MEDICINE FROG MEETS NANABUSH "The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge." As told by My Late Elder, Father, Teacher -William Oombash

1. MEDICINE FROG MEETS NANABUSH "The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge." As told by my late father William Oombash Characters Nanabush as himself Wolf kinship/clan Kingfisher Lion pride Ground hog Scene By remote water falls Time The present: Early May Story done at YMCATBAY2006/08/11/12AM Alec Oombash

2. Little brother Wasaya was just starting to push his hand forward past the eastern door, to allow flows of wondrous blessings across the slightly darkened landscape which was still asleep, just as a young spirit child continues to enjoy the comforts of home. For a minute or two, nothing can be seen stirring as The Great Keewatin’s voice is heard uttered throughout the harsh winter tone to greet his little brother Wasaya. His Husky voice is yet gentle and almost soothing in a parental tone, just we see a person stir and the person is Nanabush. And it catches Nanabushs ears, quietly though he shakes himself as he tries hard to open his eye lids, with a little cursing, he finally clears his vision while he spits out a couple strands of wolves hair. (That has attached themselves right underneath his tongue during the night) Just as Nanabush finishes shoving the kinships tail over his shoulder, his brother the lead wolf nudges at him, who in a stern tone, asks him to repeat what he had just said, (You see it was his wolf brother who had offered him his tail, so that he could sleep in warmth during the cold night) so Nanabush with in his quick thinking utters a totally different thing altogether, his brother glances over at him, while in the same motion rearranges himself and continues to catch some extra sleep, because a couple days back they had a great feast on a moose that they had taken down. After awhile laying there Nanabush begins to get cold again so he throws his kinships coated tail over his face for the second time, and soon he's snoozing quietly. Story goes on to say that Nanabush became a troubled fellow in the midst of his brothers, so council took place on behalf of Nanabush. The council reasoned that since Nanabush was unhappy in his spirit, his spirit is honored by council, and it honors Nanabush a companion who would walk in fellowship as he did his walk about.

3. So it was that in the years to come, that Nanabush along with his kinship went about hunting in harmony, with a lot of success. One thing though stood out in Nanabushs mind, and that was the order for which his agreement with the council stated “that at no cost, should he ever allow his kinship companion to cross a river,” but as the years approached, the spirit of those words slightly disappeared, as in the same way a noise of a wave mutters along from one end of a sandy beach to the other till you can't hear it again, until another motions by you, but really it doesn't have the very same harmonious motion as well as sound. Story goes on to see Nanbush chuckling as he walks along and enjoying the spring air which is working as fast as it can, so that the warmth begin to melt the remaining snow, melting it so the ground is exposed, exposed to show in some parts where the sunshine has began to uncover. Nanbush chuckles because he's reflecting back to all the wonderful times he had with his kinships during those harsh winters. Soon the warmth of Goddess Being from above wakes his wanderings and notices that his companion is nowhere to be seen ahead of him, or straggling behind which he would normally do in a hot day such as this, so Nanbush is just wondering if he had perhaps returned to clans homeland for a visit. Two days go by till the days become four and by this time, Nanabush begins to search. So one day while hiking along one side of the river in a hot afternoon he notices his kinships tracks along a shore where a little of snow was still noticeable, and he follows them to an opening where a small pond is on location. Nanabush fears the worst because the words of the council begin to ring out, and it is not just inside his head, but also throughout his whole being. By now he reaches the actual site where his wolf kin had broken through the thin ice, and he searches earnestly to see where he had gotten out, but finds none.

4. Nanabush is struck deeply in remorse as he calls out to his companion to come back from the other side, Nanabush runs to and fro back and forth while in the same time wipes away tears that form and trickle down his brown sun tanned cheeks. It is here we leave Nanabush here in obedience to our teachings, where a person is allowed to grieve for ten days, so that their strength can come from the one who made life. Soon we go to nearby a sounding falls, where a movement begins to stir the leaves, that have already welcomed the early spring sun beams, sunbeams that have made it past the trees shadows, just we see little animals race throughout different pathways, because, that noise frightens who hears the rustling of dead leave, and so they run and hide, and wait to see what is making those strange noises. For a moment all is seems captured in time, and then from a slope to the side toward the north side of the river bank, emerges a face familiar to everybody, now since all of creation, animals can be heard with voices of songs of greetings as Nanabush finally shows up, and in a orchestrated movement, salutes in appreciation by first kneeling down by the river’s edge, to scope up water in his right hand, and with a systematically cup shape of his hand he drinks the living water in doing so, lets out a sigh of relief and satisfaction, and soon after he again stands up as only he can, to show off to the whole world his noble form, while at the same time continues to carefully observe everything around him.

