--- title: XXXIX. Legend of the Wampum-bird and the Boy — Wigwam stories told by North American Indians · full text with trees description: XXXIX. Legend of the Wampum-bird and the Boy, «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: (Iroquois) --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/64/) [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/) / XXXIX. Legend of the Wampum-bird and t… # XXXIX. Legend of the Wampum-bird and the Boy XXXIX. Legend of the Wampum-bird and the Boy of «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole text, 35 sentences and 476 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. (Iroquois)[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") An Indian was alone in the thick woods when he heard a strange sound, and looking sharply through the branches and leaves saw a large bird.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") It had no feathers.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") It was covered with wampum.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") The warrior made no noise.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") He ran back to the village and told his chief.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") He was believed, for no one dared to tell false things to the chief.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") A great council was called.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") The warriors were told that whoever should bring the bird into the camp would win a great prize, and that prize was the daughter of the head chief.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") A hundred warriors took their bows and arrows and went softly to the thick woods where the wampum-bird was resting.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") It had flown to the top of the tallest tree.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") They knew it was a spirit bird that had lost its way.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Many arrows hit the bird, and many strings of fine wampum fell to the ground.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Some picked these up and ran away, for they were rich now, and did not care for the prize; but, when they reached the village, the wampum turned to turkey feathers in their hands.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") They hid themselves in their wigwams.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") They were ashamed of their greed.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") The warriors who stayed and shot at the bird gave great war whoops, but the bird did not fly away, nor was it frightened at any noise they made.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") A little Indian boy from another tribe was hunting in the woods.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") His father had been killed in battle.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") His mother was hungry, and he had gone out to get meat for her.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") He heard the war whoops of the warriors, but he was not afraid.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") He came and watched them shoot at the bird.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") “Let me shoot,” said the little boy.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") The warriors were very angry, but the head chief said, “Let him shoot.”[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") The warriors waited, and the boy shot his arrow.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") The bird fell to the ground close by the boy.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") He gave the splendid wampum-bird to the head chief.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") The boy was married to the head chief’s beautiful daughter the next day.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") He was now a chief’s son, and his own mother was hungry no more.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") His father had been slain by the head chief’s warriors.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") The boy chief made a law that wampum should be the price of peace.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") When war was to be declared the tomahawk should be painted on a belt of wampum; it should be sent to the tribe they would fight against; when the war was over the two tribes should exchange belts of wampum as promises of peace.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") The head chief sent a wampum belt to the boy chief’s tribe; then they had peace.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") This is the story the tribes tell of how wampum came to be used for war and for peace.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Adapted from “Iroquois Myths,” Powell’s Report.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [XXXVIII. a Rip Van Winkle](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/63/) - next →: [XL. the Magic Moccasins](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/65/) - ↑ back to [Wigwam stories told by North American Indians](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/)