by D. J. Holmes
* * *
Blue Cloud approaches his father, Chief Joseph. “Father, I have completed my chores. I am going over by the mesa to play my flute.”
“Be sure to be back to help me bring the drum, and your mother’s food to the center of the village, my Son.”
“I will, Father.”
Blue cloud slowly walks toward the mesa, enjoying the country side he has grown up in. “How I have missed this beautiful land. There is no mesa like this in all the land that I traveled, in these past two years. The air even smells different here.” Arriving at the base of the mesa, he sits down, with his back against the rock wall, and begins to play his flute.
Looking up the mesa wall, he spots two lizards that have come out from under their rock to hear where the calming vibrations are coming from.
“Ah, my brothers, you still like my music, huh? I will make up a song especially for you.” Magical notes come from his flute, as he looks directly at the lizards. Time goes quickly, as he gets lost in his musical creations.
About an hour later, Flying Bird, Snow Flower’s younger cousin, comes to where Blue Cloud is sitting with his eyes closed, lost in his music.
“Blue Cloud, Blue Cloud!” Finally she taps him on the shoulder.
“What? I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you.”
“Blue Cloud, Snow Flower will be going to the great falls soon to get ready for this evening. I thought that you would like to know.”
“Thank you, Flying Bird. I will forever be indebted to you.”
“You can be sure of that,” Flying Bird says to herself as she walks away.
As soon as Flying Bird leaves, Blue Cloud rushes over to a hill, just opposite the Great Falls. He stands behind the tallest tree, in the middle of a grove of trees, just on top. He has chosen this tree, because it has a huge knot hole that he can see through. He positions himself to be able to see Snow Flower, as she swims over to the falls to get clean for the celebration.
As she reaches the falls and stands up, Blue Cloud takes a deep breath. He has never seen anything as beautiful as the body of this woman. Her long hair reaches past her waist in the back, and seems to become even more beautiful as the water falls on the top of her head, dousing the length of her hair. Snow Flower turns around to let the water hit her back. Blue Cloud’s mouth drops.
A group of boys walk by Blue Cloud and ask him what he is doing. He responds, “Nothing!” looking in the opposite direction of where he had been looking the group of boys laugh. They get together and give him a push, laughing as he rolls to the bottom of the hill and lands at the edge of the pond; just as Snow Flower reaches the edge of the water, and is ready to climb out. She looks up and asks, “What are you doing here, Blue Cloud?”
“Actually, I don’t know how I got to the bottom of this hill. It must have been the tricksters in our village,” he answers with an awkward tone, trying to find some type of excuse for being there.
“Will you hand me my blanket, Blue Cloud?” Snow Flower asks.
“Of course, Snow Flower,” he stutters.
“Would you please turn around?” Snow Flower looks at him with a smile, motioning in a circle with the index finger of her right hand.
“What did you say?” Strong emotions were rumbling deep within his heart. He was having trouble concentrating on her words.
“Would you please turn around?” repeating her smile and motion with her finger.
“Oh, of course….” He turns around as Snow Flower wraps the blanket around her body. As she begins to walk up the hill to her tipi, she turns around. With a twinkle in her eye she says, “I’ll see you later tonight, Blue Cloud.” Looking up, he sheepishly smiles as he rubs his side from the pain of the fall.
Blue Cloud stands by the water for a while reminiscing on what has just happened. Then he realizes the time, and races to his own tipi.
“Mother, Father, is there anything that you need me to do?”
“Yes…” his mother takes a second look at her son. “What happened to you, my Son?” she says in a concerned tone. “I took a tumble down a hill, but I’m all right.”
Blue Cloud tries to look like he’s just fine, but all he really wants to do is to lie down for a few minutes.
“My Son, as soon as you get dressed, I need your help to carry some of the venison that I have prepared for our celebration.”
“I’ll hurry, Mother.”
“Thank you, my Son.”
