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Back to Wesoomi's Archives The Legend of Wesoomi: Nine, The Cub: April 29, 2002: Spirit Guide continued to suckle at the teat of the she goat. He grew fat and strong with her help. Gentlehand, of his own will, became the main guardian of the youngster. So, it came to pass that Spirit Guide learned to recognize Gentlehand and reached out to him whenever he came. When he was not with the goats, he was with Gentlehand for Gentlehand carried him about proudly. He even took him into the gardens and sat him in the shade while Gentlehand worked with the others. He took the child often to his Mother's Shrine and placed him upon the stone. Whenever he did this, the cub became very calm, as though the Great Spirit was touching his heart. Gentlehand so believed and he told Strong Oak and Spirit Healer of his belief. They too believed it to be true. All of this time, the grey wolf was near the village. She often sat upon the rise beyond the shrine. Sometimes she sang to the Great Spirit. She was never far away, as though she were constantly on guard. The villagers became accustom to her and ceased to fear her. They saw no threat in her. One time, she came into the goat's pen to check on the cub and caused a great and noisome fear amongst the goats. Before anyone could act, she was gone again. She had come, looked at Spirit Guide, and left. She began to do this often. After a time, even the goats lost their fear of her and she took to lying nearby as Spirit Guide fed. One time, Gentlehand dozed as his charge fed. When he awoke, Spirit Guide was gone. In great fear, Gentlehand rushed from the shed, then he saw Spirit Guide. After feeding, he had crawled out to the Wolf. He was curled contentedly against the wolf's stomach, sleeping. The she wolf was wrapped warmly around him. So, Spirit Guide grew and was nurtured by the Quiet Folk. The time came when he could partake of nourishment other than goat's milk from the udder. He also learned to crawl and then to walk on his own. Still, he spent time in the goat's pen. He did not need the teat, but he would go to play with the kids. The grey wolf would go with him and watch, never playing. The wolf became the companion of Spirit Guide, going with him everywhere. Spirit Guide began to call her Grey and the others did likewise. They began to think of her as a resident of the village. When they were not with the goats, Spirit Guide and his wolf would go with Gentlehand. He would follow Gentlehand into the gardens and watch the work. The Quiet Folk had no experience with cubs. They had no way of knowing that Spirit Guide had the wisdom and speaking skills of one twice his age. He had no youngsters to play with and only adults to learn from. He acquired their ways and learned beyond his age. After his fourth summer, Spirit Guide found a stick one day and began to work beside Gentlehand. He would watch what Gentlehand did and mimic it with his own stick. Gentlehand explained to him the difference between the desirable plants and the undesirable plants. The boy learned quickly. Each day Spirit Guide became more skilled in the work of the garden. The day came when he did as much as many of the grown ones. While the others stood with long sticks, Spirit Guide squatted with a shorter stick and did his work. One day, when spirit Guide had reached seven summers, Gentlehand notice that he had a quiet look as he worked, as though he were sad or thoughtful. Gentlehand squatted beside him. "You seem to be thoughtful this morn, my young friend." "aye," replied Spirit Guide. "Do you wish to share your thoughts?" Spirit Guide hesitated. "I only wish to be of help," said Gentlehand. "Only you can say if you wish to share your thoughts. Just know that I am here." "You speak the words I like," replied Spirit Guide. Gentlehand waited with patience. "I only wondered," said Spirit Guide. "and I feared to ask." "Fear not," said Gentlehand. "Trust the Great spirit and trust me." "Yes," said Spirit Guide. "I will." Gentlehand smiled and waited. "I have no mother," said the boy. "I do not know of my father. I have no one." "True," said Gentlehand. "You have no kindred, but you do have me and this whole village." "I do," said the boy sadly, "but you are not kindred." "I see that," said Gentlehand wisely. "It is not the same." "Yet," said the boy looking wistfully at Gentlehand, "you have been as a father for me." "As well as I can." "I wonder," said the boy, "may I call you father?" The eyes of Gentlehand grew very moist. He went to turn away, but stopped himself. He looked directly at Spirit Guide as tears of joy flowed over his cheeks. "Oh, my dear one. I would be so very proud to be your father and to have you call me father." "Thank you," said the boy. "I will be a very good father," said Gentlehand. "I will be the very best father ever. I will not fail you. This I promise." "I know you speak true," said the boy with a happy smile. "Now," said Gentlehand, "let us go to the Elder and ask his blessing." "Yes," said Spirit Guide."I wish that too." Gentlehand took the boy's hand and they walked to the lodge of Strong Oak. Strong Oak was sitting out on his log in the sun. He looked up at Gentlehand who stood smiling with joy. What is it?" asked Strong Oak. "We wish your blessing," said Gentlehand proudly. "My blessing? To what end?" "Spirit Guide has chosen me to be his father," smiled Gentlehand. "We wish your blessing on this thing. If you please, Elder." "This is very good," said Strong Oak. "I had not thought of it before, but I see that it is good." "And your blessing, Elder?" "Indeed, that you may have, but this is an event. It needs more than my blessing." More, Elder?" queried Gentlehand. "Indeed, this is a special event. It must have a ceremony." "What ceremony, Elder?" asked Gentlehand. "I know not," replied Strong Oak. This is a new thing. We have no custom for this. I must needs the counsel of Spirit Healer and Long Strider; perhaps the Great Spirit, also." "All we wish is your blessing, Elder," worried Gentlehand. "And you shall have it, in time. Go now, to the garden. I will call you when it is time." Gentlehand returned with Spirit Guide to the gardens. He looked a bit bewildered. "We only wanted his blessing," he muttered. The boy laughed and went back to work. "Trust the Great Spirit," he said. "You so spoke." Gentlehand began to laugh. "Very well, my son," he said. The boy looked to him with shining eyes. In the afternoon, Strong Oak came to the edge of the garden and called the folk. "We must go to the shrine," he said. "We must needs have a ceremony." "What ceremony?" asked one. "A ceremony of joining," he replied. "But, we have no women to join with. Who will be joined?" "A father and a son will be joined," replied Strong Oak, "in the shrine wherein we will seek the blessing of the Great Spirit." So they gathered, all of them, in the Shrine of the Golden Earth Mother. Gentlehand stood proudly holding the hand of Spirit Guide. They stood before the stone, facing the gathering of Quiet Folk. As well as he could remember it, Spirit Healer performed the ceremony of the joining for Gentlehand and Spirit Guide. He led them through the ritual passages making changes as necessary to the event at hand. Each one had to say that he wished the joining to be and that he wished it to be for all time. Each had to promise to care for the other for all time. Each had to dedicate their life together to the service of the Great Spirit as caretakers of his earth. At the end, Spirit Healer sang a song of joining to the Great Sprit, wherein he invoked the eternal blessing of the Great Spirit upon the ones so joined. At the end, the cup of joining was handed to Gentlehand by Spirit Healer. It contained the fermented juice of a local berry and was strong medicine. Gentlehand took a small sip and passed it to Spirit Guide who took a much smaller sip. He passed it to Spirit Healer who also partook before he passed the cup to Strong Oak. Then the cup was passed though the gathering. Each of the Quiet Folk partook while their thoughts invoked the blessing of the Great Spirit. The cup was empty when it was returned to Spirit Healer. And so it came to pass, that Gentlehand became the father of Spirit Guide and also his first teacher. Spirit Guide became the happy and obedient son of Gentlehand. Gentlehand's lodge became their lodge and they worked in the garden together. They lay beside each other on their own mats for sleep and both felt much contentment to be so joined and living together. Back to Wesoomi's Archives
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