Anpao: An American Indian Odyssey

By Jamake Highwater (JACKIE MARKS)

This piece of work, is a mashup based on many stories from Tribes across the country: Navajo, Kiowa, Blackfeet, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Iroquois, Ponca, and others. Jackie Marks didn't reveal much as to how desperately he wanted to cross over from his Jewish heritage and squeeze in with another, oddly. I only realized halfway through reading of "Jamake"'s appropriation, the issues surrounding this, which I suggest looking up through Google, pff, lol what a ham! (You'd get what I did there if you knew a bit of Jewish culture. ;))

Wasicong, a holy man is sitting by a lake and listening to drumming and singing, seeing the people in the water, and asks if their singing is heard. Wasi is revving up to share the tale of Anpao (AN-PAY-OH), next looking with his yellow eye, before flying into a tree and hooting, like an owl, except, "Ah...I shall tell". Before people left the water, buffalo-people were in harmony. Twin bros, Anpao and Oapna have spent years looking for their calling.

In winter, they gratefully accept refuge in a mtn village, being without food or money. A beautiful girl, Ko-ko-mik-e-is lives there, and isn't interested in marrying, making men crazy. The bros are amused by the men being spurned, and when dances are held, and the men call for her, she still refuses, soon annoying her pop. During this loud discussion, the twins are waiting quietly outside to be fed, not wishing to interrupt.

Ko-ko confesses "the great Above Person" told her to deny all the young men for being his. Anpao is discouraged, due to also loving her, and not wishing to be rejected. When the 2 young men are spotted at her door, the youths who are rejects make fun of their poor clothes and not having a chance with Ko-ko either. Anpao has enough of the great humor made from Oapna's opposite meaning reply to them, so walks to where the women gather water, Ko-ko following after seeing the whole scene.

The twins never knew their parents or people, but when Anpao thinks she's about to leave for his taking so long to speak, he blurts, "wait", then attempts to start, nervously becoming articulate. By the end, Ko-ko agrees to marry Anpao if the 2 are able to ask Sun to agree by removing their scars on the side of both men's faces. So, if they don't succeed, they mustn't come back, and she'll remain unmarried. When Ko-ko leaves them to ponder, Anpao suggests they ask advice from the old woman who feeds them.

Anpao asks the woman if she could make them moccasins, so they could make their journey. When they explain why, she agrees, making them plenty of strong moccasins, as well as more food. The twins start their trek toward rough cyns where no one ever goes. They travel days through prairie lands, Oapna not speaking for some days, now.

Anpao becomes silent, then is on the verge of suggesting they head back when he sees a wolf be-coated old man. When the man determines the 2 harmless, he shares of during a certain time in the West, a place where the wolves come from opens up. This leads to how the wolves left him when they'd moved further west. Before heading for the forest, the old man suggests they ask the striped-face woman.

Well, the striped-face runs into them, startling the 2 with her call. She helps them, though by offering to lead them the next day. After eating, they offer to help the striped-face woman, but she declines for knowing they should save energy for their trip. Once they wander to a grassy spot and view the moon, Oapna says opposite compliments which Anpao warns he should be careful of Moon not knowing his opposite, "Contrary" talk.

Well, this perhaps is true, since Anpao sees the Moon vanish with Oapna yelling for help, then the Moon reappearing with a bright new start nearby. Anpai decides to try shooting the star down with an arrow, and after a few shots, the star falls. Anpao follows it to a burning tree with a body in the branches. When Anpao recognizes who it is, he yells out repeatedly, and runs from the view.

Anpao asks striped face to help with his cut hand after relating how he is having trouble believing in everything which happened. The old striped face wipes his hand, the cut gone, shocking Anpao. She explains of it not having been his blood, then sees his bro is gone. Anpao exclaims of his bro being guilty, the striped-face soon accusing Anpao of she not being fooled with how he'd gotten a Contrary bro in the 1st place.

Before retreating in the river, striped face advises he locate his other half. Anpao is ready to plead to the Moon for his bro, but she turns her face to shadow, putting Anpao to sleep. When he wakes, vines have brown over him, he finding and snacking on berries in his hair, replacing the twig in his hair before returning to where Oapna had vanished. The berries regrow on the twig, he taking the berries as another snack.

As Anpao naps, he is woken by someone lightly shaking him, and calling of collecting him, vanishing when he wakes, but once feigning sleep, sees the small person or swan coming toward him. He catches her, chucking her in the water when she states of not being scared by his threat, laughing at him as she says she'll still help him chat with her g/mother if he acted nice. He is suspicious, but agrees, she gliding him across the water on her back toward the land of the Moon, leaving him on shore. An old gray woman startles him, but soon is relating what had occurred with Moon.

The old woman relates how closely Anpao resembles the lover of the Sun which'd anger Moon. She also tells of how the Moon is scaring children in hopes of discovering the love child of the Sun and girl. Anpao is insistent on saving his bro, the old woman warning him to not take this lightly, since the Moon collects the eyes she'd stolen, and keeps them hanging on her white walls in her lodge. Anpao acknowledges his fear, and whilst having the old woman point out all his outward physical weaknesses, he notes he could fly from his chest, since the fluttering won't allow him to rest, and would have him tread on regardless of fear.

