Jerry Bartell’s Playtime. Willow Girl, The Hunter.

[Music] [Applause] [Music] hello I'm Jerry Bartell and these are play timers jingle candy and gay we're going into Indian country today with an adventure story about a little girl that's gay bear claw jingle and arrow in the wind candy let's go back a hundred years or more to meet little girl the hunter if you've been an Indian a long time ago you might have lived like this in a wigwam at the edge of a forest this is the home of Willow girl and here she is grinding corn and hating it because she'd much rather be over there with her brother bear claw and their father arrow in the wind bear claws getting a lesson and handling the bow and arrow if only she'd been born a boy then she could be a hunter - that's fine my son straight to the mark now try for the knot hole in the pine tree it wasn't fair bear claw had all the fun and she had a grind corn and fetch firewood such dull things to do could you handle the full welfare clause in time perhaps you two will learn the name of arrow in the wind now get your spear and join me at the lake arrow and the wind never left will oh girl so much as touch a bowl but she knew she could shoot an arrow just as well as Fairclough wasn't she all hold year older look bear claw forgot to put his bow away the cheap beer she was alone arrow to bow back the arrows landed sharp into a hornet's nest there they come in an angry scream I hope will a girl can run faster than they can fly air on the wind and bear claw better run - not that way to the lake where they can hide from the Hornets under the water with only their noses sticking out for air [Music] it's many days later now and Willow girls gathering berries hair on the window just told her she can't go with him and bear claw into the deep forest [Music] men have mighty arms strong to pull the pole to send the arrow to the mark where it's supposed to go men silent like shadows and terrify broken twig or leap [Music] like a man can swim these all are things a boy and I am teaching him but pearls do not learn these things willow girl you stay here and do women's chores always the same stay at home what would happen if she didn't stay at home what would happen if she trailed bear claw and arrow in the wind into the forest she could follow their tracks and when they were too far from home to send her back she would join them she could follow a forest trail as well as any boy first hide the berries then let's see they went through here there's bear claws small footprint and the large one is father's hi this is going to be easy they can't be too far ahead now across the brook and little girls off on her big adventure a short time later will a girl comes again to the brook and finds more tracks white this is the same place she crossed before one set of these footprints is heard somewhere she's lost the trail she's been going in a circle and she's back right where she started but she won't give up [Music] still no sign of father and bearclaw choir all the forest creatures of quiet is something wrong she hurries and the underbrush and dry leaves crackle under her moccasins when a blue jay swoops down with the saucy cry and runs would have never seen so unfriendly in frightening father was right she should never have come so far alone but here footprints again she can't tell where they came from but there's no doubt about it someone crossed the brook right here she isn't lost after all and she's not going to lose the trail again not even if she has to crawl all the way on her hands and knees father I found you know Willow girl I found you you made more noise in the thicket than a wolf in a trap come bear claw already is home where you should have stayed listen to the drum it seems a song of prayer and the Indians are dancing to the Thunderbird who brings the rain for many weeks The Sun has shone hunt play fiercely unless the rain comes soon the squash will die upon the line and the corn dribble wanted stalk Thunderbird your children beg you let us steal your toys hey away from us no longer we shall die without your love give us rain give us rain rain under portray hear our voices rising to the sky send us rain so we may harvest mother earth joins in the cry give us rain give us rain rain for parched and burning the dance is over willow girl is alone before the dance lodge how wonderful it must be to beat a drum and dance to the hundr birthday surely there would be no harm if she were to try it now that the others all have gone ceremonial is not to be played by women the Thunderbird will be angry [Music] [Applause] the medicine man wisest of all the tribes speaks the thunderbird has punished arrow in the wind for a daughter who will not be a woman I shall need my strongest medicine to heal him will oh girl you know where the deer berries grow yes that is for women to know bring me the roots of a plant that grows in the shade of the fern none other will do when willow girl returns with the root of the deer berry the medicine man begins to heal arrow in the wind with mysterious chants and horrible noises he calls upon the evil spirits to leave the sick man's body willow girl watches him half frightened half fascinated but as Fairclough who first notices when arrow and the wind opened his eyes and comes back to the land of the living your daughter is a good hunter she found the herbs that healed you a hunter she was a hunter why of course one could be a hunter without shooting with a bow and arrow and one could be important too without being a boy Thunderbird are you there are over the lake the evening sky is flooded with a flash of lightning and willow girl hears the rumble of the Thunderbirds answer the soft splatter of tiny drops says the Thunderbird has forgiven her the rain has come so all's well again in that special Indian country where gay is willow girl jingle is bear claw candy is arrow in the wind and the medicine man of the storyteller were Jerry bartels also beep the drum we all join now on wishing you an Indian farewell may the Great Spirit put sunshine in your hearts today and forever more heap much [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music]