Weak in Body, Strong in Mind and Spirit

“How are you, Madu?” asked Pamela on the walk back to the Five Brothers.

“Sore,” I answered. “I hate getting shot.”

“Who doesn’t?” giggled Kimberly.

“I don’t know? Who?” I asked.

Now both Pamela and Kimberly were giggling. I swear to the Great Earth Mother that they giggle more than they talk sometimes.

We soon arrived back at the camp where we were met by Kamela. She looked at me and made a scowling face.

“You have holes,” said Kamela. “Get over to see Aurora.”

“I’m going too for my potion,” said Kimberly.

When we arrived, Aurora checked Kimberly.

“You’re healed!” announced Aurora, “The cancer is gone. But you’ll continue taking Bitter Nightshade stem in water. No leaves or berries.”

“Aurora thank you thank you thank you,” said a teary eyed Kimberly. “I feel like a million bucks... I feel wonderful.”

Aurora grinned and then looked at Madu.

“You have holes in your body,” she said with a frown. She walked behind him. “Nothing came out the back either.”

“The bullets are still in there,” said Pamela, “and they need to come out.”

“Madu, come and lay down in the grass by my nest,” she said. She walked into her nest and came outside with a thing.

“Where did you get that scalpel?” asked Pamela.

“Sir William,” said Aurora.

Aurora knelt next to me. Pamela did too and held my hand. I squeezed a bit as Aurora worked.

“Not too tight, Madu,” said Aurora.

“I won’t,” I said.

“I heard you speaking of dreams in my mind,” said Aurora. “I have a story about dreams.”

“I’d like to hear it,” said Kimberly, knowing it was meant to be a distraction for Madu.

“Me too,” said Pamela.

“This was told to me by Sir William during his visit with us. It seems he knew that the copper skinned ones believed that if one dreamed something, and another could fulfill that dream, this other Little Person had to do it.

“Sir William was visiting a copper skinned Elder Friend named King Hendrick who was the leader of the Tribe called Mohawks. In the morning, King Hendrick arose.”

“I had a dream last night,” he said.

“What did you dream?” asked Sir William.

“I dreamed you gave me your bright red jacket,” said King Hendrick.

Sir William removed his red jacket and handed it to King Hendrick.

The next morning, Sir William arose and said to King Hendrick, “I had a dream last night.”

“What did my brother dream?” asked King Hendrick.

“I dreamed you gave me all the land west to as far as the setting sun.”

King Hendrick arranged to sign skins giving Sir William this land. He then looked at Sir William and said “The next time, my brother should not dream so big.”

Kimberly and Pamela giggled.

“I am finished, Madu,” said Aurora standing.

“Thank you, Aurora,” said I.

“How do we pay you for all you’ve done, Aurora?” asked Kimberly.

“Pay? Do you mean like Little People’s barter or the Copper Ones’ Wampum?” asked Aurora.

“Yes,” answered Kimberly.

“That we do not really understand,” said Aurora. “I provide care, and the Tribe provides food. What else would we need?”

“I guess,” said Kimberly. “I think I like your way better than ours.”

We took our leave from Aurora and walked back towards my nest.

“I think this is a good evening for a campfire,” said a happy Pamela.

“Good idea, Pam,” said Kimberly. “I’ll gather some wood.”

When Kimberly returned to their tiny abode, she found that Pamela had gathered rocks and made a circle with them. Puyallup and I watched as Kimberly placed some of the wood in the rock circle and more to the side.

“What are you doing?” said a small voice, a little Little One.

I translated.

“I’m making a fire, sweetie,” said Kimberly.

“Oh.”

“What is your name?” asked Kimberly.

I continued translating.

“Ady,” said the little Little One. “What’s yours?”

I told Ady their names.

Pamela went into her abode and came out with tree skins, which she crumpled up and shoved under the wood.

“Where is the lighter?” asked Pamela.

“By the camp stove,” said Kimberly, who rose, got it, and handed it to Pamela. Pamela cast wizardry on this thing and fire came out of the end. She placed it on the crumpled tree skins and soon this fire was burning brightly.

“Ohhhhh,” said Ady. “What is this for?”

“Well, we use fire for many things,” said Pamela. “Sometimes we cook on it, sometimes we use it to get warm, and sometimes we just look at it.”