The old woman empathizes, so advises of Oapna still being alive, and crying in the Moon's lodge, which is located on the dark side of the Moon. She also states she'd give him strong medicine to aid him, the Moon only fearing the gray old woman's people. She next provides provisions and items to help him, Anpao not believing she is genuine, so she shows him how it worked. Anpao doesn't trust her as she instructs he retrieve the pipe from her as she floats on the water, he soon realizing he won't drown, since the pipe made the water recede the closer he gets to the pipe.

So 3 swans ferry Anpao to Moon's lodge, where he uses the rosebush to help shield his eyes from the brightness of the house, he approaching as he hears Oapna's yells. Anpao gets a view into the lodge from the top smoke hole, seeing Thunder and Lightning on opposite sides of the lodge with Moon standing in the center, the eyeballs unable to stop looking at the horrible scene. Oapna hung from the opening and screams whenever Thunder and Lightning flare or roar. When Moon is ready to reach for Oapna, Anpao grabs him, drops the spruce cone, and the 2 runs quickly away.

Moon is in hot pursuit for not falling for the spruce's fake cries, each item temporarily pausing, but not stopping Moon. Until throwing down the whetstone do they escape, it transforming into a cyn, giving them time to reach the swans and escape to grandmother's. Everyone feasts with the feathered-people, the gray old woman asking if the twins would like to learn where they come from, advising they share the first song they remember. Anpao remembers after awhile, and the old woman states she'd reveal everything.

Where it all starts, there's a black world. An Old Man, the all-spirit lives in the abyss quietly, and motionless. The all-spirit is also her, since the OM doesn't have a ma or pa. So, since OM is all, he isn't lonesome, but more could be fascinating, so he brings his whole self together, coming up with a state of being, a new light where only blackness, which lit up every dark area of himself.

1st comes white - OM's brightness, then he makes green waters which spring its own life. As OM is glad for the water's "good"ness, his thoughts break into the water, making fish, grass, snails, etc. OM considers his eternity and the sea is a beautiful reflection of himself, he also making youth and oldness when making time. So, on the surface of the water he makes birds, the snow goose not seeing him, but chatting to him of how birds sometimes like going outside the water, OM saying for he to fly.

A loon is 1st to glide down and say to OM being all around and in him, if it were possible to have land to nest on when they are tired of water and flying. OM asks for their help which they accept, OM asks they help discover land, each bird having a turn flying up and diving into the water. No 1 finds anything, so little coot asks OM if he could have a turn, seeing something far below the water, and can't fly, OM ofc agreeing to take the aid of all water-people. The coot happily swims far below, taking longer than the others, but finally comes back.

The little coot gives OM the ball of dirt he collects from the bottom of the water. OM kneads the mud and smiles broadly as it becomes bigger, he now needing the help of the water-people again, turning to Grandmother Turtle to carry the muddy world. She accepts, so OM next has the earth be fruit-bearing, so trees, grass, and flowers are made. Everything shone beautifully, so OM decides to give a part of him to show his love for her.

So, from OM's rib he makes people, from which sprouts generations more of people and animals. All he creates loves him and knew him, and as the yrs go, OM grows older and more so with time, the animals aid him to travel the world. As he goes he creates people and environments as he goes, making mistakes like creating an animal in its wrong environment, so moving it to its proper place. When he comes to a man and woman at a river, he chats with them and it's brought up of how long people should live, OM using a wood chip to see if it'd float on the water, and if it does people would die only 4 days, then come back to life.

The woman doesn't like this so, ups the stakes by instead using a rock and saying people would live forever if it floats or die forever if it sinks, OM seeing her chuck the rock before he could stop her, sadly. A few nights pass and the woman's child dies during sleep, she pleading for OM to change their fates, but he isn't able to undo what is done. OM goes to the mtns to sleep, close to death, but gives 1 last comfort of people soaring above death with people's memories of them. OM creates 1 last river flowing from his mouth and covering him, but before doing so, he sees the new light of the sun, and calls it Anpao, "It is the dawn of the world!", going under.

The sacred pipe is lit again, and the twins sit with old swan-woman in a circle, the drums playing as the fire rose. She asks if he sees the sun rise, Anpao standing to look. Old Swan-Woman reminds him of his name meaning the dawn, she thinking he also didn't know his origin. The woman who lost her child weeps daily, and attempts to travel toward dawn, over mtns, and reaching a lake where she sees she'd grown worn and ugle from mourning.

So, the woman stays to adorn herself with shells and brush her hair, the Sun falling for her, so when she starts traveling again, she's able to climb the light to the dawn. This is how she meets the Sun and has her child, Anpao, the Sun asking his ma to make his mistress a tipi, she happy with the Sun, and Anpao there, Moon not knowing, yet. The Sun warns the woman to be careful of digging up potatoes which had the top eaten due to bad luck. Anpao and his ma dig up potatoes all day with a digging stick, Anpao learning during the day.

Later, Sun returns with fish as promised, and after, he tells the story of Old Man creating everything. The next morning, they do the same, except the woman sees a potato with the top eaten off, so plans to skip it, til wondering why it's off limits, so picks it. What she sees is the perfect view of Earth, and her village. She now angrily realizes why Sun didn't want her to know.

After being upset about it for a little, the woman makes like she doesn't know, and replaces the potato, she returning to watch them as days pass. When her people are in the season for women to make moccasins with sinew, the womans tarts making a long rope with sinew. One evening, she returns home with Anpao a bit late, Sun asking what held her up, she excusing it for firewood, which she didn't have much of. The next morning, the woman prepares to leave with Anpao, she tying him 1st, then climbing down to him, despite knowing the rope doesn't reach the Earth, she stuck there with Anpao.

The Sun comes home and waits, it quite dark now and no 1 knowing where his mistress or son are, and when Moon comes up, she laughs at him. The Sun goes off angrily to find his mistress after what Moon had said of she being in the World-Below. So, when he reaches the hole in the sky, he asks a willow he makes into a red hoop to pass his son and kill his mistress. This is what happens, but the Sun doesn't catch the rope in time, and Anpao falls with his dead ma to Earth, landing on her tummy, it bursting and giving him the scar on his cheek from her blood.

Anpao only remembers his name, and stays with his ma, scared and hungry. Nearby, an old woman has grown a wonderful garden from gourd seeds. She'd leave her tipi flap open hoping someone'd stay long enough for her to visit with by the time she returns in the evening. Well, Anpao finally must leave his ma looking for food, and goes into the tipi, but gets scared, so returns to his ma.

When the OW returns, she sees the child's prints and hopes he returns. By morning, Anpao driven by hunger returns to the tipi, but only stays long enough to snatch the scrap left for him, and goes back to his ma, offering some, before sadly eating. Eventually, the OW gets Anpao to stay with her, she learning his name, and she having him call her Grandmother Spider for being Spider Woman, she knowing Anpao's power. Every day GS would ask of all the birds Anpao'd see, and when he names them correctly, she warmly congratulates him.

When Anpao acts lazy, she'd remind him to take lessons from the animals, they'll make him wise. One time Anpao asks to stay home and play with his hoop, Grandmother Spider warning him to not throw the hoop in the air for sensing something bad, so only roll it. Ofc he doesn't listen and what happens is, it splits him in 2. So, when Grandmother Spider sees them she realizes they must now continue their journey, but could stay til morning, they heading toward big problems.

GS advises how the enemies can be deceiving, to be brave, and kind, and not to forget her. The pipe is relit as the twins sleep, and old swan-woman laughs about how little the twins knew. How they'd have to do what they've already done, and how the twins haven't put together Ko-ko and their quest to locate Sun. When Anpao wakes, his twin is gone, and the OW instructs he look in the tree branches.

Anpao looks close and sees the dead face so shouts out, and Moon screaming of how he could ever think she'd help him win Ko-ko, scratching the side of his face. Moon throws away her disguise of Old Swan-Woman and announces he's going where his ma had gone. Anpao falls through the trees, calling for his bro before waking up to bird eyes before they fly away. Anpao sees only his bro when up, but Oapna has changed, his sleeping body see through and in a cocoon, as roots had grown over Anpao's sleeping body.

Oapna bursts out of his fibrous membrane and comes at Anpao (similar to The Ring girl, I imagine). Then, Oapna is absorbed into Anpao, to his horror. Anpao travels whilst singing his dream song, and remembers all of G/moth. Spider's advice and instruction which keeps him safe and on the right path. After 5 days of travel from the camp of the Moon, Anpao locates a beautiful area he'd never seen, and whilst attempting to cross a ravine by a mossy log, he's distracted when he sees a boy calling from behind him, loses his balance, and falls, his leg getting stuck, and now truly stuck there calling for help.

The boy, who had been hiding behind a tree, and peeping at him, then crosses without more than a single hesitation before leaving him there, falling unconscious. Next Anapo wakes, he slowly notices a dirty old man and a cave nearby him. Anpao attempts to gauge the old man's intent, not getting a good start when the fella mocks his attempt to learn his name. It only progresses negatively for Anpao when he directly asks for help and he's told to help himself, the old man making to leave.

The old man pauses to ask if Anpao plans to entertain him in some way, since he'd already seen enough people die, and it isn't fun enough. The old man gives Anpao instructions to see if he cuold keep himself alive. Then, after sniffing Anpao, he offers him the job of discovering food for him if he cures him, which the old man can. The old man presses Anpao for an answer as he contemplates the requirement of staying with the old man, but he agrees, and the OM prepares a poultice, then also spits on his leg.

After getting better a couple days later, Anpao fulfills his promise to hunt for the old man all through winter, he locating shelter in the ravine, due to OM complaining over his stench. Despite this, OM periodically tries to hit Anpao with a stick and laugh psychotically. 1 day at the start of spring, Anpao shoots a bear with an arrow, he then sees men behind him in odd robes, IDing as Thunder and looking for an evil little man. Anpao agrees to help them locate the OM since they'd agreed to free him, deciding to trust their eyes.

So, Anpao agrees to get the old man to help carry the bear carcass back, despite having doubts about the plan, but trusting the cloud-people. Anpao goes to inform the OM and he excitedly follows, hacks it up with paranoia of being interrupted, keeping watch all around him. Anpao helps him load down the meat on his back as it grew dark. As the OM laboriously walks back, he instructs Anpao to warn him if he sees any clouds or anything cloud-like.

Anpao notices a black cloud spread out toward them, the Thunders appearing as the OM drops the meat. The Thunders start blasting OM with lightning bolts, since their blocking him with boulders had slowed him, and this turns him molten before vanishing. The cloud-people thank Anpao by gifting a cloud-robe which'd fly him to the nearby village to be hosted. The robe has wings and Anpao marvels at the starry night.

Upon landing, the people are circling a fire. After Anpao eat, he shares his story about the Thunders rescuing him, he then spotting the boy who'd left him to die. Anpao has no ill will nor intent to out the poor boy, but the kid hides from him nonetheless. The boy guilts himself quietly, as Anpao tuckers himself out recounting his tale, he then given a fur to sleep with, and taking a spot near the fire, happily.

When Anpao wakes the next day, he's befriended by 2 young men his own age, the trio becoming quickly inseparable, so the town hopes Anpao plans to stay. Anpao is asked by his buddies 1 evening, and so he shares his dream mission, and he had to escape friends and lovers to achieve his destiny to live. By spring, 1 night when the men of the clans are singing to the powerful animal spirits, the trio are overcome with Anpao's strong desire to explore the area, despite the warning from the elders of the dangers out there. So, 1 morning the 3 walk to the slope of the valley, but after they become tired, and hungry by the heat of noon, the big bro is pissed and refuses to go further.

Anpao discovers shade for them all to rest, and convince Big bro to continue. Soon, Big bro spots eggs, but Anpao thinks they have great power, and they should exercise restraint, Big bro getting pissed again for feeling like Anpao's bossing them around. This time Big bro isn't convinced, so Little bro helps him roast the eggs, and sings. Anpao maintains they should provide offering for planning to eat them, and they should all actually run away for the eggs already being cooked through, and knowing ill'd come from it all.

The Little bro agrees not to eat the eggs, Big bro regretting it whilst they walked, getting a tummy ache. Well there isn't a comfy, shady spot to stop, so they walk on til locating shade. Anpao is woken by Big bro being worried over the scaly, slightly green striped shade to his legs overnight. Anpao doesn't have the heart to confess what the boy's legs looked like, Big bro asking for water since he believed the stream'd dried.

Older bro quickly gets up in a fog, and looks for water as Anpao and Little bro try to keep up. He climbs up rocky terrain and soon exhausts himself crying for help, his legs not obeying him. Anpao and Little bro both wait as he rests a short time before insisting on going, so they help him. Big bro needs to be reassured the 2 won't abandon him despite any past transgressions for feeling like he'd expire.

Anpao assures him they are staying with him, and with bruises on their moccasin'd feet, by night they locate a beautiful wooded area with a clean lake. Big bro wishes to sit in the lake calmly as Anpao sets up camp, and Little bro hunts for food. Big bro takes off his moccs and hair ornaments, then goes in to swim. Big bro is ecstatic for how well he could swim now as Little bro pleads for him to return.

When Big bro obliges, coming to the fresh bonfire, he sees his legs had fused, and green scales were plentiful. Somehow, Anpao remains calm enough to get Big bro to snooze, before Little bro breaks down quietly from sadness. Little bro and Anpao don't find much sleep as Big bro struggles to sleep through the night, and by morning they attempt to carry him in turns back across the rocky terrain. They end up at a similar pretty area and lake.

Again Big bro urges they allow him in the lake, the 2 reluctantly helping before Big bro is happily, and jeeringly swimming off from them. During the night the 2 sit near a dying fire for lack of wood as they hear Big bro splashing about, the 2 yearning for sunrise. By light Big bro comes out transformed into a snake with exception of arms and head. Big bro is losing speech as he "gasps and hisses" of continuing with them, assuring he knew what he was doing.

They follow in shock as Big bro slithers to the end of the rock valley to a river where Big bro declares of being home, and goes into the water. Little bro is instructed by his big bro to inform their village to not be afraid when some of us take an odd path, but support the individual's happiness, as is meant to be done. Snake Boy giggles one last time before leaving them, Little bro vowing to locate a doc to return Snake Boy into a boy, but Anpao reminds SB doesn't seem to want this. The 2 stay and grieve, calling to SB, and praying he'd return.

By dawn, they're woken by a hissing voice, Anpao seeing a large beautiful serpent, he reassuring his Little bro he is still his friend, Little bro shouting his love for him through sadness. The serpent instructs his bro to not cry, but return to their village and tell the people he is protecting this river, and when they cross, drop meat so he could bless them. Little bro promises and begrudgingly allows a last kiss from SB, getting a lick to the face goodbye before maybe a little sadly leaving them for good. By summer's end, the people of the village chat of SB.

Anpao stays with Little bro at his lodge, and they go through the season til summer has hit again, and the villagers are celebrating the anniversary of SB's new home at the river. Anpao is teased by Little bro for not sitting and chatting with he and his friends as Little bro's sis stares fixedly at Anpa. So, when she approaches him, the others pretend to ignore her as she tries to see what Anpao is seeing, since it didn't look like anything to her. He doesn't notice her gaze on him as he sees Sun's physical actions as the sun set before returning to Moon.

After Sunset, the older people give speeches as they conduct the ceremonial gift-giving, then songs. Anpao has his turn to dance, and everyone comes to see, since he is good. Amana, Little bro's sis is smitten, so when she decides she would chat with Anpao, she discreetly and quickly gets him a drink from the watering hole, hearing a noise, but everything wicked quiet. Amana books it back and sees the old woman everyone avoids, she being polite as the woman ignores her.

When Amana returns to the dance ring, she notices the water she'd collected isn't clean, but before she can dump it, her bro offers Anpao the jug, he taking a lengthy draught. In the morning, Anpao confesses to Little bro of feeling unwell. Little bro reminds how tonight he is expected to dance again, but Anpao mentions aching leg muscles and a bruise on his calf. Little bro offers to get a cool cloth for the dark lump seen under his skin, but the pain doesn't subside.

Despite not getting better, Anpao soldiers through insistently for the largest dance of the celebration. Group dancing and Giveaways take up the night, til Round Dance finishes, then all the young men gather in the circle for the fastest and difficult dances. When Anpao steps up at his turn, Amana is proud when he waves at her and her bro, since everyone wants to be his buddy. Anpao starts his dancing strong but as Moon is covered, he slows and his legs weaken.

