The Gift of the Sacred Dog
     It was a very bad time for the People. They had walked for many days, searching for the Buffalo herds. They were tired and hungry, but no matter where they went, they couldn't find the Buffalo. Finally, the People had to stop. The dogs were so hungry and tired. They didn't have the strength to carry their heavy loads any further.
     The People believed that they were related to the Buffalo. They decided to dance in honor of the them. Then the herds would surely know the People needed them. After the dance, the young men went out to search again. They went in all directions, but still, they did not find the Buffalo herds.
     There was a boy in camp who was very tender hearted. He could not bear to hear his brothers and sisters crying with hunger. He knew his parents went without any food sometimes so the children could have what little was left. They boy told his parents he could no longer watch the suffering of the People. Even his dogs were weak from hunger. The boy decided to go up into the hills to ask the Great Spirit for help. He left the silent camp and walked towards the hills. As he climbed higher, the air smelled cooler and fresher. The scent of pine trees was strong.
     He reached the top of the highest hill just as the sun began to set. The boy raised his arms and spoke to the Great Spirit. He told the Great Spirit that his people were hungry and couldn't walk any further in search of the Buffalo herds. He spoke of his brothers and sisters crying with hunger. He told the Great Spirit how much the People needed help.
     Suddenly, huge clouds filled the sky. Wind and hail came with sudden force. The boy could feel their strength. Thunderbirds came sweeping through the clouds. Lightning flashed from their eyes. When they flapped their wings, thunder rumbled and growled all around the boy. The boy was afraid. He wondered if the Great Spirit had abandoned him. He wondered if this was His answer.

     He stood there as the clouds parted. Someone rode towards him mounted on a beautiful animal he had never seen before. The animal's eyes shone like stars. There was lightning in its legs as it moved toward the boy. Thunder rumbled from its nostrils. The boy was amazed.

     He was startled when he heard a deep voice. The rider spoke to him saying he knew the boy's people were in need. The gift the rider had brought for the People was the magnificent animal he was riding called the Sacred Dog. It could do all the things dogs could do plus many more. The rider told the boy that the Sacred Dog would carry the People far. It would be able to run even faster than the buffalo. The rider was very serious when he spoke to the boy. He said the People must always look after the Sacred Dog.
     Just as suddenly as he appeared, the rider disappeared. Clouds closed in around him. The clouds became filled with Sacred Dogs. They were all different colors, and so many that the boy couldn't count them. They galloped so fast that their bodies created wind. The thunder of their hooves made the ground shake. The Sacred Dogs circled around and around him until he was dizzy with their sound and movement.     
     The boy must have slept, but he didn't remember closing his eyes. The sun was now rising. He felt in his heart that something wonderful had happened. He ran down the hill towards the camp. He wanted to ask the wise men of the tribe about the meaning of his vision in the sky.
     The boy ran onto the plains. He heard what sounded like far away thunder. It was rolling down from the hills behind him. He turned to look back and saw the Sacred Dogs running down the valley towards him. They seemed to just pour out of a cave in an unending stream. They came right towards him. They were just as he had seen them in the sky, all colors and sizes. The Sacred Dogs galloped across the slopes, kicking their legs with excitement and neighing loudly.
     The Sacred Dogs in the lead, slowed down and stopped as they came near the boy. They snorted and stamped their feet, but the boy wasn't afraid. The Sacred Dogs had eyes that were gentle as the deer. The boy knew the Great Spirit had answered his prayer on the mountain. The Sacred Dogs were promised to the People. He turned and walked towards the camp. All the Sacred Dogs followed him. The People of his tribe came out to meet him. They were very excited to see the boy leading so many strange and beautiful animals. The boy told them that the Sacred Dogs were a gift from the Great Spirit. He explained how they would help them to follow the Buffalo. They could even carry hunters on their backs because they were strong. The People would always have enough to eat as long as they took care of the Sacred Dogs and treated them with respect.
     Life became good for the People. They lived in harmony with the Sacred Dogs, the Buffalo, and all other slicing things. It was as the Great Spirit wished the People to live.
Adapted from, "The Gift of the Sacred Dog" by Paul Gobble, Bradbury Press, Scarsdale, New York, 1980.