WHY THE WOLVES HELP IN WAR
Once upon a time an Indian found a wolf den, and began digging into it to get the cubs.
Wolf Mother appeared, barking. She said, "Pity my children," but he paid no attention to her. So she ran for her husband.
Wolf Father soon appeared. He barked. Still the man dug into the den. Then Wolf Father sang a beautiful song. He sang, "O man, pity my children, and I will teach you one of my arts." He ended with a howl which caused a fog. When the Wolf Father howled again, the fog disappeared.
The man thought, "These animals have mysterious gifts." So he tore up his red blanket into small pieces. He tied a piece around the neck of each of the wolf cubs, as a necklace. Then he painted them with red paint and put them back into the den.
Wolf Father was very grateful. He said, "When you go to war hereafter, I will go with you. I will bring about whatever you wish." Then the man went away.
After a while the man went on the warpath. Just as he came in sight of the village of the enemy, a large wolf met him.
Wolf said, "By and by I will sing. Then you shall steal their horses when they least suspect danger."
So the man stopped on a hill close to the village. And the wolf sang. After that he howled, making a high wind arise. The horses fled to the forest, but many stopped on the hillside. When the wolf howled again, the wind died down and a mist arose.
So the man on the warpath took as many horses as he pleased.
Story Title: Why the Wolves Help in War
Book Title: Myths and legends of the great plains
Author:, Katharine Berry Judson (editor)
Published: 1913
Rights: CC0 Public Domain
Online Source: Hathi Trust
Process: Light editing for paragraphing and punctuation.
Additional Notes: The author does not give the source but notes that this is a "Dakota" story.
