Warning: Sex is a theme in this chapter. The subject is mentioned as a tale, so be advised this is a chapter based on a Sioux tale. You've been warned.

~

South Dakota. The 40th state is known as North Dakota's rambunctious twin and Mt. Rushmore. Besides being known for tomfoolery, she's known to host a large Native American population whose culture is as unique as any other culture in the world. Having grown up on the reservation with the Sioux alongside her brother, she's proud of her Native American heritage, continuing to preserve aspects of it by memory and practice.

One of aspects of the culture she loved are Sioux legends. During her childhood, one of her favorite pastimes was listening to stories told by the Elders of the tribe. It was one of the few times she behaved and listened. Her own imagination would distract her enough to give the tribe some peace. Although, she would always fail to understand the lessons within these stories. And one of them was a weird tale she wouldn't understand until she got older.

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"How many times do I have to tell you? You don't interact with the White man," Chief Old Strike grumbled as he pulled me by the wrist, dragging me back to the village.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! You're hurting me!" I screamed as loudly as I could, faking a few tears as well.

It didn't work.

"Don't play me for a fool, Red Sun."

Drats!

I hissed with a Sioux tongue, "You suck beaver balls! I hope a coyote nips your butt tonight!" The nearby mothers gasped in shock.

Everyone in the village easily heard my cries. Rather than help me, they stood and watched in curious amusement. I could hear them. The children calling me names. The mothers muttering their disapproval. The warriors snickering at the only troublemaker. The elders who usually stayed quiet were even whispering with small smiles underneath their freckled wrinkles. I narrowed my eyes at all of them.

Except for my brother, he was the only one who seemed to pity me. If he laughed, I would've put fox scat in his hunting bag.

"Let go! Let me go! Free me this instant, or else the Great Spirit will strike lightning onto your forehead!" I pounded on his wrist with my available hand. I planted my moccasins deep into the soft dirt, hoping to slow him down and possibly get loose from his tight grasp.

It wasn't enough to stop him from bringing me to the center of the village. "Red Sun!" he shouted. "You have sneaked out of the village without my permission. Not only that, you have interacted with a White man. You have defied the tribal rules and have brought shame upon yourself."

If I was any ordinary child, witnessing the wraith of a the chief for the first time, I would've been sobbing or peeing myself. But I wasn't an ordinary child, nor was this my first time being put in the burning light. I didn't burn in shame. I burned in rage. Their laughter was kindle to the flames in my chest. They wanted me to feel bad. They wanted to teach me a lesson, so I wouldn't do this again or else be humiliated again. Having put myself in the same spot for the fortieth, I should've learned by now. But no, I didn't learn to stop my behavior. Instead, I learned to put up with their annoying laughter, treating them like a flock of cowardly crows.

I also learned to do this.

I kicked the chief in the knee, hard enough for him to stumble and and loosen his grip. Everyone's laughter was cut into gasps. Chief 'Struck-in-the-Knee' winced as he held his knee. I took advantage of his pain to flee from the circle. I glanced behind me and saw the warriors were now after my pelt. Eeeeep!

"Get back here, Red Sun!" Brown Hawk hollered.

I stuck my tongue at him. "Eat dust, loser! Hahahaha-" I tripped and fell face first into the dirt. I glanced to see I tripped over a wooden cane.

The owner of the cane was the band's only medicine woman who hunched over me like a grumpy, old raven. She rarely got out of her tipi. Many of the children and myself thought she already transcended into the great heavens. She looked like a White man's flappy wolf with her sagging, brown chin and drooping eyes. Her hair looked like snow, about ready to fall off her head at any moment. I wouldn't be surprised if she was actually ghost standing before me. But no, she was still alive, giving two flying hawks to what was happening in the village.

She greeted the warriors and myself in a dress made out of red and brown beads with a thin belt made out of rope and golden eagle feathers wrapped around her thick waist. The woven medicine bag she carried filled my nostrils with all kinds of herbs, already making me sick to my stomach. The smell was much worse as she approached while the warriors bound my wrists and force me up. Because of her weak knees from old age, she was forced to carry a decorated walking stick. It had a rattle made from rattlesnakes from the nearby gorge, and it was adorned with bright red and orange feathers from a fat, healthy turkey. The stick was also a staff that was used for ceremonies. It also served as a weapon to hit-

"Ow!" I winced as she hit me on the head with the staff.

