THIS STORY IS TOLD AT THE FRIENDS MADE CELEBRATION
NOTE: THIS IS NOT PART OF THE HANDBOOK BUT I THINK IT IS A GOOD THING TO SHARE ANYWAY
Years ago, Quail was walking in an open field and he heard the beautiful sound of a whistle.
Quail thought to himself, where does this beautiful sound come from, I have heard all of the sounds that all of the animals and birds make, but I have never heard of this beautiful sound. I must find this sound! So
Quail listened very closely to the beautiful whistle and began to follow the sound. He traveled through the field, over logs and flew over the streams until he came to a small pond, where he brushed the bushes to the side only to see Daksi sitting on a log. Quail had followed the beautiful whistle to this spot and couldn’t believe that the sound could be coming from Daksi. Quail sat there for a while waiting to hear the whistle once again, but to his amazement he saw turtle pop his head out of his shell and whistle the most beautiful sound Quail had ever heard.
Quail confronted Daksi and asked the Daksi,
“Where did you get this beautiful sound?” Turtle responded by telling Quail, “I received this beautiful gift from our Creator.”
Quail asked Turtle if he could borrow Turtle’s whistle,
Turtle told Quail, “I cannot let you borrow my whistle; it is a gift from our Creator. I’m never to let anyone borrow my gift Creator gave this to me so that I may sing my praise and thanks to our Creator.”
But, Quail begs Turtle to let him borrow Turtle’s whistle and cleverly appeals to Daksi in the weak spot of his pride, “I want you to hear this beautiful sound so you can appreciate it more,” said Quail.
Turtle said,
“Well, I don’t know...?”
Quail tells Turtle that he will stand right next to Turtle and never leave his side. Turtle finally gives in and lets Quail borrow his whistle.
“You have to stand right next to me and return the whistle right back to me after you use it,” Turtle told Quail. Quail agreed. When Turtle heard Quail whistle, Turtle told Quail that was the most beautiful sound that he had ever heard.
“Now give me back my whistle,” Turtle told Quail. But, Quail said, “Wait, when I first heard you I was standing much further away than this. Let me take a few steps further and whistle, the sound will be much more beautiful,” Quail told Turtle. Turtle said, “I don’t know, you better give my whistle back to me now!” Again Quail talked Turtle into letting Quail take a few steps further and whistle, but Turtle told Quail that he would have to return the whistle to him as soon as he had finished his whistle. Again Quail agreed. When Turtle heard the sound again he agreed that the sound was more beautiful.
“Okay, now give me my whistle back to me!” Turtle told Quail. Once again Quail told Turtle, “Wait, when I first heard this beautiful sound, I didn’t even know where the sound came from or from whom. Let me go behind the brush and let you hear the sound from there. You will surely appreciate the sound even more.” Turtle said to Quail, “Give me my whistle back, I want you to give me back my whistle:” Quail told Turtle, “I will give you back your whistle as soon as you hear it from behind the brush, I promise you.” Turtle told Quail, “I don’t know, I really wish you would return the whistle back to me,” but Quail appealed to the vanity of Daksi and begged Turtle and told him that as soon as he finished the whistle he would return it back to Turtle; this would be the last time that he would use it. Turtle finally agreed. So as Quail went behind the brush and began to whistle, Turtle said, “The sound is more beautiful the further away you are. Okay Quail, give me back my whistle!”
but
this time Quail did not answer Turtle! “Quail! Quail! Where is my whistle, please give me back my whistle!”
Again Quail didn’t answer. Turtle went to the other side of the brush and Quail was gone. Turtle thought to himself, “Oh, what have I done!!! I given away my cherished gift from our Creator and now I will never have that sound again. How will I be able to praise our creator?” So Turtle listened very closely to see if he could hear Quail whistle that beautiful sound. And when ever you hear Quail’s whistling sound, look around and you will see Turtle heading toward the sound trying to get his whistle back from
Quail.
MEANWHILE...
The Daksi gives his life so his shell may be used in the dances so Daksi may sing to creator in the time while waiting to get the whistle back. We collect the shells of the male Daksi to use in the ceremony. Special Prayers are made before, during, and after collecting the living Daksi.
We use 4 Daksi on each leg for a total of only 8 shells. Other southeastern tribes use more and other tribes may even use female turtle shells but we only collect the male and only a certain size and no more than 4 per leg.
