The Bear and the Butterfly By Janice Meyer Kirkpatrick

 

It was the time of the 7^th moon and in the green forest, in a deep cave, right near the gentle stream, lived Bear.

 

Bear was large and he loved sleeping.  He loved sleeping because he dreamt dreams of many colors. 

 

When Bear was not sleeping he loved to dance! 

 

When the village had ceremonies, Bear stood at the edge of the forest on the village border and dance to the sounds of the drum that that came from the people.

 

One morning when Bear was on the way to the river for a salmon breakfast, he heard Blue Bird singing high in the treetops.  He stopped, and looked up. 

 

Blue Bird sang and sang.  He was busy courting lady Blue Bird and he was singing his best song ever to her.  Bear was so enchanted with the song that he started to dance.

 

 

He danced and danced.  He was having so much fun that he forgot all about the river and his salmon breakfast.  For a while then, he was lost in the joy of dancing.

 

Just then, who flew up, but Yellow Butterfly.  She loved to see Bear dance like this.  She had watched him before when he didn’t notice her and it made her so happy to see him having such a good time.

 

She flitted around and he didn’t even notice her because a lot of the time Bear like to dance with his eyes closed to feel and not get caught up in seeing.

 

For some reason, however, this time, Bear got a bit dizzy from spinning around too much and he opened his eyes to see Yellow Butterfly right in front of his face!

 

This gave Bear a start and he fell backwards on his bottom.  Boom!

 

Yellow Butterfly thought this was so funny and started to laugh.  She then proceeded to land right on Bears’ nose!

 

He looked at her cross-eyed and they were locked in gaze. Then she flew off into the trees up toward Blue Bird.

 

Bear watched as she flitted away.  There he sat on his bottom and now his belly was talking.

 

Bear got up and resumed his journey to the river for salmon fishing, thinking to himself, “She was pretty!”

 

Bear salmon fished all day long and slept by the river that night.  It was warm and the stars were out twinkling in the night sky above him.  He felt safe and warm and happy to have such a full belly of salmon.

 

That night Bear dreamt of a place in the forest that he’d never been before. 

 

It was sundown time. 

 

He walked down a path and it felt as if someone was guiding him. 

 

There were trees and plants that he’d never seen before.  There were beautiful flowers of all kinds, small and big of all different colors and shapes.  Bear stopped to sniff some of them and they smelled so wonderful to him!  The path was soft beneath his feet and there were birds singing in the treetops.

 

After a while, he came upon a clearing.  There was a small lake in the center and trees all around the edge of it.  In the trees he noticed something strange.  The leaves of the trees seemed to be alive!  They were moving! 

 

Then, all of a sudden, a wind came and all of the leaves FLEW OFF THE TREES!!!  Bear was shocked!  Then he realized after

 

looking closer… THEY WERE BUTTERFLIES!!!!!  Big ones, small ones, all different color ones!  Beautiful, beautiful glorious butterflies!

 

They swooped down at him and all around him.  Flutter, flutter went their wings.  The wind felt warm and gentle as their wings made their own soft breezes as they passed his face and arms.

 

Bear reveled in the glory and the beauty of the butterflies.  He felt as if he too could float like them and he started to move like them and dance around with them. 

 

Soft, melodious music started to come through the space, like an amorphic dream.  It flowed through Bear and it seemed to make the butterflies very happy because their flight became more like a dance of joy.

 

Bear danced and danced.  He danced for the whole night with the butterflies.  The butterflies loved Bear and as they flew all around him he took on their colors.  His coat started to shine and he even looked like he had a thousand little wings all over his back and arms as the butterflies landed and flew off of him and all around him.

 

He felt so wonderful and free and he even sang a little to the music that played through the air that elevated all of them into a special spiritual realm.

 

 

That morning Bear awoke to the sun beaming on his belly.  He had slept a very good sleep and he had been given a blessing with the most wonderful dream he could ever had dreamt in his life.