"Noisy child!" she yelled in a cranky voice. "What did you do this time?"

Chief Old Strike finally caught up to us in a limp. "She Walks Among Grass." He bowed his head to her. "My apolo-"

"Why is she tied up?" she referred to bound hands.

I quickly brought tears to my eyes. "I wanted to go play outside," I sniffed, "but he ordered the warriors to tie me up. He threaten to hit me." I pointed my fingers at the chief. "He was going to blind me and dump me in the deep forest. He even suggested I be fed to the wolves or be used as tonight's spit roast."

He scowled. "You called me beaver balls and kicked me in the knee."

"Son," She Walks Among Grass interjected, "untie this girl."

He gave her a shocked look. "But-"

"Are you being rude to your own mother?"

He shut his mouth. Reluctantly, he ordered the warriors to untie me. I smirked, finally free at last. I was about to make my getaway when the medicine woman called me name.

"Red Sun."

I bit my lip before turning back to meet back with She Walks Among Grass. She walked up to me and grabbed my hand without my permission. I gave her a weird look while she analyzed my palm. "Uh... What are you doing."

She narrowed her eyes at me. I gulped. "... You are possessed by an evil spirit."

"... What?" I scoffed in disbelief. "I'm not- Ow!" I rubbed the spot she hit me with her stick. "Stop that! You're not supposed to hit children," I scolded her.

"Indeed, child," she nodded her head, "however, I'm only hitting the evil spirit that came to possess you."

I huffed. "I'm not possessed! Chief, tell her I'm not possessed." I looked to the Chief who refused to look my way.

"She Walks Among Grass. I hope you can expel the evil spirit from Red Sun and bring some sense to her," he said without batting an eye.

I glared at him.

"Do not worry, my chief. I shall take this child into the forest and banish the evil spirit out of her body."

I pouted. "I'm not- Ow! Stop that!"

"Come, child. There's no time to waste." She Walks Among Grass led me by the hand, taking me out to the back of the village where the vast forest was.

Without a choice, I followed her into the emerald woods. The entire village watched us head down the flat trail, watching the craziest members of the tribe depart far away from there, allowing them to savor the few hours of peace they were able to have. Sure, I was happy to get away from the humiliating slander. However, I didn't have plans to watch over an old woman pick herbs all afternoon.

I could get away from her. She wouldn't be able to catch up with me with her weak legs and bad lungs. I could then hunt for rabbits and do whatever I want until nightfall. It was a tempting idea. It sounded way better and much more fun than what I was doing now.

Alas, I wasn't evil enough to do that.

I managed to distract myself with the natural scenery. The tall pines provided me enough shade to tolerate the summer's heat. The clouds of pollen were annoying though, brushing my nose and making me sneeze constantly. She Walks Among Grass didn't seem to mind the pollen. She was too busy picking leaves off bushes. She had yet to speak to me since we left the village. I wondered if she forgot me already. Either way, I decided to stick around until she told me otherwise.

I should've brought my weapons with me. I could've hunt for small animals in the meantime. In the meantime, I resorted to whistling with the animals instead. The woodland music was quick to attract the red-bellied woodpeckers who tapped their beats to the tune like a drum. The brown thrashers caught wind of the voice, singing along as well. Together, the birds and I made music on this lazy, summer day. I noticed She Walks Among Grass was moving ahead of me. I cut my song short and followed after her, not wanting to be left behind.

"... Um," I slowly spoke up, "do you need me for something? If not, can I leave...?"

The old woman stopped in her tracks. She walked up to a conifer and pulled down one of its lower branches. "What is this plant called?" she asked.

I gave her a quizzical look. Wasn't she a medicine woman? Wasn't she supposed to know this kind of stuff? I sure didn't know what she was talking about.

I shrugged. "... Weed...?" I guessed.

She scoffed. "Cedar, child. Cedar is good for purification of the soul." She picked a few leaves from the tree and stuffed them into her bag. "We'll need them to purify your soul."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not possessed."

"Of course you are."

I groaned, telling her for the hundredth time, "No, I'm not."

She frowned. "Then, tell me. What trouble did this evil spirit caused to get you in trouble?" She waited for my answer.

I wanted to shake her shoulders and directly tell her I wasn't possessed by a malevolent spirit. Even if I were to do that, she would still think I was possessed. In the end, I just went with it.

