
The Trail Book
by Mary Austin
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About This Book
First published in 1918, "The Trail Book" is now considered a classic of American nature writing. It is essentially a frame tale set in the New York Museum of Natural History, where two children discover displays that come to life and admit them into a series of exciting adventures that include talking animals and magical travels through the vast landscapes of the pre-Columbian continent. Along the way, the children discover the lifeways of the ancient Native Americans and the natural worlds they inhabited, as well as the impact on both Indians and wildlife from contact with European explorers...
Chapters (47)
- THE TRAIL BOOK
- MARY AUSTIN
- WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY MILO WINTER
- 1918
- TO MARY, MY NIECE IN THE HOPE THAT SHE MAY FIND THROUGH THE TRAILS OF HER OWN COUNTRY THE ROAD TO WONDERLAND CONTENTS
- I HOW OLIVER AND DORCAS JANE FOUND THE TRAIL II WHAT THE BUFFALO CHIEF TOLD III HOW THE MASTODON HAPPENED FIRST TO BELONG TO A MAN, AS TOLD BY ARRUMPA IV THE SECOND PART OF THE MASTODON STORY, CONCERNING THE TRAIL TO THE SEA AND THE TALKING STICK OF TAKU-WAKIN V HOW HOWKAWANDA AND FRIEND-AT-THE-BACK FOUND THE TRAIL TO THE BUFFALO COUNTRY; TOLD BY THE COYOTE VI DORCAS JANE HEARS HOW THE CORN CAME TO THE VALLEY OF THE MISSI-SIPPU; TOLD BY THE CORN WOMAN VII A TELLING OF THE SALT TRAIL, OF TSE-TSE-YOTE AND THE DELIGHT-MAKERS; TOLD BY MOKE-ICHA VIII YOUNG-MAN-WHO-NEVER-TURNS-BACK: A TELLING OF THE TALLEGEWI, BY ONE OF THEM IX HOW THE LENNI-LENAPE CAME FROM SHINAKI AND THE TALLEGEWI FOUGHT THEM: THE SECOND PART OF THE MOUND-BUILDER'S STORY X THE MAKING OF A SHAMAN: A TELLING OF THE IROQUOIS TRAIL, BY THE ONONDAGA XI THE PEARLS OF COFACHIQUE: HOW LUCAS DE AYLLON CAME TO LOOK FOR THEM AND WHAT THE CACICA FAR-LOOKING DID TO HIM; TOLD BY THE PELICAN. XII HOW THE IRON SHIRTS CAME TO TUSCALOOSA: A TELLING OF THE TRIBUTE ROAD BY THE LADY OF COFACHIQUE. XIII HOW THE IRON SHIRTS CAME LOOKING FOR THE SEVEN CITIES OF CIBOLA; TOLD BY THE ROAD-RUNNER. XIV HOW THE MAN OF TWO HEARTS KEPT THE SECRET OF THE HOLY PLACES; TOLD BY THE CONDOR. XV HOW THE MEDICINE OF THE ARROWS WAS BROKEN AT REPUBLICAN RIVER; TOLD BY THE CHIEF OFFICER OF THE DOG SOLDIERS APPENDIX GLOSSARY
- ILLUSTRATIONS
- THE TRAIL BOOK
- I HOW OLIVER AND DORCAS JANE FOUND THE TRAIL
- II WHAT THE BUFFALO CHIEF TOLD
- III HOW THE MASTODON HAPPENED FIRST TO BELONG TO A MAN, AS TOLD BY ARRUMPA
- IV THE SECOND PART OF THE MASTODON STORY CONCERNING THE TRAIL TO THE SEA AND THE TALKING STICK OF TAKU-WAKIN
- V HOW HOWKAWANDA AND FRIEND-AT-THE-BACK FOUND THE TRAIL TO THE BUFFALO COUNTRY TOLD BY THE COYOTE
- "Shot downward to the ledge where Howkawanda and Younger Brother hugged themselves"
- VI DORCAS JANE HEARS HOW THE CORN CAME TO THE VALLEY OF THE MISSI-SIPPU; TOLD BY THE CORN WOMAN
- SIGN OF THE SUN AND THE FOUR QUARTERS
- VII A TELLING OF THE SALT TRAIL, OF TSE-TSE-YOTE AND THE DELIGHT-MAKERS; TOLD BY MOKE-ICHA
- Tse-tse-yote and Moke-icha
- VIII YOUNG-MAN-WHO-NEVER-TURNS-BACK: A TELLING OF THE TALLEGEWI, BY ONE OF THEM
- IX HOW THE LENNI-LENAPE CAME FROM SHINAKI AND THE TALLEGEWI FOUGHT THEM: THE SECOND PART OF THE MOUND-BUILDER'S STORY
- Well-Praised, war-chief of the Eagle Clan to the Painted Turtles;--Greeting.
- Come to the Council House at Three Towns.
- On the fifth day of the Moon Halting.
- We meet as Brothers.
- X THE MAKING OF A SHAMAN: A TELLING OF THE IROQUOIS TRAIL, BY THE ONONDAGA
- XI THE PEARLS OF COFACHIQUE: HOW LUCAS DE AYLLON CAME TO LOOK FOR THEM AND WHAT THE CACICA FAR-LOOKING DID TO HIM; TOLD BY THE PELICAN
- "She could see the thoughts of a man while they were still in his heart"
- XII HOW THE IRON SHIRTS CAME TO TUSCALOOSA: A TELLING OF THE TRIBUTE ROAD BY THE LADY OF COFACHIQUE
- XIII HOW THE IRON SHIRTS CAME LOOKING FOR THE SEVEN CITIES OF CIBOLA; TOLD BY THE ROAD-RUNNER
- XIV HOW THE MAN OF TWO HEARTS KEPT THE SECRET OF THE HOLY PLACES; TOLD BY THE CONDOR
- XV HOW THE MEDICINE OF THE ARROWS WAS BROKEN AT REPUBLICAN RIVER; TOLD BY THE CHIEF OFFICER OF THE DOG SOLDIERS
- THE END
- APPENDIX
- GLOSSARY OF INDIAN AND SPANISH NAMES THE BEGINNING OF THE TRAIL
- THE BUFFALO COUNTRY
- TRAIL TALK
- ARRUMPA'S STORY
- THE COYOTE'S STORY
- THE CORN WOMAN'S STORY
- MOKE-ICHA'S STORY
- THE ONONDAGA'S STORY
- THE SNOWY EGRET'S STORY
- THE PRINCESS'S STORY
- THE ROAD-RUNNER'S STORY
- THE CONDOR'S STORY
- THE DOG SOLDIER'S STORY
- GLOSSARY OF INDIAN AND SPANISH NAMES
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