Week 11: Storytelling - The Attack on the Giant Elk

  The Attack on the Giant Elk and the Great Eagle by Jicarilla Apache (Story Source)

    In the olden days, the people feared the great beasts that roamed the earth and did as they pleased. They would kill for sport any human that they desired, and there was no way for the people to protect themselves. One of the most powerful and ruthless of the great animals was the Great Elk. 

The people began to wonder what could be done if anything about the problem of the Great Elk. Some said they should move the tribe to another region away from the Elk. Some said they should offer to make peace. And lastly there was a small group that chose to pray towards the gods.

The woman who lived in the west heard their prayers.

She decided to have a son and send him down to help out the people. Jonayaiyin was his name and he came to earth as a child.

Within four days he had grown to manhood and the people went to him for help defeating the Great Elk. Jonayaiyin was more than happy to help and could not wait to get started.

"Where does this Great Beast live?" Jonayaiyin asked.

"In the vast desert out west," replied the village Chieftain. 

The moment the Chieftain told Jonayaiyin where the great beast lived, Jonayaiyin was off to slay the beast. Within four steps he had reached the vast desert and started looking for the Great Elk. 

The Great Hawk was flying overhead and saw Jonayaiyin on the outskirts of the desert and decided to fly down and see what he was up to. 

Jonayaiyin told the hawk that he was here to kill the Great Elk. At first the hawk was taken aback by the thought of one of the other great beasts being killed, but then thought of how much he despised the haughty Elk and decided to help. 

They came up with a plan for the hawk to take Jonayaiyin up over the elk and drop him from above onto his back. 

With Jonayaiyin clutched in the hawk talons, the duo began nearing the spot where the Great Elk was grazing. When they were directly above him, the hawk released Jonayaiyin and he began falling through the sky headed right for the unsuspecting elk. 

Jonayaiyin landed directly on the back of the elk. The Great Elk suddenly began bucking wildly trying to rid himself of this nuisance, but Jonayaiyin was too nimble and strong. With one great swoop of his hatchet, he lopped off the head of the elk and they fell to the ground. 

Jonayaiyin had done it. The Great Elk was no more. 

He then lopped off the hind quarters and gave them to the hawk for his help, took the front quarters back to the people, and lastly kept the antlers for himself. 

Giant Elk (Image Source)

Week 11: Reading - The Attack on the Giant Elk and the Great Eagle

 The Attack on the Giant Elk and the Great Eagle by Jicarilla Apache (Story Source)

• Great beasts used to prey on the people
• Jonayaíyin, the son of the woman who lives in the West, was sent to help the people
• He grew to manhood in 4 days
• He went out to the desert where the elk lived and reached it in 4 steps
• A lizard asked if he needed help and offered him his cloak to help disguise himself
• A gopher burrowed beneath the elk to help him
• The son shot the elk 4 times in heart but he was still alive and followed in pursuit underneath the earth
• The elk got trapped in by the webs of the great spiders and he died of exhaustion and his wounds
• He then made a coat from the hide of the elk and gave meat to the gopher and lizard
• He then set off for the eagle

Giant Elk (Image Source)