Chapter 4

Next morning Shane woke up from his mother's cooking, he heard bacon sizzling in the pan and walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table, his brother Sam was already sitting their drinking coffee. Then Grandfather came inside and sat down, he too started drinking coffee as well. Sam started to smile.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Shane.

"Nothing," smiled Sam.

"Hello, my grandson, can you take me to the pow wow? I'll give you my best pony, 1986 V8 Special, its name is many miles with no muffler, but it runs fine," said Grandfather.

"Really, I can have your pony?" asked Shane.

"Yes, but if you take me to the POW wow you can have it," said Grandfather.

"I guess, whatever," said Shane.

"Good it is settled then," Grandfather walking outside to finish his story, all the kids came running back to grandpa's house.

So Black Hawk came down from the mountain to talk to his Grandfather.

"I have begged, I have prayed, I have starved, and they give me nothing? The Spirits don't listen, they ran me off the mountain." said Black Hawk.

"You must go back up then," said Grandfather.

"I have no more knowledge, now then when I first when up, no vision for me," said Black Hawk.

"Then go home," said Grandfather.

So Black Hawk went back up the mountain and sat down once again.

"You see kids, wisdom and power... It comes from within, within the soul of a man, when he realizes his relationship in the great circle, his oneness with the universe and all its powers, when he realizes that at the center of the universe is a power greater than himself, this power cannot be worn like a shirt, it cannot be carried like a gun, it is within." said Grandfather... "back to the story."

Then Black Hawk starts singing again on the mountain. Now Black Hawk has gone three days and nights without food or water. But he had yet received his vision, hunger he could withstand, but it was water that tested his strength, the only vision that was coming to him was vision of water. So, he got up and walked from the mountain and saw a stream. He went down to drink, as he was about to drink a snake rose up out of the water, Black Hawk was not afraid, but he thought it was a sign not to drink of the water. So, he went back to the mountain and sat down and started singing. Then he fell asleep and he was dreaming now. Then he woke up holding a grey boulder rock.

"It has been four days and four nights," Black Hawk throwing the rock down the mountain.

"And nothing." shouted Black Hawk.

So Black Hawk walked back to his Grandfather. His Grandfather was heating boulders to put into the sweat lodge, and they both walked into the sweat lodge.

"I am angry Grandfather," said Black Hawk.

"Why?" asked Grandfather.

"I've returned with nothing, I have no more knowledge then when I went up four nights ago," said Black Hawk.

"You were looking so hard for wisdom and power, would you even know it, if it was offered to you. You went looking for a vision, the way a hunter chases a buffalo, the way a warrior goes out for scalps, you fought the spirits, you believed they owed you something, that they owed you a vision, suffering by itself brings no vision, nor does bravery, or will power. A vision comes as a gift, from your vision you have learned so much already."

"See now kids, for true power in wisdom comes from within, when a man realizes his oneness with all creation, when he realizes the center of the universe dwells upon power greater than himself, this center is everywhere it is within each of us, go now, and walk the good red road "Mitakue oyasin" (All my relations)." finished Grandfather.

Then all the children smiled and went home, Grandfather went inside and got a glass of water, and it was getting late, so he went to bed.

"Mom I hope Shane gets something out of this road trip," said Sam.

"Me too sweetheart, goodnight," said Susan Lodge.

So, they all went to sleep.