Cedar Woman Read Online Free PDF Page A

in fr e q u e n t t r a n s gr e s s io n s.
    “ W ithin each of us, Little B i rd, a r e two wolves f i ghting,” he said, us in g her i n fant nickna m e.
    Eyes st r etc h ed in a m az e me n t, she looked d o wn at h er o w n diminutive ch e st, as if she would see t h e two ca n i n es struggli n g wit h in its
    cage. “ T here a r e ? ” s h e ga s p e d .
    “ Yes. O n e w o lf is filled with t ho se t h in g s w h ich are e v il wit h in hu m anki n d : j e alous y , hate, g reed, lies, fear, ange r . In t h e oth e r are those qu alities w h ich are pure: tr u st, lo v e , g e n e r o sity, tr u t h, co u ra g e, f o rg i v en e ss.”
    Me s m erized, Lena sat gaz i ng i n to h e r father’s eyes, s t ruggling to co m p reh e nd t h e l esso n . Mom en t s pass e d. She c ou l d he a r t h e cra c k l e o f
    the fire, a n d h er m o ther’s hummi ng from across the si n g l e r o o m , which
    m ade up t h e m ain li v ing a r ea of t h e i r small ho m e. She swallow e d a nd ask e d,
    “ Fat h er, w h ich o n e will wi n ? ”
    “ The o n e we f eed,” he a n sw ere d , a n d r i s in g s l ow ly , he r u f f l ed h e r hair f on d ly , a n d s tro de t o t h e ro c k in g c h air h e oc c up ie d n e a r t h e f i re, t h e better to e n j o y his wife ’ s nea r ness d u r i ng t h e l o ng S o uth e rn O h i o even i n gs.

 
 
    It was just af t er the free i ng of t h e hum m i ngbird that a change i n Lena ’ s eyes b e ca m e app a r e nt. S ta nd i ng at t h e table in t h e k itchen a rea o f t h e s m all ho m e, Lena watc h ed her m o t h er prep a r i n g fry brea d . M ary playfully flicked so m e flour at Lena. Loo k i n g u p at her m o t h er and lau g hi n g , Lena caus e d her m o t h er t o gasp in su r p ris e .
    T h e iris o f Le n a’s rig h t eye, h e ret o fore t h e d ee p , u n fa t ho m a b le b r o w n o f her l eft, was cle a rly div i ded in tw o . The i n s i d e p a rt of t h e i r is was t h e sa m e d eep b r own, while t h e o u tsi d e was a g o l d en a m b er.
    T h e c o n d iti o n, k nown as sect o ral h eter o chr o m ia iri d is, co u ld ca u se a differ e n ce in coloring in o n e eye from t h e o t h e r, o r somet i mes wit h in t h e col o r s c h em e of o n e e y e. Of te n g e net i c, a n d at t i m es due t o in j u ry o r disease, this striking ano m aly wou l d so m e ti m es occur. In the case of Le n a Ce d a r W o m an Catc h er, t h e b elief was t h at, li k e h er m o t h er, she was chosen, and h e r r i ght eye r e f l ected t h e eye of W a m b li, the sacred gold e n eagle of t h e L a kota.
 
    On L e n a ’s eigh t h bir t hda y , her m o t h er decid e d to b e gin her i n str u ction i n t h e p re p arat i o n of t h e fa m ily m e a l s. Most o f t h eir f o od was p r o v i d ed by T h e M o t h er, eit h er in t h e cr op s t h ey g rew, o r t h e v ar i o u s ga m e her fat h e r h unt e d , a nd t h e v e getables and c h ick e ns with w h ich t h e C o u n try m a n s of ten g i fted the s m a ll fa m i ly. Lena felt a r e ver e nce f o r the pr e p arati o n o f t h e fo o d . L i ving pl a n ts a nd a n i m als gave u p t h eir li v es s o o t h e rs m ay li v e. T h ere was n o b ility i nh ere n t wit h i n t h e c on ce p t, w h ich filled h e r with res p ect for t h e li v ing bei ng s t h at filled t h e ear t h . Cons eq uentl y , she lea r n e d q u ickl y , a nd sh e learn e d wel l , be c o m ing an acco m p lished cook. It was here that L e na b e gan to real i ze h e r passion f o r f o o d a n d its pr e p arati o n. Th r o ug h t h e m aking o f a si m p le dish, she cou l d sa y , “I lo ve y ou” t o a n y one w h o p a r to ok of h e r o ff e r i ng s , n o m a tt er t h e i r c o lo r, c r e ed or e th n i c o r i g in . I n a dd i t i on, t o Lena C edar Wo m an, t h e ru i n in g o f a d i sh was th e negat io n of t h e death o f t h e b e i ng s , w h ether p la n t o r a n i m a l , t h at p r o v i d ed