As his mother leaves, Blue Cloud walks into their tipi, “Where are my clothes that I bought on the trade route? I want to impress everyone tonight. Come on, where are you?” Quickly looking through his belongings, he finally finds his treasured homecoming celebration outfit, and quickly dresses.
Running to help his parents, he states, “Mother, Father here’s the venison. Is there anything else that you need me to do?”
“Thank you, my Son.” Taking a long look at her son, Mother Willow says, “You have grown into a very handsome brave. Any woman would be glad to have you as a husband.”
“Thank you, Mother. I want to look my best tonight. I am going to dance the Hoop Dance. But, rather than just using one hoop, I will use several. I saw another brave, on our trade route, dancing with several hoops and asked him if he would teach me. It was just at the time that the weather changed from Fall to Winter, so we Wintered together. During that time, he and I practiced every night. I wanted to be able to dance my best when I got home. Hopefully, I will get Snow Flower’s attention.”
“Black Bear beat the drum and chanted for me during that time, just as he will tonight. After the dance I will present the drum to Chief Joseph, for our village.”
“I hope that everything goes as you have planned, my Son.”
“Thank you Mother.”
Chief Joseph stands up. “I think everyone is here. Let’s get started. Tonight our tribal family celebrates the return of our sons from their successful trade expedition. We will eat first, and talk more later in the evening.”
“That’s what we are all here for Chief. Pass the Venison.”
“Yes, Yellow Dog speaks what our stomachs are telling us. Pass the Venison, the Fish, the freshly picked Berries, the wonderful, warm Corn Bread, and whatever else our wonderful women have made for this celebration. Come now and eat. That is except for Walking Turkey. We want something left for everyone else, Walking Turkey. If you will fill your plate last so that everyone else will have something to eat, your tribe will appreciate your kindness.”
“Yes Chief, I’ll wait until everyone else is served. Just make sure that there is something left.”
“Thank you, Walking Turkey. You heard him everyone. He is willing to go last this time so that there is enough for all of you. But only if you make sure that there is something left for him to eat.”
“Why should we leave him something to eat? He didn’t leave anything for us last time.”
“I understand, but today is a new day. We will all start over and share everything that has been brought. Remember, we are all one family and everyone will be treated equally. Are we in agreement?”
“Yes, Chief,” the tribal members say in unison.
Each individual family has brought their own blanket to sit down on the ground as they begin their feast. Conversation and laughter is heard throughout the meal.
“Mother Red Rose, you need to teach me how to make your delicious corn bread. Mine never tastes like yours.”
“You can say that again, Mother Hot Ash. Everything you cook, you burn,” Flying Eagle comments.
“Flying Eagle makes comments that are best kept to himself. I love your Corn Bread Mother Hot Ash. If you would like, I would love to spend time with you. Maybe we could teach each other the different ways of making Corn Bread.”
“I would love to do that, Mother Red Rose.”
“Good. May I have some of Mother Hot Ash’s Corn Bread?”
“Here it comes, Mother Red Rose.”
“Thank you. I will treasure every bite.�
�
Jumping Rabbit, further over in the corner yells, “Do any of you have any fish?”
“We do,” answers Tribal River. “Would you pass me some?”
“It’s on its way.”
As the fish is passed to Jumping Rabbit, pieces are broken off until there is barely a bite left.
“Hey, where is the fish that I asked for?”
Looking up surprised, Tribal River says, “I sent it to you. Didn’t you get it?”
“Yes, but by the time that it arrived it wasn’t a large salmon, it was a tiny minnow.”
“Would you like me to send you more?”
“Never mind, I’ll come and get it. I think that I will get a bigger fish that way.”
Laughter erupts from everyone that has taken a piece of the fish as it was being passed to Jumping Rabbit.
After everyone has eaten, it is time for the celebration to start. Chief Joseph opens the ceremony.
“My sons, I would like all of you who have just returned from the trade route to sit up here in a place of honor.” All of the returning twenty braves get up and sit where their Chief has asked them to sit.
