THE BOY WHO WENT WEST

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 167, 5 October 1927, Page 6

THE BOY WHO WENT WEST

AN OLD LEGEND In the woods of North America there lived an Indian boy and his grandmother. Whenever he went out to play she said to him: "Be sure to go to the east; never gc west.” The boy grew up. and learned to use his bow and arrows. Every time he went hunting she said the same thing to him: "Never go west.” “Why may I not go west?"’ he asked. "Other boys go east or west as their heart or the chase leads them.” Still she would give him no reason, and only cried: "Never go west!” At last he plagued her into telling him the truth. In the west there lived a mysterious being who had hated the boy’s father and grandfather before him. If the boy fell into his power there would be no mercy. “And without you.” said the old woman. “I should die of grief.” The boy thought to himself: "The worst enemy in thei world shall not stay me from going where I please.” Next morning he got up while his grandmother slept, and went westward. When he had been walking for some hours he came to a lake fringed with gloomy trees. He lay down to drink, and suddenly a great voice cried: "How dare you come west, you pigmy, you red doll?” The boy could see no one anywhere. “Go home and see what I shall do with your grandmother,” called the voice from nowhere. “I will tear down her hut with a hurricane.” “That will be a Messing.” said the boy. "It will save me the trouble of going to fetch firewood.” “We shall see.” roared the voice. The boy returned. As soon as he was out of sight of the lake he ran like a deer. As he drew near his grandmother’s hut the leaves began to whistle with the hurricane’s approach. He dragged the old woman out, and they crouched for shelter in a cave near by, while the tempest burst upon the forest, tearing up trees, and crushing their hut as if it. were a handful of twigs. “This is not fair fighting,” said the boy. Next morning he built his grandmother a new hut, and then he went east, to a man who practised magic in the hills. There, for a bearskin, an embroidered belt, and a handsome pipe, the boy bought a little pebble. Once more he went west. As lie

approached the lake a voice screamed- " What, have you dared to cotae back* I shall ” Before it could finish Its threats the boy called: “Come cut and show yourself, and fight me.” "Do you think I will obey «, snippet like you?” howled the voice. “I wall send a forest fire to burn your grandmother t.o a cinder.” Then the boy threw his pebble irto the lake. Instantly the waters begin to boil like a kettle. The boy snatched up his bow and kept a sharp watch He saw a great frog crawl out on the opposite bank. The next moment an arrow pierced the creature’s body; it gave a shrill human cry, and then the voice in the lake was never hard again Thenceforward the youth and his grandmother lived in peace arid prosperity, walking to all points of the compass at their own free will.