"The evil spirit is forcing me to see White men," I told her. And wow, did that came out wrong...

"White men?"

"Yeah."

"Why were you around the White men? Didn't the chief told everyone not to interact with them without his permission?"

I didn't know how to answer her question. It was weird. I knew the White men were dangerous. They were the reason why our people were forced to sell most of their land. Yet, I found them fascinating in a strange way.

I spotted a couple of them roaming around the edges of our territory. Their speech wasn't like ours. Their clothing was also different. The few I was brave enough to approach seemed friendly, probably because I looked like a lost child in their eyes. If I was a warrior, they would've ran for the hills, or they would have shot me. Thank goodness they didn't.

I guess what brought me closer to them were their belongings. The first trade I made with them was for a hat made out of a raccoon's pelt. I gave them my bow and arrow for the hat. I got tired of wearing the hate for a while, so the trade wasn't worth it in my opinion. Even so, I continued to trade with the White men. Animal carcasses, clothing of fine thread, and knives that could show my reflection were the things I got from my trades. Some of the White men were able to recognize me after our constant trades. The trades became more frequent to where I ended up getting caught by Chief Old Strike who found me trading some of my arrows for a couple of rabbits. I should've hidden my tracks. If I did, I wouldn't be here...

"I was curious," I finally answered her.

After gathering up enough cedar to purify the village, we continued our walk down the forest path.

"The White men. What do you think of them so far?"

I shrugged. "Well, I understand why they are called White men."

She Walks Among Grass cackled at my response. "I see. Is there a particular White man you've been seeing?"

I couldn't help but glance away. "U-Um... Hey look!" I pointed to a group of purple flowers. "Lavender, right? We could use some of those."

She nodded. "That's correct."

I went over to gather bundles of lavender. After grabbing a couple of stems, I gave them to She Walks Among Grass for her to put them in her bag. "Looks like your medicine bag is full. We should head back to the tribe before it gets dark," I suggested. I thought were done until her stern voice stopped me.

"Not so fast, child." I reluctantly looked back at the old, medicine woman. She looked serious. "It's rude not to answer your elder's questions."

I thought about lying. But knowing her, she would whack me a dozen times with her staff and won't let this question go until I told her the truth. Plus, the Great Spirit would spite me if I were to lie to my elders.

I made a grumbling sigh before confessing to her. "Alright... I've been seeing this one White man for a while now."

She awed at this news. "Who is this particular White man you've been seeing?"

I took a moment to think about the question very carefully. "... I... I don't know his name. I do know what he looked like," I mumbled. "He was a young man. He wore clothing like any White man roaming around the Great Plains. What set him apart was his hair. It was yellow like the prairie in the early fall. And his eyes, they were blue like a clear sky on a bright day. He also had these things called glasses that helped him see. He tended to smile and talk a lot. He seemed friendly the few times I met him, so I didn't think he was a threat to us..."

I didn't tell her about the gifts he brought me. Unlike most White men who expected something in return, he just gave them to me. Food, bows, wildflowers, even a doll, he gave them to me without asking for something in return. I felt bad when he gave me the doll, so I gave him a bracelet I made myself. I forgot how big his wrist was compared to mine, so it didn't really fit him. But he accepted my gift anyway.

Now that I thought about it, he did ask me a bunch of questions after he gave me his gifts. Initially, I had a hard time understanding him. But as we kept meeting, I was somewhat able to understand what he was asking: what my name was, when I was born, who I was living with... Oh...

She Walks Among Grass wasn't smiling, nor was she frowning. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking. I was expecting her to scold me at least. The worst thing I could imagine her doing was tell the chief about him. Chief Old Strike would absolutely leave in the woods to starve and get eaten by wolves.

I began to panic and started blabbering a bunch of things to distract her from what I said. "I-I'm sorry, She Walks Among Grass. I didn't think he was a threat. He and I talked, but I didn't tell him anything about our tribe. I only told him my name, and that was it. I swear! I'm very sorry-"

"Why do you apologize, child?" She gave me a strange look.

I lowered my gaze in shame. "Chief Old Strike said the White men are to be avoided. But, I've seen him handle the White men as well as the rest of the Yankton chiefs. Despite his warnings, I was able to interact with the White men without any harm done to me. The truth is... I want to keep seeing the White men. I don't care what Chief Old Strike says. I'm not ashamed to befriend this White man I met, so..."

