The Christmas Bond


Sonagolese
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It was the 10:30 in the evening on Christmas Eve in the tiny house on the Indian reservation and John could not sleep.  His mind was filled with joyous thoughts of the bounty of toys, candy, cookies and cakes that the next day might bring him.  His joy was tempered with uncertainty though, because this would be the first Christmas that John would spend without his mother, who had died earlier in the year.  So, John was truly troubled.  He knew that if he didn’t fall to sleep soon, he would be much too tired to awake early.  And he wasn’t sure whether Christmas would ever be quite as special as it had always been before.  Finally, after debating with himself about the wisdom of it, John called to his father and pleaded with him to help him fall asleep.  With a whimper in his voice, John cried, “Papa!  Please tell me a story.” 

 

John listened as heavy footsteps came up the ladder into the loft where his bed was situated in the tiny house.  In a deep, soft voice John’s father spoke, “You know you’re suppose to be asleep, don’t you?  Well, never mind.  I was much the same when I was your age on Christmas Eve.  You want a story, eh?” 

 

“Oh yes, please!” John replied.  John’s father thought for a while before he spoke again.  Then, in almost a whisper, he said, “Now that I think about it, I haven’t told you the true importance of this time of year before.  Most people think that Christmas is all there is worth celebrating during wintertime.  But, before there ever was a Christmas to celebrate, our people knew there was something very special about this time of year.”  John’s eyes grew big with wonder and excitement.  His father’s voice took an almost distant tone as it often did during storytelling, so John remained silent and listened as his father began to speak.

 

“Long ago, when the world was young, it was a very different and much more beautiful place.  It was a time long before noisy cars and airplanes, and the only rush you heard was the sound of the wind as it rustled through the leaves in the trees.   Human beings lived in this world, but there were not many of them and they were very different than they are today.  Because they lived so close to the animals, rocks, and plants of the forest, they had learned their many languages and could speak with them. 

 

One day, a most horrid thing happened.  The sun did not set and the moon did not rise.  Because of this, there was no nighttime.  At first, all the creatures enjoyed themselves.  The sun always shined and the sky was almost always clear and blue.  But as time went on, and as beautiful as it was, the creatures found it pretty tiresome to wake up time after time in a world that never changed.  Each day was bright as the day before.  But, because the days never altered, the task of survival became more difficult.

 

As their boredom and hardships increased, the creatures began to mutter.  Someone must have done something to have so upset Creator to bring about this change.  Of course, each creature blamed the other.  Beyond the question of who was to blame, they began to wonder how or whether the world would ever be the same as it had always been.  With this uncertainty came a great sense of fear in the world. 

 

It was finally decided that there should be a Grand Counsel to discuss the matter.  Each form of creature was permitted to send one of their kind to attend the great counsel.  So it was that, from among humankind, a man named Glikikan was sent to the first grand counsel of creation.  It is from him that this story was passed down through the generations.

 

The time came when the Counsel finally met.  As the meeting opened, the oldest of the representatives in attendance, the Tree, spoke first and very slowly.   “We are gathered from all creation to discuss this most peculiar matter of the sun and the moon.  Although we have each been affected in different ways, we should each be aware that this situation cannot continue.  There are many gathered at this counsel and each should be given the chance to speak.  But each who has something important to say should be given the chance to speak in an orderly manner.”  Having said this, the Tree rustled one of her branches until a small stick fell to the ground.  “For this purpose, I set before you a means to govern our discussion -- that while the one who holds this talking-stick may speak, all others will give their undivided attention and listen. 

 

Turtle, who was sitting next to the Tree, reached out, picked up the stick, and began to speak.  “I thank you, Tree, for your wise words.  Long have you graced this world with your beauty and grace, and it pains me to see your leaves singed brown by the hot sun.  Although I have heard many mutterings during my travels, I believe there is no one here who knows the true cause of this calamity.  Therefore, I suggest that we send Eagle as our emissary to speak with Creator and bring back to us the reason for the sun’s never setting and the moon’s failure to rise.”  As Turtle spoke, there was a mumble of agreement among all the creatures gathered at the Counsel. 

 

Eagle stepped forward with all his dignity and bowed.  Reaching forth with his great talons, he gently grasped the talking-stick from Turtle.  “I am honored by your task and humbled by the grave responsibility you have given to me.  I will fly as fast and as high as the wind will take me.  If I do not return, you will know that I have died attempting to fulfill your request.”  Dropping the talking-stick at Turtle’s feet and without hesitation, Eagle flapped his great wings and sprung up into the air.  Everyone watched in awe as he soared higher and higher until not even Owl could see him anymore.  Minutes turned to hours and hours turned to days as the Grand Counsel waited in anticipation and watched for signs of Eagle’s return. 

 

Finally, after nine sleeps, Eagle returned as he had promised.  Word quickly spread throughout the land and all the creatures waited anxiously to hear the message that Eagle carried to them from Creator.  Around the Grand Counsel, the representatives waited patiently as Eagle was fed and was given drink for he had not rested nor eaten since he began his journey.  It was Turtle who purposefully walked up to Eagle and placed the talking-stick at his feet.  Finally, after he caught his breath and smoothed his worn feathers, Eagle related to them what he had been told by Creator.  Not a sound could be heard as he recounted his experience.  “My friends, I have spoken with Creator and he has spoken to me.  I asked him why he had made the sun to never set and the moon to never rise.  He told me that the bond between sun and moon had become withered with age and had broken.  He commanded that I return to you and ask your help in finding a new binding that he could use that would never break, but would hold the sun and moon forever in balance.” 

