--- title: XXXVI. How the Water Lily Came — Wigwam stories told by North American Indians · full text with trees description: XXXVI. How the Water Lily Came, «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: (Ojibway) --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/61/) [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/) / [Wigwam stories told by North American…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/) / XXXVI. How the Water Lily Came # XXXVI. How the Water Lily Came XXXVI. How the Water Lily Came of «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole text, 44 sentences and 487 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. (Ojibway)[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") In the old days all men were happy.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") The men and women were as happy as little children.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") The wild animals came when they were called, and there was much food.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") The winters were not cold; it was always like the Strawberry Moon, for the days were warm and the nights were not cold.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") There were many birds in the trees.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") The birds were all red, blue, or yellow like the war paint warriors now use.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") The birds could all sing, and there was much music.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") Each tribe of the red men did what was right, and there was no war.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") No one knew how to fight for a long time.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indians sat every night outside their wigwams.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") They watched the stars.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") They said the stars were the homes of those who had walked across the starry Bridge of Souls.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") They saw a star leave the sky one night.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") It came halfway to the earth and stopped.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") It seemed like a bird of fire.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") A young brave had a dream about the star, and he believed his dream.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") It seemed as if the star came to him in his sleep and looked like a white maiden.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") The maiden was very beautiful.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") She said: “I have left my home in the sky.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") I saw the red people and loved them.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Ask your wise men what shape I may take that I may always stay and be loved by their people.”[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") The young brave woke and told the council.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") The wise men said: “Let the star choose for herself.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") She may live in the top of the pine tree or in the heart of a flower.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") She may live wherever she finds rest.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") She is welcome.”[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") The wise men filled their peace pipes and offered the smoke of their pipes to the star.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") The star came lower and made the village very light, then hid herself in the white rose on the mountain.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") The star was lonely on the mountain.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") She could see the people, but could not hear them talk.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") She left the mountain rose and went to live in a flower upon the prairie.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Great herds of buffalo went by her.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") The flower and the star trembled at the sound of their hoofs.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") The wise men saw the star rise from the prairie.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") They feared it would go back to the sky, but a soft breeze floated it over a lake.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") The star saw her shadow and the shadows of her sky sisters in the water, and she rested like a canoe upon the water.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") The next morning the lake was covered with water lilies.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") “The night stars have blossomed,” said the little children.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") The wise men said, “The white star has come to live with us.”[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") The people went out in their canoes and chanted songs to the new flower.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") They gave it this name, “Wahbegwannee.”[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") It means “the white flower.”[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") Copway’s History.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [XXXV. Legend of Mackinaw Island](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/60/) - next →: [XXXVII. the North Wind’s Defeat](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/62/) - ↑ back to [Wigwam stories told by North American Indians](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/)