Star Boy

One night two sisters took their blankets outside to sleep. They awoke as day was breaking and the Morning Star was shining brightly. “I love Morning Star,” the oldest sister said. “He is the only star who knows both day and night. He is so handsome. Morning Star is my husband.”

Later the girls went to the river to get water. A young man stood in the path. “Please let me pass,” the older sister said, “I do not know you.” “But I am your husband Morning Star,” said the young man. And then she saw who stood before her. He was straight and handsome like no other man. “Come,” he said holding above her a juniper branch in which a spider had woven its web. “We shall go to my home in the Sky

World. Close your eyes.”  He wrapped his painted robe around them and spoke to the spider. As he did they were lifted up into the sky. When the girl opened her eyes she and Morning Star were standing before a tall lodge. The Sun painted on one side and the Moon on the other “This is my home,” Morning Star told her. “My father is the Sun and my mother is the Moon.” His parents welcomed her. Morning Star told them how he had seen her lying among the flowers “We love each other and now we are married,” he said. The Sun was pleased and the Moon gave the girl a dress decorated with shells which glistened like the stars.  The girl was happy in the Sky World. A baby was born to them and they called him Star Boy. She had everything she could wish for. She liked to carry her baby over the wide prairies to talk to the animals which live forever in the Sky World.

One day the Moon gave the girl a stick to dig up roots. “Dig up any plant you wish,” she said, “but do not dig the plants with the pink flowers. If you dig up any of these you will bring unhappiness to all of us.” The girl often used to wonder about Moon's warning. She was curious about the plants with the pink flowers. “Surely it would not matter to dig up just one root,” she decided. She dug around the plant but when she pulled out the root it left a large hole in the Sky World. Looking down she saw her old home far below. Everyone down there looked so happy and busy. She could see her mother and father and her younger sister and she was sad she could not be with them. Suddenly she felt so lonely. The Moon saw she had been crying. “Oh my daughter you have dug up the root that I told you not to dig.” The Sun was angry and also sad at her disobedience. “Now your heart will always be in two places. You will never be happy here nor in the world below. You must go back to your people.” Everyone in the Sky

World was sad.  The Sun put an eagle feather in her hair. The moon put the digging stick in her hand. She held Star Boy in her arms, and Morning Star wrapped his wife and baby in his painted robe. He let them down through the hole with the spider’s web. On earth the people saw a bright star falling and ran to where it had landed. There they found the girl and Star Boy asleep on Morning Stars blanket. The girl was never happy again. It was not until she died that she was taken again to the Sky World. She became the Evening Star, and lives there with Morning Star forever.

Star Boy was still young when his mother died. As he grew people noticed his face became more and more ugly with a mysterious scar. People said the Sun had put it there because his mother was disobedient in the Sky World. Everyone feared the awful scar. They called him Scarface. When Star Boy grew up he loved the chief's beautiful daughter. But she rejected all the other boys that pursued her. When they were alone by a fire one day he found courage to speak, “I am poor and have no fine clothes but you are always in my heart. Will you marry me?” “I have waited for you to ask me,” she answered, “but the Sun has told me that I cannot marry without his blessing. Go back to your Sky World where you were born. Tell your Grandfather that what is in your heart it is also in mine. As a sign of his blessing ask him to take away the scar.” Star Boy felt full of hope and yet despair. “How will I ever find my way to the Sky World?” “ Take courage, try hard,” she said, “you will find the way.” Not even the wise men could tell Star Boy the way to the Sky World and so he asked the birds and the animals because they have a different kind of Wisdom. They all told him, go to the place where the Sun sinks every evening, and there you will find his lodge. There at last he found the Sun's lodge. When Grandfather saw Star Boy he was pleased, he had pity on him and removed the scar. “I also will give you the one you love,” the Sun said, “she is a wise pure woman. I will take pity on all of your sick people and keep them warm and healthy.” In a little while the Sun went on his journey.  When Star Boy died he was taken up to the Sky World. Low over the eastern horizon before the Sun sets, Star Boy can be seen traveling with his Father Morning Star and at night with his Mother Evening Star.

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