With great pride, Chief Joseph says, “I welcome you back from your trade route. As I have looked at all of the items that you have brought back, I have been very pleased with your choices. Our tribe will benefit greatly.”
“As a tribute to our tribe, Blue Cloud, will dance the Hoop Dance and, Black Bear, will beat the drum and chant for him. Blue Cloud and Black Bear, will you come to the center of our tribal ring?”
“We want them to play their guitars,” the tribe begins to chant.
Chief Joseph stands and raises his hands. “Quiet my family…. If you enjoyed the music from their guitars, wait until you see this dance. Watch. Sit. Listen. There will be other times that they can play their guitars for you.”
The tribe becomes quiet in anticipation of the dance that Blue Cloud will dance. Black Bear carries the drum, and positions it, while Blue Cloud takes several hoops spreading them out on the ground.
“What is he going to dance?” Two Bears asks.
“The Hoop Dance,” Mother Walking Bird answers.
“If he is going to dance the Hoop Dance, it is a medicine dance, celebrating the Circle of Life, and is done with one hoop. Why is he putting several hoops out on the ground?” a medicine man questions.
“I don’t know. Let’s watch as our Chief has asked,” comments Two Bears.
Looking up after positioning the drum, Black Bear asks, “Are you ready, Blue Cloud?”
Blue Cloud looks back at him and says, “I am. Start the drum.”
Black Bear begins to beat the drum and chant. Blue Cloud begins his dance. His feet begin to stomp to the beat of the drum, as his body goes from side to side, turning in circles. He picks up the hoops, one at a time, with his feet, maneuvering them from his ankles, to his shoulders back and forth, depending on what he decides to create. “What is he making?”
“…A flying eagle.”
“Wow, I’ve never seen that before.”
“Me, neither….”
“What is it now?”
“…A chief head dress.”
“How does he do that?”
“I don’t know. But if I watch, maybe someday I’ll be able to do the same thing.”
“Blue Cloud has learned many things on this trade route. He is a great asset to our tribe.”
Black Bear continues to beat the drum, and Blue Cloud continues to make several other animals with his hoops. He ends his dance making Mother Earth, leaving all of the hoops in a ball on the ground in front of him.
His tribe is amazed at his dance. “We want to see that again!” they yell.
“Yes, and we want to hear your guitars also,” Two Bears requests.
The tribe continues to holler in appreciation for several minutes.
Looking around at the adoration that the tribe has for Blue Cloud, Flying Eagle and his braves once again leave in a jealous rage.
The Celebration has gone just as Blue Cloud had hoped it would. His tribe enjoyed the new interpretation of the Hoop Dance.
“My tribal brothers, those of you who went on the trade route with me, come into the tribal circle. We will all present this drum to our chief for the whole village, let us all dance together with our families.”
After the drum is presented, Two Bears, and several other braves take over for Black Bear, beating the drum together for the whole village to dance.
Blue Cloud has noticed Snow Flower all evening long, hoping that she would look his way. Finally, he decides to use the fancy steps that he has learned to move so that he is dancing next to her.
“Snow Flower, would you mind if I talked to your mother tonight?” he asks with a nervous voice and questioning eyes.
Snow Flower looks at him with a broad smile, “It is your choice, Blue Cloud,” Snow Flower says as she looks at him with a broad smile.
“I will see you later then?”
“Yes, later Blue Cloud.”
As Blue Cloud leaves, he looks back admiring Snow Flower as she continues to dance with the tribe.
Walking over to his mother and father, Blue Cloud states, “I have decided to ask Snow Flower to be my wife. Do I have your permission to ask her?”
Mother Willow responds, “My Son, Snow Flower will be a great addition to our family. Your father and I have always loved her.”
Chief Joseph asks, “When are you going to ask her?”
“I want to talk to Mother Red Rose tonight.”
“From the moment we took her from the traders, I could see that she would be a good wife for you. After you ask her mother, let us know what she says.”