5. Soon his strong eyes notices off to his right, a kingfisher perched high above a dry cedar branch, but he also takes notices that the kingfisher ( is looking at something in the water ) but the Kingfisher isn't interested in Nanabush or anything else around foot of the falls, but anyhow Nanabush calls out to him... Brother Kingfisher! What are you looking at? Brother Kingfisher response by says...I am looking at the hide that is being used as a door in the home of the lion pride. Nanabush asks again...what hide? Kingfisher says...the hide that they say is from Whiskeyjacks (Nanbush- you see some didn’t know or ever heard of him) companion.

6. It's then that Nanabush realizes what the Kingfisher is describing to him (It’s his missing companion, the hide of his companion that is now used as a door in one of the homes in the lion colony on the other side in another dimension ) and Nanbush is both stunned and enraged. He later asks the Kingfisher what he must do, if he would seek his revenge for the cruelty that they brought on his life, and the life of his late companion. The Kingfisher tells him at certain times of certain days for which these lions would came around to this side of dimension, and also where they'd be resting on a particular spot in the middle of dry river in those instances ( sand bar ) and bed down to rest just below the falls. Kingfisher also tells Nanbush what he must do if he is to succeed in getting his vengeance, a vengeance to pay back a life for a life. So he is told that he must make a strong bow, along with arrows. But one thing he is told is that, that if he is to succeed, he must not shoot right their physical form, but that he must shoot only at the reflection (these lions were spiritual beings from the other side) and not on the natural image in which his eyes captured, because he is told that eyes can be deceiving. So here we see Nanabush being very instrumental as he prepares all the essentials that he will need for the task, and by evening he is done. However as evening falls Nanabush sits patiently, near the foot of the water falls with trusty bow and arrows lying beside him, waiting his revenge.

7. Just as Nanabush adjusts his sitting position, and when suddenly he turns his head and there directly in front of him lies (on the sand bar in the middle of opening) two giant male Lions. Both Lions lay without knowing that there's somebody watching them and that person that person is Nanbush patiently awaiting his to releasing his vengeance. Nanabush by now has one of his mighty arrows aimed carefully at one of the Lions, but just before he makes up his mind of which one he is taking aim for, he stubbornly lets his mind to wander off, if whether or not the Kingfisher was telling him the truth. Nanabush as we see isn't a kind of person who trusts anyone, instead of doing and aiming at the reflection as he was told, he lets one arrow fly instead directly at the natural image he sees in front of him, but his arrow hits the sand beside the nearest Lion, the lion nearly notices what just took place, but doesn't turn his head but instead continues to sleep right through. The next arrow though finds its mark and it is now stuck deep into the ribs of the great Lion. What happens next is too fast for Nanabush to react to and before he can get one more off, the water is soon calm, the beasts are nowhere to be seen, soon after all is quite again as it was before. Soon Nanbush is alone once more. He is happy because he feels that he has put in a good shot right where it counts.

8. The next morning, Nanabush walks by the place near the water falls again and sees Mr. Kingfisher in the same spot he had the day before, so Nanbush kindly calls out to him. Brother Kingfisher!!! What is it that you're watching this fine morning? Kingfisher: I am looking at the Lions who seem very concerned for their elder whom you shot last night, and they are asking for a medicine man, so he can help bring him back to health. Kingfisher again states that “I can see the arrow which Nanabush shoot into his ribs.” Nanabush: when are they saying this medicine man is supposed to show up? Kingfisher: This afternoon because they say he's already on his way. Nanabush thinks to himself, that he could be in danger if the Lion recovers and that they might come looking for him later, so he quickly asks the kingfisher at which direction is the medicine man coming from, and Kingfisher tells him that he will be coming from the north, along the pathway near the old burnt area, up the river some distance from the falls. So it's about 12:30 pm that we see Nanbush sitting near the old burnt area that the Kingfisher told him about. When from a distance, Nanbush hears the noise of bells and before long it comes closer and closer, soon he can see what seems to be someone hopping along the pathway from the northern direction.

9. He notices that this person is the medicine man that the Kingfisher told him about and furthermore, he notices that he is singing to what seems to sound like a song, a song that he is humming, he also hears and notices that the bells coming from his feet. The creature stops right by where Nanabush is standing, looks up at Nanabush. Nanabush with a question already in thought asks: Hey! What is your name? And where and how far are you going? He's asking him into thinking of getting a response that he is look to hear. The creature doesn't say anything at first, but continues to look at strangely as he kind of hesitates before the medicine frog neglecting responses to Nanabush My good fellow, my name is Sha na wish she nan ( I jingle the good medicine) but all the time he is looking at Nanabush suspiciously, as if he knows what is going through Nanabushs mind is not at all good, but out of respect he says nothing. Nanabush though keeps his cool, and again Nanabush asks the same question but this time the creature response, by saying; I am on my way to heal a victim of Whiskeyjacks whom he injured the other day. They also says he'll die if I don't get there in time, and that is would not be good, because he's a great grandfather of the Lion pride which live at the bottom of the falls.

