Shamanic Vision: Living Life through the Eyes of the Heart Issue # 7: 2nd Quarter, 2018 | Page 26

Standing Deer felt hungry, but he said nothing about he. He had learned to not speak during his teachings
and he knew this was one of them.
They arrived at the start of a thin trail and Grey Fox lead them into shrubs then into a forest of pines.
Laying across the ground were a number of trees that had been struck by lightening. They were charred
black and laying on the ground. Grey Fox pointed to the thickest one; “Walk on the tree.”
Standing Deer hopped up on the tree and began to do as instructed. He navigated his way around broken
branches and over mossy bark and around burls. The tree was thick and quite stable. He found it fairly
easy to walk along its length.
“Walk back and forth until I return.” and Grey Fox left.
The air chilled as the sun lowered behind the trees, and all the while, Standing Deer walked back and
forth, back and forth. As dusk approached, his legs weak with hunger, he looked up from his walking and
saw his teacher had returned.
“Here.” Grey Fox handed his student some dried elk. Together, they returned home in silence.
The following day, Grey Fox brought Standing Deer to the same place. This time, he pointed to a thinner
fallen tree. “Start walking.”
Standing Deer stepped up to this tree and it worked his way around the half burned branches and the
stubby bits and the slippery moss. Up an down he maneuvered his way around the fallen tree. He curled
his toes in his moccasins, trying to find good footing. He fell off many times, but he always brushed off
the dirt and stepped back on the tree.
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