Boy Of The Seminoles, A (1956)

[Music] this is a story about seol Indians and about naha a seol Indian boy who lived many years ago it place in the Everglades a big swamp in Florida it's a big place wild many many years ago most of our country was a Wilderness there were no cities and the only people were the Indians who were really the first Americans in those days long before little naha was born his people lived in what is now Georgia but as settlers came from England the Indians went South into Florida until finally they live deep in the Big Swamp where no white people wanted to stay here little naha was born where his father was born too in the Everglades of Florida n's father was a good fisherman he also had a turtle he'd caught in the grassy swamp the turtle like the fish would be good to eat now naha had a dog called lug which means brownie but lugy had been gone for a long time where could he be did n's mother know no she said I have not seen lugy since early this morning I have been sewing all afternoon making a shirt for your father where could lugy be naha wondered and he set out to look he went through the sugar cane field which they had planted close to their home then he heard where have you been naha called what are you doing out here why didn't you come when I called then naha saw a baby alligator lugy had brought in that meant that lugy had gone far into the swamp because there were no alligators nearby naha thought it would be fun to have a baby alligator for a pet so he went to ask mother about it she was pounding corn to make it into cornmeal I found lugy said naha and look he brought a baby alligator from far in the swamp would it be all right if I kept it for a pet mother said why not wait until after supper and ask your father naha knew that would be good for his father was a wise man the medicine man was arriving for a visit and he saw naha sister cutting some sugar cane for supper at the supper table all the members of the family group came to eat together there was big naha little n's grandfather he was the head of the family there was n's Uncle his aunt and his cousins and his mother and sister naha father put SFI into a dish made from a coconut shell SFI is like cornmeal mush it is a favorite food of the seol naha lik liked it best of all but there were other good things to eat there were slices of papaya and bananas and oranges and lemons there was pork from their Pig and cornbread and the sugar can naha liked sugar cane but as he ate he was wondering if his father would let him keep the baby alligator as a pet he'd find out later that evening when it was time for sleep naha was in his chicki which is what the seal call their houses usually his father told him a story at bedtime but tonight naha wanted to know about the baby alligator which he had tied to a corner of the chii could he keep it for a pet it is a very young alligator said father it is not too young for me said naha didn't I raise lugy from a tiny puppy but baby alligators are different said father it is very hard to take care of them the baby alligator would probably die if you kept it now nahad did not want the baby alligator to die so he decided that he would take it back to its home deep in the swamp and father said good for naha had made a wise decision and he was proud of his son early the next morning naha and his father were on their way into the swamp their canoe had been made from a cypress tree that n's father had hollowed out close by they passed n's Uncle he was putting a new roof of Palm leaves on his chii naha and his father left their home behind and moved slowly and silently the water of the stream was shallow so father easily pushed the boat along with his pole naha was excited but quiet the baby alligator was in the canoe soon it would be back in its home and all the things that naha saw he saw a limpkin a large brown bird sitting on a branch of a tree he saw the white ibis with black wing tips Soaring Over The Stream there were other things to see in the water colorful snakes moved out of the way of the canoe black birds called anhingas floated on the water and then dried out their wings the stream took them farther into the swamp a beautiful white bird called an egret flew low over the canoe they had passed the part of the swamp where n's father usually fished and hunted as they moved deeper into the swamp naha saw that things grew closer together shutting out the sunlight Vines and Moss hung down so low that he could touch them but he wondered where should they put the baby alligator in the water father would know naha had his bow and arrow to practice aiming at things along the way a deer was eating near the stream but a noise frightened it away someday naha would be a good Hunter at last father said we have come far enough look and there was an alligator and another one even closer naha and his father had at last come to a place in the swamp where alligators made their home there were many alligators here father said here is where the baby alligator should go and naha knew he was right don't let my dog lugy catch you again said naha he put the baby alligator in the water right beside another now the alligator was home again and naha and father were going home back to their family and friends the seol Indians of the Everglades [Music]