The Flute
A young hunter tracked an elk to a remote, unfamiliar place high up on the mountain. He stopped to rest, and in the stillness he heard a soft, soothing, unusual sound. He followed the sound until it led him to its source… a tree. He observed that a lower branch of the tree had become home to and was infested and hollowed out by a colony of termites. A hungry woodpecker had used its hard, sharp beak to carve a row of holes on the top of the branch in order to reach and make a meal of the termites. A gentle breeze blew through the hollowed branch. As the woodpecker went from hole to hole eating termites, a gentle breeze blew through the hollow branch, thus producing a melodic sound.

The young man was beguiled and wished that his sweetheart, a young woman, could also hear the enchanting sound. He thought her spirit would be touched and drawn to his own if he could only replicate the mystical message of the wind through the hollow branch. After quietly and patiently waiting for the woodpecker to finish his meal, the hunter closely examined the branch. He was inspired to fashion the first flute.

Today, though modern woodworking tools have replaced the natural woodworking skills of our relatives, the birds and the insects, we remember their gifts as we make music on the flute.

For audio clips of Kevin’s storytelling and additional native stories, please visit our Storytelling Section.