Sing Down the Moon

The band travels at night and sleeps during the day. Bright Morning notes that they are headed south because the North Star is behind them. Following their trail, her black dog finds them. The Spaniards agree to let her keep the dog. Their reasoning is that dogs make girls happy, and happy girls will fetch higher prices.

They arrive at a city populated by white people. They stop at a house where an old Apache woman emerges to lead the girls inside. The woman cooks dog meat, which the girls refuse to eat. As they sleep on the floor of the old woman’s house, Bright Morning keeps her dog close. One of the Spaniards returns the next morning and pays the old woman. The Apache woman wants to keep the black dog, but the Spaniard says no and promises to bring back a larger dog. The Spaniard leaves Running Bird with the old woman but takes Bright Morning. As the Spaniard leads her away, Bright Morning sees a Nez Percé girl looking at her with eyes that seem to say “[r]un, run, even though they kill you” (30).

The Spaniard takes Bright Morning to a large house. There she sees a girl, Rosita, who is from an unknown tribe and appears happier than the Nez Percé girl. A white woman comes out of the house and speaks to Bright Morning in Navajo. The woman explains that she needs a girl to help serve guests at parties, but Bright Morning appears too “surly.” The Spaniard insists she will be happier in time. Bright Morning watches as Rosita prepares food, including stirring beans, but vows that she herself will never stir beans in that house.

Rosita introduces herself to Bright Morning, who responds and says she is from Canyon de Chelly but does not share her real name. Rosita promises Bright Morning the food is good, the work in the house is not hard, and Bright Morning will be happy there in time. Meanwhile, the Spaniard and the white woman haggle over the price for Bright Morning. Their bidding ends, and Rosita says the white woman pays well for Bright Morning.

The white woman leads Bright Morning to a smaller house behind the main residence and shows her to a large room. The woman explains that Bright Morning will sleep in this room, and her dog will have to stay there. Rosita shows Bright Morning how to set the table. There is a large amount of food to eat, but Bright Morning does not like it and lies awake that night thinking of Tall Boy and home. She wonders how to run away, and when she hears an owl, she thinks, “it was a good omen” (37).

Bright Morning is taken to get new clothes, and as she walks, she wonders where Running Bird may be. At the market, she sees the Nez Percé girl, who introduces herself as Nehana. She tells Bright Morning not to trust Rosita. Nehana mentions her plans to come to Bright Morning’s house to help prepare for a baile, or dance. She also shares news of Running Bird’s whereabouts. Bright Morning keeps quiet about everything Nehana shared.

At the white woman’s house, Bright Morning helps prepare for the party. She serves the guests, who are Long Knives, but refuses to smile. She sees Nehana, but they do not speak. Rosita tells Bright Morning that Nehana is bad and tried to run away before. Just before Nehana leaves, she tells Bright Morning that she will see her in 10 days at the church.