The Rhythm of The South by Kay Cordell Whitaker

I want to tell you about old grandfather Curious Mountain and his little grandson, Summer Wind. Summer Wind was just five years old and Curious Mountain was very, very old. Probably the oldest man in the village. He was very kind and soft spoken. It is the summer season and grandfather Curious Mountain takes little Summer Wind on a hunting trip. It is hot and bright. The rains had been good that year, so the rivers and springs were full, moving fast.

The land is blooming every color. They see the birds building nests. All the animal peoples are birthing and tending their young. The grasses are tall and sweet smelling. Fruit is on the bush.

Grandfather Curious Mountain teaches Summer Wind how to shoot and sling rocks. He sets targets every morning in the grassy field. Then shows him how to pick materials for tools and weapons. It is important to get everything just right to make a tool that will work well and long. They collect many things needed for their making.

Then they make a little trap and catch a rabbit for dinner. Grandfather Curious Mountain teaches him very carefully and slowly each thing that must be done to an animal to make it food. He says that certain parts are always given right away to the spirits and creature relatives as our gift of thanks. This must always be done. If a hunter tried to eat them, he would get sick.

The old man and the boy make a lot of playing and joking. They chase each other and hide and stalk. Laughing all the time. The boy is very excited by all he sees and learns. The world is new for him. He is little still and his needs and ways are simple, and his vigor great.

Curious mountain is a patient man, but he wasn’t always. He sees his world with excitement again, like his grandson. Now he desires to participate with it. But when he was a young warrior he thought he could conquer and capture it, as young warriors sometimes think.

“Look at how bold and clever the world is at summertime,” grandfather says. “Everybody grows as fast as they can. Sun gets as hot as it can. Everyone is working hard and playing hard while they can. They have many children. Always watch around you at these relatives. Now they do their summer dance.”

One day when they were practicing shooting, they see down a ways in a rain gully, the mountain lion is dragging a really big buck down onto the rocky ledge. Then she runs off to bring her children to eat. The deer is safe there. It is pretty hard to get it out. Even she had a hard time to drag it there.

While she is gone, this coyote who has been watching her sneaks up to the buck and thinks he is going to take it away. First he tries to drag it up the gully wall. He pulls and pulls but can only move it a few feet.

Then he tries to pull it up from the other direction, but he can only move it a little bit. Still he pulls and pulls. He will not give up, even though this buck is much to big for him. He knocks many rocks over, and under one was a big yellow jacket nest. They are very angry at their house being banged up and they sting and chase coyote. He gets stung all over and finally leaves the deer to go roll in the dirt and the river.

But this coyote, he is crazy. He still wants the whole buck for himself more than ever. He walks round and round it. Looking. Now he thinks he will pull it down the gully, instead. This gully is pretty rocky and steep. Coyote pulls and drags until the deer is almost off the ledge. Then he braces his feet and gives it a big tug, and the buck rolls off the ledge right on top of coyote. They slide a good twenty feet. Coyote is really banged up. He has to struggle hard to get out from under the deer. As he is free, Mama Mountain Lion returns with her children. She is really angry and jumps at this coyote. She does not wish to kill him, just to teach him a lesson and make him leave. She claws him good.

He still does not want to give up on this buck. He still thinks he has stolen it. He tries to stand his ground.

Lion whacks him again. This time, he almost loses an eye. And the cubs come up and bite his tail and scratch at him.

Finally he has enough and backs off. He tries to run away but a cub is still hanging by it’s teeth on his tail. He shakes and bats and growls, running in circles.

Mama Mountain Lion roars. Then her and her babies begin eating their dinner and coyote runs far away.

Grandfather Curious Mountain and Summer Wind laugh and laugh.

“Come little one,” says grandfather, “We will go now, while she is still busy. We do not want her to think we are a problem too.”

Summer Wind says “Grandfather? Can we come here again?”

“Yes.” he says, “If I still walk among the living in the summer to come, I will bring you again.”