Editor’s note: The Sidney Daily News was proud to sponsor the Shelby County Junior Fair Best Overall Creative Writing Award. It was won by Liliana Phillips, 11, daughter of Sonya and Keith Phillips, of Sidney. Liliana’s story also captured the Best of Class Short Story Award from the Amos Memorial Public Library. Liliana is a member of the Successful 4-H club. This is her prize-winning story.

Prologue

A little Cherokee girl named Sky leaned closer to her mother as the great storyteller told everybody a story of how the great buzzard made the mountains. The great storyteller was tall and had a stern look on his face. He had a hat made out of leather and it had two feathers from a blue jay on it.

“A long time ago,” the storyteller began,” the Earth was just a vast open landscape. Then, one day the great buzzard went out to gather food. As he was flying his wings greatly impacted the earth.”

“How?” asked little Sky with wide eyes.

“Whenever he flapped his wings up, a mountain arose. Whenever he flapped his wings down, a valley was formed.”

“Wow!” Sky exclaimed imagining the great buzzard creating mountains and valleys.

After everyone started leaving the story circle Sky walked over to the great storyteller.

“How did you know this story?” she asked him.

“My grandfather told me stories that his grandfather told him” he replied. “You might make a great storyteller someday, Sky.”

Sky’s right eye twitched twice as it did when she was secretly enthralled. “Thank you!” she managed. Then, she skipped over to her mother and father to get ready for bed on that wonderful night. “Mother, can I be a storyteller one day?” asked Sky. “You can do anything you set your mind to, Sky.” she replied. “I would love to see you tell stories to everyone.”

As Sky slept she dreamt that she was a great storyteller. Telling children like her stories of wonderful beings. Sky hoped that one day she could be a storyteller.

Chapter 1: The Traveler (10 years later)

Sky slept soundly until 6:00 A.M. She rolled out of bed and put on the casual one of her two dresses. Sky was very lucky to have two dresses that fit. Most girls only had one, but her mother was an excellent seamstress and her father was the tribe Chief. Her dress was made of deer-hide with sewn on deer-bone buttons. Her mother used a bone-needle and thread to sew on the buttons. Sky put on her lucky blue dress. It was wool dyed blue with a deer charm on it. That was her tribe: the Deer Tribe. She brushed her long silky black hair out with a comb. It was made of wood. The wood-crafters even designed the silhouette of a deer into it.

She was to walk around the reservation and collect some rivercane to give to the wood-workers. They were making a new staff for her father. On her way to the spot where rivercane grows she met her friend Adsila.

“Good morning Adsila!” exclaimed Sky.

“Hello Sky!” Adsila said.

“What are you doing today?” asked Sky.

“Collecting rivercane for my mother” Adsila replied. Adsila’s mother was a basket weaver. She used rivercane as a material in making her baskets.

“Me too” said Sky, “except I’m collecting rivercane for the wood-workers to make a new staff for my father”.

“Well, we should continue the journey together” Adsila concluded.

“That’s a great idea!” Sky said. So they continued to the river together.

Twenty minutes later they arrived. Adsila picked a couple stalks, but Sky only picked one. They were long and green. They took their rivercane and started their journey back to the village. It was an hour on foot, but Sky and Adsila knew their way around the reservation very well. About thirty minutes in their journey they came across an elderly woman they had never seen before. She had wispy white hair tied up in a bun and sad round brown eyes.

“Hello young friends” she said, her voice scratchy. “I’ve been traveling for a long time and haven’t seen a drop of water. Would you be kind enough to lead me to some?” she asked. The

girls knew they were already halfway through their journey, but they turned back to lead the old woman to the river. The old woman drank gratefully when they reached the river. “For your act of kindness I present you both with these Dream Boxes” said the old woman.

“What are Dream Boxes?” Adsila asked.

“Well, Dream Boxes are very special! It’s said if you write your dreams and wishes down on a piece of paper for seven days before you sleep, your dreams or wishes will come true!” the old lady said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Well, I don’t know if —” Adsila started, but Sky cut her off.

“What Adsila is trying to say is THANK you very much! But, what is your name?”

“Call me the traveler” the old woman replied. Suddenly, she was gone leaving the girls with nothing but themselves, rivercane, and two Dream Boxes.

Chapter 2: The Trade

After the girls gave their rivercane to the people who needed it, they met back up at Sky’s home. Sky had a plan for their Dream Boxes. “So, about the Dream Boxes …” Sky started.

“I don’t believe it!” Adsila interrupted.

“I was thinking we could …” Sky started again, but was interrupted again by Adsila.

“I don’t want to hear your little plan about the Dream Boxes. That old lady is crazy! I’m throwing mine away and leaving. I don’t want to do it” Adsila declared.

“Fine.” Sky said as Adsila walked out and tossed her beautifully detailed box into the fire.

