--- title: Iktomi and the Fawn — Old Indian Legends · full text with trees · page 2 description: Iktomi and the Fawn, «Old Indian Legends» by Zitkala-Sa: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: IN one of his wanderings through the wooded lands, Iktomi saw a rare bird sitting high in a tree-top. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Old Indian Legends](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/) / Iktomi and the Fawn # Iktomi and the Fawn · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/) **2** - [101](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/101/) — “Oh! - [102](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/102/) — I am myself. - [103](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/103/) — My old self!” cried Iktomi, pinching himself and plucking imaginary pieces out of his jacket. - [104](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/104/) — “Hin-hin-hin! - [105](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/105/) — I wanted to fly!” - [106](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/106/) — The real arrow now returned to the earth. - [107](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/107/) — He alighted very near Iktomi. - [108](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/108/) — From the high sky he had seen the fawns playing on the green. - [109](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/109/) — He had seen Iktomi make his one leap, and the charm was broken. - [110](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/110/) — Iktomi became his former self. - [111](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/111/) — “Arrow, my friend, change me once more!” begged Iktomi. - [112](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/112/) — “No, no more,” replied the arrow. - [113](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/113/) — Then away he shot through the air in the direction his comrades had flown. - [114](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/114/) — By this time the fawns gathered close around Iktomi. - [115](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/115/) — They poked their noses at him trying to know who he was. — checked by a teacher - [116](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/116/) — Iktomi's tears were like a spring shower. - [117](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/117/) — A new desire dried them quickly away. - [118](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/118/) — Stepping boldly to the largest fawn, he looked closely at the little brown spots all over the furry face. - [119](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/119/) — “Oh, fawn! - [120](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/120/) — What beautiful brown spots on your face! - [121](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/121/) — Fawn, dear little fawn, can you tell me how those brown spots were made on your face?” - [122](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/122/) — “Yes,” said the fawn. - [123](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/123/) — “When I was very, very small, my mother marked them on my face with a red hot fire. - [124](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/124/) — She dug a large hole in the ground and made a soft bed of grass and twigs in it. - [125](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/125/) — Then she placed me gently there. - [126](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/126/) — She covered me over with dry sweet grass and piled dry cedars on top. - [127](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/127/) — From a neighbor's fire she brought hither a red, red ember. - [128](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/128/) — This she tucked carefully in at my head. - [129](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/129/) — This is how the brown spots were made on my face.” - [130](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/130/) — “Now, fawn, my friend, will you do the same for me? - [131](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/131/) — Won't you mark my face with brown, brown spots just like yours?” asked Iktomi, always eager to be like other people. - [132](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/132/) — “Yes. - [133](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/133/) — I can dig the ground and fill it with dry grass and sticks. - [134](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/134/) — If you will jump into the pit, I'll cover you with sweet smelling grass and cedar wood,” answered the fawn. - [135](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/135/) — “Say,” interrupted Ikto, “will you be sure to cover me with a great deal of dry grass and twigs? - [136](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/136/) — You will make sure that the spots will be as brown as those you wear.” - [137](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/137/) — “Oh, yes. - [138](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/138/) — I'll pile up grass and willows once oftener than my mother did.” - [139](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/139/) — “Now let us dig the hole, pull the grass, and gather sticks,” cried Iktomi in glee. - [140](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/140/) — Thus with his own hands he aids in making his grave. - [141](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/141/) — After the hole was dug and cushioned with grass, Iktomi, muttering something about brown spots, leaped down into it. - [142](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/142/) — Lengthwise, flat on his back, he lay. - [143](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/143/) — While the fawn covered him over with cedars, a far-away voice came up through them, “Brown, brown spots to wear forever!” - [144](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/144/) — A red ember was tucked under the dry grass. - [145](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/145/) — Off scampered the fawns after their mothers; and when a great distance away they looked backward. - [146](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/146/) — They saw a blue smoke rising, writhing upward till it vanished in the blue ether. - [147](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/147/) — “Is that Iktomi's spirit?” asked one fawn of another. - [148](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/148/) — “No! - [149](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/149/) — I think he would jump out before he could burn into smoke and cinders,” answered his comrade. [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/6/) **2** - ← previous: [Iktomi and the Coyote](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/5/) - next →: [The Badger and the Bear](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/7/) - ↑ back to [Old Indian Legends](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg338/)