Princess Dolly Dogwood

My life story is of the ways of the wandering hunter. The Caddo Indian hunter that followed the rocky ridge to pick the wild grapes, the nuts of the hickory and walnut, the acorns of Oak and the berries of the Haw that grew along the timbered creeks. Our men hunted the open spaces along the bench lands from their autumn camp beside a clear spring. Our women gathered wild fruits and plants, then cured the meat for winter use. I was made for Fawn and I looked like her except that her body was soft and warm and she could talk to the other children. My body was made from the hardwood of the dogwood tree. Fawn was to love me and I was to go on many trips with her and spend many nights held close to her body. I was made by Juan, Fawns father while he waited on a stand to kill the Elk, deer and antelope.

When the eastern streaks of gray told of coming day, Juan arose and moved to the fireside to eat the bowl of mush that Fawns grandmother had prepared for him. Then to the sleeping Fawn Came her father to kiss her good bye for the day. But he found her crying so he said, "What can I do to make you happy?" Fawn said, "I am lonely for someone, since mother has died, will you make me l doll?" He picked her up and said, "Yes, I will make a doll Just like you, a lonely one." She smiled on her father while she nestled into his arms with the joyous feeling that she would have a dolly of her very own.

Later under the dogwood tree Juan sat watching for deer and around him danced the sunlight from the hot sun of autumn. Before him stretched the green of the clearing where soon the deer would come to feed in the cool of the evening. The many hued leaves of the Dogwood hung like orchids from the bluffs in spring, Its berries were red from their stems like the glow of bedrock in the fire after it was allowed to die for the night. His thoughts returned to his daughter and that early morning promise. The promise before the wind from the winters cloud blew down upon them, Fawn would have the dolly for which she longed. So from the knobby end of the tree he cut a piece of wood and started to shave and scrape it to the shape of little Fawn.

The most beautiful life period of the Dogwood is the mellow ripening day of autumn when the frosty winds say, "You need a blanket of color-so turn your leaves and fruit the colors of the rainbow." This is done but the leaves will turn a deeper shade from the chilling winds of winter and will fade and fall to the ground in death. This leaves the red berries on the bare brown limbs as food for the squirrels, the blue jays and others when the blanket of snow covers their feeding places. Cutting some twigs from the tree Juan settled back among the dry stalks of the scented shrubs to shape them to be the arms of Princess Dolly Dogwood, named for the princess that was Fawns mother and the tree of great beauty. Working to the murmur of the water over the rocks, time passed swiftly and he begun to feel the coolness of the approaching night. He knew that the deer would not feed here this day so he placed his work at the foot of the tree where it would wait to be finished the next day.

As Juan returned to the night camp he passed by the hickory tree to pick the nut he would shape to make the head of Dolly. As he approached the camp. he saw Fawn with the children who were setting the snares to catch the rabbit. Fawn jumped into the arms of her father for a ride to the camp. He felt the soft tresses of her sunny hued hair and knew that tomorrow he would need visit the cornfield to get silks from the corn to make the hair. From the long shuck of the corn he cut the dress and from the short shucks he made a cape. Remembering the necklace of shells that Fawns mother had worn he made a necklace of the many colored kernels of the corn and placed it around my neck.

Through the autumn day Juan sat but no game came so now he must hasten back and give me to Fawn. When he arrived at camp night was near and Fawn, tired front play, lay sleeping in dreams of me. He placed me in her arms and stood to shed a tear for thoughts of her mother dear. Thus for me a happy life begun when through sleepy eyelids Fawn saw me and she clasp me in her arms and said, "Now I have someone."

Early Days