Earth turtle back

Ancient Chief

strong

He wrapped his arms around it, bent his knees and strained. At last, with one great effort, he uprooted the tree and placed it on its side

smart

Then the ancient chief called the young men together and told them that they must pull up the tree.  But the roots of the tre

Then the ancient chief called the young men together and told them that they must pull up the tree. But the roots of the tree were so deep, so strong, that they could not budge it.

Muskrat

She was not as strong or as swift as the others, but she was not going to fail.  She went so deep that it was all dark, and s

She was not as strong or as swift as the others, but she was not going to fail. She went so deep that it was all dark, and still she swam deeper. She went so deep that her lungs felt ready to burst, but she swam deeper still. At last, just as she was becoming unconscious, she reached out one small paw and grasped at the bottom, barely touching it before she floated up, almost dead.

long birth

turtle

strong

big

They brought the Muskrat over to the Great Turtle and placed her paw against his back. To this day there are marks at the back of the Turtle’s shell which were made by Muskrat’s paw. The tiny bit of Earth fell on the back of the Turtle. Almost immediately, it began to grow larger and larger and larger until it became the whole world.