Oban's Myths & Legends
How The Buffalo Came To Be
Native American - Cheyenne Story
retold by Oban
A long time ago the Cheyenne people were always searching for food. The chief called everyone together and said “we are always tired and hungry because we spend so much time looking for food. We must find a better supply of food for everyone.”
The chief sent out a hunting party to find new food, but for several days the hunters found nothing. They camped near a stream that gushed from the hillside and ran down into a large cave. While their leader was deciding what they should do next, some of the hunters played a game of ring and javelin.
During the game, two strangers walked into the camp – one from the north and the other from the south. When they saw each other they were surprised because although they’d never met before, their clothes were almost the same. The two men talked together as they watched the game.
After the game the leader of the hunting party said he had decided they should explore the large cave that the stream ran into at the bottom of the hill. “It may be dangerous“ he said, “but you are all brave hunters. Who will go on this journey?” None of the hunters volunteered. Then the two strangers stepped forward and offered to go. The leader accepted and wished them luck.
The strangers pulled their cloaks around them and then climbed down the hillside, splashing through the stream. When they reached the entrance to the cave, they jumped together through the falling water and into the darkness beyond. It was so dark they had to stand very still until their eyes adjusted and they could see shapes in the dim light. They moved around slowly and found what looked like a door in the wall of the cave.
continue >> How the Buffalo came to be Part 2