 

It really felt to Bear that the butterflies were inside his spirit now and they were part of him.

 

He got up and stretched as all animals do before they set off from a sleeping place.  He looked down the path, to the left and then to the right.  He sat there for a while seeing which way was best to go.  Finally he decided that left was best and he started to make his way down the path.

 

A little ways down the path, he heard a bird making much noise and he saw that there was a Hawk.  Hawk was big and he called out to Bear. 

 

“Bear!” said Hawk.

 

Bear looked up and said “Yes Hawk?  What do you want?”

 

“Bear!  It is known in the forest of your dream.”  Hawk said.

 

“It is?” said Bear.

 

“Yes, it is Bear.” said Hawk. “And I am instructed by the Great Spirit to lead you some place now.  Follow me Bear.”

 

 

 

Bear nodded and plodded off after Hawk.  Hawk flew high in the sky and Bear had to get up on his hind legs to see hawk every once in a while to make sure he was on the right trail.

 

Bear followed Hawk for a long while and eventually they arrived at a stream that came from a small waterfall.

 

“Drink Bear.”  Said Hawk.

 

And Bear drank.  Hawk also landed and had a drink of the cool fresh clean water from the stream.  Bear was thirsty and drank for a while.

 

 

“It is time Bear.”  Said Hawk and flew away out of sight.

 

 

Bear stood at the waters edge and looked around.  He decided to sit and take in the beauty.  It was very pretty there with lots of flowers of all different colors and he was tired from the long walk.

 

The sun beamed on him and it felt good. 

 

Just then, he heard some rustling in the trees and he looked up. 

 

He was amazed at what he saw. 

 

 

There was a beautiful native woman with long black hair. Only she had the most giant yellow butterfly wings that he had ever seen! He knew she was Yellow Butterfly from that day with the Blue Bird.  Except now, she was Yellow Butterfly Woman and she was a sacred spirit who was with him now!

 

She flew down to him and looked into his eyes.  He was so happy and full of joy that a tear formed in his eye and it rolled down his cheek. 

 

She smiled at him warmly and kissed him gently on the cheek, where his tear was falling.

 

Then, something amazing happened.  Bear felt tingles all over his body and a thousand lights swirled around him from his head to his toes.

 

Bear was changing… He was changing into a man! 

 

Bear changed into a handsome native man with long black hair and a Bear skin to cover him, for he was still Bear.

 

He felt very different being a man, but Yellow Butterfly Woman assured him that it was good and Great Spirit had plans for him. 

 

He felt good and went with her.

 

They walked from the water and to the forest.  She led him to the village. 

 

When he saw the village he was afraid.  He said to her that he was afraid they would see him and shoot him with the arrow.  She said no, because now he was a man and he was safe.  They would not shoot the arrow at him.

 

He trusted her and they walked into the village.

 

All the natives crowded around them.

 

A young boy summoned the Chief,  and he came out of his Tipi.

The Chief came over to them and looked at Bear.

 

Finally he spoke.

 

“We have been expecting you Bear.” Said the Chief.

 

“You have?” said Bear.

 

“Yes, we have.  We have heard stories of the Bear who dances and we have often dreamt of you and prayed to see your dance.”

 

“Wow!”  Said Bear, “It is I who am honored to be here!  I have heard your wonderful music and I have so often wanted to join in your ceremonies, but I was afraid if I came out of the woods that you would shoot me with the arrow.”

 

“Oh Bear.  We know you and we Love you.  We want you to join us.  We are so happy that you are here now.  Great Spirit

 

 told me through the Shaman that Yellow Butterfly Woman would bring you and now that she has, we must celebrate!” Said the Chief.

 

“Come!  Everyone!  We celebrate!” Shouted the Chief.

 

And with this everyone in the Tribe gathered together and started to make the music.  There was drumming and singing and all kinds of wonderful musical sounds!

 

Bear’s spirit lifted so high and he looked at Yellow Butterfly Woman with joy, grabbed her hand and started to dance with her!

