The Noble Pagan Forums - Lenape -Grandmother Turtle

For the traditional take on this story please google Grandmother Turtle by Dawn Manyfeathers. I urge you to read the original as there is a unique art to storytelling that every tribe has.
This is my rendition of it.

Grandmother Turtle

A very long time ago the whole world was made of water. There was no land whatsoever for anyone to walk, run, play or rest upon. One day the animals sent a prayer up to the Creator.

"Please Creator! Our legs are tired. Could you please make something with which we could rest upon? Perhaps settle down and have families?"
Creator thought about this and then told them "Deep under the water is a gift to you. If you can find it and bring it up then you will have the answer to your prayers."

All of the animals were excited by this and immediately began the buisness of picking out the strongest swimmers. Interrupting the noise was a quiet ancient voice that spoke up. It was Grandmother Turtle.
"Let me try."

Everyone shook their heads and she was thanked but kindly told that it was too dangerous and she was too old. No one wanted her to die.
So it was agreed on that Eagle would be the one to dive deep into the waters (after all he flies the highest in the skies reaching the heavens so what is a little flying in the opposite direction?)
Eagle plunges into the water and the rest of the animals wait......and wait.....and SPLOOSH!
Eagle comes rocketing up out of the water gasping, panting, and emptyhanded.
"It is too deep!" Said Eagle.

Grandmother Turtle spoke up and offered her help. Coyote looked at her and said "Grandmother Turtle you would surely get hurt. I shall go for the gift for I am fast and young and strong!" And down he dived.

The rest of the animals waited....and waited...and....SPLOOSH! Up came Coyote gasping,panting and emptyhanded. "It was too far and so very dark!" Said Coyote.

Grandmother Turtle again spoke up and this time it was Otter who kindly told her that it was just too dangerous for someone as old as Grandmother Turtle. "Besides I am at home in the water so surely I shall return with the gift from Creator!" And down, down, down swam Otter.
Again all the animals waited.....and waited and waited until.....SPLOOSH!
up came Otter gasping, panting and.....emptyhanded. "I swam and swam and swam but I could not get to the bottom! Perhaps there is no bottom!"

This did not deter the rest of the animals though. One after another they tried. And one after another they failed. All had gone to retrieve Creator's gift and none could find it. And then a small quiet voice piped up.
"Can I try now?" asked Grandmother Turtle.
The other animals were exhausted and agreed reminding Grandmother Turtle how dangerous this task was and how they would grieve if she should perish because of it. Grandmother Turtle just smiled and dived down into the waters.
And the animals waited.....and waited....and waited some more.
"Surely she must have drowned!"
"It was too far! We should have never said yes to letting her go!"
And with this thought in mind they all started to sob for Grandmother Turtle was the oldest and wisest of all the animals and her loss was great.

"Look!" pointed one of the animals to a cluster of bubbles that were surfacing. The rest of the animals swam closer to look when POP! Grandmother Turtle surfaced with something in her hand. "I have been to the bottom of this deep water and I have found Creator's gift."
She lifted her hand to show the rest a small portion of mud.
Creator looked down and smiled.
"Yes this is my gift to you all. I want every one of you to take a handful and put it onto the back of Grandmother Turtle."
And so it was done. And with each handful of mud and soil that was put upon her back, Grandmother Turtle grew and grew and grew with trees and plants and rocks sprouting from her back.
All the animals, four legs, two legs, insects and more climbed up onto her back and all the winged people flew and perched on the trees that sprang from Grandmother Turtle's shell.
And so she supported life for all as she does to this day. And that is why the natives call this land we live on ( North America) "Turtle Island."

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I was led to this story when I called upon Turtle and was told to find more out about Grandmother Turtle.

C.S.