Waterless Mountain

by Laura Adams Armer

  “Little Sister, you cry because your child is away. We know what that means. When our children go away to school, the mothers cry also.”

  The white lady listened in wonder as the old man turned to his people in the store and spoke to them.

  “My grandchildren, our white sister is sad. She cries for her child. We will all give money to have her child brought back.”

  Every Navaho gave something and the old man handed the collection to the white lady. This made her cry more than ever, but when she saw that the kindly people of the earth were mystified by her tears, she smiled and called the Big Man from his office to tell them how happy she was at their thought.

  Younger Brother watched the Big Man and waited for the smile. It came like a shaft of sunlight on the mountain. He thanked the Navahos for their kindness to his sister and then he turned to her. She said:

  “Didn’t I always say the spirit of Christmas would win even a savage ?”

  The Big Man put his arm around his little sister, smiled and answered:

  “Didn’t I always say that these people traveled the trail of beauty ?”

  Younger Brother still watched the Big Man’s face and deep in his heart he knew that all medicine men are beautiful, white or brown, and he knew that spruce trees meant health and happiness to everyone who understands. He remembered hearing his uncle sing this song from the Mountain Chant:

  He brings a treasure to me,

  The holy one brings to me

  A dark spruce sapling,

  A treasure he brings to me.

  CHAPTER XII

  THE GIANT DRAGON FLY

  HREE winters had stood back to back with three summers, since Younger Brother had first gathered piñons in the mountains. He had reached the age of twelve years and he rode his own pony when he herded the sheep. Riding the pony was a big help to the shepherd because it gave him companionship. He and the pony became acquainted. Just herding sheep day by day, month by month, and year by year can become very tiresome, but Younger Brother managed all right because he had his songs to practice. They must be perfect. There were hundreds of words to memorize and some of the words had no meaning. He must learn them by sound.

  So sometimes when he was away on the mesas with the sheep, he would be singing at the top of his voice:

  Hoo nen no ho nen

  no ha,

  Hoo nen no ho nen

  no ha.

  The sounds meant nothing in human speech, but they must have meant a great deal to the birds for they always stopped to listen. Younger Brother noticed this and it made him think. If he could talk animal language he would be able to learn secrets that no one knew. Most of all he wanted to know the secret of flying, so he set about to watch the birds both great and small.

  One summer day after he had taken the sheep home for Mother to look after, he walked up a narrow canyon where he had noticed signs of moisture under the rocks. He wanted to trace the water to its source. He climbed over rocks and up cliffs where no one had ever been before. He was hot and tired but he kept climbing because he was seeking the source of the water.

  He had just managed to pull himself up an extra steep place by hanging on to a ledge with his hands, when he saw what he was seeking. He found the pool. It was nearly at the top of the cliffs which culminated in a flat level floor.

  The pool was deep and dark and there was no telling what strange shapes might be lurking beneath its surface. There could be anything in that pool, from little yellow water snakes to dark slimy monsters that never saw the light. It seemed to be a bottomless pit.

  The water was clear and pure, flowing just enough to nourish tender green things in its neighborhood. Delicate maidenhair ferns grew under the limestone ledge back of the pool and the softest musk-scented plants bloomed where the sun touched a little bit. The flowers were pale yellow velvety mimulus, radiating a golden light among the shadowed rocks.

  These fairy-like plants were not trampled upon, for the rocky canyon was so inaccessible that no cattle could reach it for feeding. Such pools are always beyond the reach of cattle. Only creatures of the air know of their existence. Only winged creatures who can look down from above know the beauty of deep hidden pools.

  Younger Brother was hot and tired. His body was bruised and his feet were cut a little by the sharp stones, but he was happy because he had found the pool. He sat down to rest. He leaned his head back against the trunk of an oak tree and drowsily looked at the sky showing in turquoise spots through the green leaves of the oak.

  He sat there some time, feeling drowsier and drowsier. He was very still, just resting and thinking how fortunate were the birds who could fly to a place like this. Just then a red-tailed wood-pecker flew down to the water to drink. His tail was like red sun rays shining out of a dark cloud. He was a splendid young chief.

  Younger Brother whistled very softly to the bird. The woodpecker put his head on one side, listening, and then hopped right up on the boy’s knee.

  “How do you fly, brother ? I want to know.”

  The wood-pecker spread his wings and flew to the top of the tree. Younger Brother watched him, sadly saying, “It is so easy for you.”

  Pretty soon he heard a chattering in the tree above him. All the little birds were screaming at a big yellow-tailed hawk that was gliding through the air. The boy carefully watched him. He was not even moving his wings.

  “Oh, how do you fly, heaven-born ?” the boy asked as the hawk swooped down to the tree.

  No one could answer him. Always there were questions, questions, which no one could answer.

  Uncle had once said, “There are flying things and crawling things and swimming things and walking things. Each should be strong in his own way. Of the walking things, man is the weakest because his feet are tied to the ground and his thoughts fly to the clouds.”

  Younger Brother knew the wisdom of Uncle and his teachings, but no one answered the questions that filled his mind. Why couldn’t he fly in the daytime when he was awake? He could fly so beautifully at night in his dreams.

