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~~ One-Who-Smiles ~~
One-Who-Smiles, a young Diné (Navajo) girl of the Honaghaahnii (One-walks-around clan) climbed back to the opening of the sacred cave after she had filled her painted deer-hide pouch with polished stones
and rose quartz. To keep them safe within the pouch, her young fingers tied a knot in the four-strand cord made with red, green, white and blue beads. The nah-leen (hair bow made from colourful cloth) tied around her long, shiny black pony tail had loosened its grip, so she brushed the stray whispers of hair from in front of her eyes back behind her ears. When she dusted the dirt off of her buck-skin dress and bent over to dust her moccasins, a large cluster of fragrant purple flowers on a lilac shrub appeared in front of her again. "Ahe'hee (thank you)," she whispered to Mother Earth, "for these sacred gifts." Then she put the lilacs in the blue beaded basket her grandmother, Evening Light, had made for her last fall. With great caution, she made her way back down over the boulders and loose rocks to the river below.
One-Who-Smiles listened to the birds singing in a tall, massive pine tree. She marveled at its size and knew it would be a safe place to rest before
her journey back home. She set her basket of lilacs in the hollow of the massive tree and leaned against its trunk. "Ahe'hee, Mother Earth, for sharing these blessings with me. I’m going to take them home for the sacred ceremony that will heal the Spirit of my little sister," she confided in Mother Earth. Her faith was solid and she knew her little sister’s Spirit would be healed. "Bright-Eyes will no longer be
sick or in pain," she said with confidence. Mother Earth smiled and showered her and her little sister with silent blessings.
From the corner of her eye, One-Who-Smiles thought she saw a silver and gray wolf standing upon the canyon ridge. When she looked again, the
wolf was gone. She closed her beautiful big brown eyes and listened to the healing music of the River of Many Lights and fell asleep.
Tall Pine was known throughout the canyon for his love of children. His home was on the only patch of soft green and golden streaked grass overlooking the River of Many Lights. He was the great-grandson of Pine Elder. For many months he listened to Golden Sun, a blue bird who nested in the second fork of his branches, tell Breath-Of-Joy about a young girl who would visit her in her dreams and leave polished stones and rose quartz in her nest. (Breath-Of-Joy nested in the first fork because she was still young and not as strong as Golden Sun.) With a song in her voice, Golden Sun told her that upon awakening from the dream, her nest would be filled with the sweet fragrance of lilacs. Tall Pine wondered if he’d ever have that dream because he wasn’t a bird and didn’t have a nest.
It wasn’t long before Tall Pine began to smell the sweet fragrance of lilacs and see glimmers of polished stones coming from somewhere below him. (One-Who-Smiles hadn’t put them back in her pouch before she fell asleep.) "I’m not a bird and I don't have a nest," he chuckled. He slowly bent his stiff wooden body over for a closer look and saw the young girl asleep, hugging the polished stones to her chest. The rose quartz layed in her lap and he marveled at its colour. When he was younger, Pine Elder had told him of these stones and the powers they possessed.
His forest green eyes grew even bigger when saw One-Who-Smiles face. It had faint lines and wrinkles, something he thought only wise elders
had. "She seems much too young to be so old," he thought as he took a closer look. "Is she worried about something?" Tall Pine wondered as he picked her up in his strong caring arms. He combed her damp hair with his pine needles and gently kissed her forehead. In the softest baritone voice he could manage, he began to sing and rock her to the rhythm of the River of Many Lights.
The River of Many Lights was watching a rainbow dancing over the rocks of her western shore. Bright pink salmon and rainbow trout were leaping into the air catching bugs that skated across the top of her when Gray Eagle’s stoic silhouette appeared like a beveled mirror upon her face. He was soaring in Father Sky admiring the beauty and charm of his home: high mountains, desert plains, deep canyons and natural bridges. "Ya'at'eeh (hello),
River of Many Lights," he called out when his sharp eyes spotted One-Who-Smiles on the eastern shore. "Who is the young girl Tall Pine rocks in
his arms?" he asked with great interest. River of Many Lights turned her gaze towards the rocky shore when she heard the baritone voice of Tall Pine. "River of Many Lights, I need your help, my wise sister," he said. "I hold a young one who I know to be much too young to look so old." River of Lights approached the embankment for a closer look without making a single wave. "Concern for someone close consumes her heart, my brother," she said as she turned into a kaleidoscope of dancing lights. The lights surrounded One-Who-Smiles.
