Greatest among the Lenape people, in my eyes, are our Elders, who taught us so much with stories. Those stories not only gave us moral lessons, but taught us to think and reflect upon this, our walk in life. The following is an example of one of these stories. Enjoy!
I would like you to picture in your mind, if you will, a tall mountain.
See there at the bottom of that mountain a bark covered house, a wigwam, a home of the ancient ones.
This is the home of the good young hunter, his wife, children and grandparents.
It was a happy home, filled with laughter, for the young hunter was very skilled and a good provider for his family.
But then there came a very unusual winter. This winter, it was hard. This winter, it was long. A testing to the faith. A testing to the strong.
The savage cold soon drove all the game from the young hunters valley. Hunger invaded the young man's lodge and hunt as he may he could not find game. Soon, too soon he found himself too weak from his own hunger to even go out and hunt.
For the winter, it was hard. The winter, it was long. A testing to the faith. A testing to the strong.
The gaunt looks of his family and whimpers of hunger from the children nearly drove him mad. Always he had been a good provider, never had he ever asked for help. And sadly, he now reflected, he had never prayed before, not even to give thanks for that which he had recieved. Shaken from this realization, he approached his Grandfather.
"Grandfather", he cried, "I need your help. I need to pray to our Creator for help, but I don't know how. Could you teach me the proper ways of the old one's so that I offend no one by my inexperience?"
So the old Grandfather gathered the family together around the fire pit in the center of the lodge. Making a smudge of cedar, sweetgrass, sage and other herbs, he purified each of them. Then he lit his pipe and instructed each of them to take the smoke from within and allow their voices to become visible by letting their prayers flow with the expelled smoke. Then each of them clasped hands and turned their faces to the heavens so that the Creator could see the earnestness in their eyes, and prayed for help.
High above them on the mountain at that time, a young black bear emerged from den, driven by the harsh cold. As it stepped out, it slipped upon the ice an fell straight down towards the bark house below. Straight down through the smoke hole at the top of the lodge it fell, into the fire before the astonished family.
Oh how the hands went to mouths of the stunned people to cover their awe. Their prayers had been answered by the Mysteries above.
But the winter, it was hard. The winter, it was long. A testing to the faith. A testing to the strong.
Soon, too soon, the bear was all eaten, even to it's skin and once again hunger invaded the once happy home.
The young hunter did not go out to hunt though, for he thought the effort would be fruitless. Instead, he spent every waking moment around the fire in prayer, hoping that the Mysteries above would once more come their aid.
But the winter, it was hard. The winter, it was long. A testing to the faith. A testing to the strong.
But no more miracles happened. The Grandparents, seeing the plight of the young ones, slipped out into the cold, giving their lives over so as not to be a burden. To no avail. As the young hunter continued his prayers, louder and more fervent. Then one by one the children passed on with hunger. And still the young hunter begged and pleaded, now with no rest at all, for help. Only when his beloved wife passed on did the young hunter finally cease his prayers. In agony of remorse, he covered his head with ashes and went out into the cold to give himself over to remain with family.
But as he lay there amongst his dead family in the final moments of life, his eyes scanned the countryside for a final time. The sight that befell them increased the agony of death a hundredfold. For there, by the thousands, were the tracks of all the game that the mysteries had driven back into his valley.
The young hunter's final thoughts upon this earth were of this one great lesson. That young bear was given them to help him fulfill his obligations to his family, it was not given as a substitute for his responsibilities.
But then the winter, it was hard. The winter, it was long. A testing to the faith. A testing to the strong.
Da Naho!
Blue Turtle
Note:
I hope that the above story will help you in some way. I myself am a Christian and therefore believe in the teachings of my savior Jesus Christ of faith and prayers. But irregardless of your beliefs, know that your prayers will be answered. Perhaps not in the ways that you imagine, but they will be answered.
Never feel that you are so self sufficient that you have no need to pray. If for no other reason, pray to give gratitude for your successes.
Always remember that our Creator is as any good parent, looking after His childrens needs. But also remember that this giving can often be curtailed by the lack of appreciation for the giving.
Blue Turtle
