Lali and the Storyteller Episode Two: You Chose the Story!

his is the story of Runs Swiftly and Mother Earth," said Storyteller.

Years ago, in a time more new than now, the land was mostly forest. It was before cars, before horse and wagon, and before the Boat People came. Only the First People lived in the land. They had dark hair and warm reddish-brown skin, and they built their lodges in a clearing among the trees.

One day, the Eldest tribesman called everyone together. "Listen well, my young," said Eldest. All that we have that is good is given to us by our Mother, the Earth. She has been very kind to us this summer. Our crops have grown well, and the forest is rich with game, our streams plentiful with fish. Let us all gather some of our best harvest, and hold a great feast to honor Mother Earth, and thank her!"

Then all the people were very happy and excited about the feast. All, that is, except for young Runs Swiftly. For while the others in his tribe had prospered this year, for him, life had been very hard. His Mother and Father had both died last winter from the coughing sickness, and only his old Grandmother was left with him. She was very old indeed, and very wise, but the years had worn her down and she could not walk as well as she once had.

Runs Swiftly did his best to find food for her and himself, but he was still very young. He could not yet hunt the big deer, which ran even more swiftly than he did. But he could catch trout, and gather the summer berries, so he did. Grandmother did the best she could, too, so there was some corn she'd grown, dried and saved for winter, and pumpkins. But it was not very much, and it was plain, ordinary food. They had nothing wonderful to share at the feast! Runs Swiftly felt very sad.

His grandmother saw this when he returned to their lodge, and she said to him, "Son of my son, what troubles you?"

"Oh, Grandmother, there's to be a great feast to honor Mother Earth, but we have nothing wonderful to bring!"

"Ah, I see," said Grandmother. "And that is why you feel so sad?" Runs Swiftly nodded.

"Listen to me," said Grandmother. "I have something to tell you that you can do. You must go to the forest and listen within. Sometimes, if you listen very carefully, Mother Earth will speak to you and help you."

"What must I do, Grandmother?"

"You must arise early, with the first light of the dawn. Then you must go alone, very quietly, into the forest. Walk until you find a place of stillness. Then sit at the foot of a tree, be very quiet, and listen. Listen to the sounds of the forest. Listen to the drumming of your own heart, and then listen within yourself. Silently ask Mother Earth to help you, and it may be that she will send you a message."

"I will do this, Grandmother," said Runs Swiftly. "Tomorrow, I will go to the forest."

Next morning, Runs Swiftly did just as his Grandmother had told him to do. He rose very early, just as the light began returning. He wore his leggings, and he put on his leather shirt, because the morning air was chill. Then he took up his gathering sack, to have along if perhaps he could find something to bring back. Then, very quietly, he walked out into the trees.

The first rays of light slanted through the branches. Runs Swiftly saw a cobweb glistening with drops of dew, and he heard birds calling farther away. He followed a deer trail into the forest, and looked all about him, seeking the very quiet place.

At last, Runs Swiftly came to a tiny clearing among the trees. It was very quiet and peaceful there. "This must be the place of stillness that Grandmother told me of," he thought to himself. On the far side of the clearing he saw a tall old oak tree, and he went to sit at its foot, just as Grandmother had said to do.

Runs Swiftly listened closely to the sounds of the forest. He heard the wind sigh through the remaining leaves on the trees, and rustle the ones on the ground. He heard branches creak against each other. It was so still that, indeed, he could hear the drumming of his own heart as well. Then he listened to the feelings within himself, and with all his heart he called silently, "Mother Earth! Mother Earth! Please help me!"

Gradually, Runs Swiftly began to feel as if someone very BIG was in the clearing with him!

"Child of my people, what troubles you?" asked a voice. It was a great, powerful voice, rich and strong, yet also it sounded very kind.

"Oh, Mother Earth, my village will hold a feast at the full moon to honor you. I wish to go, but I have nothing wonderful to bring. Can you help me find something?"

"Yes," said the great voice, and it sounded to Runs Swiftly as if someone very BIG was smiling. "I will send one of the fur folk to be my messenger to you. Watch well, and follow where he leads."

"Many thanks, Mother Earth," thought Runs Swiftly, and then opened his eyes. He watched and listened carefully. First he heard a skittering sound. Then as he watched, a squirrel ran up over a fallen log. It paused to look around, and Runs Swiftly noticed it had a hulled black walnut in its mouth.

"I remember those nuts!" thought Runs Swiftly. "My Mother used to gather them for us!" And he remembered his Mother, Bright Water. She would bring the black walnuts back to their lodge, crush the outer hulls off, then dry them in the sun. After they had dried, she'd crack the inner shell between two hard rocks, then pick the tasty nuts out from inside. They were wonderful!

"This is my chance!" thought Runs Swiftly excitedly. "If I can find some of those nuts, they would be just right for the feast! I will watch the squirrel. Maybe it will lead me to the black walnut tree!" So he sat very still, and he watched very quietly. Sure enough, the squirrel ran up a tree, put the nut in a hole high up on the trunk, and then came back out to go get more. Runs Swiftly watched very carefully, and very quietly. As the squirrel leaped off along a tree branch, he saw which way it was going, and very cautiously, he got up and moved along after it.

Runs Swiftly followed the squirrel to another clearing, and there on one side was a huge old black walnut tree. The ground at its roots was covered with nuts!

"My thanks, squirrel," he whispered. "There's enough nuts here for us both, and more!" Then Runs Swiftly opened his gathering sack and began filling it with black walnuts. It got heavy as he filled it, but Runs Swiftly was glad to have so many of the savory nuts. Then he carried it back to the lodge. "Grandmother," he called, "Look what I've got for the feast!"

Grandmother smiled. "I see you know how to listen to Mother Earth," she said. "You have done well, son of my son."

When the story finished, everyone applauded.

"Thank you, Storyteller," said Carly Jo. "Well, friends, that concludes our celebration for tonight. See you next time!" Then everybody packed up their dishes, helped fold up the tent, and got ready to go.

"Travel well, Storyteller!" they called to her.

"Walk well, everybody!" she replied.

Then Storyteller got into Joe's sputtery, muttery old truck and rode away, down the road, until the next time.

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This article © 2000-2005 Peg Fisher, used by permission.