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THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
WHY TH E CROW IS BLACK
the hole in the roof where the smoke from the open fire
The following Indian Legend was written by a mem escaped and had the fish baked most deliciously. Each
ber of our Junior class as a study in English—it is an child had a club handy. Soon their most unwelcome
entertaining story; read it:
visitor came again with the usual noise of screeching
According to Indian belief the crow at one time and jumping. The children started to beat the fellow
was a beautiful white bird. He was a very selfish and in the fracas the disguise of the thief was torn off
fellow and was always boasting of the wonderful and revealed their most sympathetic friend, the white
things which he could accomplish. Above all, he was crow. They swung their clubs the harder and broke
most conceited regarding his handsome appearance. his leg.
He lived in a beautiful mansion—made of moss—on
The crow attempted to escape through the opening
the top of a high mountain, so that he could look out in the roof, but was caught there, and the orphans
over the country and not miss anything. At the foot poured oil on the fire and made it smoke until the crow
of this mountain was a house full of orphans. They was completely black all over. After they had pun
were in very poor circumstances, although at one time ished him sufficiently they finally let the white crow go.
they had been in every way prosperous. Their par From that time until today the crow has always limped
ents had been carried off by a plague.
on account of his broken leg and has remained black
Well, one dav the crow found out that the bay was because he could not wash off the soot that coverd him.
almost overcrowded with herring, a fish. He wanted
LITERARY SOCIETIES
some, but was too lazy to get them for himself, even
Excelsior
though he was near starvation. He planned and
The Excelsior Literary Society held their regular
schemed regarding the satisfaction of his appetite with
out any labor on his part. So, one evening he went to meeting, Jan. 29, 1926, in room 7 of the Academic
Building. The roll was called and the minutes of
call on the orphans and told them of what he had heard
of the fish. He saw that the little orphans were so hun the previous meeting read and approved. After a
gry that they would do almost anything to get some short business discussion, the election of officers took
food. Before he left he had them enthused about going place, resulting as follows:
President, Charles DePoe; vice-president, Reggie
with him on the following morning to get a boatload of
fish. He went home chuckling over the success of his DePoe; secretary, Elmer Logan; treasurer, Jessie
Morgan; sergeant-at-arms, Coquelle Thompson; yell
plan.
They went out very early the next morning and re leader, Louis Dupuis.
After hearing encouraging speeches from our new
turned with their boat loaded with fish. The wise old
crow pretended not to want any. He told the happy officers and the critic we adjourned.
orphans how to prepare the fish and left them. When
Winona
the fish were finally baked and the orphans had settled
The Winonas gave an interesting Indian program
themselves for a feast they were frightened by a rum with real Winona zeal and snap, Friday evening, Jan.
bling noise outside. Soon the door was thrust open 29, 1926. The program was as follows:
and in came the most hideous looking creature that Song
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Society
they had ever seen in their young lives. The creature Recitation
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Prances Nicholas
whooped and screeched and gathered up the fish that Dialogue
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Helen Peratrovich and Evelyn Roberts
were still hot on the sticks on which they were baked Vocal Duet
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Mary Trail and Tillie Walking Bear
and made his exit with all the noise possible. The Indian
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Pauline Kampoff
poor children, after they had ceased their crying, Impromptu
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Ida Uttecht
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...
Ivy Sanderson
baked some more fish. In the meantime their bene Recitation
Debate—“Resolved, That Indian Art is better
factor, the white crow, came in and expressed his opin
than
any other art work.” Affirmative, Irene Pester -
ion of the terrible fellow who had stolen all of the
koff and Mabel Peratrovich; negative, Maggie Sutton
baked fish. He was going to thrash the life out of the and Anna Nerguson. The judges were in favor of
mean creature. When more fish were almost ready to the negative debaters. After an interesting talk by
eat, Mr. Crow excused himself on the pretext that he our advisor we adjourned.
was going to hunt the thief.
DOMESTIC ART NOTES
The children were just going to eat when they were
Hello everybody!
again visited by the same thief, who acted as he did
We, the eighth graders, had our examination on
on his first visit. This happened five times, and every what we have learned this year in the Domestic Art
time the crow would go in and sympathize with them. Department and weare all glad it is over.
The orphans finally decided to catch the thief them
We are now making patterns for our gymnasium
selves. So they prepared a trap. They stopped up middies and gettingthem cut out.