In the yard, Father Sun looked down. He was soft yellow light this morning. Ziibi liked him best when he wore this light. She was happy. Today was another day of blueberry picking. Eager to get to picking Ziibi struggled to stay still while Noko draped and tied the elk skin cape around her shoulders. The air was sharp with cold. White smoke came from their mouths when they spoke. Noko said, “You put more berries in your bucket today than in your mouth. Promise?”

This was a promise Ziibi could not keep, so she said, “I will try.” She loved fresh, warm off the bush blueberries more than anything the Great Mystery had created. Already she could taste their tangy juice and feel the grit of their seeds between her teeth. Purposefully she had only eaten a little of the root cakes dusted with maple sugar that her noko had made. Her insides must have plenty of room for berries.

The door flap opened. Miinan stepped into the yard. She had brushed her hair to a deep shine. It caught the morning light and mimicked the blue skin of the blueberry. Ziibi looked at her own black braid. It was not blue black, maybe if she ate enough berries it might turn that color. It was worth a try.

On the trail, Ajijaak’s mother appeared with two large baskets. It was her turn to take the girls berry picking. She was a lovely, tall and slender woman. Despite all the village gossip, she kept her head high and did not cower in shame over the fate of her family. Ajijaak’s noko was with her. She wore a dress dyed with sumac. In her hands was a small bowl filled with folded squares of birch bark. She would do her bark biting while the girls picked. Her back did not like to stoop over.

The older girls whispered as they walked down the steep trail to the meadow where the berries grew. Ziibi thought their talk was boring. They cared too much about beadwork, and recipes. They also giggled about boys. There were younger girls closer to Ziibi’s age. They kept a respectful distance from her, she was after all the Mide’s daughter, a fact she never failed to point out to them. The truth was her female skills were lacking and she hated to be teased. Her ropes unraveled, her beadwork was sloppy and she had caught fire to their home more than once because she forgot to mind her cooking.

When they reached the clearing the big girls suddenly stopped. One clamped her hand over her mouth stifling a scream. There in the midst of the berry patch was a huge black bear and her cubs. The she-bear raised her head. Her small dark eyes flashed in Ziibi’s direction. In that instant Ziibi felt this bear’s strength and power. It seemed to take root inside of her. One of the cubs squalled but the bear did not stop looking at the girls. All at once she raised herself up on her two hind feet. She thrust her great front paws upward. She was so tall. The morning sun glistened on her sleek black coat. She gave a warning growl.

In a soft voice Ajijaak’s noko spoke, “Mother Bear, we did not come to harm your children.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The bear turned to the sound of the noko’s voice.

Ajijaak’s Noko continued, “We have come because we too must eat. If it would not be too much trouble, please go back into the woods for now. You can return when we have gone. We will leave plenty for you and your cubs.”

The bear studied the old woman with her small black eyes. Everyone remained very still lest they startle the bear. Slowly, the mama bear lowered her magnificent body to the ground. She called her cubs to her. On swift feet she and her babies disappeared into the brush.

Ziibi stared at Ajijaak’s noko. How was it that she had power over the bear?

Later when the other girls were filling their buckets, Ziibi wandered over to the birch shade where Ajijaak’s noko sat biting her bark. Though she kept up her biting, she nodded for Ziibi to take a seat beside her. In silence they sat. Ziibi could hear the soft crunch of the old woman’s teeth upon the bark. When she finished, she took the folded bark out of her mouth. Carefully she unfolded it. Her gnarled fingers traced the pattern she had made. A please smile creased her face.

Ziibi leaned over to see what the noko had created. On the square bark was a picture of intricate flowers. She asked, “How do you do that?”

Ajijaak’s noko tapped her head. “The visions are in here. They travel into my teeth and my teeth know the path that will make the picture.”

“I want to know how to do that.”

The old woman handed Ziibi a fresh bit of folded bark. She said, “Trust your teeth to reveal your vision.”

Ziibi took the bark. The smell of it was familiar. Almost every container they owned and even the house they lived in was made of birch bark. She closed her eyes like Ajijaak’s noko and bit down. The flavor of the bark was sharp. She made another bite, and then another one. She did not know if she was making a design or a mess. She did not have much faith in her ability, but she tried hard. All the sudden, she felt her teeth take over, it was as if they knew exactly where to bite. She chose to trust their lead. The sensation was similar to the feeling she got when she followed the wolf path Mikwam charted. Of their own volition her teeth stopped their chewing. She took the folded bark out of her mouth. “I am done.” She handed the bard to Ajijaak’s noko.

With careful fingers the elder woman unfolded the birch bark.Ziibi saw the work of her teeth and was amazed at what she created. Though the design was very crude she recognized the shape of a bear, a she-bear standing on her back legs.

Ajijaak’s noko’s wrinkled fingers gently traced the design. She clucked her tongue. “Is very good for a first time.”

Deeply pleased, Ziibi asked, “Do you think so?”

The elder woman growled low in her throat before she said, “I said so, I do not say what is not true.”

With a slight bow of her head, Ziibi said, “I know you do.”

A smile ran along the wrinkled in Ajijaak’s noko’s face.

Ziibi very much wanted to keep the square of birch bark, but she must wait for it to be offered as a gift. To her dismay Ajijaak’s noko said, “I will keep this for now. When your time of womanhood comes, I will give it to you to remind you of the strength of the bear mother.”

“Yes Noko.” Ziibi was very disappointed. Still, she was not in any rush to become a woman. She hoped that time was summers and summers away.