Once there was a
great warrior named Strong Wind. He lived with his sister in a tent by the
shores of the sea .Strong Wind was able to make himself invisible. His sister
could see him, but no one else could. He had said he would marry the first
woman who could see him as he came home at the end of the day.
Many women came to
his tent to watch for him. When his sister saw him coming, she would ask, “Do
you see him?”
Each girl would
answer, “Oh, yes! I see him!”
Then Strong Wind´s
sister would ask, “What is he pulling his sled with?”
And the girl would
answer, “with a rope” or “with a wooden pole.”
Then Strong Wind´s
sister would know that they were lying, because their guesses were wrong.
A chief lived in
the village. His wife had died, but he had three daughters. One was much
younger than the other two. She was gentle and kind and beautiful, but her
sisters were jealous of her and treated her badly. They cut off her long black
hair and they made her wear rags. They also burned her face with coals so that
she would be ugly. They lied to their father and said that she did these things
to herself. But she remained kind and gentle.
The two older
sisters also went to try and see Strong Wind.
When he was coming, Strong Wind´s sister asked them, “Do you see him?”
“Oh, yes! I see
him!” each of them answered.
“What is his bow
made out of?” asked Strong Wind´s sister.
“Out of iron,”
answered one. “Out of strong wood,” answered
the other.
“You have not seen
him,” said Strong Wind´s sister.
Strong Wind himself
heard them and he know that they had lied. They went into the tent, but still
they could not see him. They went home very sad.
One day the
youngest daughter went to try and see Strong Wind. She was wearing rags, and
burns covered her face. People laughed at her, but she kept going. When she got
to Strong Wind´s tent, she waited.
When Strong Wind
was coming, his sister asked the girl, “Do you see him?”
“No,” the girl
answered. “I do not see him.”
Strong Wind´s
sister was surprised because the girl had told the truth. “Now do you see him?”
asked Strong Wind´s sister.
“Yes,” answered the
girl. “Now I do see him. He is very wonderful.”
“What is his bow
made of?” asked Strong Wind´s sister.
“The rainbow,”
answered the girl.
“And what is the
bowstring made of?” asked Strong Wind´s sister.
“Of stars,”
answered the girl.
Then Strong Wind´s
sister knew that the girl could really see him. He had let her see him because
she had told the truth.
“You really have
seen him,” said Strong Wind´s sister. Then the sister washed the girl, and all
the burns went away. Her hair grew long and black again. The sister dressed the
girl in fine clothes. Strong Wind came and the girl became his wife.
The girls´ two
older sisters were very angry, but Strong Wind turned them into aspen trees.
Ever since that day, the leaves of the aspen tree always tremble with fear
whenever he comes near, because they know he remembers their lying and
meanness.