ke. He had little food. He felt
sorry he could not reach the buffalo. Before the sun rose, he hurried
to the top of the hill. The buffalo stood just where it had, but it
faced the east. Again he waited for it to move. He waited all day.
When the sun went down, the buffalo still stood in the same place.

Nearly all night the young man lay awake. He had very little food
indeed. The next morning he rose early, and came to the top of the
hill, just as the sun came up. The buffalo was still standing in the
same place; but now it faced the south. He waited all day. Then the
sun went down.

Now the next morning, when he arose early, the buffalo stood in the
same place; this time it faced the west. All day the young man waited,
but the buffalo did not move.

Now the young man thought, "Why does not the buffalo move?" He saw it
did not drink, did not eat, did not sleep. He thought some power must
be influencing it.

Now the next morning, the young man hurried to the top of the hill.
The sun had risen and everything was light. The buffalo was gone. Then
he saw where the buffalo had stood there was a strange bush.

He went to the place; then he saw it was a plant. He looked for the
tracks of the buffalo. He saw where it had turned to the east and to
the south and to the west. In the center there was one track; out of
it the small plant had grown. There was no track to show where the
buffalo had left the place.

Then the hunter hurried to his village. He told the chiefs and the
people of the strange buffalo and the plant. So all the chiefs and
the people came to the place. They saw the tracks of the buffalo as he
had stood, but there were no tracks of his coming or going.

So all the people knew that Wahkoda had given this strange plant to
the people. They knew of other plants they might eat. They knew there
was a time when each plant was ripe. So they watched the strange
plant; they guarded it and protected it.

Then a flower appeared on the plant. Afterwards, at one of the joints,
a new part of the plant pushed out. It had hair. At first the hair was
green; then it was brown. Then the people thought, "Perhaps this fruit
is ripe." But they did not dare touch it. They met together. They
looked at the plant.

Then a young man said, "My life has not been good. If any evil comes
to me, it will not matter."

So the people were willing, and the young man put his hand on the
plant and then on its fruit. He grasped the fruit