Fools Crow: Chapter 29 Summary & Analysis

The next morning, Red Paint wakes to find Fools Crow has painted his face, but it is not war paint. He tells his wife that his dreams have instructed him to go on a vision quest. He will be gone for seven days, although he doesn’t know where his journey will take him. He will be guided along the way and knows only that he is too arrive at his destination as a beggar.

Fools Crow sets out on horseback. His dreams have instructed him to ride for three days and nights. As he rides, he sees the Backbone in the distance and the buildings of the Four Horns agency. As he moves through Napikwan country, he prays for safe passage. He rides without stopping and begins to daydream, seeing Red Paint and his people in his mind. After three days, he comes to a blocked entrance of a canyon, and with some difficulty, drives his horse through the dense trees and into an open valley. Seven Persons is clear in the sky and Fools Crow knows he is in the right place.

Fools Crow sees a small lodge in the valley, which he senses he is supposed to approach. He stands before the door, afraid to knock, when it suddenly swings open. Inside is a woman wrapped in a blanket and she beckons to him.

Later, Fools Crow raises his head from the sleeping platform. There is a dog nearby, and Fools Crow hears a soft sleeping song coming from an unknown source. He sees a slab of meat on the table and eats several pieces along with a glass of chokecherry juice. The juice is tart and makes his stomach feel warm. He doesn’t want to sleep in this strange place, but he can’t keep his eyes open. He drifts off to the continued sounds of the sleeping song.

Suddenly, Fools Crow is in a meadow full of four-leggeds. He walks quietly through the animals, which don’t seem to notice him. The country is beautiful, but he has no idea where he is and fears he has failed. Fools Crow feels foolish for believing that he could somehow help his people by following his dreams. Suddenly, the dog from the lodge runs by and slips between the trees, disappearing. Skunk Bear runs by, hot on the dog’s trail.

Fools Crow senses that he should follow and enters a cold, dark tunnel. He sings the song that the wolverine had given him and tries to find his courage. Finally, he emerges in a meadow of thick grass and wonders if he is in summer land. He soon finds a river, and after a swim, Fools Crow notices that Sun Chief has not moved in the sky. In the warmth of the sun, he falls asleep.

A woman in a plain doeskin dress watches as Fools Crow sleeps. She is unadorned and wears no jewelry; even her moccasins are plain. The dog is near her side, and as she watches the man, she absentmindedly strokes her short hair.

When Fools Crows wakes, he is surrounded by nothing but sand. The sun is still high in the sky, but he hears no birds, and as he looks around, he doesn’t see any other animals. With a panic, Fools Crow realizes that there are no animals in this strange place, and he wonders what he will eat, although, strangely, he does not feel hungry. The dog from the lodge is running in the distance and Fools Crow can see a white figure standing by the tree line.