There was once a beautiful, green valley by a river surrounded by forest. It was home to a peaceful clan of people. They lived in harmony with the plants and animals, and they had a very good life.
Then one day a stranger came to their village. He was rather odd-acting, but the people took him in because they were kind. They treated him like a guest. He stayed for several days, and all was well, but soon things began to go missing—a pot here, a ladle there, a necklace here, some arrows there, a sacred shell, a drum...
The people suspected the stranger had taken them, but they said nothing, choosing to wait and see. Meanwhile they continued to treat him as a guest. They invited him to join their ceremonies. They took him hunting. They fed him. They gave him blankets and a place to sleep. But more and more things went missing—a bow, a sacred shied, a blanket, another pot...
One day it was time for a special celebration. Everyone was in a festive mood, but when they went to gather their instruments and costumes, they couldn't find anything. All of the drums were gone, all of the flutes, all of the rattles. There was not even a feather or bead to wear. So they sat down in a circle, quietly—waiting.
Finally the strange man said, "Aren't we going to sing and dance tonight?"
The people replied, "How can we sing when we have no drums, or flutes, or rattles. How can we dance when we have no feathers or beads to wear?"
"Oh." said the stranger, but he said no more.
The next day when the men were getting set to go hunting, they discovered that every bow, every arrow, and every spear was missing. So the men sat down in a circle, quietly—waiting.
"Aren't we going to hunt today?" The strange man asked.
"How can we hunt when we have no weapons?" The men answered.
"Oh." said the stranger, but he said no more.
Now everyone was hungry, but when the women went to cook there were no pots or ladles, no knives or spoons. Not even a stick of firewood was to be found. So the women sat down in a circle, quietly—waiting.
"Aren't we going to eat?" The strange man asked.
"How can we eat when we have no pots to cook in, and not even a stick of firewood?" The women answered.
"Oh." said the stranger, but he said no more.
Now everyone was not only hungry but tired as well. There was nothing left to do but go to sleep. But when they went to their sleeping places, all of the blankets were gone. So once again the people sat down in a circle, quietly—waiting.
"Aren't we going to sleep?" The strange man asked.
"How can we sleep when we have no blankets to keep us warm?" The people answered.
"Oh." said the stranger, but he said no more.
The people continued to wait in the circle. Their stomachs growled, their heads nodded, and they shivered with the cold. Still no one said anything.
Night came.
An owl hooted.
The coyotes howled.
Finally the strange man could stand it no longer. He jumped up and shouted, "You stupid people! You sit here in the dark and cold. You are hungry and tired. Yet you do nothing! Don't you know I have stolen all your things—why don't you accuse me? Why don't you try to get them back?"
But still the people were silent.
This enraged the stranger even more. He started to scream at the people, but they continued to sit as still and as silent as stones.
The man began jumping up and down. His face turned red. Finally he ran into the forest and in a moment returned with an armload of things.
"Here, here!" He screamed. "Here are your drums! Here are your flutes, your rattles, your feathers and beads!"
And he threw them into the center of the circle where the people sat.
But no one moved.
So he ran back into the forest and returned with another armload.
"Here, here!" He screamed. "Here are your weapons—here are your bows and arrows! Here are your spears!"
And he threw them into the center of the circle.
But still no one moved.
Again he ran into the forest and returned with still more.
"Here, here!" He screamed. "Here are your pots—here are your ladles and knives! Here is your firewood!"
And again he threw everything into the circle.
But still no one moved.
For a final time he ran into the forest and returned with the rest of the people’s possessions.
"Here, here!" He screamed. "Here are your blankets!"
And he threw them onto the huge pile.
But still no one moved.
No one said a word.
Then the stranger ran around them like a mad man babbling words the people could not understand. Finally he ran off into the forest and disappeared.
After a while, the people began to get up slowly. Dawn was coming, and the morning star shown bright in the eastern sky. They stood and sang a gentle song welcoming the new day. When the sun had risen, the people walked one by one into the center of the circle. They gathered up the drums, the flutes, the rattles and dusted them off. They smoothed out the feathers and polished the beads. Then the men took up their weapons. They restrung the bows and sharpened the arrows and spears. The women moved forward and picked up the pots, ladles, and knives and went down to wash them in the river. When they returned everyone picked up the blankets, shook them out and folded them.
Then they built a fire in the center of the circle and gathered around it. The Elder of the village came forward and looked around at all of the people. There was a twinkle in his eye as he said in a clear, calm voice what everyone was thinking--
"WHAT A STRANGE MAN THAT WAS."
