“Smiling and nodding at our children, the stranger went straight to our council house where our elders were waiting. Then, as we all listened, he spoke of his strange birth and of the Great Peace that he was bringing.”

Again, Carries stopped and lifted his head as if listening.

“It happened that way?” Okwaho said. “Everyone accepted his words?”

Carries cupped his chin in his hand. “No,” he said. “Not everyone was ready at first to hear his message. Holds the Rattle, one of our elders, asked him why we should make peace. Our young men were strong warriors. If anyone dared to attack us and killed one of our people, we would quickly take revenge and kill one of their people in return.”

Okwaho nodded. He had heard that sort of thing said before . . . especially by Atatarho, the Entangled One, the black snakes in his hair hissing as he spoke.

“How did the Peacemaker answer Holds the Rattle?” Okwaho asked.

“First,” Carries said, “he looked around at us, at our confident young men, our leaders who seemed so sure of themselves.

“Then the Peacemaker nodded his head. ‘I agree,’ he told us. ‘I can see that your young men are strong. I have no doubt the warriors of your village will fight well against any who might dare attack you. But is that not also true of other villages? Is it not true that they also have strong warriors and determined leaders? Can any man, no matter how strong, survive when an arrow pierces his heart? Have any of your young men died in battle?’

“Only a season ago we had lost three men in battle against other Mohawks—men of our own nation from another community a day’s walk from ours—the Village by the Rapids. So the man’s words struck home. Even Holds the Rattle had to nod his head. But the Peacemaker was not done speaking.

“‘Let me tell you a story,’ he said.”

Carries looked at Okwaho. “Would you like to hear it?”

“Yes.”

“Good. This is the story he told, the story of the Great Battle.”

•   •   •

Long ago, there was a boy named Rabbit Foot. He had a special gift. He was able to understand the languages of animals and speak back to them as if they were human beings. One day he was out walking through the forest when he heard a sound. Somewhere a great battle was being fought. He followed that sound until he came to a hill. When he climbed that hill and looked down to the other side he saw the ones who were fighting. There, in a clearing in the woods, a giant snake was struggling with a huge frog. The snake had caught the frog by its hind legs and was starting to swallow it as the frog tried to pull itself free.

Rabbit Foot walked down to take a closer look.

“My friend,” he said to the frog, “your enemy really has you.”