 

The Grand Counsel looked at Eagle in surprise and relief.  They were surprised that Creator would admit to a flaw in his creation.  But they were relieved that none of the earthly creatures, through some misdeed, were guilty of such a catastrophe.  Their relief turned to puzzlement and dismay as they considered the task laid before them.  What substance could they possibly find that would be strong enough to bind the sun to the moon for all eternity?  The talking-stick was passed among the Counsel, but no one could think of anything to say.  Finally, it was Muskrat’s turn to speak.  Clearing her throat, she said, “Our task is clear!  We cannot hope to find this binding here as we talk among ourselves.  I propose that we spread out and search throughout the land and return not later than ten sleeps from now.”  After some careful thought about what Muskrat had proposed, the Grand Counsel agreed.  In a rush, the representatives returned to their kind and reported what had transpired.  They told of the message brought back by Eagle and of the task that lay before them to find some substance that would bind the sun to the moon for all eternity.

 

Throughout the land they searched.  Birds flittered about looking high on rock ledges in the mountains.  Otters swam through rivers.  Fish swam down to the depths of the oceans.  Each member of creation, to the extent that they could, searched high and low for the mystery substance that would save them from eternal daylight.

 

As the time for their tenth sleep approached, all creatures found it very difficult to fall asleep.  They had gathered together all sorts of grasses, vines and other substances—hoping that one would serve the needs of Creator.  Each was strong enough for their daily needs, but whether they would bind the sun to the moon for an eternity, that was doubtful.

 

Wearily, the members of the Grand Counsel gathered together.  Sadly, not all of the Counsel members were present.  It was learned that some had perished in their search.  After songs were sung in honor of their fallen comrades, each representative placed the product of their search in the center of the circle until it was stacked high with bindings of all sorts.  When they gazed upon the pile of bindings, their spirits rose a bit.  Perhaps if all the bindings were tied together, that would make a binding strong enough for Creator to use. 

 

Eagerly they bent to the task.  After a bit of a struggle, they produced one binding from the mass of material that was before them.  The task complete, they then puzzled how to test the binding.  Would it hold?  Frog hopped over to one end of the binding, picked it up, and said, “There’s only one way to find out!  Let’s pull on each end.  If the binding holds, then we will have completed our task.”  Although he looked a bit silly straining to hold up one end of the binding, none could argue with his logic.  So all the creatures, great and small, gathered on each side of the binding and pulled with all their might.  The binding tensed and strained.  Finally, with a loud snap it gave way and all the creatures lay in a heap of feathers, hair, scales, and leaves.  They had failed. 

 

With much sadness, they helped each other from the ground.  How could they have hoped to accomplish such an impossible task, they wondered.  Why would Creator have played such a mean trick on them?  Would it not have been easier for Creator to have fashioned a new binding himself?  After all, he had created all things and knew their properties and strength.

 

Squirrel began to softly weep, not for herself, but for her mate who had fallen down a chasm attempting to retrieve a nice, fat vine.  She began to softly speak, to no one in particular, of her fond memories of him.  How swift and cunning he was; how they had happily toiled into the night in search of food for their children; how gently he had removed burrs from her coat and tail.  Softly she wept.  Other creatures nearby, upon hearing the sweet mutterings of the squirrel, were greatly moved and began to reflect upon their own kin who had been lost or had been left behind at the beginning of their quest.  Slowly, the murmurs and weeping spread to each Counsel member.  The soft weeping and voices of creation blended into one great sound.

 

Suddenly, to the amazement of all, the sun began to move from its position high in the heavens.  As the sun continued its downward journey, the moon slowly rose and shadows began to fall on the ground.  “What is this?  What has happened?” they wondered.  At that moment, a soft breeze began to rustle through the leaves of Tree.  As the breeze passed through the Counsel, a voice was heard to say, “You have done well, my children.  You have discovered a bond that I was able to use to renew that which had withered.”  All the creatures bowed their heads, for they realized that Creator had come among them. 

 

It was Owl who spoke, “What bond have we discovered?  As you see, the binding that we constructed lays in pieces on the ground.”  Softly, the voice responded.  “No.  That is not the binding of which I speak.  Your weeping and memories of your loved ones have reached my ears.  So strong was the bond between you and them and between each of you.  You see, I had noticed lately that in your haste to fulfill your own wants and needs, your memories of those who had gone before had begun to fade.  So I devised this means to cause you each to renew that bond.  As you honor your loved ones and love each other, you strengthen the bond between yourselves, with creation, and with me, your Creator”

 

Owl replied, “Your wisdom is great and without end and we, your children are grateful to you.  So that this bond remains forever strong, we beg you to devise a means by which to remind us to renew this precious bond.”  At that moment, snow began to fall from the heavens.  As the flakes fell upon the ground, Creator exclaimed, “This I give to you as a sign that it is time for remembrance and renewal.  With that, the breeze moved softly on through the forest. 

 

And so it has been from that time that with the falling of the first snow, we must renew our bond with those we love and with our Creator.

 

“Now the hour is late, young man, and tomorrow promises to be a busy day for both of us.  You really do need to try to get some sleep.” John’s father said abruptly.  As for John, visions of the creatures of the Great Counsel were fresh in his mind.  His father gently tucked him warmly in his bed and plodded slowly down the ladder.  “Dad!” exclaimed John.  “Yes, son?” replied his father.  “Dad, I love you.  And I love mom, too!” John said with a tear in his voice.  “Me too.” John’s father replied.  “Goodnight Son, and merry Christmas.”   John turned, snuggled under his blankets.  As sleep began to overtake him, he gazed out his window and beheld the flakes of snow beginning to fall past his window.  With a knowing smile on his face, John whispered, “Goodnight Mom, and merry Christmas.”  With that, John fell to sleep. 

 

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