  The only answer was that he was earth-born and he wished he were sky-born. But he had never given up hope that he might some day be lifted off the earth to float around with the clouds.

  He was feeling very drowsy and he must have fallen asleep for a minute. He didn’t remember just what happened for a little while, but he was aroused by a sound something like distant thunder. The noise grew louder and louder.

  Younger Brother was puzzled. A shadow was passing over the still pool. A wing-like form was moving across its surface and the burring, buzzing noise filled the air and echoed among the rocks.

  The boy looked up in terror and saw such a monstrous, winged creature, he thought it must be Tse na ha le, the harpy of the old stories. He hid his face in his arms. He crouched by the oak tree not daring to stir nor look up. In a few minutes everything was quiet for a while. Then he heard a voice in the air above. It was a man’s voice speaking the words of white men.

  Younger Brother could not understand the words, but he recognized the voice. He knew the Big Man was talking. He was saying:

  “This mesa top makes an excellent landing field and I know there must be water near. Those tree tops suggest it.”

  “Suppose we climb down and see,” said a second voice.

  Younger Brother sat perfectly still. He was not frightened now that the Big Man was near. He could hear the two men scrambling down the rocks. When they reached the pool Younger Brother stood up. He certainly startled the men.

  “How on earth did you get here ? Did you fly, Grandchild ?”

  “No, Grandfather. I climbed up from the valley on my hands and feet.”

  “Why did you come, child ?”

  “To find the water.”

  The Big Man looked at the pool and said to the government water developer who was with him:

  “It’s a better supply than I dreamed of, Conklin. It would water a thousand head of sheep a day. I wonder if it could be piped t
o the valley below.”

  Turning to Younger Brother he asked, “Is the trail very steep ?”

  “Very steep and narrow and the rocks cut my moccasins.”

  “How are you going to get down, child ? Looks as if you would need wings for that.”

  “I have no wings, Grandfather.”

  “But I have and I will loan them to you.”

  He turned to the water developer and asked, “Is there room in the plane for the little fellow ?”

  “Guess we can make it but you’ll have to hold him in.”

  “Come along then, child. We will find the big bird.”

  Younger Brother thought he must still be dreaming but he did as he was told, climbing up to the top of the cliffs with the men. When they were on top he saw the great wings of the plane about half a mile away.

  They shone like the wings of Tanilai the dragon fly. Younger Brother knew he was dreaming. He walked close to the Big Man. When they reached the dragon fly, they both climbed into the body of the fly and the strange man climbed in back of them. The fly began to buzz, louder and louder.

  Younger Brother grasped the Big Man’s sleeve and hid his head on his friend’s shoulder.

  “Look, look, Grandchild, we fly.”

  He looked and there were mesas, mountains and trees running away. Everything was running away except a big fluffy white cloud in the east. That stood still and the dragon fly buzzed nearer and nearer to it. Then before Younger Brother knew what was happening, they were on the cloud.

  Then he realized that his wish had been granted. His feet were off the earth and his head was in the clouds. He was so excited and happy he sang the song of the Holy Young Man who sought the Gods and found them. On the summits of the clouds he sought the Gods and found them.

  The Big Man was just as happy as the little boy and he sang the song with him.

  On the summits of the clouds

  He sought the gods and found them.

  With a prayer within his heart

  He sought the gods and found them.

  Somebody doubts it so I have heard.

  “We do not doubt it, do we, Grandchild ?” said the Big Man as he put his arm around the little Navaho boy whose wishes always came true.

  There are always doubters but what of it, so long as there are those who believe and dream? Younger Brother had flown to the summits of the clouds with the Big Man. They had sung together.

  More than that, the boy had scattered pollen on the clouds and prayed, “You who dwell in the house of dark cloud, I am your child. Be kind to my people and be kind to Hasteen Tso, too.”

  CHAPTER XIII

  WATER FROM THE POOL

  S THE giant dragon fly floated down to earth, Younger Brother waved goodby to the clouds. The Big Man drove him home in his car. Mother was happy to see them for she had been wondering what had become of her little son. When he told her that a giant dragon fly had carried him to the clouds, she laughed. Of course she didn’t believe him. She said to the Big Man:

  “The child is crazy. Always he is dreaming.”

  “No, Mother, he is not crazy. What the child says is true for I was with him. We flew in a white man’s machine.” Father had been listening. He said:

  “It is true, for when I rode after the horses today, I saw the dragon fly as it buzzed into the clouds. Now I know that white men are mightier than Navahos. We can ride and shoot and work with silver, but we cannot fly.”

  When Uncle came, Younger Brother told him of his adventure. Privately he spoke of sprinkling pollen on the clouds.

  “That was right, child. Tell me, were there paintings on the clouds ?”

  “Yes, there was color in the east, south, west and north, but the pattern was not clear for the clouds were not all unrolled.”

  Uncle was much impressed. His pupil was teaching him. Had not the Holy Ones painted on clouds ?

  The Four Children of the Sky had made the first paintings on clouds. The Navahos could not paint on clouds. They must use the earth and earth colors. They must paint with colored sands on the floor of the medicine lodge but the Sons of the Sky had taught the designs and colors to the early people of the earth.

