 Hello, hello, friends. This is a story from the Quinault people. A long time ago, in the time of the animal people, this land that is now the northwest was flat, green, and beautiful. There were no mountains, no lakes, no beautiful sounds, just flat land and the ocean. But the land was covered with flowers and trees. It was a time of joy and plenty, and all the animals were happy. But God became angry at the animal people for some reason and sent a great drought upon the land. For days and days, weeks and weeks, months and months, there was no rain and the sun was showing down fiercely. The land grew dry, the flowers and trees began to die, and the animals were thirsty. In the land to the east, the animals held a great council to see what they could do. For days and days, they talked and argued. At last Bear said, let us ask the ocean to help us, and they all agreed. So they sent Coyote as their messenger to the ocean. Coyote walked and walked. Until at last, he came to the ocean. Coyote spoke to the ocean. Ocean, ocean he said, hear me for we are in need. Ocean heard him and answered. What is it you need, little Coyote? Coyote told him of their troubles, and Ocean said, I will send my sons and daughters in a form of clouds to help you, but you must not harm them. Coyote said they would not be harmed, and he returned to his people. When Coyote got home and told the animals what Ocean had said, they were all very happy. Soon great clouds began to rise from the ocean and drift over the land. These were the sons and daughters of the ocean who were giving rain to the land as they drifted eastward. Soon everything was green and beautiful again, but trouble began among the animals. Crow said, let us dig great holes and keep this water for ourselves. No, said Bear, Ocean will always help us if we do not harm his sons and daughters. I don't trust anyone, said Crow. So they argued and argued. Bear and Coyote against all the other animals. Bear and Coyote lost, and soon the animals began to dig great holes to catch the water. These became the lakes of Shilan, Ponderay, Coeur d'Alene, and others in the Spokane area. Ocean waited and waited for his sons and daughters to return, but only a few returned. At last Coyote came and told Ocean what had happened. Because his promise to Ocean had been broken, Coyote was ashamed and sneaked back to his people. Ocean was angry, and lashed, and snarled, and roared. Finally Ocean spoke to the great God, Weneekwene, and told him what had happened. God listened and said, these animal people must be punished. So the great hand of God came down from the sky and scooped up the earth. He spread the earth across the land from north to south. This became the Cascade Mountains. Some of the earth fell between his thumb and first finger, and became the Olympic Mountains. The whole left way had scooped up the earth, was filled by water from the ocean, and became Puget Sound. The mountains formed a barrier across the country, and from that time on very few clouds could visit the east, and the land grew dry and barren. Forests disappeared, and the animals suffered. In shame for what the animal people had done, bear took to hiding most of the year, while Coyote sings his sorrow to his friend, the moon. The land west of the Cascades has remained much as it was before, green and beautiful. But even today, ocean is still waiting for his sons and daughters to return. We still hear him say, Tra-ra-ra, Tra-ra-ra, Tra-ra-ra.