IN HEAT SCENTS, The Forgotten Ear of Corn

An Arikara woman was once gathering corn from the field to store away for winter use. She passed from stalk to stalk, tearing off the ears and dropping them into her folded robe. When all was gathered she started to go, when she heard a faint voice, like a child's, weeping and calling: "Oh, do not leave me! Do not go away without me."

The woman was astonished. "What child can that be?" she asked herself. "What babe can be lost in the cornfield?"

She set down her robe in which she had tied up her corn, and went back to search; but she found nothing.

As she started away she heard the voice again:

"Oh, do not leave me. Do not go away without me."

She searched for a long time. At last in one corner of the field, hidden under the leaves of the stalks, she found one little ear of corn. This it was that had been crying, and this is why all Indian women have since garnered their corn crop very carefully, so that the succulent food product should not even to the last small nubbin be neglected or wasted, and thus displease the Great Mystery.

This story and all of the other Native American Lore on this site were given to me by someone that found them on a CD at a yard sale.

I dont' know of anyway to get up with anyone about copyrights or any other thing of that type.

If there are any copyright infringements I will be glad to either take any or all of the stories off, or work out some other compromise.

The stories are so entertaining and teach such GREAT lessons/morals that I only want to share them with anyone that wants to read them.

They might help someone learn of their history, or be of some other help to them. I just want to share them.