The Gift of Indian Corn

"The Gift of Indian Corn" by Julia Darrow Cowles is a charming children's story that highlights the cultural significance of corn in Native American traditions. Through engaging narration and vibrant illustrations, the book explores themes of gratitude, tradition, and the importance of sharing. It captures the essence of community and the lessons learned from nature, making it a delightful read for young audiences. The story not only entertains but also educates readers about the historical and cultural context of Indian corn and its vital role in the lives of indigenous peoples.

• Children
• Short story

								
IN the far back days, before the white men lived upon this side of the
earth, a young Indian lad stood at the door of his father’s tepee and
gazed out over the far-waving prairie grass.

He was thinking of the morrow when he would begin his fast; for this
was the custom among the Indians. When a youth reached a given age he
went away by himself, and for seven days he ate no food, but spent the
time in prayer to the Great Spirit that his part in life might be made
clear to him, and that it might prove a worthy one.

Now Wunzh, who stood in the tepee door, was an unusually thoughtful
lad, for his father had so taught him; and he was filled with high and
with grave thoughts as he looked across the waving grass.

Beyond his sight, in a thicket, he knew that his father and younger
brother were clearing the ground and raising the little tepee wherein
he would spend the days of his fasting.

Wunzh knew full well what his prayer to the Great Spirit would be, but
how would it be answered? He thought of this long and often.

As he had run about the prairie or made his way through the forests
when a little lad, he had wondered how it was that the grass and the
trees sprang up out of the dark earth. He had wondered why some of the
flowers smelled sweet while others were offensive; why some of the
roots were good for healing, while others caused sickness or even
death, though all came from the same soil. But to none of these
questions could he find an answer.

Wunzh’s father was poor, and so were many other Indians; and some of
them were ill, or very old. But in order to live they must hunt or
fish, for game and fish were their only food. And so life was hard for
many of the Indians.

Since Wunzh was thoughtful and had considered all these things, he
knew full well what his prayer to the Great Spirit would be.

On the following day he left the tepee of his father and went to the
little clearing in the thicket, where he would fast for seven days.
And there he prayed that in some way which the Great Spirit would show
him, he might bring a great blessing to his people and make their
lives less hard. He knew full well that most of his comrades prayed
that they might become great warriors, or that they should be mighty
men of the chase. But Wunzh prayed not for these.

For four days he fasted and prayed, and each day he grew weaker from
lack of food, but his faith and his courage grew stronger.

On the fifth day, as he lay upon his bed of skins, there appeared
outside the door of his tepee a strong, bright youth, clad all in
shimmering greens and golden yellows, and wearing upon his head a
plume of waving green.

“Come,” cried the youth, “let us wrestle, and see who shall overcome.”

Then Wunzh sprang from his bed, for though his body was weak, his
spirit was strong, and he grappled with the youth and they wrestled
together.

At length the youth said, “That will do for to-day. You have wrestled
well, though neither of us has overcome. I will return to-morrow.”

And no sooner had he finished speaking than he vanished from the
sight of Wunzh who dropped exhausted upon his bed.

The next day, at exactly the same hour, the youth came again, and so
suddenly that it seemed to Wunzh he must have dropped from the sky.

Wunzh had less strength in his body than on the previous day, but he
felt sure the stranger had been sent by the Great Spirit, and so he
grappled with him again and wrestled well.

But as Wunzh’s strength was nearly gone, the young man said once more,
“That will do for to-day. To-morrow I will return. ’Tis the last day
of your fast. Be ready.”

Again the stranger disappeared, and Wunzh, trembling with weakness of
body, prayed the Great Spirit that he might yet overcome. And as he
prayed he fell asleep.

Then, as Wunzh slept, he dreamed. And it seemed to him that he again
wrestled with the strange youth, and he overcame and threw him to the
ground. And a voice spoke to him and said: “Strip off the clothing of
the youth and wear it for your own. Bury his body, and protect the
spot where he is buried. Make the earth soft and mellow; keep it clear
of weeds; and water it day by day. Do all this, and your prayer to
the Great Spirit shall be answered.”

Wunzh slept long, but when he wakened he remembered his dream and the
words that had been spoken.

That morning his father came to the tepee to offer food, but Wunzh
said, “Let me alone until the evening.” So his father went away.

At the same hour, on this day, the stranger once more appeared outside
the door of the tepee, and once more Wunzh went forth to wrestle. He
was weaker than before, but his dream had given him such courage that
he grasped the strange youth and with a supreme effort threw him
prostrate upon the earth.

“I have overcome,” cried Wunzh, for the youth lay dead at his feet.

Then Wunzh stripped off his clothing as he had been told in his dream,
and he dressed himself in the garments of green and yellow, and he
placed the plume of green upon his head.

Then, kneeling, he tenderly buried the body of the youth, and his
tears fell as he did so, for he said, “He was my friend.”

When Wunzh returned to the tepee of his father he was received with
great rejoicing, and given food. His new clothing was looked upon in
wonder, but he did not tell its story.

Day by day he went to the little spot of ground where his own little
tepee had been, and he kept the earth soft and moist and free from
weeds.

And after many days had gone by, green plumes came up through the
earth; and they grew, and became sturdy stalks.

And still they grew, and after many days and weeks the broad green
leaves held ears of juicy grain.

Day by day the ears grew full and the grain ripened; the green plumes
at their ends turned to yellow, and then to brown, and the ground was
covered with the many stalks.

Then Wunzh said to his father, “Come with me. I have something to show
you.” And his father went with him, and he showed him the clearing
where his tepee had stood. And it was all a field of green and yellow,
like the clothing which Wunzh had worn, when he came from his fast.

Then he told his father of the stranger’s visit, and of his dream, and
of his overcoming the youth.

“And now, my father,” he added, “the Great Spirit has answered my
prayer. From this time on life will be less hard for the Indian, for
he shall have other food than game and fish. The Great Spirit has
caused this grain to grow, and it is good for man to eat. Taste it, my
father, and see.”

And this is the story the Red Men tell of the gift of the maize, or Indian corn.
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