| When
the world was young, the land to the east, over the Cascade
Mountain became very dry. The rains had not yet come to earth.
In the beginning of the earth, moisture came up through the
ground. For some reason, it had stopped coming. The plants
withered and died; food became scarce. The salmon in the water
were dying. The Ancient People were hungry.
At last they sent people to the
West to ask Ocean for water.
"Our land is drying up"
they told him. "Send us water lest we starve and die."
"I will send you my sons
and daughters," Ocean promised the ancient people. "
They will help you."
|
Ocean's
sons arid daughters were Clouds and Rain. They went home with
the Ancients and soon there was plenty of moisture. Plants
and trees grew again, and there were plenty of roots and berries
to eat. Streams flowed with water and many fish lived in them
again. There was plenty to eat.
But the people were unhappy. They
wanted more. They wanted to be sure there would always be water.
So they dug great pits and asked Clouds and Rain to fill them.
Clouds and Rain stayed away from
home so long, their father, Ocean, missed them. After many moons,
he sent messengers to ask that his sons and daughters be allowed
to come home.
"Let my children return home,"
he sent word to the Ancient People. "You have enough water
for the present, and I will see that you have enough in the future."
But people were selfish and refused
to let Clouds and Rain go. The Messengers had to return to Ocean
without his sons and daughters.
Ocean talked to the Great Spirit
Creator. "Punish the people for their evil ways, " prayed
Ocean. "Punish them for always wanting more and more."
The Creator heard his prayer. He
leaned down from the sky, scooped up a great amount of earth,
and made the Cascade Mountains as a wall between Ocean and the
Dry Country. The long and deep hole left where the earth
had been, Ocean soon filled with water. Today it is called Puget
Sound.
The people east of the mountains
are still punished for their greed. Ocean sends so little moisture
over the range that they do not have all the plants that grow
along the
coast. But they still have the pits their grandfathers dug. They
are Lake Chelan and the lake south and east of it.
Ocean still grieves for his sons
and daughters, who did not come home. All day and all night
along the beach he calls to them and sings his mournful song:
"Ab' tab lab' tab lab' ! Ab'
tab lab' tab lab' ! Ab' tab
lab' tab lab' ! Come home! |
Crossword
Puzzle |
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| Across |
I. Moisture came up through the _ _
_ _ _ _.
2.
The ancient people were _ _ _ _ _ _.
3.
Streams flowed with _ _ _ _ _ .
4.
The people dug great _ _ _ _.
5. Ocean talked to the Great Spirit _ _ _
_ _ _ _.
6.
The lake created was Lake _ _ _ _ _ _.
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| Down |
7.
_ _ _ _ _ sent his children.
8.
Ocean sent a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
9. His children were Clouds and _ _ _ _.
10.
The people were unhappy because they wanted _ _ _ _.
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