The Basket Woman: A Book of Indian Tales for Children

"In preparing this volume of western myths for school use the object has been not so much to provide authentic Indian Folk-tales, as to present certain aspects of nature as they appear in the myth-making mood, that is to say, in the form of strongest appeal to the child mind." -Mary Austin Through the goodhearted but mysterious Basket Woman, swaggering young glaciers, an ancient Paiute Indian, and sharp-minded rabbits become the companions and teachers of Alan, the young son of homesteaders in early Nevada. The Basket Woman doesn't simply tell these stories: She transports her young friend into a powerful mythic realm where Alan learns the secret of the trees and animals and the wisdom of the people who flourished before the arrival of white settlers. A preface by Austin provides ample context for a scholastic appreciation of one of this remarkable writer's most important works. CONTENTS The Basket Woman—First Story The Basket Woman—Second Story The Stream That Ran Away The Coyote-Spirit and the Weaving Woman The Cheerful Glacier The Merry-go-Round The Christmas Tree The Fire Bringer The Crooked Fir The Sugar Pine The Golden Fortune The White-Barked Pine Ná Ÿang-Wit'e, The First Rabbit Drive Mahala Joe Pronouncing Vocabulary