How the Thunderbird Saved the Mistletoe
Hi! I am a mistletoe. I grow in tree tops. But at one time, ages ago, I grew on the ground. I will tell you how this came about.
I was liked by many woodland creatures. I am green year round and I produce delicious white berries in summer, but also in the winter when all other berries were not to be found. It sounds like a wonderful life, right? Well, unfortunately it wasn’t. I love that my berries are enjoyed by so many, that is what they are there for, and I love to share them However, I was constantly having my branches stepped on, rubbed against, chewed on, and often crushed. This hurt me, a lot. I began fear for my life every day.
Eventually my leaves became droopy and some of my branches were broken. I was really quite a mess. I was becoming very sad. Then one day the magnificent Thunderbird happened by. He stopped to eat some of my berries and was very careful not to hurt me. He was even kind enough to thank me for sharing. He noticed my droopy leaves and asked me why I was so sad. I told him how I was afraid that I might die soon because of all the woodland creatures stepping and chewing on my limbs and breaking my stems.
The Thunderbird must have really enjoyed my berries for he found it in his heart to help me. “I will save you,” he said to me. “I will take you from the ground to the treetops where the ground creatures cannot find you.” He carefully carried me to the treetops. He placed me gently into the fork of a limb. Then he brought some soil from the ground and placed it all around my roots.
“Now you will be safe from the creatures that were harming you,” he said. “Only the birds can reach you and they will not hurt you.” But I was afraid that my seeds would fall to the ground and would suffer the same fate as I did. Then the Thunderbird had an idea. He wiped his bill, which had some of my berry seeds stuck on it, on the limbs of the trees. The seeds stuck. Now my seeds would also grow in the trees as I now was.
We mistletoe are safe thanks to the wonderful Thunderbird. I am so grateful. His generosity and kindness saved all mistletoe from a terrible fate at the hands of the woodland creatures on the ground.
I was liked by many woodland creatures. I am green year round and I produce delicious white berries in summer, but also in the winter when all other berries were not to be found. It sounds like a wonderful life, right? Well, unfortunately it wasn’t. I love that my berries are enjoyed by so many, that is what they are there for, and I love to share them However, I was constantly having my branches stepped on, rubbed against, chewed on, and often crushed. This hurt me, a lot. I began fear for my life every day.
Eventually my leaves became droopy and some of my branches were broken. I was really quite a mess. I was becoming very sad. Then one day the magnificent Thunderbird happened by. He stopped to eat some of my berries and was very careful not to hurt me. He was even kind enough to thank me for sharing. He noticed my droopy leaves and asked me why I was so sad. I told him how I was afraid that I might die soon because of all the woodland creatures stepping and chewing on my limbs and breaking my stems.
The Thunderbird must have really enjoyed my berries for he found it in his heart to help me. “I will save you,” he said to me. “I will take you from the ground to the treetops where the ground creatures cannot find you.” He carefully carried me to the treetops. He placed me gently into the fork of a limb. Then he brought some soil from the ground and placed it all around my roots.
“Now you will be safe from the creatures that were harming you,” he said. “Only the birds can reach you and they will not hurt you.” But I was afraid that my seeds would fall to the ground and would suffer the same fate as I did. Then the Thunderbird had an idea. He wiped his bill, which had some of my berry seeds stuck on it, on the limbs of the trees. The seeds stuck. Now my seeds would also grow in the trees as I now was.
We mistletoe are safe thanks to the wonderful Thunderbird. I am so grateful. His generosity and kindness saved all mistletoe from a terrible fate at the hands of the woodland creatures on the ground.
Author's note: I took this from The Plant that Grows in Trees. I didn't change the story any. I just wrote it as if the mistletoe is telling the story. I thought it would be nice to have the mistletoe tell how miserable it was on the ground where the danger was and how grateful it was to have the Thunderbird move it into the treetops.
Bibliography: Story source: When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton and illustrated by Berniece Burrough (1936).
