In ancient times, the Cheyenne tribe set up their camp. According to custom, the tents were placed in a circle, and in the middle the children started playing games. But the games did not work out: people had been starving for a long time, and there was not a crumb of food in the entire camp.
And then two powerful sorcerers volunteered to help people. The first witch wore a buffalo cape. On the other - exactly the same. They looked at each other and were surprised that they were dressed exactly the same! And the faces are painted the same, and the feathers on the dresses curl the same.
The first sorcerer said:
- Don't you hold a grudge against me? Why are you imitating my outfit? Are you laughing at me?
Another replied:
“I think you’re the one laughing at me!” Who taught you to dress like that? And the first sorcerer explains:
“I dreamed that I went to a stream that flows near our camp, and there I found out about this dress.
The second one said this:
“And I dreamed that I went to the stream that flows near our camp, and there I found out about this dress.
The sorcerers argued heatedly, and then decided:
“Let’s go to the stream together and decide which of us has more rights to wear this outfit.”
They went to the stream, and all the people followed them.
Near the stream, one sorcerer asked another with a challenge:
- Do you dare to enter the stream? Another replied:
- I dare! And you?
They entered the stream together, walked and walked, and then sank to the very bottom.
There, at the bottom, the sorcerers saw an old woman who lived in this stream.
- Why did you come? - asked the old woman. The witches were very hungry, so they answered:
- There is nothing to eat in our tribe. Help us!
Then the old woman gave everyone a bowl of food; She filled one bowl with corn and the other with pemmican.
The sorcerers returned to their tribe and gave food to the people. Everyone ate their fill—the whole tribe, down to the smallest child. But no matter how much they ate from the bowls, they remained full.
This old, old tale is often told by the Cheyennes. They remember well where the familiar food of their tribe came from - corn and pemmican.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru