The Legend of the Red Rose

Many moons ago, a maiden named Wind Dancer loved a warrior named Great Bear. Wind Dancer was the daughter of Father Sky and Great Bear was the son of Mother Earth. The Great Spirit joined Great Bear and Wind Dancer in a beautiful wedding ceremony. Everyone was very happy. The first year, Father Sky gave soft breezes and gentle rains. Mother Earth shared many fruits and good hunting. The happiness of Great Bear and Wind Dancer filled the tribes of the land.

Unfortunately, happiness did not last past the second year. Wind Dancer was to bare a child at the time of winter's first snow. During the birth of the child, Wind Dancer passed to the next life, leaving Great Bear with a broken heart and a beautiful little girl. Father Sky sent many blowing snow falls. Mother Earth was hard, cold and unyeilding. That winter was very hard on the tribes of the land as Mother and Father mourned the loss of Wind Dancer.

In the spring, Great Bear took the little girl to where Mother Earth and Father Sky meet. He ask Mother and Father to give a name to Wind Dancer's child and to no longer grieve but to be happy as Wind Dancer would want. Father Sky shed a single tear which mixed with the red clay of Mother Earth. In that spot, grew a beautiful flower; red as the earth, soft like the tear, with a sweet smell of spring wind, but with thorns of pain. Father Sky and Mother Earth gave a name to Wind Dancer's child. Her name was to be Wind Flower. Today, we call the flower which came to be at the time of her naming the Red Rose. A beautiful thing can often come from a great time of sadness.