The book Old Indian Legends, written by Yankton Dakota author
Zitkala-Sa, is a compilation of Sioux folktales. She wished to keep
alive the folktales of her people. This book is made up of 14 legends,
according to the University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center.
In her book, Zitkala-Sa argues that stories have a significant role in
both American society and American Indian culture. She hoped that
through sharing these tales, Americans would be inspired to learn more
about American Indians and be reminded of "the wonderful brotherhood of
mankind. "An unlucky trickster character named Iktomi, a spider fairy,
appears in the first five legends. Iktomi and the ducks Iktomi befriends
a flock of dancing ducks and plays music to deceive them into dancing in
such a way that their necks twist and shatter, killing the ducks. After
that, he cooks the ducks in his teepee till he hears a tree cracking in
the wind and decides to go investigate. Iktomi's Blanket Iktomi, a
hunter, asks Inyan, whom he refers to as the great-grandfather, for food
in his prayers. Iktomi constructs a fire and prepares deer meat, but he
becomes chilly in the process. He makes the decision to return and get
the blanket he gave Inyan.
