So many rondeevoos ago, we wuz at rondeevoo, doin what we always do at rondeevoo, we wuz havin us a rondeevoo good time.  This here rondeevoo, we find ourselves up on the Rock Crick high in the Rocky Mountains.  This here spot is my favorite spot fer havin a rondeevoo, cuz it’s down in a real purdy valley, next ta the river called Rock Crick an it is real purdy an grassy an the fish what’s in that river is good ta eat.  Anyway, we wuz there an there was a lot of folks comin an goin an the weather it was shinin all the while we wuz there.  Did I say how purdy it was?

One day there wuz sum injuns what wuz camped near by what cum inta the camp with the rest an they wanted ta dance an show us some injun good times an we abliged and they let us join in an have sum fun with em.  It wuz a good time fer sure.  We danced an sang an watched as they did special dances an songs an drum beatin an it wuz fer sure a real good thing.  They showed us what was good weather dancin an drum beatin, an it worked fer sure cuz we had shinin weather the whole time an it wuz sure a good time, fer sure.

Well, they didn’t want ta leave the younguns out of havin some of the fun so they called up all the little mountain folks what wuz in camp an of course my boys joined in with the rest.  There wuz a heap of them little ones all in a great big ol circle.  When the injun in charge told them what they wuz about ta partake in the little ones wuz grinning an happy as kin be.  They started out sort a slow like an they wuz dancing in a big circle.  Round the guy in the middle what wuz showin them what the dance steps wuz.  The little ones wuz following his steps zacktly as wuz showed.  Then he picked up the pace sum an the little ones followed.  Round an round they went, just a kickin up theys heals an holdin them legs up high an spinnin round they selves an moving slow around in a big old circle.  The spinnin round they selves wuz the funnest part, cuz some of them had a hard time standin on one foot an spinning whilst holdin up one leg real high.  Then they would switch off the foot what wuz on the ground an then spin in the other direction.  It wuz a real site fer sure.

Well, our son what we called Brandon, he wuz there an dancing an dancing an dancing.  Round an a round he did go, never missed a step.  Spinnin when the leader dun spinned an turned an lifted his legs just like the guy in the middle an he wuz sum good too.  His little ol legs just a carryin on as he went round an round.  Perty soon he wuz the onliest one out in the circle an he wuz still a dancing, keepin up with the guy what used ta be in the middle of the circle, but they wusn’t no more circle, just Brandon an him a dancin.  The folks what wuz watchin wuz carryin on with clappin to each hop an callin out for encouragement fer Brandon to keep it up, which he did an he wuz a gittin tired an all.

Perty soon he couldn’t dance no more an he sat on the ground with wore out legs.  The guy in the middle, what wuzn’t in the middle no more, sat there with him an they grinned at each other a lot while they ketched theys breath.  Once Brandon got back up on his feet, he dun cummed over ta me an Winemaker an said how much fun it wuz ta dance injun dances an we cud see it in his eyes he dun had hisself a good ol time dancin fer sure.

At the council fire that night we parlayed fer quite sum time an decided a namin wuz most certain in order an the talkin stick wuz dun brought out by the fire light.  A story wuz told about how a young mountain man had dun gone ta a dancin injun party an the youngun dun wore out the chief of dancin by dancin round an round until the ground had no more grass, nor sticks where the dancing had been dun, an only dry dirt showed.  This youngun had dun wore out his moccasins too, an kicked up a giant dust which made all who wuz watchin powerful dry.  Then the one with the talkin stick called Brandon up to the fire light an said this here youngun is the one what I been talkin bout.  This here young mountain man dun made so many steps around that there circle, what no grass is gonna grow there for many seasons ta cum.  His mark has been made on this here rondeevoo spot for a long time ta cum.  Then he raised the talkin stick an said, “From now on, where ever mountain men shall gather, you shall be known as ‘Many Steps’”!

Bears Butt

June 5, 2011