Walks With Her
04-14-2008, 04:43 PM
[On an island near what is now Clarksville, VA, ca 1659]
My name is Walks With Her. I am seven years old. Last year the Seneca stole my cousin. When I was little, I thought bears were the scariest things in the world, but when I got bigger I could see that when our fathers went to fight bears they came home with meat, but when they went to fight the Seneca, they might not come back at all. The Seneca are killing and stealing so many people that everyone is afraid our world is coming to an end.
My best friend is Flies High. We are the same age, but I am taller. She is the most amazing friend in the world. She is keeping everyone safe. I will tell you how.
It all started one day when our mothers were weeding the fields on the other side of the Roanoke, above our island. We were supposed to be helping, but we got bored and slipped away into a field of tall buffalo grass. There was a cool breeze and we were singing our favorite song and dancing when we saw him flying overhead. It was the first time he came to us, our special eagle, and while we danced in a circle, he flew in a circle over our heads. Then Flies High was circling with him, not me anymore. I stopped to watched them circling, then Eagle flew off and Flies High stood with her arms outstretched, a great smile on her face, her eyes closed. Then suddenly she became frightened and started to scream. “Seneca!” she screamed, “Seneca!”
We ran straight to the village, screaming while we splashed through the river to get there. The men there heard what we were screaming and asked us which way and where. Flies High told them where to find our enemies coming to attack us.
We all waited in fear until sunset, when our fathers came back, rejoicing that they had killed our attackers before they ever even got to us. Everyone was so happy! We sang and danced late into the evening. But then our fathers and mothers came to us and scolded us for being so far from the village that we saw the Seneca. We explained we were only in the grassy field near the corn and bean field. We tried to tell them about Flies High going for a ride with the eagle, but they didn’t understand. Then Grandfather Chief took Flies High aside to talk.
Then he explained to everyone what had happened, that it’s happened before that someone special was born to us who could do this. I was so proud of my friend. She was our special person, with the Great Gift that would keep us safe. Grandfather asked me if I would look after her, doing her chores when she needed to be helping the people. He asked me if I would do that, and I said, “Of course!” and I knew what I would do from then on. That was the least I could do.
My name is Walks With Her. I am seven years old. Last year the Seneca stole my cousin. When I was little, I thought bears were the scariest things in the world, but when I got bigger I could see that when our fathers went to fight bears they came home with meat, but when they went to fight the Seneca, they might not come back at all. The Seneca are killing and stealing so many people that everyone is afraid our world is coming to an end.
My best friend is Flies High. We are the same age, but I am taller. She is the most amazing friend in the world. She is keeping everyone safe. I will tell you how.
It all started one day when our mothers were weeding the fields on the other side of the Roanoke, above our island. We were supposed to be helping, but we got bored and slipped away into a field of tall buffalo grass. There was a cool breeze and we were singing our favorite song and dancing when we saw him flying overhead. It was the first time he came to us, our special eagle, and while we danced in a circle, he flew in a circle over our heads. Then Flies High was circling with him, not me anymore. I stopped to watched them circling, then Eagle flew off and Flies High stood with her arms outstretched, a great smile on her face, her eyes closed. Then suddenly she became frightened and started to scream. “Seneca!” she screamed, “Seneca!”
We ran straight to the village, screaming while we splashed through the river to get there. The men there heard what we were screaming and asked us which way and where. Flies High told them where to find our enemies coming to attack us.
We all waited in fear until sunset, when our fathers came back, rejoicing that they had killed our attackers before they ever even got to us. Everyone was so happy! We sang and danced late into the evening. But then our fathers and mothers came to us and scolded us for being so far from the village that we saw the Seneca. We explained we were only in the grassy field near the corn and bean field. We tried to tell them about Flies High going for a ride with the eagle, but they didn’t understand. Then Grandfather Chief took Flies High aside to talk.
Then he explained to everyone what had happened, that it’s happened before that someone special was born to us who could do this. I was so proud of my friend. She was our special person, with the Great Gift that would keep us safe. Grandfather asked me if I would look after her, doing her chores when she needed to be helping the people. He asked me if I would do that, and I said, “Of course!” and I knew what I would do from then on. That was the least I could do.