Later, as Blue Cloud walks toward Snow Flower’s tipi, he begins to think of how he is going to ask Mother Red Rose. His heart is beating so loudly he is having trouble hearing his thoughts. When he begins to practice what he is going to say, his heart feels like it is in his throat.
“How am I going to be able to talk to her feeling like this?” he wonders.
Mother Red Rose’s tipi is now a short distance from him, “How can my heart feel like it’s in two different places? I feel like it’s in my throat when I think of talking to Mother Red Rose, but I also feel it pounding for Snow Flower. Somehow I have to get the words out so that I can bargain with Mother Red Rose.”
Looking up, he notices, the door to Mother Red Rose’s tipi, “Wow I’m here all ready!” Taking a deep breath, he walks to the door. “Mother Red Rose, may I speak with you?”
“What would you like to talk about, Blue Cloud?”
“I would like to take Snow Flower as my wife.”
“How much are you willing to bargain for her?”
“I am prepared to give three horses.”
Hoping he will offer more for her daughter, she states, “Don’t you think that my daughter is worth more than three horses? Do you remember when she saved your life when you were both younger?”
“I do remember that time, Mother Red Rose. I think that was when I started falling in love with her. But I thought that we were bargaining, not bringing up old memories,” he says with a grin. “What would you say if I offered five horses for Snow Flower?”
“I will accept the five horses along with one of the guitars that you brought back. No one in the village, other than you and Black Bear, has a guitar.”
“You drive a hard bargain, Mother Red Rose! But I would be willing to add a guitar also for the hand of, Snow Flower,” Blue Cloud laughs.
Mother Red Rose announces, “The wedding will be held in two days in the middle of the day, when the sun is high in the sky, down by the falls.”
As Blue Cloud leaves the tipi, he sees Snow Flower watch him from the side of the tipi. They look at each other and smile.
Two days later, the day of the wedding has finally arrived. Early in the morning, Blue Cloud wakes up with a big smile on his face. “Mother, I am going to the falls to clean up for my bride.”
“That is a good beginning for a thoughtful husband, my Son.”
Blue Cloud walks to the falls, and gets into the water.
“Wow, this water is cold.” Swimming over to the falls he quickly washes and swims back to the edge of the pond. Finally out of the water, he puts a blanket around his clean body. Three braves suddenly jump from the bushes grabbing him from behind.
After he is blind folded, he asks, “What are you doing? This is my wedding day. Let me go, tricksters! I have no time for your games.”
“This is no game, Blue Cloud.” Hearing this voice he realizes that he is in big trouble. The braves gag him and take him, while he struggles to free himself. A short distance from the falls where he can’t be seen, the blind fold is taken off, but the gag is left around his mouth and he is tied to a tree. Flying Eagle walks up to his braves and thanks them.
Walking over to Blue Cloud, Flying Eagle says, “My Brother, you will not take my woman and shame me. The whole village knows that I want her for my bride. I will not let you take her. Since you will not be able to show up to your wedding this day, you will shame Snow Flower, and her family. I will then step in, to bring honor back to them.”
Anger is flaring in Blue Cloud’s eyes as well as in his heart. A reflection of all the hurt he has endured throughout his life, because of his older brother.
“Take his gag out, I think that he wants to say something to me.”
As soon as the gag is taken out Blue Cloud pleads, “My brother don’t shame Snow Flower and Mother Red Rose. Let me go. Don’t bring others into our struggles.”
“I’m not doing anything wrong, Blue Cloud. I’m just going to get the wife that I’ve always wanted.”
“Flying Eagle, Snow Flower has made her choice.” Suddenly Flying Eagle’s anger is reflected in his voice.
“Put the gag back in his mouth, I’ve heard enough!” and walks away quite proud of his plan, saying to himself, “This time I will win. I will have the woman that I want. Blue Cloud will never be able to retrieve his honor again. Finally, I will be the honored one.”
