--- title: The First Medicine Lodge — The Punishment of the Stingy, and Other Indian S… · full text with trees description: The First Medicine Lodge, «The Punishment of the Stingy, and Other Indian Stories» by George Bird Grinnell: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: A great many winters ago the Piegans were camped near a small creek. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66596/11/) [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/) / [The Punishment of the Stingy, and Othe…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66596/) / The First Medicine Lodge # The First Medicine Lodge The First Medicine Lodge of «The Punishment of the Stingy, and Other Indian Stories» by George Bird Grinnell: the whole text, 115 sentences and 1686 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. A great many winters ago the Piegans were camped near a small creek.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") Their lodges were arranged in a circle, enclosing a large open space.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") This was long before they had horses.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") They used dogs to pack with.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") The head chief had a daughter.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") She was good and beautiful.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Many young men had asked to marry her, but she had refused them all.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") One day she went to the stream for water.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") There she met a boy, well known through the camp, because of a great scar on his cheek, which made him very ugly.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") From this the people called him Scarface.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") He was very poor.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") His mother and father were dead, and he lived with his grandmother.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") His clothes were old and torn, and he wore about him part of a worn buffalo robe.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Yet, though his clothes were poor and his face was ugly, his heart was good, and the cruel taunts of his people often made him very sad.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") When Scarface met the beautiful girl, he asked her if she would marry him.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") She looked at him in scorn and said: “Do you think I would marry such an ugly person as you?[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") When you remove that great scar from your face, come and ask me.”[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she left him.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") He sat for a long time thinking over the cruel words the girl had spoken.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") His heart was sad.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") At last he went slowly to his grandmother’s lodge.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") When he entered he said: “Grandmother, make me some moccasins and put some dried buffalo meat in a sack for me.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") I am going away and may be gone a long time.”[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") She gave him the things he asked for, and he left the lodge and started to go to a butte not far from the camp.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") When he reached the top of the butte, he threw himself upon the ground and wept and prayed to the Sun to have pity on him and remove the scar.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") At last he stood up and made a bed of the stones which he found on the side of the butte.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he lay down to sleep.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") While he slept a voice said to him: “My son, rise, and go to the butte to the right of you.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") There you will find your father.”[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") He did as the voice had said.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") When he reached the place, he threw himself on the ground and wept as before, and prayed the Sun to help him.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") He made a bed of stones like the one he had lain on before, and while he slept another voice said: “My son, your journey is not yet ended.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Rise and go to that butte still farther to the right.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") There you will find one who will direct you on your way.”[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Again he obeyed the voice.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") When he reached this butte he made his bed as before, and slept, but no voice spoke to him.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") In the morning he awoke.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") As he sat on the ground, he was wondering what he should do next.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") Again a voice spoke, saying, “My friend, shut your eyes.”[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") He did so, and in a short time the strange voice said, “Open your eyes and look about you.”[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") When he opened his eyes, he was far up in the blue sky, in another world.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") It was all a wide prairie.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") There were no mountains, no trees.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") There were only rivers, with a few bushes upon their banks.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") He could now see the person who had spoken to him.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") He was a young man about his own age, but he was very handsome.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") He wore a shirt, leggings, and robe of some strange animal’s fur, and his moccasins were embroidered in strange and beautiful colors and patterns.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") The young man said to Scarface: “My name is Sun Dog.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") The Sun is my father and the Moon my mother.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Yonder is my father’s lodge.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") Let us go to it.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") My father is not now there.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") At night he will enter.”[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") They reached the lodge.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Very large it was and very beautiful.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") Many unknown animals were painted on it, and behind it, hanging from a tripod, were the war clothes of the Sun, made of the skins of strange animals, and trimmed with fine feathers.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") Scarface was ashamed to enter this beautiful lodge, for his clothes were poor and his moccasins were worn with travel; but Sun Dog said to him, “Enter, my new friend, and fear nothing.”[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") They entered.