Once there was a young Ponca boy whose mother and father died, leaving him an orphan. Although he was very poor and had no relatives to turn to for help, the Orphan did not give up. He went traveling because he did not have a lodge, and through great hardship, he became strong and independent.

One day, he found an elder who took him in. He called her grandmother, and she taught him many things about life. Her lessons helped heal the very hard life he had known. The Orphan grew into a young man who became strong and wise.

When the Tribe faced great trouble, it was not the leadership to whom the Ponca turned for help; it was the Orphan, who was once the weakest among them, who came to their aid. He became the great hero of the tribe, able to walk freely and go wherever he wanted.

One day, because he was friends to all creatures, he called all the birds together. All the birds came to see what the Orphan had to say.

The Orphan said, “Whichever one of you can fly the farthest in the sky shall be known as the bird chief.”

There were birds of all kinds, from the smallest to the largest. They all agreed and set off to fly high in the sky. As they started to fly, the Wren got under the thick feathers of the Eagle and stayed there as the Eagle flew.

After flying a great distance, the birds’ wings became tired and weary. All the birds began to fly down, but the Eagle continued on. When the Eagle flew as far as he could, the Wren flew even higher.

Finally, after all the birds reached the ground, the Eagle returned alone. The birds thought they were all there, but the Orphan noticed one missing.

“Behold, the Wren is not here,” said the Orphan. “We shall wait for his return.”

After a long time, the Wren finally returned. The Eagle had been thinking too highly of himself and was sure that he would be named the Bird Chief.

The Orphan said, “The Wren flew the longest and was the last to return. Wren, you shall be known as the ‘Bird Chief’.”

And so, the Wren became the honored leader of the birds.