The Legend of Running Deer

At one time, rivers did not move. They just sat there like lakes or oceans. And they would probably still be that way if it hadn't been for Running Deer.

Running Deer was one of the top braves in the Sioux tribe and he was the son of Chief Raincloud. Running Deer had just turned 13 and it was time for him to do something very remarkable to become the new chief so he set off to do a remarkable thing.

On and on he walked trying to think of something remarkable. Remarkable! Remarkable! It kept ringing in his head day and night. After many, many miles, he could not walk any more so he went to sleep under a cottonwood tree. Later that night, in his dreams, he found a way to eliminate the need to walk so much and also to do something remarkable to become chief. He would make the rivers flow! He waded into the river and started running in place. Faster and faster he ran until the river began to moveÑslowly at first and then faster. All of a suddenÑAHHHHHH!Ñhe had turned up the soil that made Niagara Falls. After climbing back up, he built a raft and tried to sail home but he kept going over Niagara Falls. By that time, it was getting dark and Running Deer was very tired so he went to sleep and again he dreamed the answer. It was to make an oar!

The next morning he was on his way again, only this time he had very strong bamboo sticks attached to the sides of the little raft. He moved the raft out into the river and, when he started to move the sticks, he went forwardÑtoward home.

When Running Deer returned to camp, he found that he would now have to look for his people because they had gone searching for better hunting. Running Deer started to look for signs of his people. He went down the river, occasionally stopping to look for his people.

By the time he returned to the Big Drop (Niagara Falls), he had worked out a plan. He pulled over to the shore and pulled 200 long bamboo shoots. He also had 300 yards of strong seaweed. He then divided the bamboo shoots and the seaweed into two equal groups. He tied each group of bamboo shoots together side by side with the seaweed and then tied one group to each side of the raft. Then, when Running Deer moved one bamboo shoot, all 100 shoots on one side of the raft would move in unison, resulting in a lot more power than one oar would allow. He then could go over Niagara Falls and row with enough power that he could control his speed as he dropped.

Finally, he reached the bottom of the Falls and started moving forward again. On the way to find his people, he found several more obstacles and old camping places but he never found his people again. However, he did find several Indian strays and formed the Cleveland Indians, and they named him Chief!

Life was good for Running Deer and his Cleveland Indians. They followed the good hunting and eventually migrated to the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Running Deer watched the ocean for hours at a time and was amazed at how such a large body of water could lay so quietly.

Running Deer decided to attempt his remarkable feat once againÑon the ocean. He walked out into the ocean until his head would stick out only if he stood on his tiptoes. He started running in place faster and faster and, slowly but surely, the ocean started moving. Running Deer got out of the ocean as quickly as he could and thought about making the WHOLE ocean move.

First, he decided, he needed a boat. Not a raftÑhe needed something with sides. He decided on a canoe. He built a large canoe and then paddled it into the ocean until he couldn't see land anymore. He started to climb out of the canoe while thinking about making the ocean churn and, when his foot touched the water, the ocean began to move.

Running Deer sat down in the canoe totally astonished. He could make the water respond to his wishes by just thinking what he wanted it to do and then touching it. He decided to test this theory so he thought, "Bubbles!" and he reached over and touched the water. Immediately, the water began to bubble and an amazing thing happenedÑfish rose to the top of the water in the bubbles. Running Deer grabbed as many as would fill his canoe and paddled for home. Day after day, Running Deer caught fish and he became known far and wide for having the freshest, nicest fish. He set up a concession on the beach and became wealthy.

Then, one day while he was selling fish, Running Deer thought, "If I can make the water bubble, I wonder if I can make it do other things?" The next morning, when he was out fishing, he dipped his hand into the water and thought, "Boil!". Well, the water did boil and, in the bubbles that rose to the top, there were those nice fish for which Running Deer was so famous, only now they were cooked!

Running Deer was really excited now! He hurried back to his concession booth and immediately became the talk of the tribes for his freshly caught and cooked fish. He became franchised and later, when Arthur Treacher came from England, running Deer sold his secret recipe to him for a princely sum.

©1994 Miranda Lobdell