--- title: IX. Wampum or Indian Money — Wigwam stories told by North American Indians · full text with trees description: IX. Wampum or Indian Money, «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Hiawatha was on his way to the country of the Mohawks. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/78/) [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/) / IX. Wampum or Indian Money # IX. Wampum or Indian Money IX. Wampum or Indian Money of «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole text, 17 sentences and 275 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. Hiawatha was on his way to the country of the Mohawks.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") He went from one nation to another to teach them the things they needed to know.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") While on his journey he came to the borders of a lake.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") It was too deep to wade across, and he stood still thinking whether he should call his magic white canoe to help him or go back.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") He had come on a long trail and was very tired.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") While he was wondering which way was best, the sky was filled with wild ducks.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") These birds flew down upon the lake and began to drink and to swim.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") In a few minutes they flew up into the air again, in one great black flock.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") Behold! the lake was dry, and its bed was a mass of shells.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Hiawatha knew that the lake had been made dry ground for his sake.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") He gathered some of the shells and, striking them with sharp flints, strung the pieces on strings of sinew.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") This was the first wampum.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") He carried the strings of wampum to the Mohawks, and they believe their tribe to have been the first to use it.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") They showed the other tribes how to make the long strings of bead money, and many bands went on strange trails to find the rivers or the lakes where the shells were hidden under the water.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Mounds like small hills have been found by the white men near lakes and streams.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") When these mounds were uncovered, it was known that they were only heaps of broken shells.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") The flint stones were not good tools, and the Indians would use only perfect beads.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [How He United the Five Nations](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/77/) - next →: [X. Legend of the Arbutus](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/79/) - ↑ back to [Wigwam stories told by North American Indians](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/)