Blackfoot Myth: The Grizzly and his Ward (Summary)

This myth starts off with a boy that is on a hunting trip with his tribe. Some how the boy gets separated from the group and gets lost. Although the other people in his tribe look for him for days they are unable to find him. The boy wanders’ around the woods for some time, crying. Eventually he meets up with a bear, the bear asks the boy if he wants to stay with him, and the boy agrees. The boy continues to live with the bear all through the summer, fall, and winter. But in the spring the bear realizes the Indians will kill him. The day comes when the bear hears a group of Indians out side of the bear den. The bear tells the boy to hide in the corner. The Indians end up killing the bear, and when they go to pull the bear out they see the boy in the den. Of course it does not take long for them to realize this was the boy that got lost almost a year ago. The Indians rejoice for finding the boy, but the boy is not so happy because he had grown close to the bear.