Spring Defeats Winter
 
~ Seneca ~
  
            When the world was new, long ago, an old man was wandering
around. This old man had long, white hair and wherever he stepped, the
ground grew hard as stone. When he breathed, the rivers stopped flowing
and the ponds became solid. The birds and animals fled before him and
plants dried up and died as the leaves shriveled and fell from the
trees.

Finally, this old man found a place where he could set up his lodge. He
made walls of ice and covered it over with snow. He sat inside his
lodge, in front of a fire, which gave off no heat, though a strange
flickering light came from it. His only friend was the North Wind, who sat
beside the fire with him and laughed as they spoke of things they did to
make the world a cold, hard plac e. They sat and smoked their pipes
through the long, white nights.

One morning, though, as the two dozed by the fire, they felt that
something was wrong. The air was harder to breathe and when they looked
outside, they saw strange things happening. The snowdrifts were growing
smaller. Cracks were forming in the ice on the ponds.

"Henh!" said the North Wind. "I can stay no longer." He went out of the
lodge and flew through the air towards the north, not stopping until he
again reached a place where snow and ice were deep and there was no
hint of warmth. But, the old man did not stir. He knew that his magic was
strong, he built his lodge to last.

Now, there came a knocking at his door. Someone was striking against
the ice so hard that pieces were falling away, from the blows.

"Go away!" the old man shouted. "No one can enter my lodge."

Even as he said it, the door of the lodge broke and fell to the ground.
A young man, with a smile on his face, stood there. Without a word, he
stepped into the lodge and sat on the other side of the fire, from the
old man. He held a green stick in his hand wand with it, he stirred the
fire. As he stirred the fire, it began to grow warm. The old man felt
sweat begin to run down his face.

"Who are you" said the old man. "Why have you broken my door? No one
can come in here but my friend, North Wind. If you do not leave, I will
freeze you with my breath." Then, the old man tried to blow his chilly
breath at the young stranger, but only a thin mist came from his lips.
  The young man laughed. "Old man," he said, "let me stay here and warm
myself by your fire."

The old man grew angry. "I am the one who makes the birds and the
animals flee. Wherever I step, the ground turns to flint. I make the snow
and ice. I am mightier than you" As he spoke, though, the old man felt
more sweat run off his brow, and the young man continued to smile.

"Listen," the stranger said, "I am young and strong. You cannot
frighten me. Surely you know who I am. Do you not feel how warm my breath is?
Wherever I breathe, the plants grow and the flowers bloom. Where I
step, the grasses sprout and snow melts away. The birds and the animals
come to me. See how long my hair is? Your hair is falling out now, Old
Man. Wherever I travel I bring the sunshine and you cannot stay. Do you
not know me, Old Man? Do you not hear my companion, the Fawn? She is the
South Wind. She is blowing on your lodge. It is your time to leave."

The old man opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He grew
smaller and smaller and the sweat poured from his brow, as he melted
away. Then he was gone The walls of his lodge of ice and snow fell in.
Where his cold fire had burned, white flowers now bloomed. Once again, the
Young Man, SPRING, had defeated the Old Man, WINTER.