~SONS of THUNDERS~
One night in the lodge War Eagle told a strange tale.
He said: "Once, a long time ago, two 'thunders' were travelling in the air.
They came over a village of our people, and there stopped to look about.
"In this village there was one fine, painted lodge, and in it there was an
old man, an aged woman, and a beautiful young woman with wonderful hair.
Of course the 'thunders' could look through the lodge skin and see all that
was inside. One of them said to the other: 'Let us marry that young woman,
and never tell her about it.'
"'All right,' replied the other 'thunder.' 'I am willing, for she is the
finest young woman in all the village. She is good in her heart, and she is
honest.'
"So they married her, without telling her about it, and she became the mother
of twin boys. When these boys were born, they sat up and told their mother
and the other people that they were not people, but were 'thunders,' and that
they would grow up quickly.
"'When we shall have been on earth a while, we shall marry, and stay until we
each have four sons of our own, then we shall go away and again become
"thunders,"' they said.
"It all came to pass, just as they said it would. When they had married good
women and each had four sons, they told the people one day that it was time
for them to go away forever.
"There was much sorrow among the people, for the twins were good men and
taught many good things which we have never forgotten, but everybody knew it
had to be as they said. While they lived with us, these twins could heal the
sick and tell just what was going to happen on earth.
"One day at noon the twins dressed themselves in their finest clothes and went
out to a park in the forest. All the people followed them and saw them lie
down on the ground in the park. The people stayed in the timber that grew
about the edge of the park, and watched them until clouds and mists gathered
about and hid them from view.
"It thundered loudly and the winds blew; trees fell down; and when the mists
and clouds cleared away, they were gone -- gone forever. But the people have
never forgotten them, and my grandfather, who is in the ground near Rocker,
was a descendant from one of the sons of the 'thunders.' Ho!"
~END~