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1930 WOLF Akela and the Webelos:
Other sounds came out of the forest silences. One sounded like the "meow" of a great cat, and from a hill across the lake, he heard a wolf call and another answered. Once in the evening, Mowgli's father had crept with him up close to a gathering of wolves and he had watched them form a big circle about the Old Wolf, the leader. Mowgli almost jumped when the whole pack gave out a grand howl of welcome to the Old Wolf--and then the whole pack went off together to hunt, following the Old Wolf, each helping as they hunted for their food in the Great Woods. He thought what fun he and the other boys would have playing as wolves--and the next day they held a little Council Ring of their own. All this came quickly to mind as he heard the wolves' calls fade away. He wasn't exactly afraid, because he had already learned that these animals were afraid of fire and outside the tepee there burned a fire, like a mute watchman on guard. Then too the animals had learned to be careful of humans, because when one human was attacked, he had friends who came to his rescue--to help him. But above these strange noises, Mowgli heard something different from the wolf-noises of the forest--it was a step. It was a step trained to be light, yet his now eager ear could catch it. It was not the step of some animal prowling cowardly about, it was a human step. He could also hear whispers, as the steps died quickly into a strained silence. "Boom," went a deep, muffled beat of the great ceremonial drum--and then he knew that the men of the tribe were gathering for some big pow-wow. How he wished he too could answer that call. He wanted to be a man. He wanted to do his part. That very day, he had dropped a running rabbit with his swift little arrow and had proudly brought it home to his mother. All day he had stalked and hunted and shot, had run and chased and hidden--and now--he was tired--his eyes closed. "Hoo," said the Owl--in the darkness--but Mowgli's ears were shut! The Council Fire Circle: Meantime, things were happening at the Great Council Fire Ring on top of the cliff. Here it was they met to worship the Great Spirit. Here they met, to thank Him for success. Here they met also to decide what should be done in war or peace or hunt. Akela was the big Chief of "the Webelos." Tall, stalwart, straight as an arrow, swift as an antelope, brave as a lion--he was fierce to an enemy but kind to a brother. Many trophies hung in his tepee. His father was the Son of the Sun. His totem was "The Arrow of Light." The "Medicine Man" and "Firemaker" had come early to the Council Ring, and everything was in readiness. "Firemaker" had builded the ceremonial fire, and it crackled and burned, tongues of flame shot upward throwing strange shadows into the deeper darkness of the forest. It was out of these strange silences and noises of the Great Woods, that there had boomed the great heavy tones of the stump drum ad the "Medicine Man" beat it as a signal. Three times its heavy tone had boomed out into the night, calling the braves from the village below, where it lay at the edge of the lake and protected by sharp cliffs. One by one, in silence, the braves had answered and quickly scaled the narrow ledge that led to the Council Fire. The dance began. In turn, each dancer told a story of the tribe's greatness. One recited the old legend of the first Chief, who single-handed had bested ten enemy war-canoes filled with braves. They were waiting around the point of the lake to attack the village. He swam under water and broke through each birch bark canoe in turn and then escaped. As the enemies swam ashore, his braves tomahawked and scalped them one by one. Another told of the Chief's bear-claw necklace. One day when stalking (or creeping up on) a deer, in passing through a rocky place, the Chief found a grizzly cornering an Indian boy. He dared not shoot an arrow lest he injure the boy. So rushing in, with stones he attracted the grizzly's attention and the fight began. Like boxers they dodged and rushed at each other until the tomahawk reached its mark and brained the grizzly and the boy was saved. The big hide kept the Chief warm through the long cold nights. The claws became the necklace. When the boy grew up he always fought near his Chief to guard him if necessary. And that boy was the dancer. Another pictured, by step and gesture, the Chief chasing the buffalo. Food had been very scarce, there was hunger in the tepees, so the Chief traveled far and saw a lone buffalo which he proceeded to stalk. Finally he was so close that he started to run toward the buffalo at close range. Suddenly the buffalo turned and charged straight at him. It was all so quick he could not dodge, so the Chief leaped clear over the head of the bull and quickly turning, sank his spear into the animal's shoulder. As the buffalo stumbled, the Chief found his heart with a second spear. This food brought much joy to the hungry ones. Another told of the laws its Chief had urged for the happiness of his people. The law of the forest had been "To live and let live"--they killed nothing needlessly. Then came Chief Akela. He taught a new law, --"To live and help live." His warriors were brothers. Unmatched in battle, fierce in attack--yet to their women and children they were kindness itself--and with their neighbors they lived in peace--together fighting off outside invaders. Of all the tribes near the Great Woods, they gave most care to helping their boys learn the ways of the brave. One after another told his tale. Then all was quiet. It was a silence that could be felt! Something important was about to happen! Akela's Life Story: Chief Akela, bright in his warrior's headdress and in ceremonial paint--stepped into the lighted circle. The tom-tom beaters began. Low and slow, then growing like a storm they beat fiercely as the Chief told in graceful gesture of the greatness of his tribe. His dance pictured his own life story. He told of the strength and wisdom of his father "Arrow of Light." He told of his mother, "Kind Eyes," from whom he learned those wondrous thing that mothers know. His father had helped him make a little bow and arrow, and once when an enemy would have tomahawked his mother--he, Akela, from his papoose basket, shot the pursuing enemy in the eye and his mother escaped. A little later he began to understand the speech and signs and calls of the Webelos. Then he was taken on little trips into the forest among the great trees and the streams. Here from the Wolf he learned the language of the ground, the tracks, the ways to food. The from the big kindly Bears he learned the secret names of trees and the calls of birds--the language of the air. But before he might become a scouting "brave" upon his own--he first had to look the Lion in the eye and learn the language of the stout heart--which feared nothing and which never gave up. Then and only then, did his father admit him to the lower ranks of the young braves,--the scouts of the trail. They had the privilege of helping the braves and thus taking a real part in the affairs of the tribe. As he closed his dance, by gesture and sign, he told the braves that the tribe could be no greater than its boys. He said, "The future is hidden, but if we are strong and brave and help our boys be the same, our tribe will be strong. If our boys are square and game--they will take our places and our tribe will continue to be great." The tom-toms closed in a final burst, and all the braves gave the great guttural "How." Then, in silence, the warriors stood beside the dying fire, with no noise save the crackle of the embers and the mysterious half-noises of the forest--raising the right hand toward the sky and the Great Spirit, with the left each joined in the "living circle" with his brothers, as a pledge to the tribe and to the Great Spirit--a pledge to the future through the present. |
"Hoo," called the Owl, in the darkness, and Mowgli, the little Indian boy in
the tepee below, was wide awake! While he knew the Owl was no enemy, its
call always made little shivers run up and down his backbone. He lay very
still. His ears were wide open now.