I translated as best I could.

“I’m getting marshmallows,” said Kimberly.

“I’ll get sticks,” said Pamela, who left and soon came back with a handful of long twigs.

Ady watched as Kimberly placed a white food thing on a stick and handed it to Pamela, and then one for herself. Soon, Kimberly and Pamela withdrew their food from this fire. Their food was on fire too. They both blew out this food fire and waited, and then ate the food.

Ady’s eyes bugged out.

“Ady, what are you doing? Don’t bother the Little People.”

“Hello Keizer,” I said.

“Hello Madu,” said Keizer.

“I think it is alright,” I said. “Ady is watching them set their food on fire.”

“Pamela, Kimberly, this is Keizer,” I said. “Ady’s Mother.”

They both smiled.

“Madu, ask Keizer if it is alright if Ady has a marshmallow,” said Kimberly.

I translated, assuming a marshmallow was the odd food they set on fire and ate.

“She said it is alright, as long as it is not your last marshmallow,” I said.

Kimberly placed a marshmallow food on a stick and handed it to Ady, who looked at it in wonder. She then sat next to the fire between Kimberly and Pamela and placed the food in the fire. She lifted it as she had seen the Little People do. It was on fire like theirs was. She then watched in horror as it fell off and back into the campfire.

“That’s OK honey,” said Kimberly. “That happens to all of us.”

As she placed another marshmallow on Ady’s stick, I translated for Ady and her Mother. Ady again placed her food in the fire, took it out after a time, and was about to place it in her mouth when Kimberly reached over and held her arm.

“Madu, ask Ady to wait until it cools,” said Kimberly.

Ady did as Kimberly instructed. She looked at Kimberly and smiled, and then soon placed it in her mouth.

“This is good,” said Ady.

Kimberly took another and placed it on Ady’s stick. As she placed it in the fire, she was smiling and wiggling her feet back and forth.

Soon, a large crowd gathered around to watch.

“What is that?” asked one.

“It is fire,” Ady said knowingly. “They make their food on fire with it.”

“And then eat it?”

“Yes,” Ady replied. “I know the ways of the Little People.”

“What are you doing?”

“Toasting marshmallows, of course,” Ady replied smugly.

“Are those puffballs?”

“No, the Little People call these marshmallows,” Ady answered curtly.

“Why don’t they just eat them unburned?”

“Because Little People eat burned things,” Ady answered.

I rolled my eyes as I watched Pamela often do.

“This is fun,” said Ady as I translated.

“Yes it is,” projected Pamela.

Ady’s eyes got big as she looked at Pamela.

“It is called mindspeak,” projected Kimberly.

Ady’s head snapped around and she looked at Kimberly.

“This is how Little People and Forest People can communicate,” added Kimberly.

“But I can hear it inside my head?” said Ady.

“Ady, don’t say it out loud. Think it,” I explained to her.

Ady scrunched up her face but then did as I asked.

Kimberly and Pamela each placed an arm around Ady and gave her a squeeze. Keizer smiled and was very pleased.

“Can I have another?” projected Ady.

Kimberly laughed. “It is a good thing I brought extra bags,” she said.

“Momma, I can talk with the Little People,” said Ady.

“That’s nice, Ady,” said Keizer patronizingly.

“No really, I hear them inside my head,” Ady said.

Keizer made a frowny face.

“Puyallup and I can do it too,” I said. “So can Kamela, Ouragan, and Aurora. It can happen whenever there is a strong spiritual and emotional bond between us, according to our Elders.”

“Ady has bonded with these two?” asked Keizer.

“Yes, apparently so,” I answered. “Little Little Ones are very open to bonding, apparently.”

“I think I need to turn in, Pam.” thought Kimberly.

“Turn into what?” Ady asked.

This made them both giggle. Of course.

“Me too,” said Pamela.

“Ady, stay away from the fire, alright?” projected Pamela. “Let it burn out.”

“I will,” said Ady. Then she added, “Kimberly, I hope Aurora makes you well.”

“She already has, Ady,” answered Kimberly. “Thank you for asking.”

Pamela and Kimberly crawled into their little nest. Ady sat staring at the fire, warming and wiggling her feet in front of it.