Golden Sun and Breath-Of-Joy were now laughing at Silver Streak, the only squirrel in the canyon with a crooked, silver streaked tail. He was leaping from limb to limb gathering pine nuts for his family when a pine needle lodged behind his right ear. It was tickling him and making his ear twitch, and when he sat on his hind legs and giggled (he was very ticklish), he would drop the pine nuts and had to start gathering them all over again. His giggles had become contagious.
It wasn’t long before Gray Eagle landed at the very top of Tall Pine, steadying himself with his sharp talons. In a kind voice he asked Golden Sun, Breath-Of-Joy and Silver Streak to be silent.
He didn’t want them to awaken the young girl. They tried very hard to stop their laughter and peered down at the young girl. They had been laughing and giggling so hard that they hadn’t seen her when she arrived.
When Shy-One last glanced over his broad shoulders, Bright-Eyes and two little girls were chasing a golden butterfly with small, black diamond shaped spots on its wings. (The elusive butterfly’s radiant
golden colour reminded Shy-One of the sun.) Her long black hair hung loose, flowing behind her like a wild stallion’s mane as she ran. She had a small deer-skin doll grasped tightly in her hand, and she laughed uncontrollably while running in front of her friends. The hobbled horses nearby seemed to be taking bets that she would win the race the two little girls were unaware of. "When my big sister comes back from the canyon, I will tell her how I out-ran them," she beamed. "She will be proud of me!"
Satisfied that Bright-Eyes would not miss him, Shy-One now turned his thoughts to the canyon. He raised his long thin snout into the air and began to sniff. Quickly his sharp nose caught the scent
he was searching for. It belonged to the only one who smelled of lilacs. He would never forget the scent as long as he lived, because it belonged to
the young girl who had saved his life five winters ago.
Shy-One passed a hummingbird with a light gray coloured crown, plum coloured cheeks and florescent green chest. It was suspended in mid-air feeding on the sweet nectar of a yellow cactus flower.
The spines of the cactus looked like Diné men mounted on beautiful horses protecting their women and children. A rattle snake was basking in the sun nearby and paid no attention to his passing.
A few miles later, Shy-One had reached the top of Canyon de Chelly. The richly coloured walls of the canyon reflected the faint colour tones in the deep shadows, casting a glamour over the life below. His wet black nose glistened in the hot afternoon sun while his sharp eyes searched the canyon floor. Only seconds had passed before he spotted her leaning against the trunk of a tall pine tree. Sensing her safety, he turned around and made his way back through the fertile land and herds of sheep to Bright-Eyes. He knew she would be looking for him soon.
One-Who-Smiles and Bright-Eyes went with their mother, Lights-In-Sky, to visit their favorite uncle and aunt, Crazy Legs and Squash Blossom, who
were of the Tseikeehee (Two Rocks-Sit clan). Crazy Legs was her mother's shínaaír (older brother).
Squash Blossom loved to cook and had prepared a feast of boiled meat, corn pone, roasted bayonet yucca pod and baked chechil bread for her guests. The smoke hole at the top of her hoo'gan (Navajo home) had filled the air with its scrumptious aroma, and One-Who-Smiles and Bright-Eyes could hardly wait to eat. They weren’t the only ones who were hungry. The long fingers of aroma had floated up to Shy-One who was asleep with his head buried deep within his thick winter coat. It ran across his ribs, as if they were counting them, and then he awoke with ravenous hunger pains. The old fellow hadn’t eaten for a long time. He stood up, shook the dirt from his
coat and stretched his legs like a runner getting ready for a ten mile run. Shy-One was extremely shy and had been since birth. He was also a loner and feared people -- but now, without thought, he was casting a skeleton shadow as he followed his nose down to the hoo'gan below. Suddenly, without warning, he fell head over heels and collapsed unconscious in the snow.
