House Made of Dawn: 1. The Longhair, July 20 Summary & Analysis

The year is 1945 in the village of Walatowa in Cañon de San Diego (Canyon of Saint James), which runs through a valley of hills and cultivated fields. In the summer, the townsmen work all day in the fields, and on full moons they work all night as well. They consider especially fruitful harvests to be a gift from God.

An old man, Francisco, drives a team of roan mares with a wagon by a river bend. He finds a dead sparrow hanging from a reed, and he is disappointed that he didn’t encounter a bird with more beautiful feathers. He cuts the bird from the reed, letting it fall into the river, then sets a snare using the reed. He continues on with the horses, singing a traditional Pueblo song as he brings them onto the road to San Ysidro.

On the road, Francisco recalls participating in a race meant to ensure good hunting and harvests. He defeated the best runner in the race by striking him in the face, but even after ensuring his victory he continued running at full speed just for the sake of running. He was an impressively successful hunter that year.

Francisco stops at a bus junction. He anxiously smooths his new shirt and checks the wagon and horses to make sure “everything [is] in order.” The bus arrives, and Abel, Francisco’s grandson, stumbles out. Abel is drunk. He falls against Francisco, hurting the old man’s bad leg, and doesn’t seem to recognize his grandfather. Francisco almost cries, but instead he laughs and turns away from the bus. He helps Abel lie down in the wagon, and then Francisco starts walking back to bring his grandson home.