Maiden of the Mist: A Legend of Niagara Falls
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Long ago, a Seneca tribe lived on the Niagara River, just upstream from a great waterfall. With plenty of fish and crops to feed them, life was good in their village. Then a sickness came to the people, and everything changed. As the situation worsened and people died, Lelawala, the chief's daughter, came up with a plan to help. She would go to the thunder god, Hinu, and find out why he wouldn_t help her people. But to do that, Lelawala would have to go to his home under the great falls, and never return.Children's LiteratureLelawala is a Seneca girl whose tribe lives on the banks of the Niagara River. One summer, sickness comes to the tribe and many people die, including Lelawala's mother, wife of the chief. To appease the thunder god, Hinu, who lives in a cave behind the great falls, the people send sacrifices of food and other gifts, to no avail. Lelawala overhears the medicine man say that a greater sacrifice is needed, and she volunteers to go down the river to Hinu. Unafraid, she canoes over the falls and finds herself in a cave belonging to Hinu's son. He tells her that a horned snake is poisoning the river and killing the villagers. Lelawala appears in a dream to her father, telling him how to defeat the serpent. In the ensuing battle, Hinu and his sons join the Seneca to defeat the snake. The battle transforms Niagara Falls into its current shape. Based on a melding of an Iroquois tale with a European story, the author/illustrator deftly explores the themes of sacrifice and compassion. 2001, Stoddart Kids/Stoddart Publishing, $13.95 and $6.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Valerie O. Patterson