Snow Flower had taken her shower at the falls the night before, and today the only thing that she is thinking about is that she wants to look her best for her new husband, not realizing, that if Flying Eagle has his way, the wedding will never take place.
All of the women of the tribe have gathered in Mother Red Rose’s tipi, to give Snow Flower advice on love and marriage:
“Love your husband, Snow Flower.”
“Respect him and honor him. But don’t allow him to treat you with any less honor or respect than what you give to him.”
“We will all teach you how to make clothing and how to cook. Of course, you already know that Mother Red Rose is the best at everything. But we will all teach you what we know also.”
“Snow Flower, do you have any questions?”
“I don’t think so. I just know that I love Blue Cloud and I’ll take it a day at a time.”
Mother Red Rose states, “Something that I would like to add, Snow Flower, is that you should try to laugh together each and every day.”
“Yes, that’s right Snow Flower. Your mother is right. When you laugh, it helps all the pain that comes into your life, to go away.”
“Treat each new day as if it’s a new beginning. Bring only the good of the previous day into it.”
After a full morning of advice and preparation for her wedding, Snow Flower says, “Thank you my Mothers. Will you walk with me to the falls now? We will meet our men there.”
“We’re ready, Snow Flower. Lead the way.”
Snow Flower and all the women, arrive at the falls. Looking around, she questions, “Where is Blue Cloud?”
“We haven’t seen him.”
“The Chief isn’t here either. Maybe they are together.” Black Bear has been gathering berries to give to the new couple as a wedding gift. Putting them in his pouch, he hears that Blue Cloud hasn’t arrived yet. He goes to Chief Joseph’s tipi and asks, “Chief Joseph, have you seen my friend, Blue Cloud?”
“The last time I saw him, he said that he was going to the falls so that he would be clean for his bride. He must not be back yet, because his clothes are still here.”
Black Bear picks up Blue Cloud’s clothes and walks away from the tipi. He hears Flying Eagle talking and laughing with his friends as they stand with their backs to him.
“Finally, my day has come. Blue Cloud will not show up to his wedding and I will have my woman back.”
This is the first time that he has seen Flying Eagle laugh since he and the other braves had arrived home from the trade route. “What does he mean that Blue Cloud won’t show up for his wedding?” His heart is telling him that something has happened to Blue Cloud.
Black Bear walks back down to the falls to see if Blue Cloud is there yet. As soon as he arrives, there is a sense that something has happened. There are several foot prints on the shore of the pond opposite from where the wedding party has gathered.
Following the foot prints as they go up the ridge and over a small hill away from the village, he hears the growl of a black bear coming from the direction that the foot prints are heading.
Running as fast as he can, following the foot prints, he continues to hear distraught growling. Hiding behind a tree he is horrified at what he sees. A huge black bear is on it’s hind legs growling at Blue Cloud, who is tied up to a tree. Unexpectedly he hears another sound, the sound of cubs calling for their mother. He looks up to where the sounds are coming from. The cubs are at the top of the tree where Blue Cloud is tied and gagged.
Blue Cloud spots Black Bear watching behind a tree. He begins to make muffled sounds moving his head in a manner to tell his tribal brother to leave him. That he will accept whatever happens to him.
But Black Bear will not leave his friend, his tribal brother. Without warning, he remembers a vision he had had the previous night where he was with a kindred spirit. And even though he was with an animal, the animal understood what he said to it.
Black Bear begins to speak “My brother black bear. My name is Black Bear. We are kindred spirits. This is my friend, Blue Cloud. He intends no harm to you, or to your cubs. And I would never harm a kindred spirit. If you will eat these berries while I untie my friend, we will leave, and your cubs will return to you.”
Black Bear throws the berries that he has in his pouch toward the grizzly. The bear comes off of its hind legs to eat the berries. While she is eating, Black Bear cautiously walks over to Blue Cloud, unties him, and both of them slowly walk backwards until they are behind several bushes and out of sight.
“Are you ok?” Black Bear asks Blue Cloud.
