TIGblogs - Ha Thi Lan Anh

The Creation
Before this world came to be
There lived in the Sky-world
an ancient chief.
In the center of his land
grew a beautiful tree
which had four white roots
stretching to each
of the four directions :
North, South East and West.
From that beautiful tree,
all good things grew

Then it came to be
that the beautiful tree
was uprooted and through
the hole it made in the Sky-world
fell the youthful wife
of the ancient chief
a handful of seeds,
which she grabbed from the tree
as she fell, cluthced in her hand
Far below there were only water
and water creatures
who looked up as they swam

"Someone comes," said the duck
"we must make room for her"

The great turtle swam up
from his place in the depths.
"There is room on my back,"
the great turtle said.

"But there must be earth
where she can stand," said the duck
and so he dove beneath the waters
but he could not reach the bottom.

"I shall bring up earth"
the loon then said and he dove too
but could not reach the bottom.

Finally the muskrat tried
He dove as deeply as he could,
swimming until his lungs almost burst.
With one paw he touched the bottom,
and came up with a tiny speck
of earth clutched in his paw.

"Plaace the earth on my back,"
the great turtle said,
and as they spread
the tiny speck of earth ut grew
larger and larger and larger
until it bacame the whole world.

Then two swans flew up
and between their wings
they caught the woman
who fell from the sky
They brough her gently
down to the earth
where she dropped her handful of seeds
from the Sky-World.

Then it was that the first plants grew
and life on this new earth began.

It was not long after
she had fallen from th Sky-Wold
and the earth had been made
as place for her to stand,
that the Sky-Woman gave birth
to a beautiful daughter.
Together they lived
in peace upon this world
which rested upon the turtle's back
until the daughter became a woman

One day she came to her mother and said,
"Mother, while i slept in the meadow , i felt
a wind sweep over me and i heard someone
whipser sweet words into my ear."

Then it was that the Sky-Woman knew
the West Windhad taken
her daughter as his wife.

Soon the daughter of the Sky-Woman
grew heavy with child
and from her stomach
the voices of two children
could be heard.

One of the voices was angry and quarrelsome
"My brother".it said," let us tear our way out"
I think i see light through our mother's side."

The other voice was loving and gentle.
"No,my brother," said the other voice.
"We must not do that, for it would cause her death."

Before long the time came
for the brothers to be born
The good minded brother was the first
and entered this life in the normal way
But the brother of evil mind
tore his way through their mother's side
and she died when he was born

The Sky-Woman was saddened
at her daughter's deaht
She looked at the children
who stood before her.
"my Grandson," she said
" Your mother had gone
before us to that good place
where all who live good lives
shall dwell some day.
Let us bury her now
and something good may happen."

Then the brother
who was good of mind
helped to bury his mother's body
while hte other brother, the Evil mind
paid no attnetion
and either slept or cried for food.

Soon green shoots rose
from their mother's grave
From her fingeres came the bean plants
from her feet came the potatoes
From her stomach came the squashes
and from her breasts, the corn.
Last of all,from her forehead
grew the medicine plant, tabacco.

Then the Good Mind listened
to his grandmother's words
teaching him, telling him how
to shape the earth and bring good things
to be used by the humans who were to come.

When she finished, she departed,
back into the sky World
where she still looks down
on us through the nights
as the moon, our grandmother.

Then the Good Mind touched the earth
and fro it grew the tall elm tree.
which gives it s bark for the lodges of the people.

But the Evil Mind struck the earth
and the briars and bushes with thorns sprang up.

Then the Good mind touched the earth
and from it flowed the springs of pure water.

But the Evil Mind struck the earth,
kicking it dirt to muddy the springs.

Then the Good Mind touched the earth,
making the rivers and running streams
to carry people from place to place
with currents flowing in each direction.

But the Evil Mind made rapids and falls
and twisted the streams, throwing in great rocks
so that travel would not be an easy thing.

Then the Good Mind made animals and brids
and creatures friendly to human beings
to be his companions and provide with food.

But the Evil Mind made evil creatures :
The flying Heads and the monster bears,
great hornded serpents, Stone Giants and beings
Who would trouble the lives and dreams of the people.

So it was that in the two brothers
all that was good and all that was evil
came to this world and the long contest
between the Good and the Evil Minds began

And even today, this world we walk in
is made of both good and evil things.
But if we choose the Good Minds' path,
remembering right is greater than wrong
we will find our reward at journey's end.

Source : Iroquois Stories
Heroes and Heroines
Monsters and Magic
as told by Joseph Bruchac