Pretty Red Wing - A Love Story

PRETTY RED WING
A Love Story

The ballad “Pretty Red Wing” tells the story of an Indian maiden and her love for a young brave of her tribe. What the ballad doesn’t tell is how fate and the spirits that control our lives conspired to make it difficult for Red Wing to realize her life’s dreams.

She was a daughter of Trapper Cook who was a half-breed Indian. He had the straight black hair and high cheekbones of his Choctaw mother and the dark blue eyes of his English fur trading father, Llyuellen Cook. He was a highly respected member of the Talladega tribe.

Crouching Cougar, the aged and ailing chief, relied on him to guide the tribe in the new world brought in by the ever increasing number of white settlers. In order to educate his people, Trapper Cook engaged Miss Gussie Harris to teach them to read, write and do arithmetic.

As our story begins we find Miss Gussie in the classroom.

ACT 1 The Classroom

Miss Harris calls the roll, with each child rising and answering ‘present’.

Miss Harris: Today we will have a test to see what you remember of our study of animals of the forest. Who can identify the animal I have drawn on the board?

Bubbly Brook, tell us what animal this is.

Bubbly B: It’s a--- It’s a--- I don’t know what it is.

Miss Harris: Hiawatha, I’m sure you know. What animal is this?

Hiawatha: I dunno

Miss Harris: Wake up class! What animal is this?

Class: We don’t know!

Miss Harris: [Takes a close look at the drawing] Oh dear! I forgot to put the white stripe down its back. [She draws in the stripe.]

Class: [Yell, in unison] It’s a skunk!

Miss Harris: Very good. You may have a recess now. Return to your seats when you hear my whistle.

Red Wing: [Approaches Miss Gussie shyly] Please Miss Gussie, may I talk to you about a problem I need help with?

Miss Harris: Of course, my dear. Are you having trouble with arithmetic?

Red Wing: Oh no. I can add pretty well now. It’s my father. He is being very cruel and I don’t know what to do.

Miss Harris: Tell me about it. Perhaps I can help.

Red Wing: You know Leaping Wolf—He’s the one who wins all the races—The tall handsome one.

Well, I love him and he loves me. He promises to build me a beautiful wigwam for us to live in and to cover me with beaver skins and find me the most beautiful feathers for my hair----if only I will be his squaw.

Miss Harris: That sounds perfect----but what is the problem?

Red Wing: My father is the problem. He doesn’t like Leaping Wolf. He thinks he is too young and will not be able to provide for me. And worst of all, that old Chief Flying Rattler, whose wife died last year, wants to marry me so I can take care of those awful papooses of his. {she begins crying quietly] Oh, what can I do? What can I do?

Miss Harris: I think that you should tell Leaping Wolf to try to find something he can do to show your father that he is not just a boy but is truly a man. Then your father will surely consent to your marriage.

Act 2 Solving the problem

Narrator: That evening Leaping Wolf and Red Wing met at their favorite place down by the river. Red Wing told him of her talk with Miss Gussie.

Red Wing: Unless you prove to my father that you are the best of the braves he will never let us marry and I will have to marry that old Chief Flying Rattler with all those nasty children and that tatty, old fashioned wigwam of his.

Leaping W: But what more can I do? I’ve already brought in more pelts than any of the others. I’ve won all the races and I have saved a lot of wampum. He must know that I am serious about you! But don’t worry, my pretty Red Wing. I’ll find a way,or my name is not Leaping Wolf!

Act 3 Marriage Proposal

Narrator: Chief Flying Rattler of a neighboring tribe and Trapper Cook smoked the Peace Pipe together. Chief Flying Rattler brought up a subject that was very much on his mind.

Flying Rattler: Since the death of my wife, my eyes have been taken by your daughter, Red Wing. I need a mother for my seven children; someone young, strong and not afraid of a little hard work. Your Red Wing suits me fine. I will give you ten of my best horses for her.