I felt her hand patting the top of my head. I looked up and saw a faint smile underneath her wrinkles. "No need to be afraid, child," she said with a softened expression. "I'm too old to tattle-tale like the young women of the tribe. Nor do I find shaming a child amusing. If this is something you wish to keep secret, I'll pretend to have bad ears."

My jaw dropped in disbelief. "T-Thank you, She Walks-"

"Just call me Wheat Grass," she corrected. "After sixty years of hearing that name over and over again, I can see why White men are named John or Jim or something short and boring."

I couldn't but chuckle at her sudden sass. "Thank you, Wheat Grass."

"No need to thank me." Her face became stern all of a sudden. "However, if I were to hear or dream of White men becoming a threat to the tribe, your secret may not stay secret for long."

I frowned. "But, he's not dangerous."

The old, medicine woman shook her head. "My child. You are still naive." She led us to a bunch of flat rocks, convenient chairs to sit on while we talked some more. "After living for over sixty years, I remember how large our tribe used to be, how much territory we covered, and the buffalo..." She sighed.

"There were as many buffalo as there were stars in the night sky. Our tribe was prosperous like the rest of the tribes of the Great Plains. Life seemed perfectly peaceful. No one would've thought a single group of people would disrupt this balance. No one would've known such a small force would hold such great influence over our lives. No one would've imagined the destruction done to many tribes within a short period of time... I assumed there were warnings given to us by the Great Spirit. If so, we were unable to do much about it. In the end, we could only watch everything around us change.

No longer do the buffalo roam. No longer is our territory as large as it used to be. No longer could we live the way it used to be. Within my lifetime, everything changed. It all happened because the White men came and conquered the land," she said in a solemn tone, full of pain and sadness. Subconsciously, I held her hand. It seemed to relax her a little bit.

"... Like a fungus, the White men was once a small, insignificant group who came a place beyond our understanding. The Eastern lands were divided on what to do with the White men. Some wanted to cooperate with them. Some wanted to kill them. The White men took advantage of their division, pitying them against one another in exchange for more territory and power. Little did those natives know the White men were actually reducing their numbers and might to the point the tribes of the East could not longer fight without disappearing forever. Without a choice, the natives went westward, pushed into pens by the White men who now took over their homeland. Soon, the White men will start to populate the territory surrounding our small home. In a matter of time, the White man's greed will swallow the continent, and we'll be left with nothing..."

I grimaced. "True, but this White man I've been seeing. He gave me flowers. He gave me food. Why did he not attack me? Why did he not capture me or kill me? Why was he kind to someone like me?"

Wheat Grass hummed, appearing to remember something. "Do you remember Iktomi, my child?"

Did she take me for an idiot?

"Of course I know him!" I exclaimed with excitement. "You told me many stories about the spider-trickster. How is he related to the White man?"

"My child, I'm about to tell you a story of a winchinchala (girl) who met Iktomi. After I finish telling you this tale, I want you to pay heed to its lesson," she advised.

I nodded many times. "Okay. I'm ready to listen, Wheat Grass." I sat as comfortably as I could be on top of the hard rock, eager to listen to the story.

After taking a deep breath, the medicine woman began the tale in a dignified manner.

Long ago, there was a young girl who lived in one of the tribes of the Great Plains. The girl had long, beautiful, black hair and graceful, chestnut brown eyes as soft as an innocent fawn. As the pretty winchinchala grew in age, the older boys and men of her village became more attracted to her as she approached womanhood. Having never been with a man in all her life, she was clueless of their attraction toward her.

One day, Iktomi was traveling around the Great Plains when he stumbled upon the pretty winchinchala. Iktomi became attracted to the girl like any man in her village. Seeing such a pretty winchinchala ripe for the picking, the spider-trickster was eager to have her for himself. And so, he devised a plan to talk with the pretty girl.

The next day, he dressed himself like a woman and went looking for the beautiful girl. Not far from the village, he found her about ready to cross the stream.

"Hau mashke, how are you, friend," he greeted. "Let's wade across together."

Finding nothing wrong with Iktomi's appearance, the gullible winchinchala didn't mind Iktomi's presence. They lifted their robes and stepped into the water. The moment Iktomi lifted his robes, the young girl noticed something unusual about Iktomi.

