The Apache Maiden And
The Flowing Waters
A long time ago
there lived a young girl of the Apache tribe. One day she came from her parents
tipi and looked up at the sun and smiled. The sun sent one of it's brightened
arrows down to earth to form a ring of light all around her. "Thank you Bright
Sun Of The Morning", she said, as she walked along. She saw their strong,
handsome warriors coming from their tipis with a shout, as they mounted their
horses and were off to the wide, open plains for a buffalo hunt. She looked
around and saw the other maidens running after them with shouts of
honor to their husbands. The women stopped, turned around, and came back towards
the village. When they saw the young girl, they giggled and stared at her as
they went by. The girl knew their thoughts and knew that they were making fun of
her because she was without a warrior husband. The day went slowly by like a
feather blowing in a lazy wind. The moon made her journey up, higher and higher
into the night sky, and when it saw the young maiden, it sent down two soft,
white streams of light to shine on her path. The ancient ruler of the night sky
looked down and saw that the maiden was lonely and sad, for her head was bowed
low. "My daughter, why are you so sad?", "Sister Moon, I am sad because I have
no man that I can call my husband. The women of my tribe laugh and make fun of
me because they have warrior husbands, but I have none." The maiden began to cry
bitterly. Sister Moon felt her pain and shed small drops of light that faded
away when they hit the earth. Then she had a thought come to her and smiled,
causing her light to shine brighter. The maiden looked up, and when she did,
Sister Moon spoke to her and said, " My daughter, do not be discouraged. I want
you to go to the falling waters in the forest. When you get there, kneel down
and lower your head so that you can see your face in the waters. When you do,
you will see yourself, but keep looking, for then you will see a strong warrior
standing beside you. This is your husband." The maiden looked up with tears
streaming down her face, and said,"Will he come?". The moon searched within her
radiance and found something very, very special. She lowered her brightly,
beaming face down at her, and from her eyes there came two sparkling jewels. As
they descended, the two became joined together, and they came and presented
themselves at her beaded moccasins. When she saw the jewels, they slowly
disappeared into the night sky, and then she saw two radiant gold rings lying in
their place. Then she knew that her husband was on his way to meet her. She
laughed and danced around and around in a circle, for she was so happy. Each day
she would wake up and smile cheerfully. Then she would rise from her buffalo
skin, dressed in her robe, and moccasins on her feet, and walk quietly to the
front of the tipi, open the cover and then she would hurry down to the falling
waters. She knelt down and looked at her face in the water, waiting patiently.
But this wasn't the day she waited for. She rose and went back inside her tipi
and laid down. Several moons passed, and then one day she rose up from sleep and
dressed and placed her moccasins on her feet and left the tipi and hurried down
to the falling waters. She knelt and lowered her face to the water and waited,
expecting something to happen. As she kept watching her face in the flowing
water, she then saw a sight that she would never forget, for there, standing
beside her was her warrior husband. She turned and looked at him with surprising
joy. She reached out for him, and he took her hand and brought her up close to
his side. They looked at each other with deep affection and then showed their
love in a kiss. This was a sign that they two became as one. Then, like
moonbeams, the two rings ascended into the air and came to rest on the hands of
the warrior and his bride, and they turned and walked slowly, side by side down
the path and then disappeared into the night.
Submitted by:
Terry
S.
State College, PA