Child of Water and Little Blue RockHow the Apache found good luck from turquoise blue rocks.
Four monsters once roamed the planet Earth. These beasts were terrible. They enjoyed catching and eating the People. They were not well-liked by the populace because of this. All the People fled when the creatures got close.
A monster once walked up to Child of Water and his mother's wickiup. Child of Water challenged the monster to a fight before his mother could stop him.
Child of Water stated, "These are the rules." He described how he would be on one side and the monster would be on the other, in detail. Four arrows might be fired simultaneously by one side at the other. The food would go to whoever killed the other first. Child of Water shouted in the manner of the people, "Do you accept these rules and swear to uphold them?" Child of Water was a little child. Yet he was aware that the chant was binding. It was an obligation to keep the commitment.
"I'll play your ridiculous game," laughed the monster. "First I'll shoot you full with arrows. I'll then devour your mother, your mother's food, and you all!" The beast licked his lips hungrily at the thought of this delightful taste.
Child of Water stooped and picked up a turquoise-blue pebble as the combatants took their positions. The rock was a protection from the gods and a gift to mankind. Child of Water, however, was unaware of that. The monster immediately shot four arrows at Child of Water while he was gazing at his rock. The monster didn't care that it was against the regulations. To his great surprise, Child of Water evaded every arrow that the monster shot. Child of Water quickly shot an arrow at the monster before it could do anything else that was against the rules. The beast was instantly killed when the arrow struck his heart.
Everyone had crowded around by that point. The Devil Dancers were present among them. What a joyful noise they made that night!
The mother of Child of Water drilled a hole in that fortunate blue rock the following day. She created a necklace out of it. Child of Water carried the blue rock around his neck for good fortune and love ever after. Child of Water eventually discovered a lot of blue rocks. To keep his mother secure as well, he crafted her a beautiful necklace.
So every monster around came to test Child of Water as he got older and taller. Each time, the monster's arrows missed Child of Water because he was wearing his lucky blue rock. But until all the monsters were eliminated, Child of Water's arrows consistently killed each monster.
Every Apache child knows that looking for turquoise blue rocks is a prudent move. If you locate one, you might also have some luck.