10. Nanabush thinks quickly how he too, can go there so he can finish off his task. Nanabush: How are you getting there? Medicine man tells him: I will go in by the way of the falls because that is where the door is, to where that dimension begins. Nanabush: what can a person do if he wishes to enter in? Again the medicine frog eyes Nanabush with a half closed eye, but soon he says to Nanabush, if a person is to go there he would have to have an outfit just like mine. (Referring to his frog skin.) By now Nanabush has already done his planning how he is going to map out his strategy to get himself to the other side. Just before his guest turns to hop away Nanabush says that he has one final question to ask him of him and that is to ask if he could at least feel the cane for which the medicine man is holding in his hand. The medicine man lets out a long sigh in discuss, knowing that Nanabush isn't going to give up tell he is done bugging him. Quickly he hands it over and turns his head away from Nanabush to silently curses himself for doing so, and just as he does, cunning Nanabush whacks him over the head with his own cane, and the frog topples over dead.

11. Quickly Nanabush undresses him of his custom and puts it on and begins to jump around to see if he too can make the same noises that the medicine man did, and sure enough he does. So away he goes and hops right into the edge of the falls, where soon after he's hopping (as well as singing the song he had just learned) around on the other dimension to where the Lions are. Soon after they see him coming and it’s the children are the first to notice him, they all cry out “here comes the doctor” where meanwhile Nanabush is trying hard to hop in tune with his jingles, but he finds it somehow finds it hard because of his concentration level and that the frog skin he finds is kind of tight around certain areas, especially on his behind, so he again figures he can manage till then, till he has fulfilled his daring task. Greetings are exchanged as he closes in on the camp. He gets greetings from the whole camp, so soon he is asked to come to a certain lodge to where the particular individual needs his attention.

12. Soon they take him into a home and he sees the same door to where he had witnessed his late companion was used as door covering, but he totally ignores it because, he knows that they are closely watching his every move. Sure enough they show him his patient that he has come to heal, the person is just laying there motionless. Nanabush calls for them that are with him into a small gathering, which is to let them know that in order for him to effectively help their elder; they would have to go camp out of the community, till he's done, and so they agree. He tells them that they should go about a day’s journey to where they can camp out in peace with all their immediate families. So we see everyone is doing exactly as he told them, and soon everyone is out of sight. Nanbush double checks to see if in fact everyone is gone, before he goes in and calls out to the old Lion, but gets no response, so Nanbush goes in to where his patient is and he goes along side to where he cannot be seen by him, and grabs the remaining arrow that is sticking out and starts to poke it in further instead. So he finishes him off right away, and right away he starts to make a big fire so he can smoke his prize, he smokes it so that he can travel back to the other side of the where he came from, and travel light, which is his intention from the beginning.

13. For two days he is hard at it and just then when is about getting ready to take his prize off the smoking hut, he is all of a sudden he realizes, he is no longer alone, but there’s a small kid looking at him while he's eating away and adding wood to the fire, he is startled but keeps his cool. Instead of explaining himself, he offers the kid a small piece of smoked meat that he had in his hand. As witty as Nanbush is he later he tells the kid to run along home, but not after Nanabush is kind enough to the kid and tells him not to tell where he got the meat he offered him if he is asked. The kid is not a long ways off before Nanabush is on his way, along with his load of freshly smoked meat. It's not long after the kid goes home and before the Lion pride figure out what had just happened and now, for sure the other Lion pride are on Nanabushs trail. Now we see Nanabush being chased from the other side of that dimension to the natural world and they are certainly determined to get his life, his life for what he did to their great grandfather, so Nanabush is certainly in deep trouble now, and with no other living human being is around to come to save him, he is running for his life.

14. On and on the Lion pride chase him, they chase him endlessly, it is then that he is he's running or hopping for his for the sake of his life that he ends up ripping the custom and it is then we see Nanbush turns back into a human being. Soon he runs along a long hill till he runs into a groundhog sitting in the doorway of his din. In his desperation Nanabush calls out for help. ( can you help me, there's people after me and if you help I will give a reward to half of what I got here on my pack ) He quickly asks for his help, sure says the groundhog, so we now see the groundhog digging away just to save Nanbush. He digs away for all he's worth, of course all the while thinking of his reward. Right above them they can hear the Lions saying, that they should pour water into the tunnel to flush out Nanabush, so he again tells his partner to first dig up, and then downward, so that plan works for awhile till Nanabush starts getting the dirt tossed right at his face by the groundhog, and he ends up cursing him thinking that he's not paying attention, but the groundhog catches the last few lines, and in discuss he sternly looks over his shoulder to ask what Nanabush just said in his displeasure, but as a fast thinker as Nanabush is he quickly makes something up. Anyhow they continue you on their way, as they already knew that danger was past. From here we see them come out on the other side of the hill opposite of where the danger was originally at and we see Nanabush thanking his ally the groundhog, and he fulfills his promise to him before continuing on his way, but not before in closing he tells his companion, that as the coming of man into the world, the stories of him will continue to all generations, and that there will be no end whatsoever. Consequently, which is why; even to this day we are still reliving his stories and the concepts of how the human nature is, in the way of good against what we call evil in our day.