Hari
OM
Story-day is for cultural exploration, puraanas and
parables and finding out about leading lights in spiritual philosophy.
Glooskap’s Gifts
Four
Indians who won to Glooskap’s abode found it a place of magical delights, a
land fairer than the mind could conceive. Asked by the god what had brought
them thither, one replied that his heart was evil and that anger had made him
its slave, but that he wished to be meek and pious. The second, a poor man,
desired to be rich, and the third, who was of low estate and despised by the
folk of his tribe, wished to be universally honoured and respected. The fourth
was a vain man, conscious of his good looks, whose appearance was eloquent of
conceit. Although he was tall, he had stuffed fur into his moccasins to make
him appear still taller, and his wish was that he might become bigger than any
man of his tribe and that he might live for ages.
Glooskap
drew four small boxes from his medicine-bag and gave one to each, desiring that
they should not open them until they reached home. When the first three arrived
at their respective lodges each opened his box, and found therein an unguent of
great fragrance and richness, with which he rubbed himself. The wicked man
became meek and patient, the poor man speedily grew wealthy, and the despised
man became stately and respected. But the conceited man had stopped on his way
home in a clearing in the woods, and, taking out his box, had anointed himself
with the ointment it contained. His wish also was granted, but not exactly in
the manner he expected, for he was changed into a pine-tree, the first of the
species, and the tallest tree of the forest at that.
**Glooskap is the Algonquin creation deity.