Trapper Cook: My daughter is indeed of marriageable age. Already several braves are courting her, especially that young hot-head Leaping Wolf. She has spoken to me about him. She is inclined to accept his proposal. You know, Flying Rattler, I don’t understand our children. In my day there was none of this wooing and courting, no looking sheep eyes at one another. Braves were braves and maidens were maidens and the fathers selected suitable mates for them. Left on their own they would skip through life like aimless crickets. You are a steady and prosperous man and you would be a good provider for Red Wing. So, good friend, I will speak to Red Wing of your proposal, but the decision is up to her.

Act 4 The Council Meeting

Narrator: The wealth of the tribe was in the animal pelts which they planned to sell to the fur traders who would be coming down the Chattahoochee in the spring. After cleaning and curing, the beautiful skins were bundled and stored in sheds adjoining the compound.
Early on the morning of the first quarter Threetoe Tobrich burst into Trapper Cook’s teepee with very bad news.

Threetoe: “Trapper Cook, some thieves broke into the sheds and stole our furs last night. They took every bundle!”

Narrator: Trapper Cook immediately called for a meeting with Chief Crouching Cougar and the Elders of the tribe.

Trapper C: Something terrible has happened, my brothers. Last night, as we slept, all of our hard earned pelts were stolen. I have already sent out a scouting party to track the thieves.

Chief CC: Not only have we been robbed of our furs, but our honor is at stake here. Are we to allow them to tweak our nose! We will find these thieves, get back what belongs to us and punish them!

[Hoof beats precede Tomcat Backas’s shouting entry.]

Tomcat B: We found them! We tracked the thieves all the way to Echo Ravine. There are many of them and they are camping there.

Chief C C: Who are they? Could you identify them?

Tomcat B: Yes, my Chief. It’s that bunch of renegade Chickasaws that have been raiding all around the territory.

Chief C C: They have dishonored us. Its time they were stopped. This could mean War!
Elders Yes, we must fight!! No more of their raids! We will fight! We must.

Trapper C: Not so fast, my brothers. We have been attacked and wronged, but there are other ways to settle this. We have lived peaceably with our neighbors for many moons…even with the white faces at the fort. I agree with Chief Crouching Cougar that we must avenge our honor!—but not by war.

If we start a war with the Chickasaws we will be letting those renegades lead us into fights that will involve innocent tribes and there would be many deaths on both sides. Go to your teepees and think carefully about what we should do. Tomorrow we will hold another pow wow and decide. If we can’t find a better plan, then we will have to resort to war.

Act 4 Action

Narrator: While the Elders were discussing the serious theft problem Leaping Wolf was sitting outside near enough to hear the loud and heated discussion. He was carving a comb out of a piece of birch to give to Red Wing. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. It was a good plan that would retrieve the stolen pelts and at the same time surely change Trapper Cook’s opinion of him. In no time he rounded up twelve of the most adventuresome and daring of his friends, and before anyone could miss them they were on their horses headed toward Echo ravine where the thieves were encamped.

Wild John: Now that we are here, Leaping Wolf, what is your plan?

Leaping W: Well, there are only twelve of us and several more than that of them. But, look where the stupid fools have camped! Echo ravine blocks them on one side and that high steep cliff blocks them on the other. If we can prevent their escape at the far end we can pick them off like sitting ducks as they try to get out at this end. Our best marksmen, Wild John, Hiawatha and Ratrace Mateo will stay here and hit them as they try to get out. The rest of us will cover the other end of their camp and raise a big racket to make them think there a lot of us as we pen them in.

Act 5 After the Skirmish

Narrator: Leaping Wolf and his friends were soon discovered to be missing from the compound.
Tomcat Backas, who had led the original tracking party, had ridden off after Leaping Wolf in hope of getting in on the action. But when he arrived at Echo ravine the skirmish was over.

Judging from the number of dead and wounded the renegades had not given up without a fight. Many of his friends were wounded. Those who were not hurt had found the stolen furs which were still on the sleds used by the renegades. Now they would be hitched to horses and taken back to the compound.

Tom Cat: Where is Leaping Wolf? Is he OK?

