with the red wings. Soon everyone was asleep except for "She-who-is-Alone". At one corner of the ashes of the tepee fire was a glowing stick. "She-who-is-alone" took the glowing ember and quietly crept out into the night. She ran to the place on the hill where the Great Spirits had spoken to the Shaman. Stars filled the sky, but there was no moon.
With tears shining in her eyes, she said: "Oh Great Spirits, I am 'She-who-is-alone'. Here is my warrior doll. It is the only thing I have from my family who died in this famine. It is my most valued possession. Please accept it."
Then, gathering twigs, she started a fire with the glowing ember, and watched as the twigs began to catch and burn. She thought of the grandmother and the grandfather, and her mother and father. Then she thought of all the people...their suffering and their hunger. And before she could change her mind, she thrust the doll into the fire.
She watched until the flames died down and the ashes had grown cold. Then, scooping up a handful, she scattered the ashes to the Home of the Winds, the North, and the East, the South and the West. Finally, exhausted, she fell asleep until the first light of the morning woke her.
She looked wide-eyed out over the hill. Stretching out from all sides where the ashes had fallen, the ground was covered with flowers...beautiful flowers, as blue as the feathers on the hair of the doll, as blue as the feathers of the bird who cries: "jay-jay-jay".
The people came out of their tepees and could hardly believe their eyes. They gathered on the hill with "She-who-is-alone" to look at the miraculous sight. There was no doubt about it...the flowers were a sign of forgiveness from the Great Spirits.
Then, as the people sang and danced their thanks to the Great Spirits, a soft, warm rain began to fall and the land began to live again.
From that day "She-who-is-alone" was known by another name: "One-who-dearly-loved-her-people". And every spring the Great Spirits remember the sacrifice of a little Indian girl, and fill the hills and valleys of the land, now called Texas, with the beautiful flowers.
......Even to this very day.♥
The Legend of the Bluebonnet
The Texas fields are covered
With a blanket of deep blue.
But for a little Indian girl,
This would not be true.
Texas land was buried and dry.
Rains just would not come.
Indians danced and prayed for rain,
And beat upon their drums.
The Chief made a proclamation.
He appealed to one and all.
A prized possession must be sacrificed
Before the rains would fall.
The Indian camp was silent,
While each person searched his heart.
But when it came to sacrifice,
With possessions they would not part.
Suddenly a little girl stepped forth,
Holding her blue-clad doll.
She placed it in the roaring fire
and raindrops began to fall.
The rain brought forth the grass,
Among its blades, flowers of blue.
To be a sign for all the time
Of a love so pure and true.
Author Unknown
With a blanket of deep blue.
But for a little Indian girl,
This would not be true.
Texas land was buried and dry.
Rains just would not come.
Indians danced and prayed for rain,
And beat upon their drums.
The Chief made a proclamation.
He appealed to one and all.
A prized possession must be sacrificed
Before the rains would fall.
The Indian camp was silent,
While each person searched his heart.
But when it came to sacrifice,
With possessions they would not part.
Suddenly a little girl stepped forth,
Holding her blue-clad doll.
She placed it in the roaring fire
and raindrops began to fall.
The rain brought forth the grass,
Among its blades, flowers of blue.
To be a sign for all the time
Of a love so pure and true.
Author Unknown
