The Otter, the Spotted Frog & the Great Flood: A Creek Indian Story

K-Gr 3—Long ago, only two animal people lived-Listener, a river otter, and Honors Himself, a buffalo chief. One day a spotted frog offers a prophecy: "A great flood is coming. Soon it will cover the land. I sing so you can save yourselves." Honors Himself refuses to believe its words, but Listener urges the frog to tell him more. The frog instructs Listener how to save himself, for no one else would heed the prophecy. When the rains come and cover the land, the only survivors are Listener, the sea creatures, and the birds. After the water recedes, Listener is alone. Spotted frog returns and says he will not be alone for long. Indeed, Listener soon finds a wife who appears to him in the form of a mosquito and then a fish. Finally, the otter's wife is transformed into a two-legged creature, as is Listener, and they become the First Man and his wife. This creation tale hails from the Creek Indians, who traded with Scottish settlers, who obviously told stories from the Old Testament. The blended tale has many versions within the storytelling community and relies on the Creeks' belief of man's rise from the water. Shiloh's ink and colored-pencil illustrations provide bold, yet detailed images of the creatures that inhabit Mother Earth as well as fantastical renderings of a new world that listens to and respects her. This would make a fine addition to a unit on creation myths or Native American tales.—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH