New story-Deergirl

Prologue

Fallen Leaves stood at the door of the family tepee as she watched her younger brother Whistling Birch play with his friends. They were playing with the knuckle bones. Along came the older boys, heading off to hunt for elk, moose or buffalo. The other tribes also hunted for deer, but since before Fallen Leaves was born the Deer tribe had never touched deer. It was tradition. The Buffalo tribe was going off past their camp now. they always went this way to the hunt. A few boys called to Whistling Birch and his friends, “Wimpy Deer people! Only wimps don’t hunt deer!” One of the little boys, Birds-at-Dawn, started to cry. The Buffalo boys laughed even harder. “Wimps! Wimps and crybabys!” they yelled. Then, whooping with laughter, they ran of down the track. Fallen Leaves felt someone behind her. Her grandmother, Laughing Brook, put her hand on Fallen Leaves’ shoulder. “Gather the the children in the meeting tent,” she instructed. “I will be waiting.” Fallen Leaves did as she was told. When all the children had gathered in the tent, Laughing Brook began her tale. “This is the story of why we do not hunt deer. It is the story of Deergirl.”