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As a teenager, a young brave was tested to prove that he was
worthly of becoming a warrior. He was instructed not to allow anyone or
anything to penetrate the village circle. So all night he was to stand
guard. As the night wore on, this young brave struggled to remain awake,
as he was about to fall asleep, the brave heard a noise from the woods. He looked up
to see a powerful grizzly standing right in front of him.
"Go away!" demanded the young warrior, although he felt pure terror at the sight in front
of him. "No one can enter the village."
The Great Grizzly could not believe what he was hearing. "Do you know who you're talking to?
I'm the fiercest animal of these woods. I can do whatever I want to do, whenever I want
to do it, and no one or nothing can stop me!"
Although the young brave was terrorized and could feel even his heart shaking, he announced,
"You cannot enter the village - even if it cost me my life."
The grizzly was so taken with this young brave's courage, that the bear decided
to pull out his eye tooth and one of his claws.
"Because of your bravery, I offer these for you to wear around your neck. They are symbols of your
Mash-ka-wisen. They are for all to see," the great grizzly proclaimed to the surprise of the young
brave. "But I give you an even greater gift," the giant bear continued. "Because you have stood up to your
fear, you will no longer be frightened by it. You have mastered fear by facing it terror. Therefore, when you
hear your heart beat fast, be alert to danger, but come to know that no fear will ever rule you again."
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