Sky wondered why Adsila was acting so strange about the Dream Boxes. Sky’s plan was smart. She didn’t have anything to write on, but she didn’t give up there. She knew the Settlers had ink, pens, and paper. She could trade them her two most prized necklaces for them. (Not the deer one, of course) One was made of turquoise beads and the other was all colors of beads. She only had one problem – how could she go without her father knowing? Her father had forbidden her to talk with the Settlers. He didn’t fully trust them. Suddenly, Sky got an idea! Her horse Apache was in the stables. She could ride him through the secret path out of the reservation.

From there she could go to the trading post and hopefully trade her necklaces for paper, ink, and even a pen. She went to her bed and reached underneath it to fish out her buckskin pouch and put her two necklaces in it. She slung the pouch over her arm and headed toward the path. The path was a dark and shady way. A canopy of trees hung over Apache and Sky’s heads. A cool breeze ruffled through the trees. Sky knew she would have to hurry because it was getting dark.

Suddenly she saw the trading post in the distance. A short, stout man with a sour expression was inside. As Sky neared him, the man shouted “What do you WANT?”

“I would like to trade these two beautiful necklaces for ink, a pen, and paper” Ski said to the man.

“Hmm…” he considered. “For three items I should get three items in return” the man demanded.

“I will give you this too” she said, giving the man her headband.

“Deal!” the man said. “Wait — what is your name?” he asked.

“Sky” she replied.

“Sky…” he mumbled, “them funny Indian names.”

“I am not an Indian” Sky said haughtily climbing back on Apache.

As Sky and Apache traveled back to the village, Sky vowed to herself never to trade with Settlers again.

Chapter 3: I Wish I Could Be a Storyteller

When Sky got home that evening her father asked her where she had been. “I went to ride Apache” Sky said — which wasn’t technically a lie. “Thank you for collecting rivercane for my staff today. That was very good of you” her father said. Sky’s right eye twitched twice.

“Thank you Father” she said. She did not usually get praise from her father. Sky left for bed.

“All right … first night. What do you wish for Sky?” she said to herself. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She could wish to be a storyteller. That is all she ever wanted to be. She got out a box, pen, paper, and ink. She spread them across her bed. Her bedroom was a private area because there was an animal skin-flap to enter. People from the outside couldn’t see what she was doing. She had her bed, a fire for heat and warmth, and a miniature solid oak table in her room. She got out a small scrap of paper and wrote, “I wish I could be a storyteller”. She let the ink dry, then folded it up and set it in the box.

The next morning the sun shone bright through the thatches in the roof. Sky rolled over and got up. It was already noon! Sky had slept for a long time. She ventured to Adsila’s house. She was going to find out what was wrong with her.

Adsila was weaving a basket. “Hi Adsila!” Sky called.

“Hi Sky … I’m sorry for what I said last night, but it was true! I shouldn’t have lost my temper like that” said Adsila. Sky forgave Adsila and the friends talked for many hours.

“It’s getting dark outside, I’d better go home” Sky said as she waved farewell to Adsila.

The walk home was short — only a couple of minutes. When Sky returned home she smelled something heavenly cooking over the fire. Sky’s mouth watered. “What are you cooking for dinner mother?” she asked. “Your father caught a huge black bear so we are having it for dinner” her mother replied.

Sky ate the delicious meal and sat on her bed. She repeated what she had done the previous night. Sky dreamt of being a storyteller that night. She repeated that for five more nights religiously.

Chapter 4: Wishes Come True

On the eighth day Sky woke up to a bright, sunny morning. Everyone was in a great mood. Sky put on her beautifully detailed dress and turquoise bracelets. She also put on her deer necklace and her leather moccasins. Lastly, she put on her turquoise headband with a feather of a blue-jay on it. When she walked out the warmness enveloped her. It was beautiful outside. Ski wondered if her wish would come true. She wished it did.

Suddenly the horn blew. Everyone gathered around in a Deer Tribe circle. Sky sat wedged in between her parents. Her father stood up and the drums began softly. “As you all know,” her father began, “the great storyteller passed away three years ago. For three years our hearts and minds have been lonely. We need stories!” The crowded cheered loudly. “I would like to nominate my daughter Sky to be the next storyteller for our tribe.” Sky’s jaw dropped. “I accept proudly” Sky said. Her right eye twitched twice as her father put the great Storyteller’s beautiful headdress on Sky. It was tradition that the Deer Tribe would have a great feast. They had corn, squash, beans, potatoes, berries, and they even hunted a great black bear. Sky ate hungrily. She was overjoyed! Her wish was granted because of a small act of kindness.

Chapter 5: Sky the Storyteller

Sky knew exactly which story she would tell for the village celebration that evening. “A long time ago,” Sky started — the firelight flickered across her face, “everything was flat. Then one day, the great buzzard flew across the land. He was so big that when he flew he made a great impact on the Earth”.

“How?” asked a small young girl in the tribe.

Sky smiled. “When his wings went up a mountain was created. When his wings went down a valley was created”. Everyone applauded. Sky gave a smile of gratitude. “This is how the Earth was created”. When she left, she could practically feel the Great Buzzard’s approval shining