Hmmm....I Like It

Laura Adams Armer's Waterless Mountain is full of little phrases that make you think.  Then once you think about them you say, "I like that."  I was a little turned off by this phrase in the introduction, "Many readers will question the high religious ideas, the constant talk of beauty, the mysticism, that she ascribes to Younger Brother...one can only say that, contrary to the general idea, many Indians are so."  This made me think the entire book was going to be mystical and over my head.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  So have no fear, Waterless Mountain is the story of Younger Brother a Navaho boy who is training to become a medicine man. 

For this post I thought I would share those quotes that made me think, "I like that."  Hopefully you will like them too!

"Younger brother fell asleep early...holding in his mind all the beautiful secrets of the day."  How many times do we go to sleep worrying about everything that went wrong today and all we need to to tomorrow.

"He knew that mother was always right about everything so he thought no more about it."

"Singing was very important."  I think that's a fact that can cross cultures, time periods and continents-singing is very important.

"He was very proud of his young wife and he came to think the music of her presence the sweetest music in all the world."  This was said during the telling of a legend, describing how one of the ancients felt about his wife. I want someone to feel this way about me (as I think pretty much all girls do).

"Navaho custom does not permit the mother-in-law of the husband to ever be in his presence."  I don't like that but it is a fascinating tradition-literally the mother in law hides behind a house during the wedding, she can't even watch the ceremony.

"'Yes,' said mother, 'little children are all right, whatever the color of their skin.'"

Disregarding skin color, honoring tradition, appreciating music and beauty...that's kids stuff.