Turtle Mother
There was a time so long ago that even our eyes never saw that the good earth which we live upon was cold, dark, icy and snowy. The winds blew ice from their roaring mouths. Now the people of this time were strong and so very resourceful, but even they prayed to the Creator for help. For hunting was hard and when a fine kill had been brought home, there was not one bit or piece that was not used for something. Little Elk was the provider for his mother and sisters, for he had no brothers. His father had died in a fierce storm where even the ones who survived came home like the frozen dead. Little Elk prayed and sang, but it seemed like the Creator was not listening – but he was.
One night as the winds blew cold and hard, Little Elk was awakened by a scratching sound. He finally gave in to the sound and looked all over, but he could not see anything. Thinking more light was needed, he threw a few bones he had dried in the fire. As the embers grew hot and bright, Little Elk looked all around but still he saw nothing. The dragging, scratching noise grew louder. Finally, in a darker corner that the fire did not light up, Little Elk saw something move. He moved closer to the sound not knowing what he would find. As his eyes finally became one with the fire, there in front of him was a little funny looking creature, like nothing he had seen before. There before him was what looked like a rock with little legs coming out from under it and a little head on a long outstretched neck. It had a small tail, but its back was like a bumpy log. As he stared down at this new visitor, he could see that in fact it really did not look like a rock but an up-side-down bowl with legs, a head and a tail.
”Well, little friend, who and what are you? You can speak can’t you? If so, let’s talk. I am Little Elk and those noisy little sleepers in the corner are my sisters. By the fire is my mother.”
The small creature scratched the floor as it lumbered closer to Little Elk. It stretched its neck and head up to get a better look at Little Elk. It had small little eyes that were yellow with yellow stripes down its neck and now that it was not in the shadows, Little Elk could see it was green. It was very pleasing to look at and its eyes appeared innocent like a young child’s. The silence was broken as it spoke to Little Elk.
”My name is Turtle Mother and I have come in answer to your prayers to the Creator.” Little Elk did not know how to react. He kept himself from laughing remembering that the Creator had sent this new unknown.
”I do not understand how you can help us. I do not mean to question the Creator, but you are rather small and besides, how can you make the winds stop and the cold leave us?” Turtle Mother answered quickly.
”You need to have faith and trust and you will see what it can bring.”
Little Elk thought for a minute and agreed. ”I will and I do. So, what do you want of me? I am poor and have no fine gifts to give you.”
Turtle Mother stretched out her neck so her eyes met Little Elk’s. ”I said faith and hope! All I need is for you to make something for me. You need to weave me a small basket and quickly for my time grows short.”
Little Elk asked, ”How am I to do that? The snows have been blowing so hard that I cannot even see any grass.”
Turtle Mother replied, ”Have faith.”
Not really having much faith in finding what Turtle Mother wanted, he agreed and dressed as warm as he could to find grass or reeds – anything to make a basket. As the icy winds stung his face and made it hard to see, he tripped and fell. As he picked himself up, he saw the tops of a few tiny grasses peeking out of the snow. He started brushing the snow off and as he did he saw he had fallen on a large patch of dried grass. He gathered all he could and hoped it would be enough to make a small basket. When he finally made it home and spread all the grass by the fire Turtle Mother smiled and said, ”See you did have faith or you would not have found the grass.”
Little Elk replied, ”I don’t know if faith had anything to do with it. The wind blew so hard I lost my balance fighting it and tripped and fell.”
”No,” Turtle Mother replied, ”It was faith or you would not have done what I asked. The Creator blew the winds hard so you would trip. Sometimes we have faith and do not even know it.”
Little Elk smiled and nodded. ”I suppose you are right. Now let’s see if I can make a basket. I am not that good at it. My sisters and mother always make them, but I have watched enough and I’m sure I can do it.”
As the fire kept them warm, Little Elk and Turtle Mother talked and before he knew it, he had made a small basket.
”I am done and I think I made a fine basket. What do you think? Is this what you wanted?”
”Yes,” Turtle Mother replied, ”It is a fine deep basket. See what hope has done. It has made a basket. Now put the basket on my back. Creator has plans to fill it.”
”Fill it with what?” Little Elk asked. ”What we need is the snows and cold to leave.”
”And they will,” Turtle Mother answered. ”For it is I who will carry Mother Earth on my back and a new world will follow. It will be called the changing of the seasons. The first season will be spring. It will be when the snow leaves and trees and flowers will grow, water will flow and not be frozen. The animals will come to life from hiding. Then will come the season of summer when the sun helps to make everything grow. Planting food will help your people too. Then it will be the season of fall. All the trees and plants will lose their leaves, planting stops and gathering of food, water and meat for the next season is what you will do. Then the last season is the one you know. Next will come the winter. The snow will return along with the cold, but all you have gathered will help you until spring returns. Well, Little Elk, I must go. The Creator waits for me and your prayers have been answered. You see what faith and hope will get you?”
She turned away and slowly lumbered out into the storm, her little basket on her back until she could not be seen any more.
How that basket has grown into the most beautiful place we call Earth. Prayers can be answered. Keep the faith and hope will follow.
Lim Lim.
Ken ”Rainbow Cougar” Edwards, from the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington state, is an accomplished painter and storyteller. Edwards is a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M., and a longtime cartoonist for Indian Country Today.