“Yes. It was Flying Eagle and his friends,” he said angrily. “When I return to our village, I will take care of him.”
“Blue Cloud, this is your wedding day,” Black Bear reminds him. “Do not do anything that will bring bad memories to your bride on this day. Here are your clothes.”
“Thank you, Black Bear. You are correct in what you say. I’ll put on my pants and shoes. Then we’ll run as fast as we can to my wedding.”
“Yes. I think that we had better hurry. Everyone has been waiting there for quite some time.”
The wedding party is about to leave when Blue Cloud runs to the top of the ridge and yells, “I’m here!”
He runs down to the falls, while putting on his shirt. As he approaches Snow Flower, she sees a gash above his right eye. She lifts her hand to touch his eye, while sadly looking at him.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Blue Cloud says. At this moment, he is so happy he can feel no pain. He could see no one except his beautiful bride.
Snow Flower had grown into the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. On this important day, she was wearing a white deer skin wedding dress, beaded with turquoise and matching knee high moccasins. Dangling in her long blond hair was a colorful, blue and gold Macaw feather that Blue Cloud had brought back from his travels.
B
lue Cloud’s shirt was also made of white deer skin, beaded with turquoise. Black Bear quickly tied several blue and gold Macaw feathers onto the ends of Blue Clouds braids that pulled back his long dark hair from the sides of his face. The rest of his beautiful dark hair flowed to the middle of his back, moving gracefully, as a slight wind blew.
Blue Cloud and Snow Flower are a beautiful couple. But in their wedding clothes, they are stunning. At this moment Blue Cloud only has eyes for his bride. Black Bear, on the other hand, is watching Flying Eagle and his braves.
At the end of the ceremony, the wedding party walks back to the village.
Chief Joseph comments, “That was a beautiful ceremony.”
“Yes. I loved having the falls in the back ground. That’s my most favorite place in the world,” responded Mother Red Rose.
As everyone is talking, Blue Cloud announces to the village, “Come with us to the center of the village. There will be dancing for everyone.”
While Blue Cloud and Snow Flower are dancing, Blue Cloud leans over and whispers, “I need to tell you something.”
Snow Flower looks up to him and says, “Yes?”
“The day that you found me at the bottom of the hill by the falls, I had watched you in the water, through a knot hole in a tree up on the ridge. Maybe we should cut the tree down so that other braves will not do what I did.”
Snow Flower looks up at Blue Cloud and says “I knew that you were there. How do you think that all of the young women in our tribe get the men they want, to ask them to marry them?” She leans in to whisper, “It is a secret among the women and married men. We send our younger sisters or cousins to let you know that we have gone to the falls. After you see us at the falls, you are willing to pay a price that our parents will accept. You are happy because you bought a bride of your own choosing. Our parents are happy because their daughter has brought them great wealth. In this way our two families are content. When we have contented families we have a happy tribe,” Snow Flower smiles.
While he looks around at all of the newly married brides, they look over at him and smile. He smiles back at them, and then laughs at himself, finally realizing how his new bride has charmed him into asking for her hand quicker than he would have asked.
That night, Flying Eagle quietly leaves his tribe feeling that he has been shamed.
After their wedding, and as the months go by, Blue Cloud and Snow Flower can always be seen smiling at each other and laughing.
“Are you happy my Son?” Chief Joseph asks Blue Cloud. “I am very happy, Father. Have I told you that we plan on trying to have a baby?”
“I am happy for you, my Son. Children are a great blessing to any marriage. May your efforts be realized.”
The extreme excitement that Blue Cloud is experiencing makes the screen flicker as he remembers Snow Flower as she begins to show from her recent pregnancy. Blue Cloud is standing behind Snow Flower with his arms around her belly as they watch the sun set. Her hands are on his hands, with her head leaning back on his shoulder and into his neck.
“Jon, look over at Evan. He has a big smile on his face.”
“This is really a happy time for him.”