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Wyeast and Klickitat grew jealous of each other and soon began to quarrel. They became so angry that they fought. Their people also took up the quarrel, so that there was much fighting on both sides of the river. Many warriors were killed. This time the Great Spirit was made angry by the wickedness of the people. He broke down the Bridge of the Gods, the sign of peace between the two tribes, and its rocks fell into the river. He changed the two chiefs into mountains. Some say that they continued to quarrel over Loo-wit even after they were mountain peaks. They caused sheets of flame to burst forth, and they hurled hot rocks at each other. Not thrown far enough, many fell into the river and blocked it. That is why the Columbia is very narrow and the water very swift at The Dalles. –"The Bridge of the Gods," Ella E. Clark According to this legend, why did the Great Spirit take down the Bridge of the Gods?

A. to punish the Plateau Indians for their bad behavior
B. to reward the Plateau Indians for helping one another
C. to bring the different people of the Plateau region together
D. to help the Plateau people learn how to make fire on their own

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The Great Spirit took down the Bridge of the Gods to punish the Plateau Indians for their hostility and fighting, as portrayed in the legend recounted by Ella E. Clark.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the legend “The Bridge of the Gods,” by Ella E. Clark, the Great Spirit took down the Bridge of the Gods as punishment for the wickedness of the people. Wyeast and Klickitat, two chiefs, grew jealous of each other and started quarreling, which led to much fighting and the deaths of many warriors. The destruction of the bridge by the Great Spirit represents a significant spiritual force imposing consequences on the Plateau Indians to maintain the moral order.

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