Myths and Legends of the Great Plains

<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg&nbsp;95]</SPAN></span></p> <h2>A SONG OF HOSPITALITY<SPAN name="FNanchor_J_10" id="FNanchor_J_10"></SPAN><SPAN href="#Footnote_J_10" class="fnanchor">[J]</SPAN></h2> <p class="subtitle">Sioux</p> <div class="poem"> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">I am mashing the berries,</span><br/> <span class="i0">I am mashing the berries,</span><br/> <span class="i0">They say travelers are coming on the march,</span><br/> <span class="i0">They say travelers are coming on the march,</span><br/> <span class="i0">I stir [the berries] around, I stir them around,</span><br/> <span class="i0">I take them up with a spoon of buffalo horn,</span><br/> <span class="i0">I take them up with a spoon of buffalo horn,</span><br/> <span class="i0">And I carry them, I carry them [to the strangers],</span><br/> <span class="i0">And I carry them, I carry them [to the strangers].</span><br/></div> </div> <div class="blockquot"><p>&ldquo;Word comes that travelers are approaching ... on the march with their children, dogs, and household property. She stirs them around with a spoon of buffalo horn and goes to offer them to the strangers. The translation is an exact paraphrase of the rhythmic repetition of the original.&rdquo;</p> </div> <div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> <div class="footnote"><p><SPAN name="Footnote_J_10" id="Footnote_J_10"></SPAN><SPAN href="#FNanchor_J_10"><span class="label">[J]</span></SPAN> James Mooney.</p> </div> </div> <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />