Mondamin
The Legend of Corn THERE was once upon a time an Indian youth with wondrous faith and vision. He beheld the distress of his people, the famine and sickness when snow and ice locked up the food supply, their dire need during the summer's droughts, when the sun dried up the vegetation. Day and night during the fearful days of famine, he prayed for deliverance. At last he went to the forest to fast. He built himself a shelter of boughs-during the day he studied plants and flowers, seeking a solution. By night he gazed up at the stars, exalted, importuning the Great Spirit to help. He ate nothing and hour by hour he became weaker.
On the third. day he beheld a vision, so clear that it seemed a visitation. A young man appeared, clad in green, with plumes on his head. "Come, wrestle with me," he said, "for it is only thus that your prayers can be granted."
The youth wrestled, and although his fast was still unbroken, his strength returned.
Four On four successive days the green-clad stranger came. times they wrestled, and four times the youth triumphed. His earthly strength rapidly waned, but his spirit was exalted by victory.
Again the stranger spoke. "To-morrow, fair youth," quoth he, "we shall wrestle for the last time, and you shall triumph-your prayers shall be granted. Your faith shall win. When I fall, strip off my garments and bury me in the soft earth. Now and then, as the weeks go by, strew on more earth and cast aside the choking weeds. When the summer sun is hottest, deliverance shall come to your people." This came to pass.
From the ground shot spears of green; the stalks grew tall and bent their heads with golden corn.
Mondamin-the spirit-became the grain.