Excerpt



And, so it happened. One day in the middle of Duliidsdi, the Nut Moon, just about the time all the fruits and nuts of the bushes and trees of the forest were ready to be gathered, the chief announced that Quick Fox was soon to become a man. As everyone was sitting around the campfire, and the business of the tribe was over, the chief called Quick Fox to stand before him. The dancing flames made strange shadows across the faces of all the elders sitting around the circle. Quick Fox could see many of them shaking their head as if in agreement that some great thing was about to happen. It was a serious time for everyone, but it was a frightening time for Quick Fox.

As he rose to his feet, his mother whispered softly in his ear. Just listen to your inner guide, she said. Quick Fox nodded to her, and swallowing hard made his way to the front of the campfire. His father and his two older brothers were sitting beside the chief, and they nodded their encouragement to him. They all looked very serious, and Quick Foxs mind raced, trying to think of what the chief would have him do.

The chief of Quick Foxs village was a brave and great leader. All the eyes of the young and old were upon him as he made a little speech about the ritual that all Indian boys must go through and what it means to the life of the tribe. Quick Fox heard the words, but his heart was pounding so loud that it was hard to pay attention to what the chief was saying. All he was interested in was hearing what the chief wanted him to do.

Finally, the chief said, So, now Quick Fox, are you ready to become a brave? Without waiting for Quick Fox to answer, the chief went on to say, Tomorrow you will take your pony and a blanket, you will carry your bow and three arrows and a knife, and you will travel into the great forest for seven days and six nights. On the seventh day you will return to the village. You will not sleep in the same place two nights, and should you meet others on your way, you are not to stay with them or ask for anything from them. You must simply greet them and move on your way. By noon on the seventh day, you shall return to the village, and we will have a meeting that evening around this campfire. We will see then the brave that you have become. You will leave this village tomorrow morning at dawn. Tonight you are to sleep alone in the visitors hut and leave the village tomorrow without speaking with anyone. When we see you in seven days, you will no longer be a-tsetse, a boy, you will be a-s-ga, a man.

Quick Fox did not have to be asked if he understood. The chiefs words were burned into his memory. He simply bowed to the chief and went to his mothers hut for the last time. There he picked up his blanket, knife, bow, and arrows. He also took the small sack of medicine stones that his mother had given to him to carry around his waist. Into the sack of stones he also put two flint rocks. After he picked up his things, he made his way to the visitors hut. He had never been in this hut before, but it seemed a lot bigger from the inside than from the outside. There would be no bright fire to warm him this night, nor the soothing sounds of the other children sleeping around him. Quick Fox rolled up in his blanket and tried to go to sleep.