Read Online For Joshua by Richard Wagamese - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Richard Wagamese
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hiding and teach them again. But if such a family cannot be found, we will disappear forever and leave Man to his destiny. Whatever that may be.”
“But who will go? Who will be this scout?” asked Honeybee.
“I will go,” said a loud, distinguished voice. Everyone looked up at the branches of a nearby pine tree to see Eagle perched there. “I will be this scout. I will fly around the face of the world and try to find one Family of Man still living in the original manner. My eyes can see far, my wings are strong. I will go.”
No one could think of a better scout than Eagle and so, after resting for a day, the great bird flew off on his search. The rest of the Animal People remained in the valley and bided their time with talk of the days before Man, and thelegends and stories that had been born in that time. Eagle flew endlessly. From one part of the world to another he soared high above the settlements where Man had made homes and searched for people living according to the old teachings. Here and there he grew hopeful when he saw flashes of the guidance the Animal People had given Mankind, but time and again he was disappointed to see them display the new ways of disharmony.
Still, Eagle believed that there must still be Families of Man that were faithful to the teachings and so he flew and flew. He knew that if he failed to find people honouring the Earth and living good lives, he and his Animal brothers and sisters would say goodbye to Man. Man would be left without guides and teachers and he would fail to discover who he had been created to be. Eagle did not want that to happen, for despite their new separateness the Animal People loved Man and wanted very much for him to fulfill his destiny. So he searched and searched.
Back in the valley, the Animal People grew restless. Eagle had been gone for a long time and it was beginning to look as though no one would be found who lived in the original manner. But one day a great cry went up. Someone had spotted Eagle slowly flapping his way back towards them. The Animal People gathered themselves into a circle again andwhen Eagle finally swooped down to join them they were anxious for news. The look on Eagle’s face told the story.
“I’ve been everywhere,” said the tired bird. “I’ve searched from the moment I left until the moment I returned and there is no one anywhere that lives in the old manner.”
A hush fell over the circle.
“Well, that’s that, then,” said Owl.
“It’s over,” said Heron.
“We’ve no choice,” said Bear.
“Yes, yes, we do,” said Eagle. Everyone looked at him, surprised. “I will go on one more circle. We owe Man that. Good teachers never stop being teachers and we owe Man the effort to look again.”
“But you’ve been everywhere,” said Badger. “Where else can you possibly look?”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” said Eagle. “I’ve been looking, searching with my eyes for what my soul wants to see. But our sister the Bat said it best when we started all of this. I’ll search again, but this time I will use my
feelings
instead of my eyes. I will let my feelings guide me. That, after all, is the one true search.”
So off he went. The West, the “Looks-Within Place,” called to him and he flew in that direction. After a day he soared over the crest of a hill and there, alongside a stream,was a small wigwam. Closing his eyes, he breathed in very deeply as he soared over it and he felt a warm calm come over him. The more time he spent soaring over that wigwam, the more the sense of calm grew. Finally, a man, woman, and child emerged from the forest. They were carrying berries, a few fish and some herbs. When they arrived at their wigwam they made a tobacco offering and said a long prayer of gratitude for the gifts they had received that day. Eagle was impressed and settled high in a treetop to observe.
For four days he hid himself in the tree and watched this Family of Man. They prayed. They treated
“But who will go? Who will be this scout?” asked Honeybee.
“I will go,” said a loud, distinguished voice. Everyone looked up at the branches of a nearby pine tree to see Eagle perched there. “I will be this scout. I will fly around the face of the world and try to find one Family of Man still living in the original manner. My eyes can see far, my wings are strong. I will go.”
No one could think of a better scout than Eagle and so, after resting for a day, the great bird flew off on his search. The rest of the Animal People remained in the valley and bided their time with talk of the days before Man, and thelegends and stories that had been born in that time. Eagle flew endlessly. From one part of the world to another he soared high above the settlements where Man had made homes and searched for people living according to the old teachings. Here and there he grew hopeful when he saw flashes of the guidance the Animal People had given Mankind, but time and again he was disappointed to see them display the new ways of disharmony.
Still, Eagle believed that there must still be Families of Man that were faithful to the teachings and so he flew and flew. He knew that if he failed to find people honouring the Earth and living good lives, he and his Animal brothers and sisters would say goodbye to Man. Man would be left without guides and teachers and he would fail to discover who he had been created to be. Eagle did not want that to happen, for despite their new separateness the Animal People loved Man and wanted very much for him to fulfill his destiny. So he searched and searched.
Back in the valley, the Animal People grew restless. Eagle had been gone for a long time and it was beginning to look as though no one would be found who lived in the original manner. But one day a great cry went up. Someone had spotted Eagle slowly flapping his way back towards them. The Animal People gathered themselves into a circle again andwhen Eagle finally swooped down to join them they were anxious for news. The look on Eagle’s face told the story.
“I’ve been everywhere,” said the tired bird. “I’ve searched from the moment I left until the moment I returned and there is no one anywhere that lives in the old manner.”
A hush fell over the circle.
“Well, that’s that, then,” said Owl.
“It’s over,” said Heron.
“We’ve no choice,” said Bear.
“Yes, yes, we do,” said Eagle. Everyone looked at him, surprised. “I will go on one more circle. We owe Man that. Good teachers never stop being teachers and we owe Man the effort to look again.”
“But you’ve been everywhere,” said Badger. “Where else can you possibly look?”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” said Eagle. “I’ve been looking, searching with my eyes for what my soul wants to see. But our sister the Bat said it best when we started all of this. I’ll search again, but this time I will use my
feelings
instead of my eyes. I will let my feelings guide me. That, after all, is the one true search.”
So off he went. The West, the “Looks-Within Place,” called to him and he flew in that direction. After a day he soared over the crest of a hill and there, alongside a stream,was a small wigwam. Closing his eyes, he breathed in very deeply as he soared over it and he felt a warm calm come over him. The more time he spent soaring over that wigwam, the more the sense of calm grew. Finally, a man, woman, and child emerged from the forest. They were carrying berries, a few fish and some herbs. When they arrived at their wigwam they made a tobacco offering and said a long prayer of gratitude for the gifts they had received that day. Eagle was impressed and settled high in a treetop to observe.
For four days he hid himself in the tree and watched this Family of Man. They prayed. They treated
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