 

Everyone watched as Bear danced with Yellow Butterfly Woman. 

 

They saw his rhythm was different and they changed the beat of the drums to his step.  This changed things for it brought much more magic from Bear’s spirit dance.

 

What happened next was also amazing.

 

Again, like in Bear’s dream, except more now…hundreds and thousands of little lights appeared and intermingled with Butterfly and Bear and all the natives watching them. 

 

The lights made everyone mix with their own spirit animal and they all changed to part native and part animal!  The whole tribe

felt the magic! 

 

The dance was power that night.  The music was amazing! 

 

The trees seemed to love it too! They swayed in the breeze to the music.

 

 The Earth was warm with the Love she felt from the many dancing feet upon her soft brown skin.

 

The Love that was made from the dance and the music went far.  The Love went so far that it covered the Earth and the Earth was the happiest she had ever been. 

 

She healed all her wounds and grew trees.  All her rivers and streams became clean.  The oceans became pure and all of the bad things went away.  It was so good now that there was no place for any bad at all.

 

From then on, the animals and man lived in peace with Mother Earth.  They danced every night to the beautiful music and they made the Love so strong that the Earth was happy every day and every night.

 

And that is the story of the Bear and the Butterfly. 

 

We now Pray for Peace, Love and Happiness for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Janice Meyer Kirkpatrick 2009 ©

The Magic Tree By Janice Meyer Kirkpatrick

 

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a very old tree. Its knobby roots were very big and they grew deep down under the rich umber soil of the earth. The roots spanned as far as, if not farther than, the broad out-stretched branches of the very old tree. When it rained, it rained a lot. So, the earth and the tree received plenty of water and they had enough to quench their thirst all the way through the long dry periods.

 

            One beautiful day in spring, a young boy came walking along, and his bright eyes beheld the grand old tree. "Never in my life have I seen such a magnificently magical tree." He thought to himself as he stood in awe gazing up at the tree and admired the out-stretched branches, which seemed to span to forever.

 

            As he stood there, awestruck, something strange started to happen. As if by magic, he sensed the tree drawing him nearer to sit amongst its knobby roots. So, he did. The boy sat down under the tree and it was nice. In fact, it was good.

 

            There he sat. He sat there the whole day through. The old tree grew in a place where you could see for miles in every direction. The view was spectacular. He could see the vast lands. It was as if he could see the whole world. The day turned into night and he didn't have to leave.

 

            He slept and all night long and he had the most wonderful dreams. He dreamt about a ship on an ocean. He sailed to faraway lands. In the morning, he awoke refreshed and happy.

 

            It was good, so he sat there another day, and another night, until the days and nights turned into a week, and the weeks turned into a month, and the months turned into seasons, and the seasons turned into years. There he stayed. He was so content. He needed nothing.

 

            The tree loved him. That was all he needed; the tree, and...love.

 

            The boy had sat there for so long, that he started to grow older. He stayed there day after day, night after night, week after week, month after month, season after season, year after year. As time passed, he grew into a handsome young man.

 

            In the day, he sat under the tree resting his back against the tree trunk, completely absorbed by his beautiful surroundings. At night, he slept soundly and dreamed glorious dreams.

 

            His body grew bigger and his hair grew longer. His mustache and his beard grew. The hair on his arms and legs grew longer and darker. The young man sat and he sat. He stayed there until he grew to be a mature man. By this time his hair had grown past his shoulders and the hair covering his face was also getting noticeably longer.

           

            His beautiful dark brown locks of hair curled around his face, neck and shoulders, and, as the branches gently swayed in the wind, his hair waved in the wind with the leaves and of the tree.

           

            He sat and he sat. He sat until he grew to be an old man. His hair had turned white and so had his long beard and mustache. His beautiful snowy locks curled all around the big knobby roots of the tree. The old man just sat, feeling the lovely warmth of the old tree behind his back. This feeling was enough to sustain him. He had needed no food or water through this whole time. For the tree gave him everything he needed and he just sat.

