After 5 months being
married, Devalekha became pregnant, and after 9 more months, had a beautiful
little girl. The baby had the most beautiful eyes any chief or Indian had seen.
They named her Naini, which meant a girl with beautiful eyes. The whole village
thought that was a good name for her also. The baby began to grow healthy.
Everyday the family went to
the hidden waterfall and saw the rainbows in the mist waters. They all sat on
the big rock by the waterfall. When the baby was only 3 years old, her mother
died, but still everyday Randhir took his little girl to the waterfall and told
her all the things about her mother and how much they loved her.
Randhir remarried and the
Indian woman was named Asmita. The chief gave her this name about five years
back because she was prideful. She had 2 daughters just like her who were also
renamed by the chief 5 years ago. Their names were Naaz and Akecheta that means
pride and fighter. They were named this because they fought with each other a
lot.
Her stepsisters were not
very nice to Naini. They made her clean the tepee, work in the garden, and
anything else they needed while Randhir was hunting or fighting. When Naini had
a spare moment she ran to the waterfall, which was a place that only her and
her father knew of. When she came back, Asmita scolded her for being gone for
30 minutes.
News came to the village
that Randhir and some other men had died in the war. When she heard this, she
ran to the waterfall because now she had no one to love and be happy with. She
stayed at the waterfall all day crying and thinking. That night she slept on
the rock that her father and she use to sit on and talk.
Naini returned in the
morning, and Asmita was very angry with Naini for not finishing her work
yesterday. Naini tried to explain, but Asmita gave Naini some baggy clothes and
old moccasins and sent her away. While Naini was walking away, she told Naini
that she had twice amount of work today.
She got dressed quickly and
started working. She was happy while she did the jobs that Asmita had given her
to do because she thought of how happy her parents were with the great spirits.
She loved to sing the songs that her father used to sing to her. This comforted
Naini to sing because it felt like her parents were singing with her.
She became the most
beautiful woman in the land. She had long silky black hair that was always in
two beautiful braids. Her face was gorgeous, and she wore baggy clothes. That
is why the people did not notice her.
Every day she went to pick
berries. One day when she was returning from picking berries, some servants
were coming towards the tepee of Naini. They said that everyone was invited to
the dance in one week to see and meet the chief’s son, Ramon, who wanted to
find a bride. Ramon means wise protector.
When Naini heard this she
was very excited and ran to her stepmother and begged her to let her go and
meet Ramon. Asmita said no because she was dirty. The real reason was because
Asmita was jealous of the young beautiful girl. She wanted Ramon to fall in
love with her daughters and not even have a chance of seeing Naini. Asmita knew
that if Ramon did see Naini, he would fall in love with her. Naini begged her again,
but Asmita gave her the same answer.
Naini keep on working hard,
hoping Asmita would change her mind and give her some nicer clothes to go, but
it did not happen. On the day of the dance Naaz and Akecheta were fighting like
crazy and were trying on so many clothes and moccasins. They put on all their
beads they had earned. They did this to show off for Ramon and show him how
wonderful they were.
Naini worked really hard and
did brave things but had not earned any beads. Beads and feathers did not mean
much to her. She just wanted to be the best she could so when she died she
could return to the Great Spirit and to the loving embrace of her earthly
parents. After she waved good-bye to her stepsisters, she ran into the tepee to
lay her wet eyes on her bed.
Then, she saw a heavenly
being looking at her in the manner that for some reason comforted her. They
stood there in silence for a minute or two, and then the angel broke the
silence by asking why she looked like she was crying. Naini explained that she
wanted to go to the dance to go and meet Ramon. Naini asked the angel what her
name was. The angel said that it was Devakanya, which means Celestial Maiden.
Naini asked Devakanya if she would help her get to the dance so she could meet
Ramon for the first time. Devakanya told her that’s what she had come.
Devakanya had brought a
beautiful dress and a pair of moccasins. Naini had not seen a more exquisite
outfit in her whole life. Outside the tepee, there was a beautiful shiny black
horse with a white star on its forehead and a silky black mane. Devakanya
warned her that she needed to be back home when the sun rises in the east
mountain. Naini promised with all her heart that she would.