Wild John: We have looked everywhere and can’t find him. The last time I saw him he was fighting with two of them over there near the ravine. I would have helped him but I had my hands full. That’s how I got this—[He raises his bloody arm.]

Tom Cat: Alright, we will take the furs back home, but we will come back and find Leaping Wolf. He, or his body, must be found.

Act 6 Back at the compound

Narrator: It was early evening when the exhausted warriors straggled in, the unwounded among them leading the horses drawing the fur laden sleds into the compound. The wounded were taken gently into the teepee of Mumbling Moccasin, the tribes honored and faithful Medicine Man. Not wasting a moment, he went to work with the chants, instruments and potions of his trade to heal and make them whole again. Trapper Cook and Chief Crouching Cougar did not interfere, but went among them with expressions of gratitude and praise for their brave undertaking.

Wild John: It is Leaping Wolf who deserves the praise for recovering the furs. The whole thing was his idea. His leadership was the key to our success.

Red Wing: [Emerging shyly from behind her father] I don’t see Leaping Wolf.
I have looked, but I do not find him.

Wild John: [Puts his arms around Red Wing] Little sister, Leaping Wolf did not make it back. We fear he is dead.

Red Wing: [Screams and covers her face] Oh no! No! Oh no!

Wild John: Be comforted. Know that he died like a brave Choctaw, and has avenged the honor of our tribe.

Red Wing: [Sobbing] I would rather have Leaping Wolf alive than the honor of the tribe! Will the honor of the tribe build me a wigwam and live in it with me?

Trapper C: [Lifts her chin and looks lovingly into her eyes.] Be consoled, my daughter. I see now that Leaping Wolf was indeed a man---a brave man. He died serving his tribe, and we shall mourn his loss… and honor his memory.

Narrator: Suddenly everyone became silent, staring in disbelief at what they saw.
Using a tree branch as a crutch, his clothes in tatters and his face bloody, Leaping Wolf limps slowly into the compound. He approaches Trader Cook, looks him straight in the eye---and begins to speak, but then collapses to the ground. Red Wing screams and falls to her knees at his side.

Crouching Cougar’s squaw slaps him on the side of his head and hisses;

Squaw Wake up! You’re missing it!

Chief C.C.: (grunts and yells.) “How!”

Trapper C: (Screams, loudly) Mumbling Moccasin! Get over here quickly, bring all your stuff, fast!! You are going to have to fight the demons to save Leaping Wolf.

Mumbling M: Hurries to Leaping Wolf’s side and goes into a frantic dance, chanting “Hassee, hassee, hassee, gumbo Tallahassee.”

Leaping Wol:f (sits up, rubbing his eyes) Where am I?, What happened?

Narrator: Trapper Cook and Red Wing give him a hand and get him to his feet. He sways and puts his arms around her.

Leaping W: Oh yes, I remember now.

Narrator: He looks Trapper Cook in the eye and says the line he has rehearsed a hundred times since miraculously struggling out of Echo ravine where he had fallen during the fight. “I have earned a reward and I have come to claim it!”

Trapper C: You have proved yourself a brave man….You are a credit to our tribe!
Anything you want, you may have.

Leaping W: [With eyes lovingly fixed on Red Wing] I want only one thing. I want your permission to marry your lovely daughter, Red Wing.

[Red Wing comes to stand by Leaping Wolf. They join hands and look soulfully at each other]
Trapper C And so be it…..with my blessing.

All Cheer!

Act 8 Finale

Narrator: Red Wing married her love, Leaping Wolf. He did build her a beautiful wigwam and covered her with beaver skins, as he had promised.

The couple had four children and lived happily for many moons in the Talladega Tribe of the Choctaw Nation.

Trapper Cook went on to become Chief of the tribe. Chief Crouching Cougar lived out his remaining years in happy retirement, despite his nagging squaw.

Chief Flying Rattler was pretty miffed at losing Red Wing to Leaping Wolf, but being a practical man, he was heard to say “She is too skinny, anyway”, and soon found a brawny widow, more his own age and from his own tribe.

The End