Prolific folklorist and anthologist John Bierhorst, who has produced many volumes of Native American folklore, presents twenty-two stories about Little People in this collection, taken from fifteen different tribal nations. His text is accompanied by the artwork of Ron Hilbert Coy, a member of the Tulalip nation of western Washington state. Selections include:

Weaker and Weaker, an Inuit tale from Baffin Island, in which a grandmother and grandson are the only survivors of an island flood, and are saved from starvation when a little couple stop by their home one night.

Three Wishes, a Mohawk tale from New York, which tells of Gathering Flowers, a young girl who spends a visit with the little people, and who is rewarded for keeping the secret of their presence with three wishes. Her wishes—a magic soup pot so her family will never go hungry, and will always have food to share; the wisdom to never hurts others with her words; the ability to see something good in everyone she meets—prove very wise.

Proud-Woman and All-Kinds-of-Trees, a Seneca tale from New York, in which an unlucky hunter gains luck, after stealing and then agreeing to return the baby of a little man.

The Girl Who Married the Little Man, an Inuit tale from Greenland, in which a young woman and her family anger the men in their village by their refusal to accept any marriage proposal for the young woman. When the young woman marries one of the little people, their prosperity allows the family to help their one-time enemies, who are now starving.

The Little Ones and the Mouse Helpers, a Zuni tale from New Mexico, in which a priest's daughter marries two little men from Thunder Mountain, after they perform a task she sets them, with the help of the local mice.

All Are My Friends, a Yurok tale from California, in which a young man has a vision of Megwomets, a little person who considered everyone his friend, and who always helped people in need of food.

The Little House in the Deep Water, a Cherokee tale from North Carolina, in which a young boy spends an afternoon and night visiting the little people whose home lies in the deep river, transformed into a road of grass, when he and his host walk along it.

The Boy Who Married the Little Woman, a Maliseet tale from New Brunswick, in which two brothers are abandoned by both father and mother, and are eventually adopted by Raven. After a trip along a forbidden trail, and a voyage by sea, one of the brothers wins a little woman as his wife, bringing prosperity to his family.

Two Bad Friends, an Inuit tale from Greenland, in which two widows' sons who were once friends become enemies, until the little people take them in hand and effect a reconciliation.

The Little People Who Built the Temples, a Mayan tale from Yucatán which tells of the little peoples who built the great temples, and who managed to feast on a single grain of corn, in the days before sunlight came to the world.

How the Dead Came Back, a Cherokee tale from North Carolina, in which people who died journeyed to the Dark Land, but could return to the land of the living after seven days. This state of affairs came to end however, after two little men, sent to retrieve one young girl who had died, did not follow instructions, making a tiny hole in the box in which they carried her, thereby causing her to disappear and return to the Dark Land permanently.

The Little Man Who Married the Whirlwind, a Seneca tale from New York, in which a little man who marries a whirlwind must contend with his mother-in-law's dangerous tasks, intended to kill him. Triumphing in the end, he returns with his wife to the uncle who raised him.

The Rainmaker's Apprentice, a Nahua (Aztec) tale from Mexico, which tells of a boy named José, who was briefly the apprentice of the rainmakers, until he interfered with the weather, creating a terrible storm. Despite his banishment, the rainmakers made sure José always had plenty of good rain for his crops.

Thunder's Two Sisters, a Cherokee tale from North Carolina, in which the beautiful sisters of Thunder come to a human dance, only to slip away when one of the Cherokee men pursues them. Eventually, aided by an incantation given to him by a medicine man, the hunter succeeds in following the sisters, but loses his chance to take one as a bride, through his fear.

The Smallest Bow, a Seneca tale from New York, in which a young hunter misses the chance of great good fortune, when he refuses to trade bows with two little men he meets one morning.

The Little Woman Who Taught Pottery, a Toba tale from Argentina, which tells of Kopilitára, a very old little woman, so small she looked like a five-year-old child, who taught the people how to make pots.

How the Dark Dance Began, a Seneca tale from New York, in which a young boy named Snow spends time with the little people, bringing back their ceremony, the Dark Dance, to his people. I have not yet read the source for this tale, Arthur C. Parker's Seneca Myths and Folktales, but I have read and enjoyed Edmund Wilson's Apologies to the Iroqouis, which describes a modern Dark Dance, still performed by the Seneca today.

The Hunter Who Lost His Luck, a Seneca/Cayuga tale from New York and Ontario, in which a hunter marries a little woman and gains great fortune, until he disregards her warning about speaking to anyone while he hunts, thereby losing everything.

Star Husbands, a Passamaquoddy tale from Maine, in which Marten wins a bride from the little people by stealing one of their maidens' clothing, while she is bathing. When his friend Moose fails to do the same, and then Marten wins a second bride, the two become enemies. But the two brides, eventually disenchanted with their husband, leave Marten and take stars as husbands.

The Twelve Little Women, a Lenape story from New York, in which twelve little women, who made their home in the caves located in the cliffs at the mouth of the Delaware River, were driven away by one insolent young man, who taunted them and then slew their serpent and burned their house. Leaving, they warned the people the people that they would have taught them many things, things that would have helped them in a hundred years, when invaders would arrive to drive them from their land.

The Talking Tree, a Yaqui story from Mexico, which tells of the little people known as the Surem, who gained their knowledge and wisdom from a giant talking tree that told them how to live. Learning of conquerors who would soon come, many of them departed to live under the earth or in the sea, while some remained and became the people of today.

The Deetkato, a Tillamook story from Oregon, in which a woman who had been abandoned by her husband finds good fortune when she discovers a little person known as a Deetkatoo. Burying him in sand, the woman fasts and waits, and after ten days the little man had turned into money beads and buffalo-horn dishes, making her very wealthy and winning back her husband.

I greatly enjoyed reading the tales in The Deetkatoo: Native American Stories About Little People, some of which were familiar to me, and some of which were not. Familiar or not, all were fascinating, and I appreciated Bierhorst's introduction, as well as the most informative back matter, which included a guide to the tribes and cultures from which the stories came; a guide to the lore of the little people, which identified different themes and the stories in which they were to be found; notes for each tale included; and a list of references. I feel as if I barely scratched the surface here, and look forward to tracking down some of the titles found in the list of references. Highly recommended to all folklore enthusiasts, particularly those who enjoy stories about little people, or who are interested in Native American lore. ( )

Got this from SPL because is is illustrated by Ron Hilbert, who painted the Salmon Ceremony picture that rocks Z's world when we go to SAM. The illustrations were great, though black and white - and the stories were great and a nice example of oral storytelling traditions across a variety of tribal nations. (As an aside, as a former AI/AN policy wonk, I really appreciated the introduction and focus on discussing the stories by language families represented). ( )