Indians and Their Shoes

    Granny's Camp Stories
        How the Indians Got Their Moccasins
             Retold by My Teacher
               Rewritten by Me


     In a time before rising sky scrapers and whooshing cars, the People (Native Americans) had tough

feet like leather and went barefoot everywhere. Stealthily, these people dash through the forest

hunting elk, moose, and the superior bear with no sound to be heard. But one warrior, curiously, could

never compete. When he ventured out to hunt, he would always come back same as before, only with

a limp to show for. The races he ran with the other Indian boys were also unsuccessful, as even the

slightest pebble mockingly bruised his feet. Judging, the entire tribe designated him "Tenderfoot."

      Despairing, Tenderfoot tested all ointments and salves he came across to toughen his feet. He

even tried using fire to create a resistance, then he placed his feet in a stream, unfortunately, he only

got blisters.

       One day, Tenderfoot was hobbling through the village, after another failed hunt. He didn't look

where he was headed, and fell over a pot of honey. "Now my feet are not only sore, but sticky," he

complained to himself. When the owner of the pot saw this accident, she yelled, "look what you've

done you clumsy fool!!!" Fearing for his life, Tenderfoot retreated from the enraged woman, through his

tears he could not see where he was going. He couldn't contain himself.

      Tired, and breathing hard, hopelessly Tenderfoot sprawled himself on the ground. As he lay

thinking on his tragic predicament,  he finally realized his feet were no longer in pain. Bewildered, he

sat to look at them and discovered a scrap of deer skin fixed to each foot. When he stepped on the

deer skin, the honey must have clung on to it as he fled the village.

       Wondering, Tenderfoot stood and wandered in a circle to test the deer skin. His hope restored,

Tenderfoot marveled at how cushioned and flawlessly protected his feet were. As he journeyed back

to the village, he schemed on how he could cleverly put his discovery to good use. Certainly, he wasn't

going to smother his feet in honey every morning. Tenderfoot set upon a plan.

       Immediately, when he returned to the village he asked his mother for any of her deer skin scraps,

an awl, and a sinew. As she gave him what he asked for, Tenderfoot's mother wondered what

purpose might a young brave have for woman's tools. But she held her inquiry.

         Purposefully, Tenderfoot spread the deer skin on the ground, grasped a lump of coal from the fire,

and carefully traced each foot precisely onto the deer skin. Taking his knife, he cut and sewed far into

the night with only fire and moon light to illuminate his project. In exhaustion, when he finally finished,

and was incredibly pleased with his handiwork. When the breathtaking glory of the first sunlight

arrived, Tenderfoot eagerly tried on the deer skin shoes. "These are wonderful!" He declared as he

zoomed through the forest painlessly. He ran majestically, he felt as if he would never have to stop.

      Over the next few weeks, the people of the village noticed a drastic  change in Tenderfoot. He

always returned from a hunt successfully, and he was just as agile in the foot races. With his new

advantage, the people of the village made remarks about how Tenderfoot's footfall was so incredibly

silent, he could sneak up on his shadow.

      Wishfully, the people of the village came to Tenderfoot, requesting for their own deer skin shoes

like his. Unsurprisingly, everyone found them just as useful as Tenderfoot had. In their new shoes they

rushed farther and faster, they could venture through the forest even more softly, and the shoes

kept their feet warm and dry even on the most frigid mornings. They were incredibly useful.

       Recognized as a great hero among his people, Tenderfoot was asked by the great council to give

his incredible discovering a name. "Moccasin," Tenderfoot announced, "for that is my true name."

The Indians have called this invention Moccasin, ever since.