Man began to destroy animals wholesale
for their skins and furs, not just
for needed food. Animals became
angry at such treatment by their
former friends, resolving they must
punish mankind. The bear tribe met
in council, presided over by Old
White Bear, their Chief. After
several bears had spoken against
mankind for their bloodthirsty ways,
war was unanimously agreed upon.
But what kinds of weapons should
the bears use?

Chief Old White Bear suggested that
man's weapon, the bow and arrow,
should be turned against him. All
of the council agreed. While the
bears worked and made bows and
arrows, they wondered what to do
about bowstrings. One of the bears
sacrificed himself to provide the
strings, while the others searched
for good arrow-wood.

When the first bow was completed
and tried, the bear's claws could
not release the strings to shoot the
arrow. One bear offered to cut his
claws, but Chief Old White Bear
would not allow him to do that,
because without claws he could not
climb trees for food and safety.
He might starve.

The deer tribe called together its
council led by Chief Little Deer.
They decided that any Indian hunters,
who killed deer without asking pardon
in a suitable manner, should be
afflicted with painful rheumatism in
their joints.

After this decision, Chief Little
Deer sent a messenger to their
nearest neighbours, the Cherokee
Indians.

"From now on, your hunters must first
offer a prayer to the deer before
killing him," said the messenger.

"You must ask his pardon, stating you
are forced only by the hunger needs
of your tribe to kill the deer.
Otherwise, a terrible disease will
come to the hunter."

When a deer is slain by an Indian
hunter, Chief Little Deer will run
to the spot and ask the slain deer's
spirit, "Did you hear the hunter's
prayer for pardon?"

If the reply is yes, then all is
well and Chief Little Deer returns
to his cave. But if the answer is no,
then the Chief tracks the hunter to
his lodge and strikes him with the
terrible disease of rheumatism,
making him a helpless cripple unable
to hunt again.

All the fishes and reptiles then held
a council and decided they would
haunt those Cherokee Indians, who
tormented them, by telling them
hideous dreams of serpents twining
around them and eating them alive.
These snake and fish dreams occurred
often among the Cherokees.

To get relief, the Cherokees pleaded
with their Shaman to banish their
frightening dreams if they no longer
tormented the snake and fish.

Now when the friendly plants heard
what the animals had decided against
mankind, they planned a countermove
of their own. Each tree, shrub, herb,
grass, and moss agreed to furnish a
cure for one of the diseases named
by the animals and insects.

Thereafter, when the Cherokee Indians
visited their Shaman about their
ailments and if the medicine man was
in doubt, he communed with the
spirits of the plants. They always
suggested a proper remedy for
mankind's diseases.