The Man and The Owls

A Waksachi man and his wife embarked on a journey, stopping to camp overnight in a cave. As they settled by their fire, they heard the call of a horned owl. The woman suggested to her husband, “Call back in the same way. It will come, and you can shoot it for our supper.” The man prepared his bow and arrows, calling out as the owl replied, drawing nearer with each call. Eventually, the owl perched on a tree near the fire, and the man shot it down.

Encouraged by their success, the woman urged him, “Do it again. Another owl will come.” Once more, he called out, and another owl came closer, which he also shot. He remarked, “This is enough now.” However, his wife insisted, “No, call again. In the morning, they won’t come. We haven’t had meat for a long time, and we will need food for tomorrow as well.” Yielding to her reasoning, the man called once more.

As he continued to call, more owls arrived, increasing in number. Though he shot at them, they kept coming, until the area was filled with owls. Eventually, he ran out of arrows, and the owls began to attack. In desperation, he grabbed burning sticks from the fire to fend them off, covering his wife with a basket to protect her. Despite his efforts, the owls continued to swarm, and ultimately, both the man and the woman were overcome.

This retelling respectfully reflects the living cultural tradition of the Waksachi people, to whom this story belongs.

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