 

            The man had sat there for over one hundred years! Until one day, he and the tree knew it was time. The magic tree seemed to sigh as the sun was setting. And, as the sun set over the horizon, in a magnificent blaze of orange, red, pink and purple hues, the old man's beautiful young heart stopped beating and the old man died.

 

            Many more years passed. The leaves of autumns fell and covered up the old man and his body went back to the earth. The sun rose and set thousands of times. The moon shone through its phases night after night. The seasons came and went and the magic tree stood.

 

           

            One day, a very beautiful young girl came walking by the tree. She too was struck by the magic tree and its immensity of presence and beauty. She was also called to sit beneath the tree. So, she did.

 

            She sat for the whole day, until it turned to night. She too decided to sleep at the foot of the tree. She too had beautiful dreams of sailing on the sea to exotic faraway lands. The next day came and the girl stayed. She stayed for the whole of that day and the next. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, season after season; the girl sat.

 

            Eventually, the beautiful young girl who had first arrived at the tree, had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her golden hair grew into gorgeous long wavy locks which curled around her tan colored arms and legs. Her hands were also beautiful.  She would wave them in the wind as the branches of the tree waved. She would smile as the wind blew them gently to and fro, to and fro.

 

            There, under the magic tree, she stayed until she grew into a mature woman. By this time, there was definitely a deep wisdom about her. This occurrence could only be attributed to the powerful, and subtle energy (called love) that the old magic tree had freely given to her for all these years.

 

            The man and the woman were magically sustained for their whole lives by one thing; one thing that nothing and nobody can do without. That one thing is love. Love is all anybody really needs. It is the love that gives us life. The thing we search for; the thing we long for; the one thing that is inherent in all of us; undoubtedly is: love...Love...LOVE.     

 

            The woman stayed under the tree. Her hair turned silver and gray. And, when the wind blew, her hair gently waved in the wind with the leaves of the tree, as if she were part of the tree and the majestic interlude between heaven and earth. Her limbs seemed to move as if she was hearing a symphony. Her presence radiated with an iridescence light, as if she was symbiotically connected with the tree and with everything that came before her.

           

             Usually, the most one could see of her was her beautiful face smiling in the sunshine. As the wind died down, her silvery locks rested amongst the roots of the old magic tree.

           

            The beautiful old woman sat and she sat. Until one morning, as the sun rose up over the horizon in a majestic orchestra of crimson and indigo hues, the old woman's heart beat its last beat and she died.

 

            Seasons passed and the leaves and the earth covered her up, until there were no remnants found of her ever being there.

 

            Much time passed and the magic tree seemed to change its color to a lighter shade of green. It also seemed to be decreasing in size somewhat. Something was happening. You could feel the magic tree longing for the company of the man and the woman.

 

            Several years passed. And as spring arrived, beautiful flowers covered the ground where the man and the woman once lay. These flowers grew in a particularly unusual formation. It appeared as though, in the flowers at the base of old magic tree, the man and the woman were embracing. And, as the wind blew, it was almost as though they were living again.

           

            One year passed, and the tree was happy. One might say that it even looked happy. Then... one crisp spring morning, something wonderful happened.... A little sapling could be seen growing a few feet from the grand old magic tree.... The branches of the grand old magic tree seemed to be reaching over and around the new baby tree.... just like a mother protecting it's newborn baby..... It was truly a breathtaking sight to behold!

           

            As the small tree grew bigger and stronger, the old tree seemed to lose some of its life and it began to wither slowly. The baby tree was beautiful and strong and magic, too. And, it, too, would live for many, many years.

           

            One afternoon as the sun set over the horizon and the sky was a blaze of crimson, persimmon and lemon hues, the old tree died. The new magic tree was strong. It would live a very, very long time. So, the story of the magic tree would go on, and on, and on.

 

 

 

Janice Meyer Kirkpatrick 2009 ©