Northern Stories -
Émile Maheu
Abénaki - The Shifting Heaven
In the Laverdière Camp of lumbermen, in Maine near the Canadian border,
a certain lumberjack sure enjoyed impressing his co-workers with his
weather predictions for the following day. This man was a Metis of the
First Nation Abénaki tribe, and was originally from the Beauce region.
He was known as a man of nature through and through.
- You'll enjoy a good day of rest tomorrow. It's going to pour rain all
day . Believe me!
- Don't even think of going out in the woods tomorrow. Mudjékuis the
west wind will blow snow so thick, neither heaven nor earth will you be
able to see!
- Tomorrow will be so hot the water in the river will heat up almost to
a boil!
- Tonight will be so cold even the howls of the wolves will freeze over.
Kakibonka the north wind will travel through the forest, even the nails
will snap in the camp's wall and roof!
As strange as it may seem, his prediction were always dead on.
One day, they asked him just how he could predict the weather with such
accuracy. In fact, his forecasts were even more accurate than those
heard on the battery radio!
- It's very simple, he replied. I lie down on my back in my bunk bed, I
look at the stars through the window, and according to their position in
the sky, I can predict tomorrow's weather with precision. The movement
of the stars in the sky tells me what the weather will be like.
- But the stars don't move! they said. Every night they are the same
stars, and they are always in the very same spots!
- Oh yes, the sky does move, he assured us. And the stars do move all
the time! You don't see this because you just don't notice things the
way I do.
Nevertheless, the lumberjacks were always amazed at such exactitude, and
every night they consulted their friend. Lying down on his back in his
bed, the Abénaki studied the stars in heaven. And again he was asked:
- What will the weather be like, tomorrow?
- It will be a beautiful day with Chawondhassi the south wind blowing
mildly! It will be very cold! There will be rain pushed lightly by
Wabone the east wind! It will snow cotton-tail skin flakes all day long,
etc.
And, always our friend the Abénaki was right on.
One day, the guys in the camp decided to play a trick on their friend,
the Abénaki weatherman, as they called him for fun. During the day,
while he was out in the woods cutting down trees, they cut off two
inches from the wooden legs of the weather prophet's bunk bed.
- Now we will see if he can predict the next day's weather with the same
accuracy, they laughed.
That evening, after a good supper in the cook-room, after having said
the Rosary, and after having listened to their favourite evening radio
program Les Belles histoires des Pays d'En-Haut, our friend stretched
out on his bed and started to study the stars.
They watched him carefully, all the time guiltily winking at each other.
All of a sudden, the Abénaki began to frown, lifted his head from the
pillow, returned to his original position, sat on his bunk and started
gibbering in his own dialect, saying:
- For the love of the Great Iskaddouh! For the love of the great spirit
of the winds!
- What's the matter? What kind of weather will we have tomorrow?
- I don't understand it! There is a great change. By the Great Guitché-Manitou,
let me try again, to see what's up!
The Abénaki laid down on his back again, looked out the window, got up,
sat down once more on his bedside, looked the lumbermen in the eyes and
declared:
- You won't believe it, you guys, but since last night the sky has risen
by two inches!
END
Folk's tale from my childhood years.
All right reserved for this written version, 1999 © Copyright A-Émile
Maheu D.H.
Translated from French by Mrs Marie Wiss
Abénaki: Aborigines living east of Bécancour and Saint-François Rivers
in Québec, extending eastward to New Brunswick, Maine, and south to New
England. Most Abénakis who remained in Beauce Québec intermarried with
the French.
Indian names inspired from Eugène Achard
Iskaddouh : Spirit of the winds
Chawondhassi : The South wind
Kakibonka: The North wind
Guitché-Manitou: Spirit master of life on earth and in heaven.
Wabone: The East wind
Mudjekuis: Strong West wind.
