The Jewels of Orion
by A. D. Barncord Doerr
Copyright © 1998

A warrior returned from battle to find his village suffering from a long drought. His family was on the brink of starvation. Taking his spear, he entered the forest in search of game. He hunted pass sunset without success. The drought had driven away the herds of deer. Finally he came to a clearing, and looking up at the cleaer night sky, he saw the constellation of Orion. In desperation, he spoke to the stars.

"Oh hear me, Great Hunter! My village is dying and I am unable to find any meat to bring back to them. Guide me, Orion, to where the herds are. Please save us!"

At that moment, nine shooting stars came from the constellation. The warrior followed the stars to another clearing where nine large harts laid dead. Their bodies still held warmth and each had a glowing hole in their foreheads. The warrior built a sledge of wood and placed all nine harts on it. Then, using his great strength, he pushed the sledge back to his village.

Outside his village, the warrior collapsed from fatigue. A farmer nursing his last milk cow, found the warrior near his barn. He alerted the rest of the village. In a matter of hours, the nine harts were slaughtered and the warrior was being fed the rich and tender meat. Out of the forehead of each hart, a gem that glow like the sunrise was found. These were given back to the warrior and, in gratitude to the Great Hunter, he fastened them onto a wristband into the fashion of the constellation Orion.

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Copyright © 1998, Amanda D. Barncord Doerr