Story Provided by William Purcell www.lakotawritings.com

The bright yellow sun hung lazily in the noonday sky. The shimmering heat stopped all but the foolhardy from venturing forth beneath its intense glare. In the distance a dust cloud rose and then fell as a mild breeze swept lazily across the vast open spaces of the plains. The sky above was blue and cloudless. There was no shade from the relentless heat that baked the ground as hard as stone, the force of which then split it open like an over ripe melon, leaving behind gaping scars as evidence of the suffering that the earth underwent during this time.

Nothing stirred for days on end. No strong winds blew and no clouds appeared. No animals seemed to roam across the plains in search of food or water. For any animal that had failed to find these essential sources of life, before the coming of the fierce summer sun, were already laid out upon the sweltering floor of the plains. Their dead bodies wasted away, their bones bleached white, for this was a harsh time. A time when only the strong would survive.
Story Continues