One day an Indian mother and her son went to see Mesa Falls. As they stood near the lower falls and looked up at the mist over the upper falls, the mother spoke earnestly to the boy. "My son," she said, " soon you will be like your father. Every year you will come here to camp and fish. In these beautiful falls is the spirit of a maiden. I'll tell you her story.
"Once, many, many moons ago, when the tribes came to fish at the falls, a pretty girl was helping her lover fish. He skillfully threw his spear; she gathered the fish as he threw them out on the bank. Becoming bold, he waded out into the deeper water. But he lost his footing and the swift stream swept him down. The girl went into the deep water after him. She too, was carried away by the rushing river.
"Ever since, Indians who come here watch for the girl in the falls and in the mist. At times she appears to them dressed in white, her long hair floating with the wind and spray, her face beaming with smiles. Sometimes when the wind is blowing softly, her sweet voice can be heard calling:
"Do not long for me, for I am happy here, guarding these falls and watching over you. I must stay here to warn my people of the swirling current. I can see you and hear you, and all who are good can see and hear me. The breezes are my blessings. The rushing waters remind you that if I were not here to warn people, many might fall in and drown."
The boy looked intently at the falling water and and up at the mist. Sometimes he thought he could see the Indian maiden, but she stayed in his sight not more than a moment at a time. When he thought he was going to see her, the spray would veil the beauty of the girl.
Many Indian youths have shouted with joy when, gazing at the falls, they have thought that they saw the spirit of the Indian girl.
Indian Legends by Ella E. Clark