Once a Delaware man and his wife went on a long
hunt quite a way from the village. They had been out several days
without having any luck when one night as they were sitting around
their camp fire an owl hooted from a tree near by and after hooting
laughed. This was considered a good omen, but to make sure of this the
hunter took a chunk of fire and retired a little way from the camp
under the tree where the owl was perched, and laid the chunk of fire
on the ground, and sitting by it began to sprinkle tobacco on the live
coal and talk to the owl. He said: "Mo-hoo-mus (or Grandfather), I
have heard you whoop and laugh. I know by this that you see good luck
coming to me after these few days of discouragement. I know that you
are very fond of the fat of the deer and that you can exercise
influence over the game if you will. I want you to bring much game in
my way, not only deer, but fur-bearing animals, so that I may return
home with a bountiful supply of furs as well as much dried meat, and I
will promise you that from the largest deer that I kill, I will give
you the fat and heart, of which you are very fond. I will hang them in
a tree so that you can get them." The owl laughed again and the hunter
knew that he would get much game after that.
The next morning he arose early, just before day, and started out with
his bow and arrow, leaving his wife to take care of the camp. He had
not gone far before he killed a very large buck. In his haste to take
the deer back to camp so that he could go out and kill another before
it got too late, he forgot his promise to the owl and did not take out
the fat and heart and hang it in the tree as he said he would do, but
flung the deer across his shoulder and started for camp. The deer was
very heavy and he could not carry it all the way to camp without
stopping to rest. He had only gone a few steps when he heard the owl
hoot. This time it did not laugh as it had the night before.
The owl flew low down, right in front of the man, and said to him: "Is
this the way you keep your promise to me? For this falsehood I will
curse you. When you lay down this deer, you will fall dead." The
hunter was quick to reply: "Grandfather, it is true I did not hang the
fat up for you where I killed the deer, but I did not intend to keep
it from you as you accuse me. I too have power and I say to you that
when you alight, you too will fall dead. We will see who is the
stronger and who first will die." The owl made a circle or two and
began to get very tired, for owls can only fly a short distance. When
it came back again, it said: "My good hunter, I will recall my curse
and help you all I can, if you will recall yours, and we will be
friends after this." The hunter was glad enough to agree, as he was
getting very tired too. So the hunter lay the deer down and took out
the fat and the heart and hung them up. When he picked up the deer
again it was much lighter and he carried it to his camp with perfect
ease. His wife was very glad to see him bringing in game. She soon
dressed the deer and cut up strips of the best meat and hung them up
to dry, and the hunter went out again and soon returned with other
game.
In a few days they had all the furs and dried meat they could both
carry to their home, and the hunter learned a lesson on this trip that
he never afterwards forgot, that whenever a promise is made it should
always be fulfilled.
