As Mature Flowers was floating downward, she saw the Fire Dragon whose body was white coming toward her. He seized her and asked, “Mature Flowers, why are you leaving your home.”

She replied, “My consort has thrown me out of the Sky World, and I do not know why.”

The Fire Dragon replied, “Do not worry, I will always be there to look after you when you begin your knew life in the world below.”

He then explained to her, “You were thrown out of the Sky World because you husband believes that you were unfaithful. I have brought you some things that you will need to survive once you arrive there.”

He then took out some dried corn, beans, squash, tobacco, and strawberries and placed them in her lap. He told her, “I will accompany you half-way down below, and then I will have to turn back.”

Whenever there will be changes in the world below, look up and you will see me pass by in the sky. This will mean that a great event is about to take place which may result in a renewal of the world below.

Finally he finished by saying, “Let there be a lesson for those who will reside in the new world that is coming into existence; jealousy from gossip can end worlds.” For the Meteor Fire Dragon was both powerful and a deceiver and all would beware whenever he passed.

The meeting of the Meteor Fire Dragon and Mature Flowers was the beginning of a new world that was about to evolve. The things that she had been given would spread and always be held in reverence by the Earth Dwelling beings that would spring up below. She was the potential that would give the new world life, and with the coming of the Meteor Fire Dragon, he had initiated the process.

Swimming in the waters below were the waterfowl. They were among the first of the Sky Dwelling beings that Rotea:he had thrown down when he was looking for the answer to his dream. These beings were very unique compared to the other beings, in that they could survive on land, air or water. They were of the first order of creation in the new world and the ones with the greatest abilities.

Loon could see something that appeared to be coming up from the depths of the water. He had the habit of always having his head looking down into the water. In the water he could see the reflection of the woman falling from the sky. He thought she was coming from the depths of the water.

He yelled to the other waterfowl, “Look into the water and see what is coming to the surface.”

There was much confusion as the waterfowl did not know who it was or what they should do about it. At the same time, as the waterfowl were looking in the water, Heron had his eyes looking to the sky.

He yelled to the other waterfowl, “Don’t look down; look up towards the sky.” Since this occurred, he has forever after received the name, He Who Keeps Looking at the Sky. All the waterfowl looked up and saw the woman, Mature Flowers of the Fertile Earth, falling toward them.

Loon assembled all of the waterfowl together to discuss what was taking place. He said to them, “I think we should use our gifts of flight to help this female being so that she can survive. It was Heron who was the first to see her. He should make a plan on how we can save her and find the best spot to place her on.” All the waterfowl agreed.

Heron replied, “ We have a lot of orenta, perhaps, we can find a way to bring her down safely.”

The waterfowl looked up and, seeing the woman falling down toward them, decided that this was good advice and that they should hep her. They then flew into the air to meet her. While hovering in the air, they joined their bodies together creating a cushion. They then flew under her, allowing her to settle upon them.

Slowly, downward they flew, until they hovered just above the surface of the water, and there they circled. They realized they had not prepared a place to put her down. They decided they had to come up with a plan as to where to place her, but they could not come to any agreement with one another on how it could be done.

Loon made a proposition to the second order of beings thrust into the world below. They were the animals who could inhabit both land and water and would become known as the earth divers. However, unlike the waterfowl, they did not have the ability to fly and therefore had less orenta than the waterfowl.

Loon asked them, “Animal divers, try and attempt to find some earth so that the woman who fell from the sky will have a place to settle upon.”

Otter yelled out, “Let me try. I am the quickest.” He then dove into the depths of the water and when he returned he was empty-handed.

Next Beaver yelled out, “Let me have a try; I think I can do it because I am the strongest. “ Beaver dove down and he also failed in his attempt.

Next, all the other earth divers tried, but none could succeed. There was one earth diver left, Muskrat. He was the weakest of the earth diving beings, and none of the others believed that he had a chance to succeed.

Muskrat said to them, “You have all had your chance, and now it is my turn to make the attempt at fetching the earth from the bottom of the water. If I succeed, we will be very lucky.”

At the time, Mature Flowers creative powers were weakening. There was only one way they could be strengthened and that was by having a place where the gifts that had been given to her by the Meteor Fire Dragon could grow and flourish. Muskrat was the last hope of the diving beings to save the woman who fell from the sky. He went under the water and remained there for along time. By the time he surfaced he was long dead.

Beaver said to them, “I will give it one more try, but before I dive let us search Muskrat first.” As he was looking over Muskrat, he noticed that his paws were holding some dirt and that there was some dirt in his mouth as well. They now had the earth they needed; this would allow the gifts that the sky woman had with her to grow and spread. They were still missing a place to put the earth so that Mature Flowers could have a place to live. They had all laughed at Muskrat because he was supposed to be the weakest of them all. Muskrat taught them never to underestimate anyone’s abilities. Those who look the weakest are sometimes the most capable.

Muskrat had given his life in sacrifice so that Mature Flowers could live and grow. In the future, the onkwe honwe who would inhabit the earth would always be thankful to the animals for sacrificing their bodies so that their children could continue to live and flourish on the earth. Even when they hunted, upon killing an animal, they would give thanks and make an offering to it for giving its life so that they could have clothes and food.

Beaver asked the others, “What should we do now?”

Loon answered, “Someone should volunteer to hold up the earth that was found so that it is possible to place Sky Woman upon it; otherwise, the earth will sink into the water once again.”

Beaver said to the others, “I will try to hold up the earth as I am the strongest of all.”

