The Spirit World

Medicine Story walked on The Path That Stands on Two Legs. His Uncle, the Sun, was coming up over the Pueblos before him. His Mother, the Moon, was going down into the flatlands behind him. Below him was Rivershine.

Above a flock of pigeons flew. The pigeons sang:

        This is how we fly
        This is how we fly
        This is how we fly in the Spirit Land.

Medicine Story watched them fly.
    A feather drifted down and landed at his feet. Medicine Story looked at it for a long time, then picked it up, unfolded the bundle he held in his hand, and placed the feather inside.
    Medicine Story continued walking.
The Pueblos were very tall and very regular in appearance. They looked like:

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On top of them were shiny spirit catchers. Each house had several of them and they came in different shapes.

The Spirit Beings walked by Medicine Story. They walked fast and slow, alone or in pairs, but they never looked at him. Medicine Story saw one of the Spirits dressed in dirty brown clothes, lying face down on the ground. The other spirits walked around him, keeping away from him. Medicine Story saw that this spirit had great power. Carefully, he kneeled beside him, took out a small bone knife and cut off a lock of the spirits hair. The spirit didn't move. Medicine Story unrolled his bundle and placed the lock inside.

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    Under the ground was a large long Kiva. Spirits rode up in a moving house that made a tremendous roar then stopped and opened its doors. One time, when the doors opened, Medicine Story stepped inside. The house moved off again, making the loud roar. Being inside the house was like being inside Thunder. Medicine Story started to sing a song:

        We are the Thunder Beings
        We are the Thunder Beings
        We ride inside the Thunder
        We ride inside the Thunder
        Hear us coming!

    All the spirits in the house looked up at Medicine Story. They watched him singing. Then they rolled up their prayer sheets, which they had been studying, and beat them on their hands like drums. And they sang along with Medicine Story:

         Hear us riding inside the Thunder!
         Hear us riding in the Thunder.
         Hey-hey! Hey-hey!
         Hear us riding!

Medicine Story closed his eyes and prayed. He could feel that the spirits had given him great power.

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When Medicine Story came out of the Kiva, he had a Vision. He saw a tall Pueblo, taller than anything in the Spirit World, and on top of it was a large Monkey, holding a woman. The monkey was boasting loudly and waving its arms. It sang:

         I am the Spirit Monkey
         I am the Highest of the Spirits
         I am the Highest of the Spirits
         I am standing on the Spirit House
         I am holding the woman
         I speak with a thunder voice
         I am the Spirit Monkey

Medicine Story squatted on the ground, closed his eyes, and listened carefully to the spirit song.

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Medicine Story came to a tall white Pueblo standing on a spot where many paths came together. The Pueblo was wearing a belt and Spirit Messages moved around the belt in a circle. At one point on the belt new Spirit Messages were born and old ones died. Medicine Story stared at that point, raised his arms and held his bundle. The Spirit Messages on the belt started to tell his story.

    They showed his father, Wise Coyote, and his mother, Quiet Moon.

They showed Medicine Story's birth.

They showed his father and mother telling him that he was to go on a journey, and they showed him walking over great plains and high mountains, and swimming Great Rivers.

They showed all the Spirit Helpers that Medicine Story met on his way. They showed The Path That Stands On Two Legs

and the Spirit World. And they showed Medicine Story bowing in respect to the Spirits.

    All the Spirits around the Pueblo gazed at the belt on the Pueblo in fascination. Then they saw Medicine Story bow to the Pueblo and walk off.

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Medicine Story walked again on The Path That Stands On Two Legs. His Uncle, the Sun, was going down before him on the flatlands. His Mother, the Moon, was rising behind him over the Pueblos. Below him was Rivershine. Pigeons circled him Above.

    Medicine Story sang to himself:

         I AM the Highest of the Spirits
         I AM the Highest of the Spirits
         I AM holding the woman
         I AM standing on the Spirit House
         I speak with a Thunder Voice
         I AM the Highest of Spirits


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