She hurried and put on the
clothes that Devakanya had given her, washed her hair, and put it into two
tight braids. Devakanya gave her the warning once more and said that if she was
not back home when the sun was rising in the east mountain that her beautiful
clothes would turn back into rags. She would need to walk home and feel
embarrassed in front of everyone. Naini told her that she would and climbed on
the black mare and rode off to the chief’s house.
When she arrived, there were
some Indians playing music. She tried to find her stepsisters. When she spotted
them, they were talking to some other men that were friends to Ramon. They were
asking them what kinds of things Ramon liked, how to impress him, and things
like that. Naini did not really care about impressing Ramon; she just wanted to
act like herself because that was just the way she was.
She got to the dance when
the sun was hitting the west mountain. It had only been a half of hour or so
when the chief ordered for all the young ladies to line up to meet Ramon. All
the ladies rushed forward because they all tried to get to the front of the
line so they could meet Ramon very first hoping he would fall in love with her
without even seeing the others.
Suddenly Ramon came out and
sat on some buffalo skins, which were neatly laid on the floor. Some of the ladies
who were bickering and fighting stopped their quarreling because they did not
want Ramon to see them fighting.
The chief ordered that one
woman at a time would come and meet his son Ramon. Naini saw each of her
stepsisters show off their beads and feathers and they talked to him for one
minute each. This kept going on for about 3 hours.
Ramon told his father that
he had not found anyone that was pretty and plain enough for him. Ramon wanted
someone who did not like to show off, was very kind and loving, and loved him
for who he was and not just because he was the chief’s son.
Naini was not selfish, and
she was the last person in line. Ramon saw her from a distance as she was
talking to an old lady. He suddenly fell in love with her because now he knew
that she was the one he was looking for and wanted to fall in love with. Her eyes were so beautiful and sparkly. He
was impressed and knew that was the way she was, not just to show off for him.
He excused himself and went
right towards her, which was the back of the line. The others watched in
jealously as Ramon suddenly asked Naini to dance. The other young ladies saw
how beautiful Naini was. They were so angry and jealous, but they did not show
it because maybe, they hoped, Ramon would chose them. From the beginning they
did not love him but liked him because he was the chief’s son, and they would
soon have power.
Naini and Ramon were falling
in love. Ramon did not care if Naini had beads or not he knew she deserved
them. They danced on until Naini saw the sun rising in the east mountain. She
ran from Ramon, not even giving him her name. Ramon went after her in the
crowd, but she was gone. He found a beautiful moccasin that could only fit the
girl he was dancing with before. He promised himself that whoever’s foot fits
this moccasin he would marry.
She returned, changed
clothes, and talked with Devakanya until her stepsisters came in unhappy and
grumpy. Naini pretended she had been sleeping. Then they explained in sobs the
whole story of the beautiful woman that Ramon fell in love with. Now, he is
looking for the woman who fits this beautiful fine moccasin, and he or his
servants are going to every tepee in the village to find the girl who fits it.
They went to bed with wet
pillows, and they sleep in because they were going to bed when the sun was
rising in the east mountain. They slept till the sun was almost in the middle
of the sky. They woke up and ate their lunch.
There was a man outside the
door of the tepee. Naaz ran and got it. It was Ramon’s servant, who said that
Ramon was looking for the woman that this moccasin fits, holding out a
beautiful moccasin. The stepsister tried to put it on but it just did not fit.
The servant was sad because this was the last tepee in the village.
Naini recognized the
moccasin and asked if she could try. The stepsisters said that she could not,
but the servant said that she must. Naini slid the moccasin right on, and she
took out the other one and put it on.
Suddenly a beautiful outfit
appeared on her, and the servant was so happy because he found the beautiful
lady that Ramon wanted and loved. Then suddenly, the black mare appeared again,
and the servant led her to the chief’s house.
The stepsisters were very
angry with Naini. When Naini arrived, Ramon knew it was she who he loved, and
Naini loved him also. The chief gave her another name, which was Naini Nazaaha.
The name means a girl with beautiful eyes who is pure, honest, and righteous.
They were soon married, and
11 months later they had a beautiful little girl. They gave her the name
Nabanipa, which means a new flower. They lived happy ever after.
The End
By April Willis age 11
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