Indian Child Life

Excerpt

A RUNAWAY.

Once, after an arickara Indian mother had finished all her packing, as they were going to move camp, she fixed a travois on her big dog and placed her baby in the basket. Then all was ready and they were about to start, when a great, ugly black dog came along, and the two dogs began to fight.

The squaw whipped them apart, and after she had quieted her poor little baby boy, who had been very much frightened, she put him back into his little carriage, and soon the Indians started.

THE TWO DOGS BEGAN TO FIGHT.

The squaw walked beside the dog to guide him and, also, to amuse her baby. Indian babies play with little dolls made of buckskin, with long buckskin fringe for hair. If a feather is placed in the dolly's hair the babies think it is beautifully dressed.

The baby of our story was having a lovely time with his dolly and so his mother thought she would just drop back and have a little chat with another Indian mother while the baby was good.

THE LITTLE BOY PICKED UP A STICK.

She had hardly turned around, when that naughty dog saw a great big jack rabbit, just ahead, and thought it would make a delicious dinner. Off he started. He jumped right through the rough sage brush, and the poor baby rolled out. His mother was afraid he would be badly hurt, but he was only frightened. When the squaw caught the naughty dog again, she tied a rope around his neck and kept tight hold of it, so he couldn't play another trick on her.

When the Indians stopped and camped, the little boy picked up a stick and whipped that dog as hard as he could for treating him so badly during the day's traveling.

Once there was a little pueblo Indian boy and his father was one of the best hunters in the village. One morning he went out into the mountains to shoot deer, the meat of which was to be dried for the winter supply.

He was walking very carefully, as he would have frightened the game away if he had made a noise.

Suddenly he heard a sound as if a mama bear were scolding a cub for being selfish. He looked, and there, indeed, was an old she-bear turning over stones and trying to find some grubs for her babies.

TRYING TO FIND SOME GRUBS FOR HER BABIES.

The Indian shot the mama bear and one of the cubs scampered off as fast as he could go, but the hunter caught the other little bear and tied a horse-hair rope tight around the little fellow's neck, so he could drag him home to his little tan-tsi-day.

The two became very good friends, and when tan-tsi-day's mother brought a bowl of porridge to her baby, she always put in enough for the baby bear too.

One day the baby bear was naughty, and when tan-tsi-day's mother had gone into the house, he took the bowl and ate all the porridge himself, and didn't give his little playfellow any.

DRAG HIM HOME TO HIS TAN-TSI-DAY.

The baby was very much surprised, and called his Indian mother.

Do you know how she punished the selfish little bear? When the next meal-time came, she just brought enough of the good porridge for her tan-tsi-day, and made that naughty bear eat with the puppies. I think baby bear won't be such a greedy little fellow when allowed to eat with his little companion again.

IN MISCHIEF.

The naughty bear had been kept away from his playfellow for some time, and as the two loved one another so much, it made them both feel very sad.

One day the Indian mother went out to visit, and baby bear saw her go. "Now," thought he, "I will see my little friend, and, if I am a very good little bear, perhaps his mother will let us play together again."

HE HID BEHIND A BAKE OVEN.

Baby bear crept along very carefully, and when he thought the mother was not looking he hid behind a bake oven and almost had his first accident, for tan-tsi-day's mother had left one of her best jars standing there with herbs to dry.

When the mother had got out of sight the baby bear marched into the adobe home of his friend, and then the two companions were glad.

But baby bear and tan-tsi-day saw the jars with all the good things in them, and then they forgot to try to be good.

REACH THE TOP OF HIS POLE.

They ate the dried berries and sweet roots; tipped the jars and baskets to see if any goodies were in them; and when they had eaten all they wanted, sat just as close to each other as possible and went fast asleep.

After a while the mother came home, and when she saw those two fast asleep, the jars broken, and all her good things spilled over the floor, she became very angry and started to whip them.

Baby bear wakened up and ran as fast as his clumsy little legs would let him; but he didn't reach the top of his pole before the Indian mother had given him a good switching.

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