Cherokees and Animal Spirits

884 Words


1800's
Twilight Wolf loved this time of night before the sun went down. She would play with the wolf cubs and sometimes wade in the lake. She didn't play much with the other Indian children. She was the Chief's daughter and the other children were nice to her but kept their distance. She would help fish, make baskets and help her mother cook. She and the other children of the Cherokee tribe had to go to classes with Wisdom Bear who was considered the great teacher of the tribe. Twilight Wolf loved learning. At thirteen years of age, she was curious about life. The wolf pups jumped on her and she would giggle as she hugged them and they licked her face. She felt like she was one of them. All of a sudden, she heard voices that didn't sound too friendly. THESE VOICES WERE THE VOICES OF WHITE MEN! Twilight Wolf was scared. She told the wolf pups to go hide in their cave. She had to get back to the tribe. She was scared but she ran back to her tribe.

There were eight white men. They didn't wear clothes made out of tanned hide and suede. The men wore fancy blue uniforms with gold buttons and hats to match. They looked fancy. Cherokee men did't wear shirts. They wore tanned tunics. Twilight Wolf was so nervous. She had to help her people. She had a feeling that they were in trouble.

"I am Sergeant Malord. I have been instructed to take you and your people back to our fort. You can come peacefully or we can use force. If we have to, we will shoot you." Malord starred at Chief Silver Fox. Not all the Cherokees spoke English but Chief Silver Fox and his family did. Even though they didn't speak English, the other members of the tribe knew these men would shoot them if they didn't cooperate.

"Hear me, White Man. You do not rule us. You have no power here. My men and I have bow and arrows and we are ready to do battle. Be gone from here!" Chief Silver Fox's eyes burned with fury. Twilight Wolf had never seen her father so mad. The white men seemed to back down at first but then the soldiers raised their guns.

"Okay, Chief. You had your last warning. Tell your people to form a straight line and have their hands by their sides or we are gone to start shooting everyone who doesn't cooperate." Sergeant Malord had a job to do and he was determined to get the job done.

Chief Silver Fox closed his eyes and talked to the spirits. Just as the soldiers were starting to move toward the Indian people, thunder rumbled and several animals appeared surrounding the Chief and his people. At this time, Twilight Wolf let out a howl and she transformed into a beautiful beige and light brown wolf. Twilight Wolf was stunned but she liked being a wolf. She glanced at the animals around her. There were two big bucks, one light brown and one dark brown. There was a big black bear and a bigger bear that was brown who stood on his hind legs. There was also a cougar, a bobcat and two wolves, a gray one and a big light brown one. The cougar growled and he and and the wolves were ready to pounce on the soldiers. An eagle flew over the soldiers and screeched.

Sergeant Penn said: "Sergeant Malord, what in the blue blazes we do? We may get attacked!"

Sergeant Malord was scared like the rest of the soldiers. "We are getting out of here! Captain Tilley and Colonel Gibbons and Colonel Fritz can come out here and get these injuns! If we don't leave, we may be their meal!"

"Good idea!" said Sergeant Penn.

The soldiers ran and the animals ran after them.

Twilight Wolf changed back into herself. She smiled. "Father, what was that all about? I turned into a wolf. I feel so special! Is it magic?"

Chief Silver Fox smiled. "Those animals were spirits sent to protect us. They once were people of our tribe. You have the power to change into a wolf. You have come of age. Every one hundred years, one of our people can change into a wolf. You are the lucky one. When I called on the spirits for help, you changed into a wolf and the animal spirits appeared. If you hadn't changed into a wolf, the animal spirits wouldn't have shown up and we would be at the mercy of the white man. I am proud of you, my daughter. Your name Twilight Wolf suits you, my little one."

Twilight Wolf hugged her father. The soldiers and white men never bothered Chief Silver Fox's people again. Twilight Wolf ran with the pack at night but only for a few hours. She was still a human Indian girl in the daytime. She married a few years later. Her husband let her be a wolf at night but after her children were born, she ran with the pack less.The legend of Twilight Wolf and the animal spirits is told from tribe to tribe. So if you ever see a female wolf, maybe it is Twilight Wolf.