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What happens when a hungry trickster meets creatures whose wits are sharper than he expects?
In Old Indian Legends, Zitkala-Sa brings together Dakota tales she hears from elders in childhood. At their heart is Iktomi, the spider trickster: clever, vain, and always hungry. He sees a chance to get what he wants and sets his schemes in motion. But animals have plans of their own, and confidence offers no protection from being fooled.
The collection includes Iktomi’s encounters with the Ducks and the Muskrat, alongside stories of human characters and other beings. Animals speak, quarrel, and boast; some tales bring laughter, while others take a more serious turn. Zitkala-Sa’s plain, direct words keep the action close, with a firm sense of right and wrong and careful attention to land, sky, and creatures.
What you’ll discover
- A trickster worth watching Follow Iktomi’s eager schemes and discover how easily cleverness can trip over greed.
- Animals with their own wits Meet ducks, muskrats, rabbits, and bears who speak, argue, boast, and make plans.
- Stories rooted in listening Enter a Dakota storytelling tradition in which elders share tales aloud with younger listeners.
- Humour with a serious edge Find laughter beside lessons about right and wrong, without leaving the story behind.
- One tale at a time Enjoy short, self-contained stories whose clear images keep the natural world close.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy folktales, trickster stories and animal fables, or want short tales to read aloud to children and friends.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Iktomi brings trouble to the plain
- A song becomes a trap
- Sharing matters more than getting
- Envy sets another trap for Iktomi
- Hospitality meets a guest's greed
- Iktomi tries to steal a name
- Different tales test choices and courage
- The storyteller makes the lessons heard
- Wisdom begins with sharing and kindness
Who’s who
- IktomiA vain, crafty spider fairy in beaded buckskins who tricks others for food and glory, and never learns to share.
- InyanThe great stone grandfather on the hillside who has listened to prayers for more than a thousand seasons.
- Father BadgerA kind hunter who feeds a hungry stranger and loses his home, then asks the Great Spirit for help.
- The AvengerA young Dakota brave with a magic arrow, born from buffalo blood, who defends the helpless and brings justice.
- PatkasaA tired turtle hunter who finds a deer for his hungry children and is drawn into a contest by Iktomi.
- ManstinA kindhearted rabbit warrior who rescues a stolen baby and then trades his eyes for an easy life.
- IyaA giant with spindly legs who disguises himself as a baby to swallow a camp in the night.
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Old Indian Legends
by Zitkala-Sa · 1901
A spider fairy in beaded buckskins tricks ducks, loses his feast to wolves and is outwitted by a muskrat.
Easy readUnder 2 hours to read20 languages
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“This was very wrong, but Iktomi did it, because his cleverness was not wisdom.”
In short
Picture a spider fairy in beaded buckskins, his face painted red and yellow, hopping across the plain with a bundle of dry grass on his back. He is on his way to fool a flock of ducks into dancing with their eyes shut.
Old Indian Legends at a glance
- Reading time
- About 1 h 10 min55 min fast, 1 h 25 min slow
- Length
- 17,100 words
- Library level
- Easy short sentences, plain words
- First published
- 1901by Zitkala-Sa
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Iktomi tricks the ducks with a song
The book opens by showing who Iktomi is. He is a spider fairy who dresses like a Dakota brave in deerskin leggings, tiny beaded moccasins and a jacket sewn with bright beads. He would rather set a trap than hunt honestly, and nobody helps him when he is in trouble.
One day, hungry in his teepee, Iktomi ties dry grass into a bundle and hops to a hilltop. He sees wild ducks dancing and feasting in the marshes. Playing a bent traveller, he staggers into view and tells the curious ducks that his bundle holds songs. Iktomi builds a round straw hut, and the fat ducks waddle in one by one. In the dim hut he beats a drum and sings that any dancer who opens their eyes will have red eyes forever. Every duck dances blind. Only Skiska dares to peek, and his cry sends the flock flying out with red eyes.
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Details
- First published
- 1901
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 1 h 15 min
- Level
- Easy read
Cite this edition
Zitkala-Sa. Old Indian Legends. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/old-indian-legends.
Zitkala-Sa. (2026). Old Indian legends. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/old-indian-legends (Original work published 1901)
Zitkala-Sa. Old Indian Legends. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/old-indian-legends.
@book{zitkalasa2026old,
author = {Zitkala-Sa},
title = {Old Indian Legends},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/old-indian-legends},
note = {First published 1901}
}
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What is Old Indian Legends about?
It is a collection of fourteen short Dakota tales retold by Zitkala-Sa. Most feature Iktomi, the spider trickster, and others tell of badgers, a red eagle, a toad and a lost boy, and a giant who eats camps.
Who is Iktomi in Dakota stories?
Iktomi is a spider fairy and trickster who dresses like a Dakota brave. He is clever, vain and lonely, and his schemes for food and glory usually bring him trouble instead of reward.
What does Koda Ni Dakota mean?
It is the song of a yellow-breasted bird in The Tree-Bound. The storyteller explains that it means Friend, you're a Dakota, and the bird seems to be greeting the avenger as he walks across the plain.
The author
Zitkala-Sa
1876–1938 · Yankton Dakota writer
Zitkala-Sa (1876–1938) was a Yankton Dakota writer, also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin. She was born on the Yankton Indian Reservation in South Dakota and died in Washington, D.C. She published Old Indian Legends in 1901 and American Indian Stories in 1921. She also worked for Native American rights.
“This was very wrong, but Iktomi did it, because his cleverness was not wisdom.”
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