Tell Me a Story: THE MAGIC SPEAR

  Once long ago in a fishing village in the far north, the earth heaved, ice floes crashed onto the land, and the people became so frightened that they ran away. Only their wise shaman stayed behind. He loved his land and did not want to leave in spite of the great upheaval.

One Young boy, turning as he fled, saw the shaman sitting still. "Run away," the boy cried. "Our village is being destroyed."

The boy stopped. "Then I will stay with you," he said, for he could not bear to leave the man all alone.

The shaman and the boy survived the night. As the first rays of sun touched their faces, they awoke and knew they were safe. Alas, they peered into the sea and saw that all the fish had disappeared.

"Now we'll starve," the boy said fearfully. "Use your magic and make them return."

The old man shook his head. "I am old," he said softly, "and I no longer walk under the water and talk to the sea creatures."

The boy was scared. "Then we really will starve!" he said.

The old man smiled. "No, we will walk over the mountain and fish in our neighbors' bay."

"We mustn't," the boy said. "They will harm us if we steal their fish."

"I will teach you to fight with magic," the shaman said. "I will teach you to use the magic spear, which will always protect you from your enemies."

So the two set out to cross the mountain. They walked for several days, and when at last they reached the far side of the mountain, they were weak with hunger. They looked out at the sea of ice, and though it was night, the northern lights flashed beams of light and color over the sky. The world looked as bright as day.

Quickly they chopped a hole in the frozen sea and dropped their hooks into the water. Down below they could see all the fish that had fled their own bay. "Soon we will eat again," the boy said happily.

But the hunters across the ice saw the two intruders. "They are stealing our fish. We must stop them," the

hunters cried, and they hitched their dogs to sleds and rushed across the ice, heading toward the shaman and the boy.

Two mighty hunters led the group. They were so strong and fast that they soon were far ahead of the others.

When the boy saw the hunters racing toward them, he nearly wept. "What will we do?" he asked the shaman, for he could feel the rage in his enemies' approach.

"I will teach you to use the magic spear," the shaman said. "The spear is words. When the men come, you must say these words," and he whispered them into the boy's ear.

"That will never do," the boy wailed as the fierce men came charging up to them. "Words cannot fight such strength."

"Words," the shaman said, "are good magic," and at that moment the first two sleds pulled up beside them.

"Why do you steal our fish?" the hunters cried.

"Our fish swam away," the shaman answered. "We were hungry."

"You will pay for this theft," the hunters said angrily as they lifted their spears.

The shaman shook his head. "You will not harm us, for we are protected by magic. The boy has magic."

The two mighty fishermen stared in disbelief. "A boy cannot have magic."

"Ah," said the shaman, "but he is a great shaman and has a secret medicine that is all-powerful."

The men turned to the boy. "Tell us your secret, boy," they demanded.

The boy trembled with fear, but remembering the shaman's instructions, he said, "I can tell my secret only to the mightiest of hunters. Which of you is stronger?"

"I am the strongest man," the first man said proudly.

"Ha," said the second man. "I am far stronger than he."

The two began to argue with each other. They bragged. They shouted. They pushed and shoved, and their fury grew. They lunged at each other and began to fight. Blinded by jealous rage, they fell into the fishing hole and disappeared under the ice.

Moments later the other hunters appeared. "Where are our leaders?" they demanded.

"The boy sent them away with his magic," the shaman said. "He possesses the magic spear of words. Would you like to hear him speak those words?"

"No, no!" the hunters cried, trembling with fear, for they knew that anyone who could overcome their leaders had far more power than they.

"If you will allow us to fish your waters until our fish return, the boy will spare you," the shaman said.

The frightened hunters agreed, and that is how the boy learned that words have strong magic. As the years passed, he grew wiser still in the way of language, and used its power to live always in peace.