The mountains were born long ago, when the world was new, in the time after Earth grew its crust. This crust, being thick and heavy, burst at the seams and lay in pieces over Earth’s back. As time went by and the oceans grew and the wind had spun its cloak of clouds, the pieces began to slip this way and that. One bumped into another, sliding over, sliding under, forming great valleys in some places and pushing up mountains in others. This is how the mountains Pah-toe, Wy-east, and Loo-wit were born. Today, we call them Mount Adams, Mount Hood, and the mountain of fire, Mount St. Helens. Each of these mountains were born of the Earth Spirit, and this is the story of how they came to be.
Pah-toe and Wy-east were brothers. The Earth Spirit had shot two arrows into the air and told the brothers to settle where the arrows landed. The brothers lived together happily for many years, until a Beautiful Woman Mountain entered the valley. After a short time, she fell in love with Wy-east, but liked to make him jealous by flirting with good-natured Pah-toe. Soon both brothers fell madly in love with her and began to quarrel with each other.
"Beautiful Woman Mountain," said Pah-toe. "My mantle is the whitest and thickest. Why don’t you marry me?"
"But I have a perfect shape," countered Wy-east.
The Beautiful Woman Mountain just laughed at the two brothers, making them even more jealous of one another. At first they only growled at each other and stamped their feet, shaking the ground. But as their jealousy grew, they began to throw fire and rocks at each other. Soon, black smoke hid the Sun, spreading darkness over the land.
When they finally stopped to rest and the smoke cleared away, their beautiful white coats had disappeared and the landscape was devastated. The forest and the plains had burned; the animals and the people had fled or been killed. Worst of all, the brothers had shaken the ground so hard that a great hole had formed in the mountain range that connected them. Soon the massive inland sea began to pour through the hole, plunging beneath a land bridge and gouging out the deep, wide Columbia River bed. During the battle, the Beautiful Woman Mountain had hidden in a cave.
Coyote ran to fetch the Earth Spirit. They returned just in time to stop the brothers from fighting again—this time over who was to blame for the disappearance of the Beautiful Woman Mountain. The Earth Spirit was furious with her sons, and decreed that the Beautiful Woman Mountain would forever remain hidden in the cave. "I will, however," she said in her deep, soft voice, "leave this bridge—the Bridge of the Gods—in place so that the humans and animals may still visit each other."
The Earth Spirit warned that if the brothers ever fought again, the Bridge of the Gods would be destroyed and the brothers forever separated. She then charged Loo-wit, keeper of the fire, with guarding the bridge and warning the brothers when their squabbling went too far.
For many years it was peaceful on Earth, and the scars of the battle healed. But the Beautiful Woman Mountain got lonely in her cave. She begged the Earth Spirit for a friend. In return, the Bats were sent to keep the Beautiful Woman Mountain company and discourage her from trying to escape. Over time, the Bats came to love her too. They pleaded for her freedom, but the Earth Spirit was afraid that her appearance would spark another battle.
Wy-east, who was ashamed of the damage done by his jealousy, found out that the Bats were her guardians. Through them, he began a secret correspondence with the Beautiful Woman Mountain. Together, they finally persuaded the Bats to let her slip out one night. Wy-east played on the sympathies of Loo-wit, and she allowed him to sneak across the bridge at night to see his love.
Wy-east and the Beautiful Woman Mountain met happily for many months, but one night they stayed out too long. Wy-east ran back to the bridge as it was getting light, but his heavy footsteps shook the Earth, causing a huge boulder to fall and block the Beautiful Woman Mountain’s cave. The Sun came up, and the Earth Spirit caught the lovers. She was furious, but mainly with the Bats because they had let the Beautiful Woman Mountain escape. The Earth Spirit punished the Bats by transforming them into the ugly combination of bird and beast we know today. She then decreed that they would spend every day hanging upside down and every night blindly chasing bugs.
The Earth Spirit moved the boulder and ordered the Beautiful Woman Mountain back inside her cave. Wy-east begged for her freedom. "Please mother, we wish to marry," he pleaded.
But the Earth Spirit shook her head saying, "I am sorry my son, but I cannot allow it. I am afraid it will only cause another battle between you and your brother. You must let me find a mate for Pah-toe first. Then I will consider your marriage."
The lovers were sad, but the Beautiful Woman Mountain knew she had caused the battle by her silly flirting, so she dressed in dull colors and tried not to excite the brothers. She and Wy-east waited and waited, but the Earth Spirit failed to find Pah-toe a mate.
One day, Pah-toe saw Wy-est and the Beautiful Woman Mountain talking like lovers. He threw off his white robe and began another terrifying fight. The brothers threw rocks and liquid fire at each other and shook the Earth so hard that the Bridge of the Gods crumbled. Many of the rocks they threw fell into the river, forming narrow places where the water ran white. Loo-wit rumbled a warning, but the brothers ignored her. They fought until Pah-toe won and Loo-wit was so badly battered that she slid into the river near the fallen bridge. The Beautiful Woman Mountain dutifully took her place at Pah-toe’s side, but she was so heartbroken at the loss of Wy-east she fell into a deep sleep. She slumbers there to this day.
When the Earth Spirit returned, it was too late to stop the disaster. Hearing Loo-wit’s moans, the Earth Spirit decided to reward her bravery by granting her one wish.
"There is only one thing I wish for," said Loo-wit. "To be young and beautiful and full of life once again."
"Beauty and fire you may have," said the Earth Spirit. "But your youth you cannot regain. Your wisdom will stay with you."
"As you wish," replied Loo-wit.
And so the Earth Spirit allowed Loo-wit to move west, away from the quarreling brothers. "Now, there is one last condition in exchange for your fire," said the Earth Spirit. "If either of my sons so much as scowls at the other, you still must give them a warning they won’t forget. The mountains are the guardians of all living things and must not fight amongst themselves."
Loo-wit remembered the words of the Earth Spirit. The mountain stood beautiful and silent for many years. When the brothers slapped clouds around each other, she rumbled a warning. When the brothers threw off their white mantles, she shook the Earth. When they failed to heed her warnings, she blew her top, blanketing their slopes in hot ash. Her white cape and green skirts were ruined with the effort, and her sides gouged by scorching mud and splintered trees. Choked and ashamed, the brothers stopped their fighting for good. Loo-wit, however, still bears her scars. They are her reminder to us all that peace is more precious than beauty.