The Bridegroom Copyright 2014 There were plenty of horses and numerous sheep that grazed upon his mothers land. Off and on, his parents sought a bride for their son who was now a man who had lived 22 summers. He knew the bow and arrow hunting ways and refused to use the gun that had been gifted to him by his father. Being the eldest child of 7 children, he never received hand-me-downs. Everything was new or nearly new. All his parents had to do was trade a sheep or two to provide whatever items that he needed at the trading post. With a large flock, the sheep reproduced quickly, so trading a sheep was actually helping to keep the flock at a steady size. He could only accept the finest of the finest. One day, the parents returned home with great news. A bride had been selected and her maternal grandmother and mother had accepted the arrangement. What does she look like? was all the young man could think about. She is tolerable to look upon, was all his mother answered. His family began gathering the concho belts, squash blossom necklaces, 6 saddled horses and 15 sheep. For that amount, she had better be beautiful! he half joked to his mother. We are paying a small amount for her hand in marriage. She can cook, tend to sheep, weave and prepare buckskin, was all his mother replied. He slept outside at night under the brilliant starts wondering what his bride might look like. Is her skin soft like rabbit fur? Are her eyes as lovely as a deers eyes? Does she cook like my mother or like my youngest sister? He thought to himself. He could not bear not knowing how she looked. The following morning, he was half asleep from staying up late into the night wondering about his bride to be. He began chopping wood. He chopped the wood that sent a chip into his eye as he began another swing. Down came the ax that removed his right toe as he squinted with a small chip of wood in his eye. His parents went to the brides home explaining what had occurred. His parents paid the brides family what they had requested. Recovering from the accident only set the wedding date further back. He continued to wonder what his bride looked like. One morning he set out to hunt with his bow and arrow. Rather than hunting, the young man set out to find out what his bride-to-be looked like. He traveled until the sun was midway though His journey when he came upon his brides land. It was easy to find because it was located right below the great standing rock. He hid behind trees trying to locate his bride. At last, a young woman exited the hogan carrying a medium sized pottery vase. He followed her a short distance as she walked to the nearby river to fill her vase with water. The young man crept closer and closer when he was struck in the leg with an arrow. With an arrow piercing through the flesh of his left calf, he used his good leg to jump back on the horse and gallop away. The tip of the arrow irritated the horse enough that it bucked him off. He landed on his left shoulder dislocating it as he landed. He awoke in his mothers shade house. His bride-to-bes father and uncles returned him to his mother. He awoke to hear his bride-to-bes father say I did not agree for my daughter to marry a foolish man who harms himself. How is he going to provide for my daughter in his condition? An agreement was made. The bridegrooms younger brother who had lived through 20 winters would be the one to marry the bride. At the wedding, both brothers were anxious to see the bride. Their mother was correct, the price paid for her hand-in-marriage was a small amount. I couldnt think of a name for this story. Let me know if you can think of one. :D
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 06:06:55 +0000
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