Why the Dove is on Our Valentines

Adapted from an Indian Folk Tale

A long time ago when there were no white men in our country, but
only Indians who lived in the forest, there was a timid little Indian
boy.
All the other Indian lads loved the dark, so full of stars, and
moonlight; but this boy was afraid of the dark and did not venture
out of his father's wigwam after the sun had set. The other Indian
lads hunted bears, and sailed the swift rapids in frail birchbark
canoes, and had no fear of anything that ran, or stalked, or flew.
!ut the Indian boy about which this story is told was afraid of all
the wild creatures of the forest. "e never ventured far away from
the safe circle of his home campfire. #ost of all was the boy afraid
of "oots, the bear.
This was because "oots was a part of the forest. "e hid himself by
day, for he was afraid of bows and swift flying arrows. !ut at
night, the bear prowled near the Indian camp, and could be heard
from one end of the forest to the other, his great feet crunching
through the dried bushes and twigs.
In those days the Indians believed that a good spirit, called the
manito, watched over them, and guided them, and kept them
from harm. The story tells that the manito was walking one day
through the trees of the forest when he saw this little Indian boy,
hiding behind a pine tree and giving loud cries of terror.
$%hat is this that I hear&$ asked the manito. $'o Indian boy ever
cries. (ome forth that I may see who the coward is, and learn of
what he is afraid.$
)o the boy came out from behind the pine tree and spoke to the
#anito, *I have been sent with my bow and arrows to hunt for
food for my mother to cook,$ he said, $but I can go no farther in
the forest. I am afraid of "oots, the great bear, who lives in it.$
$+ou should be afraid of nothing, my son, not even of "oots, the
bear,$ warned the #anito.
$!ut I can't help being afraid of "oots; I think that he may eat
me,$ said the boy, and at that he began crying again, $!oohoo,
boohoo.$
$There shall be no coward among the Indians,$ said the #anito.
$And I see that you will always be afraid. I shall change your form
into that of a bird. %henever any one looks at you, he will say,
'There is the bird that is the most timid of all.'$
As the #anito finished speaking, the Indian boy's deerskin cloak
fell to the ground; his bow and arrows dropped too, for he had no
longer any hands with which to hold them. "e was suddenly
completely covered with a coat of soft gray feathers. "is
moccasins fell off, and his feet turned into the wee feet of a bird.
"e wanted to call his mother, but his voice had changed to the
plaintive call of a dove, and the only sound he was able to make
was, $"oo, hoo,$
$+ou are now the dove,$ said the #anito, $and you will be a dove
as long as you live. -f all birds you will be the shyest. And every
one who sees you and hears your call will know that you were once
afraid of "oots, the bear.$
)o, for years and years, the dove flew fearfully here and there,
uttering his timid call, $"oo, hoo.$ At last white men came, and
were sorry for him, and built dovecotes where he and all his
family could be sheltered and live in peace. There seemed to be no
work at first for the doves to do, but at last it was discovered that
they could carry letters tied about their necks and hidden in their
feathers. They flew .uickly with them to escape danger.
That is why there are pictures of doves on our valentines. The
doves grew brave enough to carry messages of love from one
person to another, but they are always timid and keep the love
that is in the valentine a secret from all e/cept the person to
whom it is sent.