The Legend of Akela

Long ago, when bear and bison roamed the forests and prairies, there was a young brave named Akela. He wished to be a warrior like the older men of his tribe, but none would consider him so.
 

"Akela is too young to join the hunt," they would say. "Too slow to run with the Bobcat clan, and not clever enough to hunt with the Wolf clan. Such a young one is not strong enough to join the Bear clan."

No matter how hard Akela worked, all ways were barred to him. But the aged Chief of the tribe saw different." The spirit of this young one burns brighter than the largest fire. He has served his brethren well, and the time will come when our tribe needs that which Akela can give."

One night during the Fall hunt, a party of warriors was canoeing back to their village when a thick fog rolled across the river. This fog was so thick that the way to the village was hidden from their view. A nearby fork in the river led to a roaring chasm, and because the warriors could not see the safe path to follow, they were trapped. But Akela had been scouting in the hills above the river and saw the danger to the canoe as the fog rolled in. He used an animal skin to wrap dry grass around an arrow, set it aflame, and shot it across the sky towards the village. The warriors saw this flaming arrow through the fog and paddled towards it to the safety of their village.

When these warriors reached the village shore, they went to their Chief saying, "We were trapped on the river and the Great Father sent us an Arrow of Light through the sky to guide us." The wise old Chief smiled and said, "The sign you saw came not from the heavens but from one who you thought was too young to do anything." And the chief brought forth Akela to the surprise of the warriors. "By aiding his brothers in their time of greatest need, Akela has proved himself worthy to join the Warrior clan. Hereafter, all young members of our tribe shall become warriors only after meeting the challenges of the Arrow of Light. Let each of them be filled with the spirit of Akela and follow his example of unselfish service." And it was made so and practised to the present.