Summer is definitely starting up. The other day I was driving along and saw a turtle trying to cross the road. That tells me they are up and about for the season, but the trick is to keep them from getting hit as they plod to another water spot! I put on my emergency blinkers and headed back to pick him up. A large RV on the other side of the road swerved away from him. I went to carefully pick it up and discovered the round ones are the Snapping Turtles! YIKES! Another driver came up and she said I should keep using my foot to nudge it along. Nobody had a shovel (must remember to put one in my car for turtles and possums). Progress was minimal when another woman came up with a cloth tote bag! I was able to scoop the turtle in and deliver it to the side where it wanted to go. <SIGH!> Before I got back in my car I looked and saw a long line of vehicles in each direction. Didn't see the turtle, but hope it stays on its new side for a long time.
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| Common snapping turtle facts |
Wikipedia.org about Cultural depictions of turtles has a worldwide look at the turtle throughout the world and mentions "In the stories of many Indigenous groups of North America, the World Turtle carries the Earth upon its back." It goes on to talk about the turtle going down in the water to bring up sand or mud to create the earth. The Wyandot people send turtle in a different direction in a lovely astronomical tale I think you will often remember as you see the night sky and all its changes. This version is found in The Turquoise Story Book, the summer anthology by the Skinner sisters, Ada and Eleanor (they did one for each season and a bit more!)
LEGEND OF THE SUN, MOON, AND
STARS
(WYANDOTTE)
There was a time when the Indians called the Little Turtle, the Keeper of the Heavens. That was when the Indians thought the earth was a Great Island, which rested upon the Big Turtle's back. It came about in this way. When the Great Island was first made there were no Sun and no Moon and no Stars. In order to know what to do the old Turtle called a meeting of all the animals. When they had all gathered together the old Turtle told them that there was no light. After a long discussion as to what could be done to mend matters the animals grew weary and were about to go home and let the Great Island continue in darkness, when the Little Turtle spoke up and said: "If I were able to climb into the sky I could gather some of the lightning and make light."
"Go," said Big Turtle. "It will do no harm to try."
Now the Little Turtle had very great powers for, as soon as he had made up his mind to go, a vast cloud full of thunder and lightning slowly rolled down toward the animals, and came so near that Little Turtle climbed into it and was soon carried into the Sky.
As soon as Little Turtle arrived there he went around and gathered as much as he could of the lightning and kindled a great round flame, which stood still in the Sky. But it did not light all of the Great Island. The Sun, as Little Turtle had made it, was not satisfactory, so another meeting of all the animals was called. To this Council Little Turtle came in the cloud.
It was decided to give the Sun life and spirit, so that he could run about the Sky by day. Some animals were told to bore a hole through the earth so that the Sun could go through it and be back in the East by night.
This the animals did. But the Sun sometimes loitered in this earth passage and too often the world was left in total darkness. Again the animals were dissatisfied, and a third meeting was called to decide the best plan and to scold the Sun for his neglect.
To this third meeting the Sun and the Little Turtle and all the other animals came. They decided then and there that the Little Turtle should make the Sun a wife, and that she should shine while he was going back to the East through the earth passage.
Then the Little Turtle made the Moon, and gave her as a wife to the Sun. She was smaller and not so powerful as he. You can see her in the Sky. The Stars that run about the Sky are their many children.
One day the Moon ran into the earth passage earlier than she should have done, and before the Sun himself had passed through. So offended was he that he robbed her of all her heat and much of her light, and she was never able to keep pace with him in the Sky.
Not knowing why her light had grown dim, or what had become of her, the Little Turtle went out to see what was the matter. He found the Moon lingering along the underground trail. There was just a little light and heat left to her, and barely a strip of her once glorious body—just as much as one sees of the new Moon nowadays.
Little Turtle brought her out and tried to mend her. But it was of no use. She would become better for a time and then relapse. Soon she would improve again until she was almost as strong as ever she had been; then again she would begin to fade away until at last only a tiny strip was left of her, and she had almost no heat. And this trick of changing has been repeated many, many times. Indeed, to this day the Moon continually changes her shape.
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This is part of a series of postings of stories under the category, “Keeping the Public in Public Domain.” The idea behind Public Domain was to preserve our cultural heritage after the authors and their immediate heirs were compensated. I feel strongly current copyright law delays this intent on works of the 20th century. My own library of folklore includes so many books within the Public Domain I decided to share stories from them. I hope you enjoy discovering them.
At the same time, my own involvement in storytelling regularly creates projects requiring research as part of my sharing stories with an audience. Whenever that research needs to be shown here, the publishing of Public Domain stories will not occur that week. This is a return to my regular posting of a research project here. (Don't worry, this isn't dry research, my research is always geared towards future storytelling to an audience.) Response has convinced me that "Keeping the Public in Public Domain" should continue along with my other postings as often as I can manage it.
See the sidebar for other Public Domain story resources I recommend on the page “Public Domain Story Resources."
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