There is an ancient Sioux legend about two young lovers who were willing to do anything to protect their bond. Brave Bull, the tribe’s most honorable warrior, and High Cloud, the chief’s daughter and the most beautiful woman in the land. Hand in hand, they approached the tribe’s old medicine man. "We love each other," Brave Bull declared. "And we’re getting married," High Cloud added. "But we’re afraid. We want a spell, a talisman—something that guarantees we will stay together forever." The old man looked at them. He saw their passion, but he also saw their desperation. After a long silence, he spoke. "There is something... but it’s a grueling task." "It doesn't matter," they replied in unison. "We’ll do whatever it takes." "Fine," the medicine man said. "High Cloud, you must climb the mountain to the north. Armed with nothing but a net and your bare hands, you must catch the strongest, most beautiful hawk in the peaks. Bring it back alive on the third day after the full moon." Then he turned to the warrior. "And you, Brave Bull, must climb Thunder Mountain. At the summit, you will find the fiercest of all eagles. Catch it with your hands and a net—bring it to me unharmed and alive on the same day." On the appointed day, the two lovers returned, bruised and exhausted, each holding a net with a magnificent bird. "They are beautiful," the old man whispered. "Did they fly high?" "Higher than anything," Brave Bull said. "What now? Do we sacrifice them to honor our bond?" "No," the old man replied. "Do we cook them to share their strength?" High Cloud asked. "Absolutely not," the medicine man said. "Here is what you will do: Take these leather straps and tie the birds together by their legs. Knot them tight, and then set them free." The lovers did as they were told. But when the eagle and the hawk tried to take flight, they couldn't. They crashed into the dirt, tumbling over each other. Frustrated and trapped, the birds began to tear at one another with their beaks, drawing blood. "Never forget what you see here," the medicine man warned. "This is your lesson. You are like this eagle and this hawk. If you tie yourselves to one another—even if you do it out of love—you won't just be grounded; sooner or later, you will start to destroy each other." He looked them in the eye and delivered the truth: "If you want your love to last... fly together, but never tied." The Moral: True love doesn't claim possession; it grants freedom. Never above you. Never below you. Always... by your side.