The earth divers then placed the dirt that Muskrat had brought up to the surface onto Beaver’s back.

Beaver cried out, “This is too much, I can’t hold it any longer.”

Beaver could only hold back the water for a time, and then he began to sink.

Great Turtle the oldest of the beings spoke out and said, “ My shell is hard; let me make the attempt.”

The rest of the earth divers gathered the dirt from Beaver and placed it on Great Turtle’s back. Great Turtle said to them, “I think I can hold it. Do not worry in the future; if ever the earth were to increase, so will my back as well.”

The waterfowl then placed the woman who fell from the sky, Mature Flowers of the Fertile Earth, upon the earth on Great Turtle’s back. They left satisfied. They had done all that they could to save her and help bring life to the earth. The mingling of the female and male element of life had begun.

Not long after this occurred, the turtle’s shell began to grow outward. As it reached a certain size, Mature Flowers gave birth to a daughter. Her daughter grew very rabidly, and, as time passed, she became a young woman. Then she began travel all over the turtle’s back. She was given the name Budding Flowers. Her mother was the female aspect of the potential of life that poured into the earth, while Budding Flowers was the female essence of life that sprung from the earth. Budding Flowers traveled walking counter-clockwise with the earth in her hands, spreading it in every direction. This was because the earth dwellers did everything opposite to the way Sky Dwellers did things which was clockwise.

One day as she was taking a walk, she noticed a male being watching her. The male being called out, “Come over here; I am looking for a companion as well.” She looked him over and saw that his clothing was the color yellow.

She replied, “I can’t answer you right now. I will have to ask my mother’s permission first. It is up to you to decide whether you would be a good match or not.”

She then returned home and told her mother about her experience. She said, “Mother, I have met a man being who wants to marry me.”

Her mother asked her, “My daughter, what answer did you give this stranger?” She replied, “I told him that I would speak to you first before giving him an answer.” Her mother said to her, “My daughter, you did the right thing by coming to me first.” She then asked her daughter, “What color were his clothes?”

She answered, “The clothes he was wearing were the color yellow.”

Her mother told her, “I cannot consent to the marriage, and you should go back and tell him this. You must always be careful whom you meet, because you never know who it might be. He may try to lead you from your path and that would bring harm to you and others. Always make sure you come to me first before you marry anyone.” Mature Flowers had remembered her own experiences in the Sky World, and she knew she had to prepare her daughter on the earth.

Her daughter then went back to the man being and explained to him, “I cannot marry you because my mother will not consent to it.”

He replied, “I feel angry by your answer.” He then got up and left.

The girl watched as he was leaving, and suddenly he transformed himself into a fox and ran off. She returned home satisfied that she had done the right thing. To be married and come together with the wrong man being could have disastrous consequences for the world as their essences would not match up.

Not long after, she went for a walk once again. She came to the end of the Turtle’s back where the shore of the water was. There, she saw a man being sitting on a rock.

He spoke to her, “My dear, are you looking for a companion, and, if you are, would you consider marrying me?”

She replied, “It is up to my mother to decide. I will go home and ask her first.” She noticed that his covering that he wore was a grey color and that his face had black stripes on it.”

Mature Flowers replied, “I cannot consent to your marrying him either.”

The daughter then returned to where the man being sat and told him what her mother had said., “I have spoken to my mother about you, and she would not consent to the marriage.”

Angry, the man being replied, “It really doesn’t make any difference to me what you do.” As he turned around to walk away, he transformed himself into a racoon and left. She returned home satisfied that she had done the right thing once again.

One day the daughter went to fetch some wood, and as she began to place the wood into a bundle another man being arrived. This time it was the Great Turtle being. He looked at her and then said, “I am searching for a mate, and I would like to know if you would marry me.” She looked back at him and saw that he was dirty and had large flaps that looked like scales surrounding his body.

She replied, “I cannot give you an answer until I have talked it over with my mother.” She went home and told her mother about what had happened.

She said, “Mother, this dirty man with strange flaps over his body has told me that he wants to marry me.”

Mature Flowers asked her daughter, “What was the answer that you gave him?”

She replied, “I told him that it was up to you to give your consent to the marriage.”

Mature Flowers said to her daughter, “I am pleased with the answer that you gave him. This man being is known as being invulnerable to any malevolent energies for his shell is hard. When you Blooming Flowers mingle with the earth on his back and you become one, life will grow from your body. I will therefore confirm your marriage to him. Tell him to come and meet me.

The Great Turtle man being was the male component of creation that held the female in his embrace, and when his body mingled with Budding Flowers the process of life on earth would begin.

Budding Flowers returned to the Great Turtle man being, and she said to him, “My mother has agreed to consent to our marriage. She says that she would like to meet you first. Would you come with me to my lodge.”

The Great Turtle man being answered, “I would like to come, but first I must go back to my lodge and prepare myself for this marriage. When I have finished, I will come and visit your mother; however, I will never live with you, for my place lies within the earth.”

Mature Flowers’ daughter went home and when she arrived her mother asked, “Where is the Great Turtle man being that you are supposed to bring home.”

She replied, “The Great Turtle man being told me that he would come and visit when he was ready. He also told me that he would never live here with us for his place is beneath the earth.”

Mature Flowers said, “It is well known that this Great Turtle man being is immune to any form of witchcraft and is very powerful.” They then waited for his arrival but he did not show.

Next Chapter:
III. The Twins: Teharonhia:wako and Sawiskera


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