The Legend of M’nodanok

  CHAPTER ONE.

 Modza

                                                                         It Begins.

                Spring, 1660. Dawn. The Day Traveler gradually began eating its way through the dense fog rising gracefully above the Merrimac river as it meandered along its winding  journey to the Atlantic. The silence was soon broken by the sounds of the women preparing the morning meal and the laughter of young children playing with their dogs. The village was filled with many wigwams from which puffs of fragrant white smoke rose up  from the morning cooking fires which burned within. Wanaloncet, grandson of the bear, Passaconaway, was busy preparing his wardrobe for the band of visitors that would be soon arriving at the village for a great pow-wow being held by the wish of Passaconaway, son of the bear, and supreme Sachem of the Abenaki Nation.

            Sweet Grass Woman, wife of Wannalancet, was busy baking bread made from cat-tail pollen when her son, Kancamangus, approached her cautiously. Nigawes, "mother", he said. Oho, nnamon, "yes, my son", she replied. "Will breakfast be ready soon? I'm hungry." "Soon enough, little one, now go bring this crust  out to the dog. I'll call you when it's ready." Kancamangus, holding the crust in his hand, bent down and crouched through the openingin the wigwam to face the rising sun. Bedegi, ndamiz, "Come, my dog," he shouted into the brisk morning air. Swifter than it took a drop of dew to fall to the ground from a blade of grass, Runs Like Deer was soon at his feet with jaws open and tail wagging. In a moment it was gone, and Kancamangus picked up a stick and threw it as fast and as far as he could, but no matter how far he threw it, Runs Like Deer was always there to catch it. Soon they were off into the wilderness, romping together through the underbrush, Runs Like Deer often chasing a rabbit or chipmunk with Kancamangus hot in pursuit.

            A short while later, Kancamangus heard the call of his mother, and taking a moment to wash his hands in a nearby brook, he returned to enter the wigwam. "Eat well, today, my son. Many guests will be coming to the village soon and there will be many games to play.You would bring me much honor if you won the stone throwing contest," said Wannalancet to his son. "I have already been practicing , my Father. No other boy in this village can throw a stick farther than I, and even if they could, Runs Like Deer would catch it and bring it swiftly to my hand, but not without chewing it into dust first." "Perhaps so, my son. But stones are much heavier than sticks, and because they are not always round like the moon, they often land in places other than the intended target."

            Sweet Grass Woman interrupted quietly and handed each of them a piece of cat-tail bread which she had just finished baking a few minutes earlier. "Mmmmm!" said, Wannalancet. Your bread tastes sweeter than any in the whole village. Even my grandmother could not bake bread as sweet as you." "Naturally, my husband. Have you so easily forgotten why it is that I am called Sweet Grass Woman?" Oho! Yes, but perhaps another piece might bring it to mind.."Sweet Grass Woman gracefully handed them both another piece of the warm, moist loaf. Soon the meal was ended and Wannalancet rose to his feet and left to visit the wigwam of his father.      Kancamangus rose also and left to join the other young braves in the village who were busy preparing the stones for the stone throwing contest  to be held later that afternoon. Runs Like Deer was not far behind. The contest would be held in a clearing, only a short walk  from the outer edge of the village. First, the older boys drew sticks to determine who would have the honor of gathering the stones to be used from  the banks of the mighty Merrimac.

            Kancamangus drew the shortest stick, so he left at once with Runs Like Deer to walk along the banks of the Merrimac in search of  as many different colored stones as he could find that were about the size of a man's closed fist. Kancamangus pursued his task with di