One-Who-Smiles was outside admiring the design of the wool blanket her aunt was making. Her aunt took pride in the craft, as was evident to all who were fortunate enough to see her fine work.
When One-Who-Smiles turned her eyes from the loom to marvel at the richly coloured walls of the canyon, she was just in time to witness a huge silver and gray wolf make a not-so-graceful landing in the snow. Without hesitation, she ran up the 200 yards where he laid with his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth and his long legs crumpled beneath his limp body.
One-Who-Smiles got down on her knees and cupped his gray chin with one hand and began to stroke his massive body with the other. Both of her arms were decorated with wrappings of small beads and trade
brass bracelets. Without fear, she continued to stroke the old wolf, admiring his beautiful thick winter coat. One-Who-Smiles knew that the Great Spirit had crossed their paths. With her right
hand she found the four-strand cord of red, green, white and blue beads and untied the knot with ease. She gingerly reached inside and
took the polished stones and rose quartz out of the deer-hide pouch. Then she raised both hands to Father Sky and bowed her head in prayer to the Great Spirit. When she opened her hands to raise the healing stones to the four corners and over Shy-One’s lifeless body, she saw lilacs had appeared just inches from his gray chin. Smiling, she said, "Ahe'hee, Mother Earth." One-Who-Smiles performed the sacred ceremony in the snow.
Shy-One sniffed the dry, late afternoon air and gave out a low howl before disappearing behind the rock where One-Who-Smiles and Bright-Eyes had shared
secrets not too long ago. He peeked from behind the rock and saw her, as if in a dream, picking sage; he had seen her do this many times before.
Shy-One was excited to see her and struggled to keep from running to her with his lips curled up over his pink gums and sharp teeth. The first time he greeted her this way, she froze in her steps. She didn’t know that this was the way wolves greeted members of their family, and, of course, she was
his family. When he thought he couldn't contain his excitement any longer, she reached the north side of the rock. Like lightening, he leaped into the air and knocked her to the ground, licking her face with his rough, sticky tongue. The basket of lilacs shot out of her hands and sailed through the air like an eagle in flight. He howled in
delight and wagged his tail furiously in the air like a soldier waving a white flag. Shy-One loved her and was happy she was home. He had always walked by her side whenever she left, however, this time she had asked him to stay behind and watch over her little sister.
One-Who-Smiles reached up and hugged Shy-One harder than ever before. ("Something seems strange about her," he thought.) He was sprawled on
top of her when he heard her muffled voice say, "Ayor anosh'ni (I love you) so much!" Excited, Shy-One gave out a long howl announcing his pleasure to see her and then got up and began running in circles, kicking dirt and loose pebbles everywhere. He ran as fast as he could, darting one way one minute and another the next. One-Who-Smiles threw her head back and started to roar hysterically with laughter. Everytime she laughed, Shy-One became even more excited. He leaped into the air
kicking his long hind legs out behind him and then spun around like a top. The afternoon sun twinkled like fire in his eyes as he ran around a herd of sheep grazing nearby. He sat down by a big, spiny cactus to catch his breath with his eyes locked on One-Who-Smiles like radar. Her laughter only encouraged him to become sillier, so he jumped to his feet and ran up and down the side of the mountain like
wildfire on dry grass, never losing site of his friend who was now bent over holding her stomach, screaming with laughter from the top of her lungs.
Thirty minutes later, One-Who-Smiles’ face was bright red and her sides ached from laughter. "Ahe'hee for the laughter and love you
share so freely with me," she told Shy-One. "You quench my thirst for happiness like fresh spring water in a hot desert," she whispered as she turned her eyes towards home and her little sister. Then she
reached over and wiped what she thought to be dust-tears from his eyes. Shy-One blinked as more Ayor anosh'ni-tears leaked from his eyes.
Side-by-side they walked towards home.
A huge smile -- wider than the canyon One-Who-Smiles had just left -- appeared on Bright-Eyes’ face when she saw her big sister. "You’re home, my sister, you’re home!" she said jumping to her feet with excitement. Before One-Who-Smiles could save her basket of lilacs from another spill on the ground, Bright-Eyes was air born knocking them
out of her hands onto the clean-swept floor. She buried her little face in her big sister’s tummy, reached up and hugged her tightly and said,
"Ayor anosh'ni, my sister." The two sisters became one.
