john and the ABENAKI TRIBE: November 2012

How did the mouse outsmart the eagle - the legend of the Abenaki Tribe

By John K

Once there was an eagle flying high in the blue sky. The eagle spotted a little mouse with his eagle sharp eyes. The eagle flew down and when he was just inches from the poor mouse, the mouse raised its head and said: "Oh Mr. Eagle before you eat me, which I am sure you want to do, please let me ask you one question."

The eagle thought for a second. The mouse can run but it cannot hide from me. After all, I am the greatest hunter of all.

"What is your question" asked the eagle.

"Well, please follow me to the top of the Ascutney Mountain" said the mouse.

"And why exactly would I do that?" asked the eagle.

"When we get there, I will present you with a challenge. If you win, I will gather as much food for you as I possibly can and then I will let you eat me. I will not run away from you," said the mouse.

The eagle thought for a moment. "Well, after all I am the greatest hunter of all. How could I possibly loose this challenge to a little mouse?"

"I agree" said the eagle.

And so they went to the top of the Ascutney Mountain. The mouse took little mouse-like steps and the eagle first flew to the top of the mountain, but then he got tired of waiting there, so he flew back to the mouse and they walked together. It took a while and the eagle was growing impatient, but he did not suspect anything and he thought about the feast surely coming out of this curious escapade.

When they finally reached the top of the mountain, the mouse said: "Here is your challenge, Mr. Eagle. You are the greatest flyer of all, right?"

"Of course, I am an eagle" replied the eagle.

"I wonder" said the mouse "whether you could fly all the way to the sun. Can you?"

"Of course, I am an eagle" replied the eagle. And soon after, the eagle flew away on his big great wings. As he was barely visible, flying into in the noon sky, the mouse sighed.

Then, the mouse lied down in the grass in a nice shadow of the nearby tree and took a nap. A couple hours later, the mouse was awaken by a strange smell of burning feathers. The eagle has returned.

"So, have you flown all the way to the sun?" asked the mouse.

"I was flying high up into the blue sky until the bright sun was so hot that my feathers started catching fire and I could not fly any farter" said the eagle in a scratchy strange voice.

"Then" said the mouse, "you can eat the food I gathered and eat me, as I promised. I will just lie down here quietly and wait."

The eagle was eager to eat, but the sun made him blind and he could not see a thing.

"I cannot see you" said the eagle to the mouse. Please tell me where you are or make a noise so that I can find you." But the mouse did not reply. She was sitting quietly like a mouse one stone throw away from his feet. The eagle soon realized that he was tricked. He was not the greatest hunter any more.

Abenaki

ABENAKI

The Abenaki Indians lived in Vermont, Mainand New Hampshire. The climate in the summer was very hot and in winter it was so cold lots of people died because of it. Fall was the best time of the year it was a little cold but not like winter not hot like summer and spring They usually eat deer, moose, waterfowl and corn. They hunted with bows and tomahawks. People believed in amola a monster that lived in the highest mountain it was called Katahdin. For entertainment they played wolf also known as tag. they played ice snake you carve a snake out of a stick and slid it on the ice whoever's went the farthest won.

Gluskabe was a trickster and culture hero whose exploits were more humorous than frightening. Many living men and some women had their own shamanistic powers that allowed them to leave their bodies and enter the realm of the supernatural, usually in animal forms. Strange occurrences involving animals were customarily interpreted as being the acts of shamans in their animal forms.

Read more: http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Abenaki-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html#ixzz2ChbDkHTG

fun fact: about 75% of native Americans in new England ,died of European diseases in the 1500s 1600s

resources
:http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Abenaki-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html
http://www.oakgrovevt.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=204:abenaki-food&catid=43:kathy-abbott&Itemid=66

Hello my name is Eagle and i am 11 years old my father is the tribe leader his name is Tarratine He is very sick. I should have mentioned there is a sickness that almost everyone has. have a friend named Cartac we always go fishing together my father sometimes joined us before he got sick. The last time our father joined me and my mother was at a feast we made for him I spent ten hours hunting for him deer, water fowl and moose. My mother harvested the corn it was wonderful, my father had tears in his eyes. That was three weeks ago, I have only seen him once after that and he did not look good. Me and my friend always played touch or as other people call it wolf. Also we play snow snake The object of the game is carve a stick into a snake and whoever's goes the farthest on the ice is the winner. My mother always made baskets it is the hardest thing in the tribe most women did t but i do it when there is nothing to do. When i was younger my mother always told me the story about the monster that lived on top of mount Katahdin it is the highest mountain in main.

I went fishing with my friend today we caught a huge catfish our mothers would be happy! When we had brought them half each they had hugged us and given us some corn to feed the waterfowl. After i went to visit my grandmother she lives in a little straw house next to the river she was making s basket when i came in, we usally get the baskets we use from her. She smiled when she saw me she was 56 years old we had super and talked. I went home My mother greeted me with new shoes! I almost jumped out of my old ones they were made out of skin from a buffalo my mother said she traded them for some corn.

My father died today we all came to visit but he had already passed away the hole family came over for dinner. we all wept for him specially mother I went to bed that night and cried through it the next day We decided to see who should take his place we had picked Cosac's dad he was a good man and he understood the tribes needs. So the next day he was picked. He got right to work he told every body that he will try his best in the harsh winters for every body to get trough it.

This time i went to my grandmothers straw house to tell her what had happened. She started weeping i told her to stop but it just got worse then i started weeping to. We just sat there and wept the hole day. When i got back home my mother asked were i was all this time. I said

Pamola, a powerful monster who was believed to live atop Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine

Read more: http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Abenaki-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html#ixzz2CgaZr5fE

Monday, November 19, 2012

Abenaki