All of the people nodded their heads in agreement.
Then everyone burst out laughing!
Then one day a stranger came to their village. He was rather odd-acting, but the people took him in because they were kind. They treated him like a guest. He stayed for several days, and all was well, but soon things began to go missing—a pot here, a ladle there, a necklace here, some arrows there, a sacred shell, a drum...
The people suspected the stranger had taken them, but they said nothing, choosing to wait and see. Meanwhile they continued to treat him as a guest. They invited him to join their ceremonies. They took him hunting. They fed him. They gave him blankets and a place to sleep. But more and more things went missing—a bow, a sacred shied, a blanket, another pot...
One day it was time for a special celebration. Everyone was in a festive mood, but when they went to gather their instruments and costumes, they couldn't find anything. All of the drums were gone, all of the flutes, all of the rattles. There was not even a feather or bead to wear. So they sat down in a circle, quietly—waiting.
Finally the strange man said, "Aren't we going to sing and dance tonight?"
The people replied, "How can we sing when we have no drums, or flutes, or rattles. How can we dance when we have no feathers or beads to wear?"
"Oh." said the stranger, but he said no more.
The next day when the men were getting set to go hunting, they discovered that every bow, every arrow, and every spear was missing. So the men sat down in a circle, quietly—waiting.
"Aren't we going to hunt today?" The strange man asked.
"How can we hunt when we have no weapons?" The men answered.
"Oh." said the stranger, but he said no more.
Now everyone was hungry, but when the women went to cook there were no pots or ladles, no knives or spoons. Not even a stick of firewood was to be found. So the women sat down in a circle, quietly—waiting.
"Aren't we going to eat?" The strange man asked.
"How can we eat when we have no pots to cook in, and not even a stick of firewood?" The women answered.
"Oh." said the stranger, but he said no more.
Now everyone was not only hungry but tired as well. There was nothing left to do but go to sleep. But when they went to their sleeping places, all of the blankets were gone. So once again the people sat down in a circle, quietly—waiting.
"Aren't we going to sleep?" The strange man asked.
"How can we sleep when we have no blankets to keep us warm?" The people answered.
"Oh." said the stranger, but he said no more.
The people continued to wait in the circle. Their stomachs growled, their heads nodded, and they shivered with the cold. Still no one said anything.
Night came.
An owl hooted.
The coyotes howled.
Finally the strange man could stand it no longer. He jumped up and shouted, "You stupid people! You sit here in the dark and cold. You are hungry and tired. Yet you do nothing! Don't you know I have stolen all your things—why don't you accuse me? Why don't you try to get them back?"
But still the people were silent.
This enraged the stranger even more. He started to scream at the people, but they continued to sit as still and as silent as stones.
The man began jumping up and down. His face turned red. Finally he ran into the forest and in a moment returned with an armload of things.
"Here, here!" He screamed. "Here are your drums! Here are your flutes, your rattles, your feathers and beads!"
And he threw them into the center of the circle where the people sat.
But no one moved.
So he ran back into the forest and returned with another armload.
"Here, here!" He screamed. "Here are your weapons—here are your bows and arrows! Here are your spears!"
And he threw them into the center of the circle.
But still no one moved.
Again he ran into the forest and returned with still more.
"Here, here!" He screamed. "Here are your pots—here are your ladles and knives! Here is your firewood!"
And again he threw everything into the circle.
But still no one moved.
For a final time he ran into the forest and returned with the rest of the people’s possessions.
"Here, here!" He screamed. "Here are your blankets!"
And he threw them onto the huge pile.
But still no one moved.
No one said a word.
Then the stranger ran around them like a mad man babbling words the people could not understand. Finally he ran off into the forest and disappeared.
After a while, the people began to get up slowly. Dawn was coming, and the morning star shown bright in the eastern sky. They stood and sang a gentle song welcoming the new day. When the sun had risen, the people walked one by one into the center of the circle. They gathered up the drums, the flutes, the rattles and dusted them off. They smoothed out the feathers and polished the beads. Then the men took up their weapons. They restrung the bows and sharpened the arrows and spears. The women moved forward and picked up the pots, ladles, and knives and went down to wash them in the river. When they returned everyone picked up the blankets, shook them out and folded them.
Then they built a fire in the center of the circle and gathered around it. The Elder of the village came forward and looked around at all of the people. There was a twinkle in his eye as he said in a clear, calm voice what everyone was thinking--
"WHAT A STRANGE MAN THAT WAS."
All of the people nodded their heads in agreement.
Then everyone burst out laughing!
©2015 Bonnie Bishop all rights reserved