"You have very hairy legs," said the girl to Iktomi. 

Quickly, he came up with an excuse. "That's because I am older. When women get older, some are like this."

Finding nothing wrong with his answer, the naive winchinchala accepted his explanation without a doubt. They proceeded to walk across the stream. As the water got deeper, they lifted their robes higher. Following behind him, the young girl noticed something unusual about Iktomi.

"You have a very hairy backside," said the winchinchala to Iktomi. 

Once again, he came up with an excuse. "Yes, some of us are like that," answered Iktomi.

Again, finding nothing wrong with his answer, the naive winchinchala accepted his explanation without a doubt. The water still got deeper, and they lifted their robes up very high. Once again, the young girl noticed something unusual about Iktomi.

"What's that strange thing dangling between your legs?" asked the girl who had never seen a naked man.

"Ah," complained Iktomi like it was no big deal, "it's a kind of growth, like a huge wart." He lied an obvious lie.

Of course, the naive winchinchala found nothing wrong with his answer and accepted his explanation without a doubt. Still, her curiosity increased seeing  a wart of such size for the first time in her life.

"It's very large for a wart." She awed.

"Yes. Oh my! An evil magician wished it on me. It's cumbersome; it's heavy; it hurts; it gets in the way. How I wish to be rid of it!" Iktomi exaggerated his pain, earning sympathy from the naive girl who wanted to relieve her fellow woman from such pain.

"My elder sister," said the girl, "I pity you. We could cut this thing off."

Iktomi paled at her suggestion. He panicked and spouted an excuse. "No, no, my younger sister. There's only one way to get rid of it, because the evil growth was put there by a sorcerer." 

Luckily for Iktomi, the naive winchinchala was gullible to what he had to say. "What might this be, the way to get rid of it?"

A sly smile grew on Iktomi's face. "Ah, mashke, the only thing to do is to stick it in there, between your legs."

The innocent winchinchala's face grew a blush as red as a wild rose. The poor girl was unsure of his suggestion as she was unfamiliar with such a deed. Looking upon the huge, erected wart standing stiffly between the legs of her 'sister', the young girl made up her mind.

"Is that so?" She bit her lip. "Well, I guess we women should help each other."

Her answer made Iktomi very happy. Very happy indeed. "Yes, pilamaye, thanks, you are very kind. Let's get out of this water and go over there where the grass is soft." 

He led the naive girl to a patch of grass that was hidden behind the dark green hills of the land. Spider Man made the girl lie down on the grass, got on top of her, and entered her.

"Oh my," said the girl as she gasped for air, "it sure is big. It hurts a little." 

"Think how it must hurt me!" said Iktome, breathing hard on her. 

"It hurts a little less now," said the girl, growing more comfortable to the sensation.

After a while, Iktomi finished and got off the girl. The winchinchala looked at him and said, "Indeed, it already seems to be smaller." She observed the red wart beginning to grow flaccid.

"Yes, but not small enough yet," answered Spider Man.

Not long after saying this, his wart was beginning to grow again. Whether the wart's growth was caused by evil magic or hormones is up for debate.

She breathed a sigh, "This is hard work. Let me catch my breath, then we must try again."

After a moment's rest, he got on top of the girl once more. Now that the winchinchala was more familiar with the intercourse, she quickly grew accustomed to this ritual.

"It really isn't so bad at all," said the winchinchala in between moans, "but it seems to have gotten bigger. It is indeed a powerful magic." 

Iktomi did not answer her.

He was busy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).

He finished.

He rolled off.

"There's little improvement," said the girl, staring down on the bulging, red wart.

"We must be patient and persevere," answered Iktomi, determined to get rid of his wart if you know what I mean.

So after a while they did it again.

"Does it hurt very much, mashke?" the girl asked Iktomi in their pants for air.

"Oh my, yes, but I am strong and brave," answered Iktomi in grunts and groans, "I can bear it." 

"I can bear it too," said the girl in her moans.

Once again, they finished together. Iktomi rolled off the young girl, allowing them to rest once again.

"It really isn't altogether unpleasant," said the girl after they did it the fourth time, "but I must tell you, elder sister, I don't believe you will ever get rid of this strange thing." She peered down on the swollen wart, heaving out a somewhat disappointed sigh.

"I have my doubts too," answered Spider Man, lacking the effort to appear depressed from such a predicament.

