I was four years old then, and I think it must have been the next summer that I first heard the voices.

I was painted red all over with black lightning on my limbs. I wore a black mask, and across my forehead a single eagle feather hung.

The soldiers did go away and their towns were torn down; and in the Moon of Falling Leaves (November), they made a treaty with Red Cloud that said our country would be ours as long...

And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to...

I was sixteen years old and more, and I had not yet done anything the Grandfathers wanted me to do, but they had been helping me.

There can never be peace between nations until there is first known that true peace which . is within the souls of men.

They told me I had been sick twelve days, lying like dead all the while, and that Whirlwind Chaser, who was Standing Bear’s uncle and a medicine man, had brought me back to life.

And if the great fear had not come upon me, as it did, and forced me to do my duty, I might have been less good to the people than some man who had never...

If you will read again what is written, you will see how it was.

Then she gave something to the chief, and it was a pipe with a bison calf carved on one side to mean the earth that bears and feeds us, and with twelve eagle feathers hanging...

To use the power of the bison, I had to perform that part of my vision for the people to see.

And when I breathed, my breath was lightning.

My friend, I am going to tell you the story of my life, as you wish; and if it were only the story of my life I think I would not tell it; for what...

I had a vision with which I might have saved my people, but I had not the strength to do it.

When I got back to my father and mother and was sitting up there in our tepee, my face was still all puffed and my legs and arms were badly swollen; but I felt good...

And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit,...

Now and then the voices would come back when I was out alone, like someone calling me, but what they wanted me to do I did not know.

I know now what this meant, that the bison were the gift of a good spirit and were our strength, but we should lose them, and from the same good spirit we must find another...

You remember that my great vision came to me when I was only nine years old, and you have seen that I was not much good for anything until after I had performed the horse...

But I think I have done right to save the vision in this way, even though I may die sooner because I did it; for I know the meaning of the vision is wise and...

Now I knew the sixth Grandfather was about to speak, he who was the Spirit of the Earth, and I saw that he was very old, but more as men are old.

The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes from within the souls of men when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they...

You see, I had been riding with the storm clouds, and had come to earth as rain, and it was drought that I had killed with the power that the Six Grandfathers gave me.

Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth and lean to hear my feeble voice.

Now suddenly there was nothing but a world of cloud, and we three were there alone in the middle of a great white plain with snowy hills and mountains staring at us; and it was...

I cured with the power that came through me.

Grown men can learn from very little children for the hearts of little children are pure. Therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people miss.

So I took the bright red stick and at the center of the nation’s hoop I thrust it in the earth.

A good nation I will make live.

I looked about me once again, and suddenly the dancing horses without number changed into animals of every kind and into all the fowls that are, and these fled back to the four quarters of...

Sometimes dreams are wiser than waking.

After the horse dance was over, it seemed that I was above the ground and did not touch it when I walked.

I looked below and saw my people there, and all were well and happy except one, and he was lying like the dead – and that one was myself.

The boys of my people began very young to learn the ways of men, and no one taught us; we just learned by doing what we saw, and we were warriors at a time when...

Also, as I lay there thinking of my vision, I could see it all again and feel the meaning with a part of me like a strange power glowing in my body; but when the...

I think I have told you, but if I have not, you must have understood, that a man who has a vision is not able to use the power of it until after he has...

But now that I can see it all as from a lonely hilltop, I know it was the story of a mighty vision given to a man too weak to use it; of a holy...

The fear that was on me so long was gone, and when thunder clouds appeared I was always glad to see them, for they came as relatives now to visit me.

And as he spoke of understanding, I looked up and saw the rainbow leap with flames of many colors over me.