The Legend of Sleeping Bear
“In the Beginning of All Things,
Wisdom, and Knowledge, and Love,
Were With the Animals.”
A Native American Proverb
Whenever I have wandered along this Great Lake
I’ve always visited ‘The Sleeping Bear Lakeshore’
A place, that has fascinated me since my childhood
With a marvelous legend, worth repeating once more
Long, long ago, far, far across this lake, in Wisconsin
A massive forest fire had erupted one horrendous night
A mother black bear rushed her two children to the shore
They were trapped by the fire, her children filled with fright
Mother Bear led her two tiny children into the lake and began swimming
She and her two offspring swam for hours, attempting to reach this side
Mother Bear kept urging them on, and she finally crawled onto this shore
But as she lay here in exhaustion, her two beloved children sank and died
The Great Spirit, looking down from the heavens, saw what had happened
And, He soon took pity on the now grieving Mother Bear, on this lakeshore
He lifted two dirt mounds from the lake bottom, to mark her children’s graves
And, these two new islands now became known as ‘The Manitous’ forever more
To this day, Mother Bear still lies here on this shore, looking out at her beloved children
She refused to move from this spot, eventually becoming covered over by dirt and sand
The Chippewa Indians, who revered all life forms, still tell ‘The Legend of Sleeping Bear’
As a young camper when I first heard this mesmerizing tale I was impressed, and I still am
©2011 Lake Wandering, Mr. Ed
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Anna
in the hearts of those who care
and know their worth.
This is truly beautuful.
John
worthy of telling
~Mr Ed~
Much to be learned
from all critters
Lady Vivian
(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Texas, Karen Lynn. :)
sis