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Copyright 2005 Elaine L. Lindy. All Rights Reserved.This Page May Not Be Reproduced In Any Form Without Written Permission From The Publisher.

Whootie Owl Presents: A Folk Tale from a Canadian First Nation Tribe Illustrations by Elizabeth Rocha

“A Native American Cinderella”The Story of a Maiden Who Won the Heart of the Warrior Strong Wind

N THE SHORES of a wide bay near the Atlantic Ocean inwhat is now called Canada, there once lived a great Native American warrior. This warrior had a verywonderful and strange power. He could make himself

He was Strong Wind, the Invisible.

invisible. In this way he could mingle unseen with his enemies and listen to their plots. He was Strong Wind, the Invisible.

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Story – ”The Native American Cinderella”

Copyright 2005 Elaine L. Lindy. All Rights Reserved.This Page May Not Be Reproduced In Any Form Without Written Permission From The Publisher.

Strong Wind lived with his sister in a wigwam near the sea. Every day his sister helped him in his work. Many maidens wanted to marry her brother–he was much sought after because of his mighty deeds.Yet for a long time, he did not marry. It was known that Strong Wind

would marry the first maiden who could see him as he came home at night.Many tried, to no avail.

Strong Wind used a clever trick to test the truthfulness of all who sought to win him.

Each evening as the sun went down, his sister–who could almost see Strong Wind–walked along the beach with any girl who wished to win the heart of Strong Wind, the Invisible.

As he came into view, his sister would ask the girl,"Do you see him? Do you seemy brother?"

And since each girl wanted so much to win the hand of Strong Wind, she would falsely answer, "Yes."

His sister would then ask, "With what does he draw his sled?" And each girl would answer, "With the hide of a moose," or "With a pole," or "With a great cord."

And then his sister would know that this girl, too, had lied, and her answer was only a guess. Many tried and lied and failed. For Strong Wind would not marry anyone who was untruthful.

Strong Wind, the Warrior

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Story – ”The Native American Cinderella”

Copyright 2005 Elaine L. Lindy. All Rights Reserved.This Page May Not Be Reproduced In Any Form Without Written Permission From The Publisher.

She was very gentle and beautiful and well loved by all.

There lived in a nearby village a great chief who had three

daughters. Their mother had died years ago. One of the daughters wasmuch younger than the others. She was very beautiful and well loved by all. For that reason her older sisters were very jealous of her charms and were mean to her. They clothed her in rags so she would look ugly. They cut off her long black hair. They rubbed her face with

ashes from the fire so that her skin would look dirty.

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Story – “The Native American Cinderella”

Copyright 2005 Elaine L. Lindy. All Rights Reserved.This Page May Not Be Reproduced In Any Form Without Written Permission From The Publisher.

And they lied to their father, the chief, telling him that she had donethese things to herself. Still, the young girl was patient. She kept herheart gentle and went about her work.

Like other girls, the chief’s two older daughters wanted to marry Strong Wind. One evening, as the sun went down, the oldest daughter walked on the shore with Strong Wind’s sister. Together, they waited

The young girl was patient and went about her work.

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Story – ”The Native American Cinderella”

Copyright 2005 Elaine L. Lindy. All Rights Reserved.This Page May Not Be Reproduced In Any Form Without Written Permission From The Publisher.

for his coming. When he returned from his day's work, drawing his sled as usual, his sister asked, "Do you see him? Do you see my brother?" And the oldest daughter, lying, answered, "Yes." Strong Wind’s sister asked, "Of what is his shoulder strap made?" The girl, guessing, said, "Of rawhide." And Strong Wind knew that the oldest daughter had lied. He kept himself from her sight. She knew she had lost, and she went home with her head hung low.

The second daughter, too, tried to win Strong Wind. She walked along the shore with Strong Wind's sister and waited for him. When the sister asked her if she saw Strong Wind she too lied, saying, "Yes." When she was asked of what his shoulder strap was made, she guessed, "Of woven grasses." So she was also turned down by Strong Wind.

The chief’s youngest daughter, with her rags and her ash-coveredface, decided to seek Strong Wind.

One day, the chief's youngest daughter with her rags and her ash-covered face decided to seek Strong Wind. She patched her clothes with bits of birch bark from the trees as best she could. Sheput on the few little decorations she owned. And she, too, went forth to try to see the Invisible One as all the other girls of the village had done before. Her sisters laughed at her and called her a fool. As she passed along the road, all the people laughed because of her torn clothes and her dirty face. Still, she went on her way.

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Story – ”The Native American Cinderella”

Copyright 2005 Elaine L. Lindy. All Rights Reserved.This Page May Not Be Reproduced In Any Form Without Written Permission From The Publisher.

Strong Wind's sister was kind to the girl, and at sunset she took her to the beach. Soon Strong Wind came home drawing his sled and,though none could see him but his sister, his sister asked, "Do you see him?" The girl could not and she answered, “No."

The sister asked, “Do you see him?”

The sister asked, "Of what is his bowstring made?" And the girl answered, "His bowstring is the Milky Way."

Then Strong Wind's sister knew that because the girl had spoken the truth, her brother had made himself visible to her. She said, "Truly, you have seen him."

And she took the girl home and bathed her. All the scars disappeared from her face and body. Almost at once, her hair grew long and black again like the raven's wing. The sister gave the girl fine clothes to wear and many rich decorations and jewelry. Then she invited her to take the wife's seat in the wigwam. Soon Strong Wind entered and sat beside her, and called her his bride.

His sister wondered greatly because she was thefirst one who had told thetruth. She asked, "Do yousee him now?" And the girl answered, "Yes, and he isvery wonderful."

Then the sister asked,"With what does he drawhis sled?"

The girl answered,"With the rainbow," andshe was much afraid.

The very next day she became his wife. And forever after she helped him to perform great deeds.

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Story – ”The Native American Cinderella”

The girl’s two older sisters were very cross and they could

not believe what had taken place. But Strong Wind, who knew how they had treated their youngest sister, decided to punish them. Using his great power, he changed them both into aspen trees and rooted them into the earth. Since that day, the leaves of the aspen have always trembled. They shiver in fear at the approach of Strong Wind. It matters not how softly he comes. For they still remember his great power and anger because of their lies and their unkind ways to their sister long ago.

The very next day Strong Wind married the youngest daughter.

Copyright 2005 Elaine L. Lindy. All Rights Reserved.This Page May Not Be Reproduced In Any Form Without Written Permission From The Publisher.

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