How the Moose Got His Antlers
I sat by the dancing fire in a never-ending circle with my tribe members. I looked across the flurry fire and saw my best and only friend, Omaha. Her father was a warrior; he never let Omaha out of the long house when he was home. Even though on the outside I respected him very much, on the inside I wish he never came back from hunting some days. I glanced over toward him and the group of warriors, the way his face never smiles and the way his black Mohawk shimmers in the firelight it scares me, but when the wise elder starts his nightly story, everything seems to clam down.
"Come my children, let me you the story of how the moose got his antlers. A long time ago when animals could talk and the earth was new, the Creator made an animal that had no defense against the big bad bear

that lived deep in the forest where no animal could survive. He called that animal Moose. One day Moose was trying to find some good green grass to eat in the forest. It started getting dark and Moose decided it was time to go back to his longhouse. When he turned around he was standing in front of big, bad, brown bears cave. His teeth were charting and he started to get goose bumps all down his legs, and then he heard the booming voice of the big, brown, bear. "Who dare stop to eat my great green grass, or even step close to my cave?" Even though Moose was warned about the powers of the bear, he foolishly answered, "it is the great brown moose".
"Well if you're so great then come on and fight me," boomed the bear
"I just think that you're the one who is scared, so I wait for you to come out" yelled Moose. Moose was thinking that if he ran away the bear would destroy Moose's brand new longhouse and himself, but Moose had a plan. Then Bear stepped out of his cave, but before he had time to think Moose came charging at him with two pointy sticks tied with twine to his head. When Moose was about to poke bear in the stomach bear yelped "please stop, what do you want I'll do anything, anything just don't hurt me" Moose was surprised at this, but he thought of the best thing that his little mind could think of he said " Coward Bear, you have to promise me that you'll never ever again harm any thing on this great earth of animals."
"Yes strong one whatever you say, but one thing, could you kind of keep this little incident between you and me great one," cried bear
"I'll try my best, but remember our promise", and with that the now strong Moose walked away from Bear.
One corn-growing week later, Moose was walking in the forests. He headed straight to Bears cave to talk to him about a complaint from water otter. When he got there he saw to his amazement Bear getting ready to eat little cottontail rabbit. Moose ran right for the big tummy of Bear. He ran as fast as he could to head butt him, but when his head met bears stomach he heard the booming yelp of the biggest creature in the forest. Moose didn't know it but when he was running the Creator was giving him antlers to defeat Bear. He saved little cottontail, and the rest of the forest. And from that day forward the big, brown bear never messes with the great, strong Moose, and his pointy antlers."
Everyone started to get up to go back to their longhouses up on the hill, but I stayed back and watched the people go.
"Naomi, come on" I heard from in front of me. It was Omaha. She was calling me to walk with her. Next to her stood her father. When I started to walk over her father said, " it's ok Naomi," he signaled for me to come and as he did that I saw the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face.
That is it
By Brittany

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