The Happiness of Youth and the Pride of Women

Pretty-shield concerns mostly Pretty-shield's experiences as a young girl during the crest of the history of the Crow Nation before its long decline due to American expansion. Pretty-shield tells many stories of her youth to Frank Linderman and nearly always speaks of these events happily. Many of the stories themselves are simply happy ones, ones intended to bring joy to the listener. Other stories recount tribal practices and still others are mystical stories, meant to inspire or teach a lesson. Finally, some of Pretty-shield's stories were tragic, but she still told them happily.

The stories indicate the deep happiness Pretty-shield experienced as a youth. She claims over and over again that her happiest days were when her tribe moved across the Montana plains from season to season, from watering place to watering place and from buffalo herd to buffalo herd...