Anpao keeps up with the dance as it's frantic pace quickens til he stops dead, and falls, Amana reaching him after. Anpao stays asleep til the next night, only briefly waking and not recognizing them. Amana's bro thinks he would die, but she doesn't give up. By day 5, Amana starts worrying and prays for help from the spirits, crying when spent.

Once Amana remembers a holy man who could help, but no young person had seen, she deciding to gain his help. So, she sets off with Anpao tied to a bed attached to a dog sled, and leaves immediately, with her bro's help. Before she leaves, he bro worries he'll lose her the same way he lost their elder bro, but supports her decision and wishes her well. Even though she hasn't been to the holy man's home before, she and the dogs know, and when arriving, he's waiting and stating of they being late, and he doesn't have time.

The holy man relates sadly and with grief of Anpao nearly dead, he then addressing Anpao to having to want to turn away from returning to his mother, and to listen to the wind in the trees. He would extract the poison by cutting it from Anpao's leg, and must wake. The holy man locates the ball in Anpao's calf, extricates it with a horn and knife, then burns it, Amana believing the Old woman is a sorceress, and poisoned Anpao. The OM declares if she had, she'll die, so to go home and Anpao'd be better by the time she got to camp.

Per the OM's words, Anpao wakes and is well by the time they get back, her bro greeting them. He admits Amana'd been right and would have Anpao for her hubby. Amana weeps and leaves the tipi, whilst Anpao says he must consider all he'd gone through before chatting with Amana later of this. On the night he's to confess to Amana, he admits he can't stay, and he can't share why.

Anpao asks forgiveness as he tells of yearning for something which isn't here. Amana replies of understanding and runs off crying, the Moon showing her face, and smiling as she sang to amuse herself. Anpao goes beyond Snakeboy's river to a red desert where the Ancient Ones 1st lived after exiting the underworld. Over the days, he travels and makes crap tasting gruel.

1 morning he wakes to big, red ants working to build their homes, and 1 evening he follows a smoke wisp in hopes of finding people willing to share food. When finally locating them and showing he came in peace, they still react with fear, and cower despite his only begging for a meal. Instead they all withdraw toward the darkness and leave Anpao standing there, and able to take anything as they whimpered in the night. He takes very little to relive his hunger, then still grumbles at them, laying down to sleep.

In the night, Anpao is startled awake, but allows whoever it is, to approach. Anpao sees a Raven, he laying down his fine weapons, and Raven knowing Anpao isn't from the desert, since he hadn't run when addressed. As Anpao is chatting with Raven, he randomly leaves. Anpao tries not to look through Raven's left pouch, it being meat and fat, so Anpao unable to resist, samples.

Anpao soon feels the effects of the unknown meat. As he is refolding it, Raven returns, picking up his stuff, and screeching as he flies off, Anpao not finding his moment to apologize. The timid people next unfold their wings, and follow him. The next night as Anpao sleeps, the bat people return, and even approach the fire.

Anpao is woken by 1 of them sniffing his hair, he startled, which impresses the bat, for not usually scaring anyone. After they become friendly, the other bats become eased enough to sit at the fire, and sing. After, Anpao chats with the bats and how they know Raven's hiding spot, the big bat he buddied up to offering to show him. Before drifting to sleep, Anpao speaks of being grateful for bat's help, and how ass backwards human's acted, before he goes to sleep.

The 2 travel by night to the holy mtn Raven made his home with hundred more vicious ravens. Anpao decides to hang out where the ravens'd cook their meat to discover what he'd found on Raven. After waiting a night, then the next day and night, by the night after, Anpao shares his frustration with Bat, since the ravens'd kept their secret, so far. Bat attempts to come up with a decent plan, but Anpao thinks the ravens are too clever.

They still try the plan, so the 2 retreat out of the ravens camp, then come back stealthily, and watch them. This works, since they see the oldest, largest raven uncover a stone in the ash and fire. A handful of ravens vanish under it, and drive out an animal which they kill as a community. Bat reveals the type of meat which'd given Anpao strength being buffalo, and he doesn't know what it is.

So, since he needs to acquire 1, he goes in as Bat watches. Anpao meets 4 of the chief buffalo, and gives the white one an eagle feather, but he tricks him temporarily into giving it to his black bro, who turns him back to white buffalo. Anpao quickly gives him the feather, and he willingly exits the ravens pretty world, the other animals following quietly. It takes til nightfall in Anpao's world before getting back, the ravens asleep.

Raven admits Anpao's win, but requests he always leave the eyes of the animals for them if they killed them. The ravens leave him, and he goes walking through a forest, all the animals following for days. Anpao reaches an empty looking camp, and when a deer grazes nearby, an owl thrusts a burning stick in its face to teach it to fear humans if it is smart. Anpao relates of what she did not being necessary, but now irreversible, noting how Bat's opinion of the dangers of humans being spot on.

Moon looks at the new animals Anpao'd led to the world, he also leading special people with glowing eyes, who show their power, having as much knowledge as the animals and able to control things with a thought. They also communicate with the animals of how they are stuck in this world with Anpao, so the animals begin to explore the area. The animals wonder if Anpao is as bad as his people, the 2 last sorcerers who'd come through with the animals declaring he is, the 2 able to control good and evil. Anpao protests their assumption, but the 2 decide they'd live with the animals, Anpao stating his people will be harmful to them, and not want them to remain in their land.

