Crazy Horse is among the best known Native American heroes. Yet many people do not know that his boyhood name was Curly, inspired by his curly hair. Curly was a leader even as a young boy, but his bravery could not prepare him for the trouble he and the other Lakota faced from the white settlers. After a fierce battle that mortally wounded Chief Conquering Bear, Curly felt called to help his people. So he defied traditional custom and ran away to seek a vision. Three days went by. Finally, as an exhausted Curly collapsed on the ground, the vision came?a rider suspended above the ground and voices coming from nowhere. It took three years for Curly to understand his vision, and this long journey gave him the strength and leadership to guide his people. Because of this powerful vision, Curly's father renamed him Crazy Horse.