Black Feather And The Bird

Many, many years ago Running Deer became lost in the forest.

He wandered in circles for two days and two nights and was deeply worried

that he would not find his way back home.

On the morning of the third day he saw a bird perched upon a maple limb.

He called up to the bird,

“Bird, I am lost, can you tell me where the path is?"

And the bird raised her wings and sang out,

"Twee, Twee, follow me."

Then the bird jumped from her branch and flew away singing,

"Twee, Twee follow me.”

Running Deer followed the bird's song and found the path.

When Running Deer arrived home he told his story.

Soon the news of the singing bird spread throughout the countryside.

Now, there was a young man by the name of Black Feather who heard the story of the bird.

A voice in his mind spoke to him, saying,

"If I capture the bird and bring it back with me

I will become a powerful man."

The idea of power and fame burned in his heart like as a fat soaked wick.

So Black Feather went about gathering vines to make a cage.

Once the cage was constructed he set out into the forest in search of the bird.

He called out into the dense forest

"Bird I am lost, can you tell me where the path is?"

And from the deepest part of the forest he heard a high sweet voice singing,

"Twee, Twee come to me."

Black Feather walked deeper into the darkening woods towards the voice.

“Twee, Twee come to me."

He began running, and realized that he was lost.

Black Feather cried out in earnest,

"Bird I am lost can you tell me where the path is?"

And suddenly the bird flew down from the forest’s canopy and landed

upon the vine cage Black Feather had made.

The bird sang out,

"Twee, Twee, capture me."

Black Feather opened the cage and placed her into it.

And the bird sang out,

"Twee, Twee, you are me."

And Black Feather turned into a bird and flew up into the trees.

He flew into the sky and soared on the wind.

He felt the joy of being a bird.

He saw the canopy of the forest as a green living thing under him

and his heart was changed. And after a time, he flew back down

to the side of the bird in the vine cage and turned into himself again.

The bird looked at him singing,

"Twee, Twee, can you see?"

Black Feather began crying and fell to his knees asking the bird to forgive him.

And he released the bird and tore apart the cage.

Then with a gentle voice asked,

"Bird I am lost, can you tell me where the path is?"

And the bird sang out,

"Twee, Twee, follow me."

© 2002 Dan Kantak