The 2 sorcerers relate how if he's only speaking for his people, and not the animals, then they warn of how they are keeping all the seeds of the world safe, and if the people don't respect others, they'll let the seeds die, and humans and all the new animals with it, humans not having authority like white buffalo chief. Anpao responds like he'd been threatened, and declares of not fearing them, and of what they want of humans. Their reply is simply to live among them. Anpao asks what they'd give to do so, the Sorcerers having gifts which'd give them powers, but since Anpao'd been egocentric, they'd only give them for the price of a male and female from 2 of Anpao's peoples kids.

When they do, the Sorcerers'd give the seeds and they'd live with plenty. Anpao learns of their plan being to sacrifice he and Ko-ko, so the rain'd fall, and if Anpao'd checked himself and been more accepting and welcoming from the start, they could've given it all to him. Anpao resigns himself to them and they instruct him carefully of laying down and thinking only of Ko-ko's love, tell them what he thinks of. As Anpao obliges, they tell him to touch his scar as he thinks of her, he next going through labor, and physically pushing out a new body.

Anpao stares at the perfect recreation of Ko-ko sleeping, he unable to speak, only cry. The Sun becomes angry, but Moon won't let him save Anpao, she turning from him as he pled for help, the Sorcerers next touching Ko-ko and he, killing the 2 with long, white fingers. The Sun is so devastated, he covers his face from the world. The new people mourn Ko-ko and Anpao, and in 5 days they rise from their graves.

Anpao is happy to see Ko-ko, but she transforms into a fruit-bearing tree. The Sorcerers explain it is corn, and soon everyone is eating it. So, the fat off buffalo, and corn are the gifts from the Below World. After a little time, they notice the Sorcerers have vanished, and they aren't found.

Until Anpao detects them on a high branch of a tree, the 2 showing their faces, and Anpao not seeing anyone like them before. He gets a moment to ask his concern of whether who he'd seen is actually Ko-ko. The Sorcerers note how humans always asked despite pretending to know everything's real. The Sorcerers laugh so hard, the leaves fall out and Fall starts, Anpao at first thinking he's seeing 1 of the sorcerers, but he saying he's 1 of those led out, shocked to learn the Sorcerers'd changed his form.

The new animals leave Anpao as he laughs, knowing the Sorcerers had played a clever trick by making people into the Sorcerers' images, and could hide among them, they doing this ever since. Next day when Anpao wakes, he collects his things and rushes to travel before losing sunlight. He rests at a river and thinks of Ko-ko, until getting help from the wolves to gather wood, then they all settling to sleep. Anpao has trouble sleeping, so sings to himself of Ko-ko til hearing an odd noise which scares the birds and wolves, but won't reply to him.

Then, Farting Boy IDs himself and steps forward, the fart noise occurring at each step. Anpao welcomes him, and Fart boy shows his fave items and game involving a target, bow, and arrows. He shows Anpao how to play, each action accompanied by fart. Coyote comes with wolves as they gain courage, Anpao admitting he doesn't know Coyote when he intros himself.

Coyote rates he is probably an idiot, and since he is wise, he'd teach Anpao. Once noticing his car, he's interested in buying it, this leading Coyote to explain how Anpao'd know why it's smart to sell to him if he was smart, but he's a fool, so he should give him his scar. When Coyote hears FB fart, he next asks for the fartmaker, but not by name, and FB doesn't want to sell. Coyote pleads, so FB obliges, even giving his prized items, showing how to use them before biffing off quickly.

Coyote tires of the farter when it starts hurting after always farting. After Coyote pathetically sits in the river to soothe the farter, Anpao suggests what'd make him feel better, Coyote taking credit like Anpao anticipated, running off quick when he again asks for his scar. Anpao is treated with bountiful respect at every village he visits, they all asking to hear his tale. At 1 place, Anpao agrees to stay for their large celebration this night, which brought in many from surrounding villages.

When the young women dance to catch Anpao's eye, despite knowing his mission, they become saddened when he notices a woman who'd snuck in and danced among the others. All the men stare til she chooses a young man with a girlfriend, he puddy upon looking in her eyes. When Deer Woman withdraws with him into the bushes, her spell is broken, Anpao promising the unconsolable girl of looking for the sap in the morning. Anpao passes out easily and by morning a boy'd run back to the village confessing he'd seen the young man left in the woods after making his love with Deer Woman.

Anpao goes into the forest with his bow and locates the young man quickly, the old woman coming up and mourning him as she also confirms Deer Woman killed him. A 2nd woman shares how Deer Woman killed her lovers by castanet stepping upon their groins until they died, this ofc after the coupling is complete. Anpao watches the women prepare and wrap the body. After this, he can't be alone, feeling haunted by DW, so he asks to sit with a man still up at his lodge in front of his fire.

Anpao's welcomed and the OM tells how he's so old Sun acts like he's already gone, so he sits with the fire to stay warm. He alludes more to this before quieting, Anpao thanking him. The 2 sit up, Anpao seeing blackness past the firelight. The OM shares of seeing only the back of DW's head, since she doesn't care for him.

The OM shares how sometimes she took girls, and they'd come back ugly and crippled or dead, missing, or maybe become DWomen, as well. He also relates of a time when he was younger and the men wouldn't look at women's eyes, but feet, and 1 time trying to capture DW, but her power too great. Anpao relates and doesn't wish to think of it, the OM noting Death doesn't mind, since it'd be thinking about him. Whilst we may not understand it, we must realize how good it is to be alive, "the stars, the birds".

