California Indian Legends
California Indian Legends California Indian Legends Introduction If you visit Yosemite National Park in California, you will see a huge rock called El Capitan (EL KAP-ee-tan). It stands 3,200 feet tall. It is so high that it takes climbers days to reach its peak. Only the bravest will attempt this feat. How was El Capitan formed? The Miwok (MEE-wahk) Indians of central California asked themselves this same question. In response, they created the legend of Tutokanula (tew-toh-kuh-NEW-luh). Ot
登录后可以听外教原声朗读。
California Indian Legends
California Indian Legends
Introduction
If you visit Yosemite National Park in California, you will see a huge rock called El Capitan (EL KAP-ee-tan).It stands 3,200 feet tall. It is so high that it takes climbers days to reach its peak.Only the bravest will attempt this feat. How was El Capitan formed?The Miwok (MEE-wahk) Indians of central California asked themselves this same question.In response, they created the legend of Tutokanula (tew-toh-kuh-NEW-luh).
Other Native Americans also created stories to explain how things came to be.Some felt that everything in the world was alive and had a personality.They envisioned Earth before the creation of people.In "Sister Sun and Brother Moon," the Maidu (MEYE-dew) Indians of northern California imagined the sun and moon with humanlike qualities.The legend explains how the Sun and the Moon came to live in the sky.
Chapter 1 Tutokanula: A Miwok Legend
One morning two small bear cubs ran out of their den.Mother Bear smiled as her cubs tumbled across the grassy valley.The playful cubs came to a river.The sun shining through the trees made a patchwork pattern on the water. The water looked inviting.
The cubs jumped into the river. They splashed and played all day.Mother Bear never let them out of her sight. After a while, the cubs grew tired.Mother Bear nudged them onto a large rock where they could dry themselves in the sun.The warm sunshine felt so good that soon they were asleep.
The cubs began to snore. Suddenly, something mysterious happened.The rock on which the cubs were sleeping began to grow!It soared so high it almost touched the sky.Mother Bear gasped in amazement at the towering rock. It happened so fast!