  Uncle was teaching his Little Singer how to pour the sand from between his thumb and forefinger. Every Navaho boy learns to paint with sand.

  After that day of flying Younger Brother’s head was full of so many things that his sheep would have suffered had he not cared for them unconsciously. So many years of herding had made it second nature to the boy. Besides the flying to the clouds, he had the pool to think about. He wondered if it went deep, deep down to the underworld where the race of the ancients lived.

  He believed it held secrets that would make people happy. The Big Man knew that it did. He knew there was life in that pool to nourish many if the water could be piped to the valley. The water developer also believed it and decided to do what seemed impossible. Day after day he loaded his plane with pipes and tools and cement, and flew to the mesa top to work.

  He was a civil engineer and a good climber. He found the best way to get the water down and made a cement reservoir in the valley under the rocks near Younger Brother’s cave. This did not trouble the boy so much as it would have when he was smaller, as he had grown too big to crawl into his cave and had removed his treasures to Uncle’s hogan where they were kept with Uncle’s medicine bundles.

  When the reservoir was finished and filled with water, everyone felt like having a celebration, so it was decided to hold the Anadji, or war dance there. In olden times the Anadji was held for wounded warriors, but now it is given for weakness and swooning.

  Hasteen Sani was in need of the ceremony, for he had looked on the slain body of his pony. High in the mountains the Soft-footed Chief had killed the pony and Hasteen Sani was very much shocked. He felt sure that the sing would restore him.

  Everyone kept busy getting ready. Father made a new silver buckle to wear on his belt. Cedar boughs were hauled for building the cooking shelter for the women. Uncle was to be the medicine man. He told Younger Brother about the origin of the ceremony, which celebrates the combat between the sons of the Turquoise Woman and Yaytso the big giant.

  Yaytso was destroying all the people of the earth, so the Sun Bearer gave weapons of lightning to his two boys and they started out to clear the world of trouble. First they went to the mountain of the south where the terrible Yaytso lived. They hid in a cave waiting for the giant to go for his daily drink in the valley.

  He was so big that when he leaned down to drink he rested one hand on top of the southern mountain and the other on some hills across the valley. His feet stretched away as far as a man could walk between sunrise and noon.

  The two boys were sure they could conquer this giant because they had faith in the weapons their father had given them. They had shot one of the lightning arrows at the southern mountain, and it had made a great cleft in the side that is there to this day.

  They watched the giant drink. Every time he stooped with his mouth to the water, the lake grew smaller. Four times he drank and the lake was nearly drained. So amazed were the boys to see how much water Yaytso drank that they lost their presence of mind and failed to shoot while he was stooping over the water. They went to the edge of the lake as he took his last swallow and he saw their reflections in the water.

  The giant raised his head and roared, “What a pretty pair have come in sight ! Where have I been hunting that I never saw them before ? Yin-i-ke-to-ko — fee-fo-fum — yin-i-ke-to-ko — fee-fo-fum.”

  The boys listened and called back, “What a great thing has come in sight ! Where have we been hunting ?”

  Four times the giant taunted the boys, and four times they answered back. They were having a great time, standing on an arched rainbow. Just then they heard the wind whispering, “Beware, beware.” Just in time they flattened the rainbow out till it touched the ground, for Yaytso had hurled a lightning bolt that passed clear over their heads.

  Up and do
wn bounced the rainbow with the boys on top, and every time the giant hurled a bolt it missed the boys, either going above the rainbow or under it.

  It was a lively combat. The boys succeeded in sending a chain-lightning arrow at the giant, who tottered toward the east. A second arrow made him stumble toward the south. He recovered his balance and was about to hurl another bolt himself, when the boys sent a shaft into him causing him to fall on his knees in the west. The fourth arrow was the last, and Yaytso lay on his face in the north, moving no more.

  The boys had slain the first monster. Scattered bits of flint lay all around him for his flint armor had been shivered into pieces. After the two mighty Children of the Sun had scalped the giant, they put his broken arrows in a basket with his scalp and started for home.

  When they arrived they hung the basket on a tree and went to meet their mother, the Turquoise Woman. They were about to tell her what they had done when they both fell in a faint. The mother knew how to bring them back to consciousness. She made medicine of plants that had been struck by lightning. This she sprinkled over the boys and shot a spruce arrow over their bodies. Then she shot a pine arrow over them and they were well.

  Younger Brother was glad Uncle told him the story of the Children of the Sun. He liked to understand why his people held their ceremonies. Now he knew that the Anadji is given for anyone who has swooned or grown weak at the sight of violence.

  Uncle let him help trim the juniper stick which was to be carried in the dance of the maidens.

  CHAPTER XIV

  THE DANCE OF THE MAIDENS

  HE FULL moon rose from behind a hill of cedars and spread a silver blanket over the desert. In the center of the silver blanket a red cross of fire radiated its light to an encircling mass of Navahos, with their horses and wagons behind them. The full moon heard the songs of the young men who stood in two groups facing each other. Arm in arm and close together they swayed to the rhythm of their songs, while the leader beat on an old pottery drum.