Anpao quickly moves off and staes how sad the OM sounds to him. He states to the OM of everything a "wonder" he'd wish to live on and not making sense if it has to end. The OM replies of the wonder being of it happening in the 1st place. By summer, the heat is oppressive, and Anpao'd been staying with the Cross Timbers for sometime, now, but isn't close to them.

The people take pity and feed him, but being single and a traveler makes him isolated. A couple of young buddies of Anpao attempt to bribe him in showing where the buffaloes are, but Anpao doesn't want to be responsible for them nor go walking in such heat. The 2 eventually bribe enough though and with not having to guide them back, Anpao'd be safe to continue his mission, so off they went at dusk. They reach a desolate area where men's bones could be seen, for having become lost.

As they walk into the desert and sporadic bushes, they start imagining things. 1st they see a lake from a distance and high vantage, but find nothing, then 1 of the bros thinks he's shot a rabbit, but is also nothing. After they hear noises like angry people heading for them, and instead of looking, run ahead, and when finally looking back, no one is there. Anpao attempts to reel the 2 delirious fellas in until they can't stop talking of a large light growing bigger as they walk.

Anpao doesn't mind it til both are exclaiming he should look to confirm it. When he does, he considers having perhaps finally discovered Sun's rest spot. Anpao convinces himself and they all quicken their speed, but after hrs of chase, they don't get closer, and Sun goes and sears them from the sky. Anpao realizes his mistake, the silver ball they all saw being another object.

Anpao qs whether Ko-ko is actually real or a yearning to know his home. Anpao stops in dejection hearing the bros call to him to look at another thing they discovered. Finally Anpao trudges on without looking up, but when he does, he's in awe of the sight of a huge turtle with a silver shell. 1 bro is acting dumb and climbs on its back, making a raucous along with his bro chasing them as the creature follows the yucca trail.

Again Anpao tries to rationalize to the 2 how they aren't treating the turtle respectfully, but soon both bros are riding on its shell. Ofc the bros digress into making fun and taunting Anpao for being sobered by their antics, soon the 2 trying to pry the facets off the back. Anpao warns them something bad could occur to the 2, and then does when the Sun reappears from behind a cloud. 1st 1 bro tries to get down, but can't for seeing his moccs having become part of the silvery stuff on the shell.

Anpao attempts to apologize and ask the turtle to release them, but no pleading helps, and soon Anpao sees the turtle heading for a rank pool, the bros soon panicked and praying to the turtle. When they fall on the creature they begin burning into the shell, the younger bro telling Anpao to save himself and go find the Sun. Anpao stays til the messed up end, watching as the 2 are slowly submerged, and even able to see the aftermath of the drowning as the Moon watches, smiling at Anpao. He reaches an endless-looking desert where few creatures are humble enough to survive.

Anpao walks and soon sees new and fine armor and accessories, Anpao careful not to touch them as he side steps them, he then called after. When looking back, he sees a handsome young man, who asks how he'd resisted not taking the armor as a human. Anpao explains how he knew when something didn't belong to him and then learns the young man is called Morning Star, Sun's son. Anpao almost gives away his own parentage, but keep quiet in case he insults MS any worse than he already had by seeming dubious of his declaration of papa.

Anpao says he'd been shocked by finally arriving and isn't qing MS's heritage, so he follows him back to their lodge. A-pi-su-ahts, MS invites Anpao in, he hesitating for the splendor of the place, but gathers courage for his task, next seeing the only other fam member home, Moon. Anpao nearly books it, but Moon acts graciously, and Anpao wonders if he'd changed enough for her to not recognize. MS nearly IDs him, but Anpao interrupts with the name Scarface being his true name.

When asked of the reason for his visit, he mentions the Sun's other son, pissing Moon off, but Sun returning, so she keeping her anger hidden. When Sun enters, he's such a force of a man to behold, Anpao is no longer scared to confront him, so when he comes out from the hiding place suggested by Moon, Sun thinks he recognizes him for a min, but obv the name given isn't the 1 of his son. So, as Anpao thanks Sun for hosting him as his guest, since A-pi wanted Anpao for a buddy, the 2 are dismissed to their own activities. Moon chats with Anpao next day to warn him of 1 place he can't take A-pi, since the gigantic birds there without fail, always kills Sun's kids, but not humans.

MS and Anpao become quick buddies, and it becomes difficult keeping his secret ID to himself, but knew the boy may not keep his mouth shut. Well, MS notices and bribes Anpao to tell him his sorrow, he simplifying it being about Ko-ko, MS sharing the chat he'd overheard of a new people which Anpao's people already didn't get along with, but these people having "fireboats". The more MS shares, the more Anpao wonders of the dangers these new people pose, since they had some strange ideas for mating and making money. Anpao's stay with Sun spans over people moving away from the white people from the sea.

Anpao feels despair for being unable to save his people, but MS offers a solution which Anpao agrees to keep from MS's folks. When MS shares where Sun had hid it on the island beyond the great lake, Anpao shuts it down for having been banned, but MS believes the only reason it's off limits is due to his pop's hiding place. Anpao shares why he knew MS is talking shit, but then reveals the Sun had also hidden magic dogs there. When MS shares the story of how Sun flound the horses with men riding them, and after the villagers got over their initial shock, the Mexican men make signs of wanting to eat, so the people, with confusion get grass for the horses and cooked meat for the men.

