One day, an Indian boy was playing beside a stream, when one of the little elf men came along in his canoe. The boy had his bow and arrow with him; so had the little elf man. The little man stopped and offered to trade bows and arrows. The Indian boy looked first at his […]

It was bluebird time, many moons ago. Little brooks laughed and danced, and all the forest was glad. An Indian boy came running through the forest. He, too, was glad, for it was spring! As he ran down the trail, he saw something hanging from a bush. The bush was but a few rabbit jumps […]

Once a little Indian girl was very sad and unhappy. The Great Spirit had taken her father and mother, and she had gone to live with relatives who did not want her. Often she went to sleep hungry, for only the scraps of food that were left from a meal were given to her. One […]

Once the Little People, the Indian fairies, ran with the Red Children through the woods, and played with them beside the streams. Now they are not often seen, for the white man drove them out of the woods with the Indians, and away from the waters, with his big steam noises. But before steamboats and […]

An old man of the Iroquois nation once wished to make a beautiful Indian maiden his wife. The old man had many rare furs and valued strings of wampum. These he brought and laid at the door of the wigwam where the maiden lived. The father and mother were pleased with the old man’s gifts. […]

Far away in the North Sky lives Old Man Winter. Every year he leaves his wigwam in the sky and comes to earth. At the foot of a mountain, he builds a lodge of ice and snow, which no human being, animal, or bird can enter. There he lives for a time. North Wind is […]

Once a rabbit began to run back and forth through the woods, calling for snow, snow, snow! It was one of those large gray rabbits, with long ears, that people call hares. As this hare ran back and forth through the woods, he sang at the top of his voice, “Ah gon ne yah–yeh! Ah […]

The Great Spirit had smiled upon his Red Children. The land was filled with plenty, for the Great Spirit had given to them the three sustainers of life, the corn, the bean, and the squash. Flowers bloomed, birds sang, and all the earth was glad with the Red Children, for the gifts of the Great […]

Some Indian hunters once made their way north, to hunt for moose. It was at the time of Falling Leaves. They journeyed for several days, until they came to a lake. Close by the lake they built a log cabin. Moss was placed between the logs to keep out the wind, and a thick roof […]

Once a tribe of the Iroquois became very warlike and cruel. They liked to follow the warpath rather than the hunting trails. These warriors thought only of the war dance. They forgot to give thanks for the sweet waters of the maple, and for the planting season. Neither did they remember to praise the Great […]

After the Great Spirit had made the Red Children and had given them this beautiful land in which to live, he sent them a great gift,–the gift of the corn. Ga gaah, the Crow, claims it was he who brought this gift. He says he was called to the wigwam of the Great Spirit in […]

The dog is the Indian’s best friend. He is the comrade by day and the protector by night. As long as the Indian’s dog has strength, he will fight for his friend. The Indian says this is how the dog came to take his part. An Indian and his dogs went into the woods to […]

In the days when there was no one living in this country but the Indians, there were no houses; there were only Indian wigwams. There were no roads and no streets, but Indian trails. At that time there grew a wonderful chestnut, which the Indians used in their cooking. A very small bit of this […]

A hound was chasing a hare through the woods. Some wolves and panthers were chasing a bull that had been feeding in the valley near the woods. For some time they had been trying to run him down, but they did not seem to gain on him. When the wolves and panthers saw that they […]

An Indian hunter went into the forest in search of game. The forest was so large that it would have taken three days to journey through it. All day he followed the track of the deer, but his arrows brought him no food. At night, he came to a dark, swift-running stream. He was tired […]

An Indian woman built a wigwam in the deep wood. She was a brave woman. She had no fear. One night, she heard something coming along the trail. Thump, thump, thump, it came, to the very door of her wigwam. There was a rap. “Come in,” said the woman, but no one entered. Again there […]

Once upon a time, the Great Spirit left the Happy Hunting Ground and came to earth. He took the form of a poor, hungry man. He went from wigwam to wigwam, asking for food. Sometimes he found the Indians sitting around the fire, telling stories and talking of the Great Spirit. Then the man would […]

A great many winters ago, there lived at the foot of a certain lake a tribe of wicked Indians. These Indians were so fierce, and warlike, and wasteful, they went about destroying everything. They laid low a tract of beautiful forest trees, for no good purpose. They tore up shrubs and plants that gave them […]

At one time, the animals had tribes and chiefs, like men. It was when the porcupine was chief, that a council was called. A great fire was lighted, for it was night. When all the animals were seated around the fire, the porcupine spoke. “Friends,” he said, “we have met here to settle a great […]

Flying Squirrel and Lightning Bow were two little Indian boys. They lived by Singing River, and they played from sunrise to sunset. They were as happy as the day was long. In the summer, they fished and swam in Singing River, and they shot their arrows into chipmunk and woodpecker holes. Sometimes they played “Dodging […]