It was the nightfall in the great village of the Coo-nu-moos, the center of the Moosuenucoo Empire. The air was crisp and it was the last day of the 1500 year old festival. As the villager stood at the water’s edge and waited for the Chief to enter the calm waters of the Jad-dah’gwah the stars grew dim in the sky and the winds from the southern hills started to increase.

As the winds picked up the waves began to crash harder against the ancient shores of the Moosuenucoo village; where every man, woman, and children stood. Silence fell upon every tribe member, for in the history of the tribal stories never had any told of one with a storm lingering on the horizon of the sacred closing ceremony.

The chief, being the leader of these great people, knew he had to show his fellow tribe members that all was well. As the chief slowly stepped into the cool waters, a shiver ran down his spine. Fear could be seen hiding behind his eyes. He turned toward the shores to speak and in the glow of the fires gave a look of reassurance and continued out to where the water splashed his knees. He turned towards the center of the lake and called for the great moose.

Almost instantly the lake froze, trapping the chief in his place. The wind had stopped and shrieks could be heard from the shore. The chief started to panic and called for his warriors to come and rescue him. As the men started out onto the ice the ground began to shake and a low rumble could be heard. Dark clouds could be seen moving quickly into the area and light, coming from under the lake, started to grow brighter than all the stars in the sky.

In the blink of an eye a gigantic figure broke through the ice, in front of the stranded chief, sending a shockwave that knocked the entire tribe onto the ground. The chief, trembling in the figures presence, then realized that the shadow was the Great Yellow Moose of his ancestors. The figure was as majestic as a sunrise and as golden as the sun. The tribe was paralyzed with fear and all sound was evicted from their mouths. The giant moose gracefully moved toward the chief, unlike any animal he had ever seen.

“I have come to your tribe in great disgust and anger. You have lost sight of the laws given to your ancestors. Mend your ways or my wrath will be greater than any storm you have ever had and worse than any disease know to you healers. Go now, mend you ways, you have been warned.”

In an instant the storm had ceased and the chief was left standing a foot from the shore with confusion and terror on his face. Suddenly there was a tap in his shoulder from his eldest son; the chief suddenly turned and realized everyone had abandoned their crazed chief. His son explained that once he stepped into the water he began to mumble and become still; being uneventful the tribe left disappointed. The chief’s mind began to ache and his head spin. Were the old fables true of the Great Yellow Moose? Had he been given a warning? Was the tribe in danger and could he save them? His head started to pound and the world around him grew dark.