Medicine Story: How We Got Medicine

 How We Got Medicine-as told by Joyce A. Wardwell

When the world was young, the animals called a council. In those days, the beasts, birds, fishes, and insects could all understand each other. They and the people lived together in peace and friendship. But as time went on, the people increased so rapidly that they began to slaughter the larger creatures for their flesh or skin, while the smaller creatures were crushed.

  Otter, the diplomat, led the council and soon the animals agreed to go to war with the people. But how? Then Coyote spoke up. "I can speak into the people's village and find out what their weaknesses and strengths are." When he returned, he said, "What people have that we don't is a bow and arrow. If we had those tools, I know we could win."

  Beaver remembered there was an old yew tree in a forest the people had burned down years ago. He went and cut it and shaped it into a bow. Reed said they used her dried stalks for arrow shafts. Wild Turkey gave three of her best tail feathers. Flint dashed himself against some rocks under a waterfall to make a good arrowhead. The bow and arrow were all ready.

  "Hold on...somethings missing," said Snail, looking over the bow and arrow thoroughly. "This won't work." Then Coyote remembered about the bow string...he had seen the people twirl animal intestines to make the string. Well, you can imagine no one wanted to give up his intestines to make a string!

  Then Old Cat stepped forward. She said, "I have no teeth and can't hunt anymore. I haven't eaten for a longtime, and I'm tired. You can use my gut to help make the bow. I want to help, and it's really all I can do." Then she lay down and died. The animals thanked her for her gift. Her intestines made a strong and taut bowstring. But no one could pull the string.

  You see, all the animals walked on four legs, or six, or had wings. Suddenly Bear drew himself upright. "See, I can stand like man. Give me time to practice. I'll work the bow." A week went by and Bear returned to the council. He said, "The bow works fine, but my claws keep getting in the way. I know if we could just cut them off somehow, then I could aim the arrow and kill the people."

  "No, Bear!" Otter said. "If we cut off your claws, then you're no longer Bear. You can't climb a tree, fish, or grub for insects. You'll be no better than the people." And with that the council gave up, and was about to disband, when a small voice came out of the air.

  "Ho! We can help. We can kill all the people!"

  "Who are you? Where are you?"

  "Oh, you can't see us. We are the invisible ones. We are disease. And we surely can kill all of the people. But first everyone must agree."

  One by one all the beasts, all the fliers, the crawlers, the swimmers, the divers, all agreed to let disease kill the people. But when the plants were asked, they paused: "Wait. We've never really paid much attention to people. Let us watch them for a whole cycle of seasons. Come back in a year. Then we'll give you our answer."

  A year passed. The council was called and the plants said, " Wait. We have watched the people, and you know, in a year's time, their babies can't speak for themselves yet. Come back in twenty years when they have grown to adults. Then we'll give you our answer."

  Twenty years passed. The council was called and the plants said, "Wait. We have watched the people, and you know, in twenty years' time their hearts are still young. Come back in a hundred years when they have lived a whole lifetime. Then we'll give you an answer." The animals grumbled.  A hundred years from now, would there even be any animals left? But they had no choice.

  A hundred years passed. The council was called and the animals said, "No more delays. You must give your answer now, plants. Do we let disease got to war with the people or not?"

  "Yes, go ahead," said the plants. "Do your worst. Give the people disease. You are right-the people destroy too much. We won't stop you."

  "But," said the plants, "we did notice some people who are not like the rest. They show respect. They ask first, and they are careful. So we will help them. Anytime a person comes and asks us for help in a proper way, we will help."

  And that is how we got medicine.

*This story belongs to the Cherokee people. It was first recorded by James Mooney in 1890 in The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees.