Extrait du livre The totem of the Grizzly
The totem of the grizzli Pascale Vignali Illustrated by Justine Cunha Le Regard Sonore Editions
Once upon a time ... there was a big cold country called Canada. Many legends recount the life of the Indians that lived there, when men and animals spoke the same language and dreams were a path to another world, the world of magic…
The winter had settled in the forests and the cold seemed unending. Weeks passed without a single sign of life. Under its crisp, white blanket of snow, the earth seemed forever numbed into stillness. In their wigwams, the Algonquin were worried. What happens when the four seasons no longer obey Nature?
Ogima, the grandfather of grandfathers, spoke: OGIMA : When I was young, the elders said that an all-powerful grizzly bear had the power to create the seasons ... If this is true, we must find this bear to bring back the spring!
The men smiled. A bear that controls the seasons? A pretty bedtime story for children…
"The men smiled. A bear that controls the seasons? A pretty bedtime story for children... But a young Indian quietly approached the old man: ISHA : I believe you, Ogima! I will go and find the bear! The old man’s eyes narrowed: OGIMA : Isha… Isha Kitchi Nahele… The one who protects the forest… Yes, you can do it… The others have forgotten the old magic… Go!"
Isha decided to travel to the wild northern forests… It was a long journey, a journey that seemed endless, like the forest. When the sun shone through the branches, decorated with snow, Isha felt hopeful. But when the fog hung so low that you could not tell the land and sky apart, he regretted having left...
