Old Fears,New Trade

Old Fears, New Trade

Long ago, there was a village by the sea. The people in the village farmed seaweed and fished. They gathered pearls and pretty shells. The sea gave them much, but not all, of what they needed.

Every new moon, the ship people came. The people in the village traded fish, tools, and seashell jewelry for cloth, fruits, vegetables, and other needs.

One new moon, the ship people did not come. The people in the village asked their leader, Raven, for help. She was wise and a great healer. " Wait until the next new moon, " Raven told them.

The people waited, but the ships still did not come. The people worried. The cold moons were coming. They needed food that would not go bad. They needed cloth and medicine. Raven's fire burned late into the night. In the morning, she came out with a pack on her back.

" Bring me your best jewelry and tools, " she said. “ I will take them to the people of the plains. We will trade with them as we did with the ship people. " The villagers gasped. " The people of the plains are warriors. They will come and hurt us, " they said.