Once an Indian was
whirled up by the roaring wind: he was taken up in a thunder-storm, and
set down again in the village of the Thunders. [Footnote: This tale is
transcribed, with very little alteration, from a manuscript collection
of tales written in Indian-English by an Indian. I retain the word
_thunders_ as expressive of the beings in question. It has for
title, _A Story called "An Indian transformed into a Thunder!"_]
In after-times he described them as very like human beings: they used
bows and arrows (_tah-bokque_), and had wings.
But these wings can be laid aside, and kept for use. And from time to
time their chief gives these Thunders orders to put them on, and tells
them where to go. He also tells them how long they are to be gone, and
warns them not to go too low, for it is sure death for them to be
caught in the crotch of a tree.
The great chief of the Thunders, hearing of the stranger's arrival,
sent for him, and received him very kindly, and told him that he would
do well to become one of them. To which the man being willing, the
chief soon after called all his people together to see the ceremony of
thunderifying [Footnote: This word is one of the Indian author's own,
but as I know of no synonym for it I retain it. It is certainly not
worse than "Native-Americanizing."] the Indian.
Then they bade him go into a square thing, or box, and while in it he
lost his senses and became a Thunder.
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