Watching Moon Mask
Muxqueum continued his ocean journey to find the lost islands of winter stories. He escaped the war canoes of Namquaw with the help of the whales and now on the third night he drifted blind in the darkness far from any known shore. The moon shown as a half closed eye and reflected upon the calm sea -- as he laid back to sleep exhausted from paddling all day long.
Suddenly he awoke at the sound of disturbed waters near the bow of the skin boat. He looked out and about the length of a man’s body away he saw the head of a large otter looking back. The animal’s eyes reflected the moon’s light. The Tsonox believe that otters have special powers because they transverse two worlds, the land and the sea. He had heard stories of Otter-men who visit lost fisherman to lure them down into an underwater lodge by staring into their eyes.
“By the powers of Wonderful Doer keep away Otter!” he shouted at the ocean. The otter dove, showed himself once more, and then swam away leaving a broken surface that quickly smoothed to reflect the swelling moonlight again.
Later Muxqueum fell asleep and dreamed of visiting the underwater village of the otters down at the bottom of the ocean world. He took hold of an otter’s hind foot while it swam down and down until he saw lodges made of mud and driftwood and covered with polished shells. He discovered to his surprise that he could breath under the water. The otter people welcomed him as a friend and set before him a feast of roasted abalone steaks and tender clams. Otter children wrestled before him and an otter woman gave him something sweet to drink. He was not afraid.
As he ate a feast with the otters, he notice that he was changing into an otter himself and he knew the delight of floating playfully between two worlds. He was perfectly at home in the underwater village with many friends at his side and, whenever he liked, he soared up like an eagle to the villages of the world of land and wind to play without cares. In his dream he could not decide which world was best.
He awoke to a red sun shinning above the eastern horizon weaving gray clouds into a many-colored blanket across the sky. He remembered his fear at the visit by the otter the night before – then the delight he felt in the dream and thought that such a vivid dream must mean something good. Immediately he looked west and became distracted by the sight before him.
The thin green strip of land to the northwest that he saw the day before had grown into the thickness of a finger. As he approached, through the morning mist he began to see a mountain rising from the north side. He was sure that this was one of the lost islands described by the old whalers. Stories said that the Creator kept some islands hidden from the people as a place for him to walk in secret upon the earth.
Near sundown he arrived at the island and wondered if it was inhabited. He saw no smoke from any fires. He pulled his skin boat into a scallop shaped bay with white sand at the edge of a forest of fir and red barked madrona trees. The late afternoon sun was warm on the beach and a freshwater stream trickled near by. Sun-bleached driftwood lined sand bars. As he set up a camp on a patch of grass near berry bushes overlooking a beach filled with fist sized stones, he heard the haunting sound of a raven’s call cackling in the forest – traditionally a bad omen. But, he wasn’t afraid. He cooked a meal of clams over a small fire and after eating, sang his prayer songs holding the thunderbird amulet as the day faded into a thick blackness.
Continued
Suddenly he awoke at the sound of disturbed waters near the bow of the skin boat. He looked out and about the length of a man’s body away he saw the head of a large otter looking back. The animal’s eyes reflected the moon’s light. The Tsonox believe that otters have special powers because they transverse two worlds, the land and the sea. He had heard stories of Otter-men who visit lost fisherman to lure them down into an underwater lodge by staring into their eyes.
“By the powers of Wonderful Doer keep away Otter!” he shouted at the ocean. The otter dove, showed himself once more, and then swam away leaving a broken surface that quickly smoothed to reflect the swelling moonlight again.
Later Muxqueum fell asleep and dreamed of visiting the underwater village of the otters down at the bottom of the ocean world. He took hold of an otter’s hind foot while it swam down and down until he saw lodges made of mud and driftwood and covered with polished shells. He discovered to his surprise that he could breath under the water. The otter people welcomed him as a friend and set before him a feast of roasted abalone steaks and tender clams. Otter children wrestled before him and an otter woman gave him something sweet to drink. He was not afraid.
As he ate a feast with the otters, he notice that he was changing into an otter himself and he knew the delight of floating playfully between two worlds. He was perfectly at home in the underwater village with many friends at his side and, whenever he liked, he soared up like an eagle to the villages of the world of land and wind to play without cares. In his dream he could not decide which world was best.
He awoke to a red sun shinning above the eastern horizon weaving gray clouds into a many-colored blanket across the sky. He remembered his fear at the visit by the otter the night before – then the delight he felt in the dream and thought that such a vivid dream must mean something good. Immediately he looked west and became distracted by the sight before him.
The thin green strip of land to the northwest that he saw the day before had grown into the thickness of a finger. As he approached, through the morning mist he began to see a mountain rising from the north side. He was sure that this was one of the lost islands described by the old whalers. Stories said that the Creator kept some islands hidden from the people as a place for him to walk in secret upon the earth.
Near sundown he arrived at the island and wondered if it was inhabited. He saw no smoke from any fires. He pulled his skin boat into a scallop shaped bay with white sand at the edge of a forest of fir and red barked madrona trees. The late afternoon sun was warm on the beach and a freshwater stream trickled near by. Sun-bleached driftwood lined sand bars. As he set up a camp on a patch of grass near berry bushes overlooking a beach filled with fist sized stones, he heard the haunting sound of a raven’s call cackling in the forest – traditionally a bad omen. But, he wasn’t afraid. He cooked a meal of clams over a small fire and after eating, sang his prayer songs holding the thunderbird amulet as the day faded into a thick blackness.
Continued
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