Buffalo Before Breakfast

Hawk,” he said.
    â€œCool name,” said Annie. “We’re Jack and Annie. We’re just visiting. We live in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania.”
    Black Hawk nodded. Then he turned his pony around and started toward the Lakota camp.
    â€œHey, can we come with you?” called Annie.
    Black Hawk looked back.
    â€œYes,” he said. “Meet my people.”
    â€œYou mean your parents?” asked Annie.
    â€œNo, they died long ago,” said Black Hawk. “I live with my grandmother.”
    â€œOh, I’d like to meet your grandmother,” said Annie. “I’m going to see my grandmother today, too.”
    Black Hawk nudged his pony forward again. Annie followed with Teddy.
    Jack didn’t move.
    What if the Lakota are at war with the white settlers?
he worried.
What if they think we’re enemies?
    â€œAnnie!” Jack called softly. “We don’t know if it’s safe or not!”
    But Annie just waved for him to come on.
    Jack sighed. He opened the research book and quickly flipped through the pages. He wanted information about how to act with the Lakota.
    On one page, he read:
    Good manners to the Lakota mean speaking as few words as possible and sharing gifts when visiting.
    On another page, he read:
    The Lakota admire those who do not show fear.
    Jack’s favorite piece of information was:
    Holding up two fingers means “friend.”
    Jack put the book away. He ran to catch up with Annie.
    Annie was telling Black Hawk all about their grandmother. The boy listened silently.
    â€œAnnie,” Jack whispered. “I just read that it’s good manners to be quiet. And we should give gifts and not show fear. Also, holding up two fingers means ‘friend.’ ”
    Annie nodded.
    â€œGot that?” said Jack.
    â€œSure,” she said. “No talking, no fear, no problem.”
    Jack looked up. He caught his breath.
    Ahead of them, the people at the campsite had stopped what they were doing. All eyes were turned to Jack and Annie.
    Jack quickly held up two fingers. Annie did the same.

Black Hawk led Jack and Annie toward the tepees. Everyone kept watching them.
    Jack couldn’t tell what anyone was thinking. No one looked angry. But no one looked happy, either.
    Jack wondered how to appear brave.
    He glanced at Annie. She walked tall and straight. Her chin was up. Her face was calm.
    Jack straightened his shoulders. He lifted his chin, and he felt braver.
    Black Hawk stopped and slid off his pony. The pony headed for the grazing pasture.
    Then Black Hawk led them to a tepee. It was covered with buffalo designs.
    â€œGrandmother is inside,” Black Hawk said to Jack and Annie.
    Inside, the tepee looked like a small round room. A fire burned in the center. Smoke rose through a hole at the top.
    An old woman sat on animal skins. She was sewing beads onto a moccasin.
    She looked up at Jack and Annie.
    â€œGrandmother,” said Black Hawk. “This is Jack and Annie from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania.”
    Jack and Annie both held up two fingers for “friend.”
    Grandmother raised two fingers also.
    Then Jack took off his coonskin cap. He gave it to Grandmother.
    She put the cap on her head, then laughed. Jack and Annie laughed, too.
    Grandmother’s laughter and kind face reminded Jack of his own grandmother.
    â€œYou wish to learn our ways,” she said.
    Jack and Annie nodded. Jack could tell she was wise.
    Grandmother stood and left the tepee. They followed her.
    Outside, everyone was busy again. They all seemed to know that Jack and Annie weren’t enemies.
    Jack looked around the camp.
    Men and boys carved bows. Women and girls pounded meat and sewed clothes. One girl was adding claws to a buckskin shirt.
    â€œThe bear claws will give her the strength of the bear,” said Grandmother. “She will sew on hawk feathers, elk teeth, and porcupine quills, too. All will give her the power of the animals.”
    Jack pulled out his notebook and wrote:

    â€œI have strong animal power when I go on a buffalo hunt,” Black Hawk said proudly.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” asked Jack.
    â€œI will show you,” said Black Hawk. “Wait.”
    Black Hawk went back inside the tepee.
    Annie turned to Grandmother.
    â€œWhy does he hunt the buffalo?” she asked.

    â€œThe buffalo gives our people many gifts,” said the old woman. “Food from his body. Tepees from his skin, tools