Hace mucho tiempo, una tribu de cazadores cheyenne vivía en la cabecera de un torrente que eventualmente desembocaba en una gran cueva.
Debido a la gran necesidad de un nuevo suministro de alimentos para su pueblo, el Jefe convocó una reunión del consejo.
"We should explore the large cave," he told his people. "How many brave hunters will offer to go on this venture? Of course, it may be very dangerous, but we have brave hunters." No one responded to the Chief’s request.
Finally, one young brave painted himself for hunting and stepped forth, replying to the Chief, "I will go and sacrifice myself for our people." He arrived at the cave, and to his surprise, First Brave found two other Cheyenne hunters near the opening, where the stream rushed underground.
"Are they here to taunt me," First Brave wondered? "Will they only pretend to jump when I do?"
Pero los otros dos valientes le aseguraron que irían.
"No, you are mistaken about us. We really do want to enter the cave with you," they said.
Primero, Brave se tomó de la mano y juntos saltaron a la enorme abertura de la cueva. Debido a la oscuridad, sus ojos tardaron algún tiempo en adaptarse. Luego descubrieron lo que parecía una puerta.
Primero Brave llamó, pero no hubo respuesta. Volvió a llamar, más fuerte.
"What do you want, my brave ones?" asked an old Indian grandmother as she opened her door.
"Grandmother, we are searching for a new food supply for our tribe," First Brave replied. "Our people never seem to have enough food to eat."
"Are you hungry now?" she asked.
"Oh, yes, kind Grandmother, we are very hungry," all three braves answered.
La abuela abrió de par en par la puerta, invitando a los jóvenes valientes a entrar.
"Look out there!" she pointed for them to look through her window.
Una hermosa y amplia pradera se extendía ante sus ojos. Grandes manadas de búfalos pastaban contentos. ¡Los jóvenes cazadores apenas podían creer lo que vieron!
La abuela trajo a cada uno una cacerola de piedra llena de carne de búfalo. Qué bien sabía, mientras comían y comían hasta saciarse. Para su sorpresa, ¡quedaba más carne de búfalo en sus cacerolas de piedra!
"I want you to take your stone pans of buffalo meat back to your people at your camp," said the old grandmother. "Tell them that soon I will send some live buffalo."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, kind Grandmother," said the three young Cheyenne braves.
When the young hunters returned to their tribe with the gifts of buffalo meat, their people rejoiced over the new, good food. Their entire tribe ate heartily from the old grandmother’s three magic pans, and were grateful.
Cuando los cheyenne se despertaron al amanecer del día siguiente, ¡habían aparecido misteriosamente manadas de búfalos rodeando su aldea! Estaban realmente agradecidos con la abuela india y con los espíritus del cielo por su buena suerte.
