Wildwords - The Works of Author Gary Ferguson

Children Learn To Walk

Ojibwa Indians, North-central United States And Canada

The wise hero of this story is Nanabush, one of four sons of the West Wind. Each of these sons was charged with bringing special gifts to the Ojibwa people - courage, romance, a sense of beauty, and for Nanabush, humor and storytelling.

It was a long time ago in the land of trees, and Spirit Woman had given birth to human twins. Every animal was fond of these twins, forever doting on them, each eager to do whatever was needed to make them warm and safe and happy. Dog, for one, never left their side. Sometimes flies would come and pester the children, and Dog would snap at them to make them fly away. To amuse the children, he nuzzled their soft bellies with his nose or jumped into the air and did all manner of wonderful tricks. When the twins were hungry, Wolf and Deer lent their milk, while Bear warmed them with his marvelous coat of fur. The birds sang them to sleep at night, and Beaver washed them in the lake.


	Children Learn To Walk Ojibwa Indians, North-central United States And Canada The wise hero of this story is Nanabush, one of four sons of the West Wind. Each of these sons was charged with bringing special gifts to the Ojibwa people - courage, romance, a sense of beauty, and for Nanabush, humor and storytelling. It was a long time ago in the land of trees, and Spirit Woman had given birth to human twins. Every animal was fond of these twins, forever doting on them, each eager to do whatever was needed to make them warm and safe and happy. Dog, for one, never left their side. Sometimes flies would come and pester the children, and Dog would snap at them to make them fly away. To amuse the children, he nuzzled their soft bellies with his nose or jumped into the air and did all manner of wonderful tricks. When the twins were hungry, Wolf and Deer lent their milk, while Bear warmed them with his marvelous coat of fur. The birds sang them to sleep at night, and Beaver washed them in the lake.