The Storytelling Stone-4

He sat down in front of the stone. Its deep voice told him of a time before this one, how

Sky Woman fell to earth, how Turtle Island was made, and about stone giants. When he

finished one story, the stone told another and then another. On and on he went.

As the sun began to set the stone said, “That’s enough for today. Come back tomorrow and I

will tell you more stories. But don’t tell anyone about what you’ve heard today.”

Crow ran back to the village. He managed to kill a few birds on the way to trade for hot

food and parched corn.

When he traded the birds with a woman in the village she asked him “Why have you brought

back so few birds from your hunting?”

“Winter is getting nearer and it’s harder to find anything to hunt,” answered Crow.

Early the next morning, Crow went into the woods with his bow and arrow. He hunted for birds

and then rushed back to the clearing.

“Grandfather Stone, I’ve brought you more birds as gifts,” said Crow. He put the birds

down on the flat stone. “Please tell me some more stories.”

Crow sat down and the stone started telling one story after another until it was nearly

nightfall. This happened for many days. Crow brought back fewer and fewer birds to the

village. The children of the village were even crueler to him. They made fun of him and told

him that now he wasn’t even a good hunter.

One day Crow came to the clearing, placed his gift on the stone and said, “Grandfather

Stone, please tell me some more stories.”

But the stone answered, “I have no more stories to tell. You have heard all that has

happened before this time. Now you must pass on the knowledge you have learned from the

stories. You will be the first storyteller.