A Lesson Learnt

This story happened to my mom, and my aunt when they were young girls growing up on the reservation outside of town.

My mom's mother died when she was six months old, so she was raised by her Great Grandmother and Great Uncle, a very religious and strict family. Every day they prayed the rosary. To get to go anywhere, all the chores had to be done. Her cousin came over one evening and told her "let's go to the dance tonight". They both knew they would have to have to do the chores before asking. So all chores were done. So they asked if they could go. Immediately he said no, that things were not right that night and he didn't like the feeling in the air. They asked him to explain and he told them there were no explanations, to just go and pray the rosary. He was keeping them home for their sake.

But they decided to sneak out of the house, and go anyway. (Little did they know he saw them leave). They ran to get away from the house quickly. They slowly they began their walk to town. They were laughing and talking as they passed the farmhouses along the way.

One of the farms they were passing, the barn was full of lights and they heard music and laughing, so they decided they would go see what was going on, it was strange to see a party going on at this farm, no one lived there for some time. Someone must have just moved in. They could hear the laughter, music and talking. They were deciding to go in the barn door, but decided they would look in the window first, to see who was there. They didn't want to see anyone who would surely tell their Great Uncle they saw them there.

So they looked in the barn window. They saw many people laughing, dancing, and drinking but they didn't recognize anyone. The women had long dresses and the men had longs pants everyone was all dressed up. As they were watching them dance they stopped and looked at each other and noticed at the same time and said, "Where are their feet?" They couldn't see anyone's feet! Her cousin said "They're just covered by their long dresses let's just go in".

My aunt went to the barn door to enter and my mom still looking in the window as one of the ladies turned while dancing her long dress swaying?.. At the same time, the barn door opening?.. there was a man, just as my aunt looked down?.. and at the same time?.the swaying dress lifted, they saw they had no feet or shoes, they had hooves! Instantly everything stopped! There was no one there, there was no music, there was no noise, only smoke drifting through out the barn.

They ran as fast as they could back to the farm. Their Great Uncle was sitting in front of the house, and told them, "I told you things were not right and you shouldn't go next time you will listen to me".

I used to think this story was made up by my mother to teach us a lesson, when we wanted to go somewhere and she didn't want us to go she would tell us this story, to scare us.

One night my cousins were over and we were telling ghost stories. I decided to tell this story and my cousin and I ended up telling and comparing this same story about what happen to our mothers. We continue to tell our children this same story.