"Well," said the ignorant winchinchala, "one could get used to it." A smirk grew on her face.

"Yes, mashke," Iktome agreed, "one must make the best of it, but let's try once more to be sure."

"After a while, Iktomi got on top of the girl once more. The two continue to do it again. And again. And again. And again. The end." The medicine woman let out a sigh of fulfillment, her face slightly flushed.

I... I wasn't sure what to make of the tale. I realized my jaw was loose, and my face felt slightly heated for some reason...

"Uh... Wheat Grass..." I interrupted her moment of silence.

"Yes, child. Speak up."

"... How is this related to the White Man?"

"Well, my child. That is up to you to figure out."

I gave her a weird look. "What do you mean by that?"

She giggled. "If I gave you all the answers to life, you might not be able to think for yourself. I want you to think about the story's lesson. By tomorrow morning, I want you to come into my tipi and tell me what you learned from the story."

"I see," I mumbled, still absorbing the tale's vivid imagery. "Well, thank you for telling me such a tale. It was very entertaining to say the least." I scratched the back of my head.

Wheat Grass and I took notice of the burning orange sky and the caws of crows in the distance. "The sky is going to be dark soon. Let's go back to the tribe and see what the warriors brought to cook for tonight's dinner," she suggested.

After stretching our bones, Wheat Grass and I head back the way we came, leaving the orange glow of the coniferous forest, back to the tipis and cabins of our tribal village. Thankfully the chief was nowhere in sight. I left the medicine woman and went back to my tipi. Opening the buckskin flaps of the tipi, I saw my brother sitting next to the bonfire, cooking up something tasty in the small, fire pit. He turned around to see it was me coming inside.

"The warriors and I caught ourselves a buffalo. I nearly died if it weren't for Hinto," he explained to me as we ate our delicious, semi-burnt buffalo meat with boiled rice.

"Sounds awesome," I awed. "All I did was pick sage and huckleberries all day."

He gave me a funny look. "Uh, no. It wasn't awesome. I could've broke an arm or a leg. I rather pick herbs and berries than risk my life on a dangerous hunt."

I scoffed, "Well, I rather hunt ferocious bears and rampaging buffalo than stupid berries." I chewed on a piece of buffalo meat. It was tasty by the way.

"Anyway, what did the medicine woman told you?"

I pondered on the things she and I talked about. I thought about telling my brother how she knows about the White man I've been seeing, however, I hate for him to ruin my meal with his whining. "She told me to burn this cedar so I can dispel the Evil Spirit within my body." I referred to the bundle of cedar to she gave me. "She also told me a story. That's all."

He looked at me surprised. "You're not punished?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I can go back to see the White man again." I smiled.

"What about the chief?"

"What about him?"

"He's going to catch you, and he'll banish you to the other side of the world once he finds out."

"He won't find out."

"But-"

"He won't," I groaned. Why does he always doubt me?

He sighed. "Anyway, what story did the medicine woman told you?"

I finished the rest of my food. "It's called Iktomi and the Ignorant Girl."

"What's it about?"

I hesitated to answer him. "Well... It's about Iktomi. And an ignorant girl. By the way, what does ignorant mean, Brother?"

He gaped at me like I said something offensive. "Are you-"

"You know what. Never mind," I stopped him from going on a rant. "Anyway, let me tell you the tale of Iktomi and the Ignorant Girl."

Doing my best to recant the tale, I told my brother the entire story. I hoped by telling him the story, he could help me figure out the tale's lesson so I can tell that answer to the medicine woman in the morning. However, by the end of the story, my brother looked just as red as mine. His large eyes said it all.

"And they did it again. And again. And again. And-"

"A-Alright, alright! I get it!" He shook his head. He got up from where he sat and went over to get the cedar.

"What are you doing?"

He brought the cedar to the fire pit, allowing the wood to burn and fill the room with a smoky, woody aroma.

"She is right. You really are possessed by an evil spirit."

I pouted. "I-I'm not possessed! Why does everybody assume I'm possessed by an evil spirit or something?"

"Because you are possessed. The tale you told me sounds like something you made up." His blush grew darker as he shook hi shead.

"I didn't make it up! Wheat Grass told me this tale herself, and I remember everything about it. What I don't get was the lesson to this story?"

