A New Bow for Tani – Cherokee

Tani was a small Cherokee lad who lived during the great Hundred
Years War between the Northern and Southern tribes. When he was
twelve years old, Tani's only wish was to own a bow like his
father's, a strong hickory bow with a stout hide thong and a quiver
of straight strong arrows.

Each time he would approach his father about owning such a bow, his
father would laugh, and placing his hand on his son's head, tell him
in a kindly voice that he was still a little too young to handle a
man-sized hickory bow. This always made Tani feel a little sad
because, being a boy of twelve, he thought he was man enough to own
one.

One day Tani's father called Tani to him and told him they would be
going on a hunting trip and asked if he would like to go along. Tani
was overjoyed and all he could think about for the next three days
was the forth coming trip with his father. When the time finally
arrived,

Tani prepared for the trip just as his father did and noticed his
father place war paint on his face and chest and arms. Tani said good-
bye to all, and when he said good-bye to his mother he noticed she
was crying. He did not understand, for his father had not told him
that the hunting trip they were going on was to seek out
Talitanigska, one of the great Cherokee Chieftains, and report to him
the movements of a large band of Seneca Indians. This was a very
dangerous journey, for the Seneca Indians were deadly enemies of the
Cherokee Tribe.

As Tani and his father traveled swiftly along the back paths of the
vast forests toward the encampment of Tahtanigska, one thought kept
rushing through the little brave's mind: What great adventure was his
father leading him into? Tani soon learned the answer to this
question. That evening, as Tani and his father were seated at a small
guarded fire off to the side of the trail, Tani's father told him the
nature of their task.

The little brave's heart pounded as he learned the reason for their
journey. That night as they rolled in their blankets and slept, Tani
dreamed of many Seneca Indians attacking his father and himself and
of his standing back to back with his father, beating off the
attackers When the dawn broke, Tani and his father were on their way.
They were careful to avoid any soft earth that might leave signs for
roving Seneca's to find and follow.

About mid afternoon Tani's father turned into a shallow stream and
started north against the current. Suddenly, his father slipped and
fell heavily head first into the stream. Tani reached his father's
side and found his father could not stand. He helped him ashore and
seated him against the trunk of a tree on the bank. A gash was red
with blood across the forehead of Tani's father. Tani saw that his
father's ankle was badly twisted. Not a word was spoken, but Tani
built a small fire and made his father as comfortable as possible.

For several hours as the sun slowly sank behind the hills, Tani's
father worried about the situation he and his son were in. He was
tired and he must have dozed, for he woke with a start as he felt his
bow being lifted from his fingers. He watched in silence as Tani
fitted an arrow to the bow, pulled back the string and let fly. The
arrow buried itself in a near-by bush. There was a thud, followed by
a terrifying scream. A Seneca sprang up and fell dead across the
path. Tani rushed forward and, having made sure their enemy was dead,
returned to his father's side. Without a word he continued his
sleepless watch.

The night passed without incident but as dawn approached, Tani heard
a rustle in the near-by bush. He raised his bow ready to fire, but
recognized the head feathers of his Cherokee brothers and let the bow
drop to the ground. He leaped forward with a happy cry. The two
braves were from Talitanigska's camp. They quickly made a sling
hammock to carry Tani's father and soon the four of them set forth
for the great Chieftain's camp.

Once safely within the camp, Tani's father was well cared for and
soon was able to stand once again on his injured foot. Two weeks
after their arrival at Talitanigska's camp a great council fire was
held to celebrate the victory of the Cherokees over their enemies,
the Seneca's. As the festivities came to a close, Talitanigska
stepped to the center of the ring and asked that Tani step forward.
Then, in front of the great Cherokee Chieftains, Talitanigska took
his stout hickory bow from his shoulder and placed it in Tani's
hands.

"This is for you, Tani," he said, "for you are a great brave and now
a man among men. You stood full of courage in the face of great
danger. Because of your quick thinking, you saved your father's life
and made it possible for your father to bring me the valuable
information. This information helped our fellow tribesmen to meet and
defeat the Seneca's, our enemies."

Tani did not know what to say; but the following morning, as he and
his father prepared to leave, he stepped in front of Chief
Tahtanigska and thanked him for the gift. He said he would always
cherish the great hickory bow and remember the great kindness shown
him by one of the great Chiefs of the Cherokee nation. Tani had his
bow, just like his father's. There was no happier brave alive as he
tramped closely behind his father on the path home.

From Blue Panther Keeper of Stories