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") All about were seats covered with white robes, and everything was strange.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") The Moon was there.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") Sun Dog approached her and said: “Mother, I have brought a young man to our lodge who is very poor.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") I beg you to have pity on him and help him in his trouble.”[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") The Moon spoke kindly to Scarface, and gave him something to eat.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") When it was time for the Sun to come home, Sun Dog hid Scarface and covered him up with robes.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Sun came to the door, he stopped and said, “There is a person here.”[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, father,” said Sun Dog, “a good young man, who is in trouble, has come to see you.”[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") The Sun said, “Bring him to me.”[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") Sun Dog removed the robes and brought Scarface before the Sun. The Sun looked at Scarface a short time, and turning to the Moon, bade her make Scarface as handsome as their own son, and give him some nice clothes to wear.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") The Moon made some medicine and rubbed it over Scarface.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") In a short time he was changed into a very handsome young man.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") The Moon took Sun Dog and Scarface before the Sun and said, “O Sun, tell me which is Sun Dog.”[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") The Sun looked at the two boys for a moment, and then pointed to Sun Dog, and said, “This is our son.”[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") Again the Moon rubbed the medicine on Scarface, until she was sure that the two young men looked alike, and again she took them before the Sun and said, “O Sun, tell me now which is our son.”[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") He looked at them a long time, and, pointing to Scarface, said, “This must be our son.”[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") In the morning before leaving the lodge, the Sun called the young men to him and said, “My children, do not go near that lodge by the river, for in it live four large white birds with long bills with which they pluck out people’s hearts.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") I have had four other sons, but they have all been killed by these birds.”[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he left them.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") The two young men went out hunting.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") They went on and on, when suddenly Sun Dog cried out, “This is the place where my brothers were killed\![79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") See! there are the birds coming one after another towards us.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") Let us make haste to get away.”[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") He ran away, but Scarface waited until the birds came near him.[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") As they came up, he struck each on the head with a club which he carried, and killed them.[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") After some time Sun Dog returned, and the young men took the birds home to the lodge.[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") The Moon was very happy when she saw that the destroyers of her sons were dead.[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Sun returned in the evening, Sun Dog said, “Father, my friend killed the bad birds to-day,” and he showed them to him.[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics") The Sun called Scarface to him and dressed him in clothes made of white buffalo skins and painted his face and said: “It is now time, my son, for you to return to your people, for they need your help.[87](87/ "tree and pragmatics") They are beneath us, and not far from here.[88](88/ "tree and pragmatics") Sun Dog will take you and will tell you what I wish you to do.”[89](89/ "tree and pragmatics") After shaking hands with the Sun and Moon, the two young men started on their journey.[90](90/ "tree and pragmatics") After they had gone some distance, they stopped.[91](91/ "tree and pragmatics") Sun Dog said: “Soon we will have to part, but first I must tell you what the Sun has commanded you to do.[92](92/ "tree and pragmatics") If there are any sick or dying among your people, in order to make them well you must build the Medicine Lodge.[93](93/ "tree and pragmatics") First you must get one hundred buffalo tongues.[94](94/ "tree and pragmatics") Select four pure women of your tribe to help.[95](95/ "tree and pragmatics") Let one woman make the medicine, another cut thin and dry the tongues, and the other two boil the tongues.[96](96/ "tree and pragmatics") Go into the tall brush and clear a place for the Medicine Lodge.[97](97/ "tree and pragmatics") When everything is ready, call the people together to take part in the dance.[98](98/ "tree and pragmatics") Let each take a piece of the tongue, and let all say together, ‘Great Sun, let us eat together, and grant to us that our people may recover.’[99](99/ "tree and pragmatics") If the women you select to make the medicine and to cut and boil the tongue are pure women, the sick and the dying among your people will recover; if not, they will die.[100](100/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now, my brother,” continued Sun Dog, “you have heard the commands of the Sun. You will soon find yourself on the butte you came from.[101](101/ "tree and pragmatics") We must now part.”[102](102/ "tree and pragmatics") They shook hands.[103](103/ "tree and pragmatics") Sun Dog said, “Shut your eyes.”[104](104/ "tree and pragmatics") Scarface shut his eyes, and when he opened them he found himself sitting at the foot of the butte from which he came.[105](105/ "tree and pragmatics") The circular camp lay before him.[106](106/ "tree and pragmatics") He went to his grandmother’s lodge, but no one recognized in the handsome young man the one who had left them so poor and ugly.[107](107/ "tree and pragmatics") All gathered about him to listen to his wonderful story.[108](108/ "tree and pragmatics") He told them of the commands of the Sun, and a short time after made the Medicine Lodge as the Sun had commanded.[109](109/ "tree and pragmatics") This was the first Medicine Lodge.[110](110/ "tree and pragmatics") Scarface became a great chief and all listened to his wise words.[111](111/ "tree and pragmatics") The beautiful girl came to him and said, “You are very handsome now, and a great chief, and I will marry you.”[112](112/ "tree and pragmatics") But he sent her away.[113](113/ "tree and pragmatics") He married good women and lived a long time.[114](114/ "tree and pragmatics") When he died Sun Dog took him back to the Sun, where he lives forever.[115](115/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The Grizzly Bear’s Medicine](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66596/10/) - next →: [Thunder Maker and Cold Maker](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66596/12/) - ↑ back to [The Punishment of the Stingy, and Other Indian Stories](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66596/)