"Lesson? Why-"

"I need to tell the medicine woman what I learned from the tale tomorrow morning, and I still have no clue what it's about."

He looked dumbfounded. "What do you think the lesson is about?"

I thought on the question for a moment. "Sleeping a lot is good for you..?"

"..." My brother silently went to the left side of the bed, laying himself down before bringing the sheets overs his body. 

"Come on, Blue Moon! Tell me what the lesson is about! What is this story about anyway? Tell me! Tell me!" I whined, nudging his shoulder.

"Leave me alone," he grumbled.

"How about not trusting people with hairy legs? Is that the lesson? Tell me!" I pestered him.

Welp. What great help he turned out to be. Now, what was I going to do?

~ Bonus Scene I ~

"What did you tell her?" Chief Old Strike asked his mother.

He and the medicine woman sat on top of cushions within the tipi, absorbing the jasmine-filled air while sipping on wild rose tea that late night.

"Nothing out of the ordinarily," she told her son. "I listened to what she had to say and told her a story. That was all."

He scowled. "Mother. She needs to be taught a lesson. Not be listening to silly stories of talking coyotes and mischievous crows. It's already bad enough she takes after some of these fictional creatures." He sighed. "Anyway, what tale did you tell her this time?"

"Iktomi and the Ignorant Girl."

The chief spat out his tea. "What?! Mother!"

"What?" she sounded offended. "She's at that age to know things like that."

He buried his flushed face into the palms of his hands. "She's too young to hear such a story. Are you crazy?" It was already bad enough keeping her within the borders of the reservation. To explain flowering and mating season was beyond his capabilities.

"Don't worry. She's going to be fine." She waved him off.

Chief Old Strike groaned. "Whatever. The damage had already been done." He got up off the cushion. "Thank you for the tea. I'm off to sleep for the night. Good night, Mother." He went on his way out of the tipi, leaving She Walks Among Grass alone to blush happily to herself, recalling the tale fondly in her head. 

~ Bonus Scene II ~

"So, my child. What do you think is the lesson of Iktomi and the Ignorant Girl?" Wheat Grass asked Red Sun.

Red Sun chirped with a confident smile. "I thought about this for a long time. I really thought long and hard, and I think I get it. I know the lesson now."

"Tell me."

A drop of sweat dribbled down Red Sun's face. "... Removing warts is hard work?"

"... You're grounded for two weeks."

"What?! You're kidding, right?"

The elderly woman crossed her arms in disapproval. "Make that three weeks." Red Sun groaned. Wheat Grass stood up to grab some cedar and sage from a nearby basket. "It appears the evil spirit has clouded your judgement." She handed the items to Red Sun.

The young child looked down on the herbal plants in disgust, glaring at the medicine woman. "I'm not possessed!"

"Four weeks."

"Ugh!" Red Sun stormed out the tipi.

Wheat Grass sighed. "That White man better be nice as she says," she mumbled, worried over the ignorant girl's future.

☆☆☆☆☆

Originally, this chapter was going to be about the carving of Mount Rushmore, but I got writer's block midway in my writing. I scraped the plans for that chapter for now, but I might come back to it one day. Instead of that chapter, I searched up some topics, and hey! The Sioux legends I found were really entertaining, and Iktomi and the Ignorant Girl became one of my favorites (I was laughing out loud when I read the tale for the first time >w<). By the way, this story was probably as close to erotica as it gets, so hopefully anyone had some sage to cleanse their souls after reading such a dirty tale. If you don't believe such a tale exists, as North Dakota would question it, look it up on the Internet. Most of the tale is copied in this chapter, and the only thing I've changed was the additional wording to make the tale more...entertaining.

For anyone unaware of Sioux legends and tales, Iktomi in Native American mythology is sort of like Loki in Norse mythology. He is often mistaken to be evil when in actuality he's more of a trickster and a shapeshifter, known to vary from being mischievous and destructive to being cunning and helpful among people. His character varies in a lot stories determining the tribal dialect of the tale, but he's generally told to be a deity to stay away from. Fun fact: Iktomi supposedly promoted technology. According to one prophecy, it's stated he would spread his web across the land which some Native Americans take to mean the telephone network, the Internet, and the World Wide Web. Very interesting speculation in my opinion.

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Feel free to vote or leave a comment on your thoughts of South Dakota or place suggestions for future chapters on South Dakota (history, facts, etc.)