Blackfeet Star Stories - Story of Scar-Face (Poia)

Listen, for now comes one of the many stories told of Scar-Face.


Once there lived a girl who was kind and beautiful. Many young men wanted to marry her, but one by one she turned them away. This concerned her mother and father, and they asked, why will you not marry any of these young men? They are fine young men. The girl explained that Natosi, Sun, had once visited her and told her she could not marry anyone for she belonged only to him.


Her parents accepted her explanation and no more was said to her. Even so, young men still asked to marry. Now in that same place lived a young man whose body was strong and pleasing. He would have been handsome were it not for a terrible scar on his face. 


His name was Poia, Scarface. Scarface was an orphan. Having no one, he grew up going from one family to another for food and clothing. But all his life he cried, for always there were people who laughed at him and made fun of his scarred face and the fact that he was pitiful. 


One day the young men in the camp were making fun of him and one said, Scarface, the girl has refused to marry us but you are so handsome. You should ask her to marry you. And since you are so rich, said another, she will certainly choose to marry you. And then they all laughed.


Scarface went off by himself. He had seen the girl many times, and he had come to love her. He decided to go to the girl, profess his love, and asked her to marry him. He found the girl standing by a stream. I am Scarface, he said. I am poor and ugly, but I am a good person. I love you and I want to marry you. And to his amazement, the girl said, I care not if you are poor, I will marry you, but first you must go to Sun and ask permission to marry me. Ask Sun to remove the scar as a sign that we truly have his blessing.


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