Some Native American legends speak of a very old woman who lives at the End of the World. Because she is so very old, she moves very slowly. She spends day and night working at a gigantic loom, weaving an enormous blanket. On her campfire, she keeps a great pot of sweet berry soup bubbling away.
Her only companion is a very old, very faithful dog. The dog lays with his chin on his paws and watches.
Legends say that if the very old woman ever finishes her enormous blanket, the world will come to an end.
The blanket the old woman is making is very large. So large that she cannot work on the blanket and stir her bubbling pot of sweet berry soup at the same time. When she needs to stir her soup, she must leave her work and shuffle slowly over to the pot. After she has finished stirring her soup, she must slowly shuffle back to her work at the gigantic loom.
Then the very old woman goes back to work on the enormous blanket.
But the very old woman will never finish her work, and the world will never end.
Every time the very old woman gets up and shuffles slowly over to stir her bubbling berry soup, the very old, very faithful dog gets up. While the very old woman’s back is turned, the dog goes to work, ripping out all the new threads in the enormous blanket. By the time she turns to shuffle back to her work, the very old, very faithful dog is back in his place, resting his chin on his paws and watching.
As long as the very old, very faithful dog continues to unravel the enormous blanket, the world will never end. The very old woman will work her shuttle on the loom, but every time she stops to shuffle over to her bubbling pot of sweet berry soup, the very old, very faithful dog will undo her work and keep the world going.
Read more animal folktales and legends.