the figures appear quiet and still alive....that uniquely beautiful and expressive picture and a deep meaning..a great enrichment for me...thanks--

An old wise hermit from the spirit world deep in the forest in a hut of buffalo skins wearing only dear skin. Studies the plants making medicines, warriors

come for the superior healing cures. One night falling asleep something rubs his foot then a voice, "Hermit i have come to invite you to my home." A dark

object a hand ascending holding a flint arrow, he didnt dare follow in the dark. He made an arrow sized hole in his hut the third night it came, "Grandfather

I .... ". He shot the sound of pebbles hitting the floor, silence. The morning he looked and found corn and seeds leading to a mound and a big cirlcle in the

grass. He dug and found more corn, seeds, dried meats, cherries all preserved he took them back to his hut and buried them for winter. He went hunting killed

a deer cooking it over the fire a beautiful woman from the clouds came he offered it to her she was so hungry. They ate she asked him to make love to her, as

they lay she told him a story.

An ant hid corn deep, in a mountain the creator dieties wanted it so bad they got a rain spirit to cut the mountain in half with an ax of lightning. Some of

the corn was burnt which is why we have black, red, yellow, and white corn. They made the newest humans from corn dough, they were much better then the

previous clay and wood humans. They were so good that jealous the creator gods clouded these humans sight to prevent competition.

she taught him to care for corn and gave him four drops of her milk. They had two sons who were always hungry and mischivious. Everyday she would

come with a basket of new corn and they were abundant. One day the eldest son followed her to a small hut seeing her through the gaps in the logs. She was

squatting over the basket pulling corn from her sides. He told his father she is accused of withcraft, she says because her secret is known she must die be

dragged across a field she warns that now they must work for thier food everywhere her blood touches corn grows.

A year later the hermit and eldest son go to the consecrated ground. Where the hermit and corn mother first made love corn grew, from her four drops

of milk came four corn seeds black, red, yellow, and white. Where her right hand had touched corn grew where her left hand had rested beans grew and where

she sat tobacco grew. They saw a beautiful white buffalo and followed it to the frozen sea to a big circular hole. Entering it to the spirit world they come to an

empty corn field a small hut. The hermit speaks, "This is the corn mothers home", they cooked oysters she came to the steams smell hungry. They shared the

oysters and begged her to come back but she said she couldnt and cried tears of corn. She promised to come once a year if they dance and sang for her she

would make the corn grow. The eldest son took the news back to the villages the old wise hermit stayed with her in the spirit world in thier divine home.