Well, knowing Sun is able to acquire the bottom halves of the creature, Anpao agrees to have a look, MS going off to fetch the iron weapons to handle the killer birds. MS acts more foolishly whilst they're close to the edge of the shore, he laughing about how serious Anpao is acting over a bird which can't be seen, until they get a torrent from the sky. After a moment, Anpao notices the small yellow birds flying above them, MS making fun of them. MS points next to the grazing horse on the other shore, but then a loud screech is heard.

1 bird has huge black wings which extend, the eyes going red, and the 2 boys ducking for cover as it slashes the earth. Anpao soon attempts to hack at it, but as he urges MS to run away, he soon sees the enormous birds with the little yellow birds hanging near their mouths, like bats. This time Anpao succeeds in doing damage, the result making the unseeing MS think the stars were falling along with the sky. When everything settles, it's black, so Anpao dances and sings for the SUn, eventually both Sun and Moon out for the 1st time together.

The 2 get back home to a worried Moon, MS reating Anpao saving him, and Moon so grateful, she calls him son. What makes Anpao cry is Sun declaring the same, and then asking what he'd like as reward. He asks for his scar to be removed, which transforms him to his true half god form, his pop realizing who he is, and Moon always considering him Scarface, not recognizing him. Before leaving for Ko-ko, MS and Sun gift him clothes, the long dog he names Horse, and weapons.

Anpao has a warm farewell from all 3, Moon gifting him 2 Raven feathers, saying he should teach his people to construct medicine lodges to reflect Sun's lodge. After, Anpao is shown a shortcut back to Earth using the Milky Way or Wolf Rd. On a hot day, Anpao rides Horse to a village asleep for the heat, and the Chief wakes and marvels at Anpao and the magic animal. Unfortunately, Anpao reaches a greedy town, so the people and chief are only considering ways to take his stuff.

Anpao senses these new senseless, base humans which'd taken hold of people. He accepts their offerring of a fire for the night, and nothing more, as Anpao sits, the chief asks about Horse. After listening to the Chief digress about going to pillage a neighboring village, Anpao declines invite to help them and goes off to sleep, realizing how horrible people could become. By morning, Anpao is readying to leave, when the tribe returns from their mission, they not having to fight the other people for having caught something and were dying already.

So, they'd taken everything and burned the rest. Anpao then decides to biff off with Horse, the 2 traveling fast and far. Anpao senses the something horrible in the air, hoping to see Ko-ko soon. When they reach another village, Anpao gets a worse feeling as he notices whatever had hit the other village, is spreading fast.

Anpao also quickly moves on finding the desert he traveled before, but not coming across green land, but gray with new white-faced animals, no tipis or people. He turns East toward Ko-ko's mtn village, seeing something dark like a cloud heading slowly toward him. As it gains on him, he soon makes out a man on a horse with sores on his face and the horse emaciated. The 2 are soon exchanging words, Anpao learning this is Smallpox, and he came from the East with the Big Knives.

Smallpox is soon inviting himself along to see Ko-ko's village, making a deal he wouldn't breathe on Anpao. So, Anpao says he's going hunting and directs the path he'd come leading to his village, which give him a bit head start to get home. At the village, life went on, and Ko-ko stays single and is no longer sought after, everyone thinking her foolish to wait for Anpao, who they forget. The people call Ko-ko Old Girl, she also thinking Anpao'd forgotten her, but her pop being kind to her.

On an early morning, the chief sees a robed figure sitting on a butte across from the village, and remaining til after night fell, so he asks a couple young men to invite him to eat and smoke. When the 2 men see Anpao, 1 recognizes him, and asks about his travels. The rest of the village hears and also ask similar qs, Anpao not replying, but instead walking to Ko-ko and giving her the 2 Raven feather, relating his success, everyone cheering and dancing. the chief states they'd have a feast, but Anpao relates of a terrible thing coming for them, which sets the people back into believing Anpao is crazy. Ko-ko stays true to him, and the 2 are married, the village celebrating and blissfully going to sleep.

Anpao and Ko-ko attempt to have the chief join them, but he is loyal to his stupid, naive people, knowing it'd be wrong to simply abandon them. So he farewells them both and Anpao leads them to a large water in a valley where he is taken by Sun and Raven, and Ko-ko is taken by Moon, MS, and Kit-Fox, the 2 descending below the water to their home. Wasicong is still seated by the lake and listening to the drowned village singing with drums. He points at the water where Anpao's and Ko-ko's kids danced, the water people having great power. He goes to a tree where he sits as the water people sang.

Cute, but not impressed by how blatant the author relies on his honorary title and fake heritage to gain reputability. Crazy old Jew, maybe he found clarity right before he died. For someone who believes himself a part of the Native American culture, he still says "their country", and mixing stories from the N. Plains for growing up in the area... Anpao is JM's Ulysses character... He also refers slapping this together like Homer did with Odyssey... Then he explains how his attempt with this story is to put a cohesive "prose" to the old and newer stories.

Jackie Marks yearned for this to be viewed with the Magic Realism scope. Whilst mentioning his boyhood relation to some of the stories, he doesn't overtly mention Native culture in his fam, other than attending powwows... By the end of his Afterward, he seems to hope the white man culture has widened its brain enough to understand more than 1 pair of shoes, "man", quite a hippy vibe. He must've been psychedelic liberal, what a piece of work, and not complimentarily, but it serves it's purpose and even has some horror-like moments.