Bright-Eyes wiped her mouth with the back of her hands after she had finished the sweet cactus fruit One-Who-Smiles had brought home for a treat. Bright-Eyes told her about how she had out-run the girls and caught a golden butterfly with small black diamond shapes on its wings. "You make me very proud, my sweet little sister. What did you do with the butterfly after you caught it?," she asked knowing the answer to her question. "I held the butterfly up to Father Sky and bowed my head in prayer to the Great Spirit," she said and wiped her sticky little hands on her deer-skin dress. "Big sister, when I opened my eyes I found this growing in the ground." She ran to the corner and stuck her chubby hand into a small basket sitting next to an old pair of moccasins. Her silver bracelet shined bright in the light filtering through the opening
of their hoo'gan. One-Who-Smiles watched her as she pulled out her hand and then peeked into inside the basket. Tears began to roll down Bright-Eyes’ rosy cheeks. "Siláhí (nothing is there), my sister, siláhí." "What is it you look for?" One-Who-Smiles asked with concern on her face.
"When I opened my eyes after I had prayed to the Great Spirit, I saw lilacs growing in the ground. The ones that smell like you. I know they weren’t there before I closed my eyes, because I would have seen them when I dropped my doll on the ground. I even saw your face, my sister," she managed to say through her tears. One-Who-Smiles reached over
and pulled her little sister close to her. As she hugged her tightly, she wiped away the stream of tears and runny nose with the bottom of her dress. "Sssshhh, my little sister," she said as she rocked her lovingly in her arms. "T'áá shoodí (please), t'áadoo 'ánít'íní (do not do that) my little sister, do not cry. I know where they are," she whispered in her ear. She kissed Bright-Eyes on her red wet cheeks and layed her back down on the wool blanket she slept on.
A rabbit was dining on Tall Pine’s soft carpet of green and golden streaked grass when One-Who-Smiles woke up. She looked around and saw the reflection of the full moon on the River of Many Lights and wondered how long she had been asleep. When she realized she was cradled between two branches, she scratched her head and made a funny face trying to recall how she had gotten there. "Ahe'hee for keeping me safe," she said to the tall pine tree and jumped down to the ground
below. As soon as her moccasins landed on the soft carpet of grass, the healing fragrance of lilacs called out to her from within the hollow of the tree. She reached in and pulled out the blue beaded basket, bent over and picked up the polished stones and rose quartz and put them back into her painted deer-hide pouch. When she stood back up, she looked at the river and saw a faint kaleidoscope of dancing lights. "I dreamed of those dancing lights," she thought and then picked eight long pine needles stuck together out of her hair. Tall Pine had left his pine needle comb in her hair.
One-Who-Smiles turned around and started to walk towards home. Suddenly, she heard a soft baritone voice say, "Good bye, my friend, worry no more." She spun around and looked at Tall Pine; her dark brown eyes big as saucers. "While you slept, your magnificent Spirit guided the Spirits of Precious Stones and Rose Quartz to a little girl
who held the Spirit of the Golden Butterfly with small black diamond spots on its wings in her hands," he continued. "The Spirits watched her as she raised the Golden Butterfly up to Father Sky with her head bowed in prayer to the Great Spirit. When the little girl opened her eyes to release the Golden Butterfly she had cupped in her hands, she saw the Spirit of the Lilac resting on the ground in front of her. My friend, the little girl had opened her heart and soul to the Great Spirit who has answered her prayers," Tall Pine said and then disappeared never to be seen again.
Surrounded by lights, One-Who-Smiles began her journey home singing:
In beauty I walk,
~~~ The End ~~~
(Copyright © ~Guanja 2000 All Rights Reserved.)
I wrote the story of ~~ One-Who-Smiles ~~ and dedicated it to my precious little Sisters in Spirit, beemal and Hudaa, who have filled my life with great meaning.
May the healing music of Father Sky and Mother Earth forever echo in your soul.
~Ayor Anosh'ni~
~Guanja
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