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 STORY OF THE HUMMING BIRD

(Shoshonee)

"See!" said the Indian grandfather, as he sat in the opening of his tepee. "See the little Fire Bird! How swiftly it darts! Now it drinks honey from the flowers. How fast its wings move!"

A little Indian boy stood quietly at his grandfather's side. "I see the fire on its throat," he said softly, and then, as the bird darted away, he begged, "Tell me the story of the little Fire Bird, grandfather. I like the story."

Then the grandfather told this tale, which his grandfather had told to him:

Long, long ago the Indian people lived in a country where it was cold, and the snow fell for many, many days. The falling snow covered the tracks of the forest children, so the hunters could find little meat. Many times the Indian children cried to the Great Spirit for warmth, and for better hunting.

Far to the west of the Indian village there