Old Man Above and the Great Grizzlies

Along time ago, while smoke still curled from the smoke hole of the tepee, a great storm arose.
The storm shook the tepee. Wind blew the smoke down the smoke hole.
Old Man Above said to Little Daughter: "Climb up to the smoke hole.
Tell Wind to be quiet. Stick your arm out of the smoke hole before
you tell him." Little Daughter climbed up to the smoke hole and put
out her arm. But Little Daughter put out her head also. She wanted
to see the world. Little Daughter wanted to see the rivers and
trees, and the white foam on the Bitter Waters. Wind caught Little
Daughter by the hair. Wind pulled her out of the smoke hole and blew
her down the mountain. Wind blew Little Daughter over the smooth ice
and the great forests, down to the land of the Grizzlies. Wind
tangled her hair and then left her cold and shivering near the
tepees of the Grizzlies. Soon Grizzly came home. In those days
Grizzly walked on two feet, and carried a big stick. Grizzly could
talk as people do. Grizzly laid down the young elk he had killed and
picked up Little Daughter. He took Little Daughter to his tepee.
Then Mother Grizzly warmed her by the fire. Mother Grizzly gave her
food to eat. Soon Little Daughter married the son of Grizzly. Their
children were not Grizzlies. They were men. So the Grizzlies built a
tepee for Little Daughter and her children. White men call the tepee
Little Shasta. At last Mother Grizzly sent a son to Old Man Above.
Mother Grizzly knew that Little Daughter was the child of Old Man
Above, but she was afraid. She said: "Tell Old Man Above that Little
Daughter is alive." Old Man Above climbed out of the smoke hole. He
ran down the mountain side to the land of the Grizzlies. Old Man
Above ran very quickly. Wherever he set his foot the snow melted.
The snow melted very quickly and made streams of water. Now
Grizzlies stood in line to welcome Old Man Above. They stood on two
feet and carried clubs. Then Old Man Above saw his daughter and her
children. He saw the new race of men. Then Old Man Above became very
angry. He said to Grizzlies: "Never speak again. Be silent. Neither
shall ye stand upright. Ye shall use your hands as feet. Ye shall
look downward." Then Old Man Above put out the fire in the tepee.
Smoke no longer curls from the smoke hole. He fastened the door of
the tepee. The new race of men he drove out. Then Old Man Above took
Little Daughter back to his tepee. That is why grizzlies walk on
four feet and look downward. Only when fighting they stand on two
feet and use their fists like men.