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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10891 ***
+
+ALGONQUIN
+INDIAN TALES
+
+
+COLLECTED BY
+EGERTON R. YOUNG
+
+
+AUTHOR OF "BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN," "THE APOSTLE OF THE NORTH,"
+"THREE BOYS IN THE WILD NORTH LAND," ETC.
+
+
+[Illustration: The rabbit tells Nanahboozhoo of his troubles.]
+
+
+
+1903
+
+
+
+
+CHIEF BIG CANOE'S LETTER
+
+
+GEORGINA ISLAND, LAKE SIMCOE.
+REV. EGERTON R. YOUNG.
+
+
+DEAR FRIEND: Your book of stories gathered from among my tribe has very
+much pleased me. The reading of them brings up the days of long time ago
+when I was a boy and heard our old people tell these tales in the wigwams
+and at the camp fire.
+
+I am very glad that you are in this way saving them from being forgotten,
+and I am sure that many people will be glad to read them.
+
+With best wishes,
+KECHE CHEMON (Charles Big Canoe),
+Chief of the Ojibways.
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTORY NOTE
+
+
+In all ages, from the remotest antiquity, the story-teller has flourished.
+Evidences of his existence are to be found among the most ancient monuments
+and writings in the Orient. In Egypt, Nineveh, Babylon, and other ancient
+lands he flourished, and in the homes of the noblest he was ever an honored
+guest.
+
+The oldest collection of folklore stories or myths now in existence is of
+East Indian origin and is preserved in the Sanskrit. The collection is
+called _Hitopadesa_, and the author was Veshnoo Sarma. Of this collection,
+Sir William Jones, the great Orientalist, wrote, "The fables of Veshnoo are
+the most beautiful, if not the most ancient, collection of apologues in the
+world." As far back as the sixth century translations were made from them.
+
+The same love for myths and legends obtains to-day in those Oriental lands.
+There, where the ancient and historic so stubbornly resist any change--in
+Persia, India, China, and indeed all over that venerable East--the man who
+can recite the ancient apologues or legends of the past can always secure
+an audience and command the closest attention.
+
+While the general impression is that the recital of these old myths and
+legends among Oriental nations was for the mere pastime of the crowds, it
+is well to bear in mind that many of them were used as a means to convey
+great truths or to reprove error. Hence the recital of them was not
+confined to a merely inquisitive audience that desired to be amused. We
+have a good example of this in the case of the recital by Jotham, as
+recorded in the book of Judges, of the legend of the gathering of the trees
+for the purpose of having one of them anointed king over the rest. Of this
+legend Dr. Adam Clarke, the commentator, says, "This is the oldest and,
+without exception, the best fable or apologue in the world."
+
+The despotic nature of the governments of those Oriental nations caused the
+people often to use the fable or myth as an indirect way to reprove or
+censure when it would not have been safe to have used a direct form of
+speech. The result was that it attained a higher degree of perfection there
+than among any other people. An excellent example is Nathan's reproof of
+David by the recital of the fable of the poor man's ewe lamb.
+
+The red Indians of America have justly been famous for their myths and
+legends. We have never heard of a tribe that did not have a store of them.
+Even the hardy Eskimo in his igloo of ice is surprisingly rich in folklore
+stories. A present of a knife or some other trifle that he desires will
+cause him to talk by the hour to his guest, whether he be the daring trader
+or adventurous explorer, on the traditions that have come down to him. The
+interchange of visits between the northern Indians and the Eskimos has
+resulted in the discovery that quite a number of the myths recited in
+Indian wigwams are in a measure, if not wholly, of Eskimo origin. On the
+other hand, the Eskimo has not failed to utilize and incorporate into his
+own rich store some that are undoubtedly of Indian origin.
+
+For thirty years or more we have been gathering up these myths and legends.
+Sometimes a brief sentence or two of one would be heard in some
+wigwam--just enough to excite curiosity--then years would elapse ere the
+whole story could be secured. As the tribes had no written language, and
+the Indians had to depend entirely upon their memory, it is not to be
+wondered at that there were, at times, great divergences in the recital of
+even the most familiar of their stories. We have heard the same legend
+given by several story-tellers and no two agreed in many particulars.
+Others, however, were told with very slight differences.
+
+We have adopted the course of recording what seemed to us the most natural
+version and most in harmony with the instincts and characteristics of the
+pure Indian. The close scientific student of Indian folklore will see that
+we have softened some expressions and eliminated some details that were
+non-essential. The crude Indian languages, while absolutely free from
+blasphemy, cannot always be literally translated. _Verbum sat sapienti_.
+
+The method we have adopted, in the presentation of these myths and legends
+in connection with the chatter and remarks of our little ones, while
+unusual, will, we trust, prove attractive and interesting. We have
+endeavored to make it a book for all classes. Here are some old myths in
+new settings, and here are some, we venture to think, that have never
+before been seen in English dress. These will interest the student of such
+subjects, while the general style of the book will, we hope, make it
+attractive to young readers.
+
+Nanahboozhoo, the personage who occupies the principal part in these myths,
+is the most widely known of all those beings of supposed miraculous birth
+who played such prominent parts in Indian legends. He does not seem to have
+been claimed by any one particular tribe. Doubtless legends of him were
+transmitted down from the time when the division of tribes had not so
+extensively taken place; when perhaps the Algonquin, now so subdivided, was
+one great tribe, speaking one language.
+
+The variety of names by which he is known is accounted for by these tribal
+divisions and the rapid changes which took place in the language owing to
+its having no written form to maintain its unity.
+
+What his original name was, when legends about him first began to be told,
+is of course unknown. However, since the white race began to gather up and
+record these Indian myths he has been known as Misha-wabus, Manabush,
+Jous-ke-ha, Messou, Manabozho, Nanahboozhoo, Hiawatha, Chiabo,
+Singua-sew--and even some other names have been heard. We have given him in
+this volume the name of Nanahboozhoo as that was the one most frequently
+used by the Indians among whom we lived or visited.
+
+There is more unanimity about his origin, among the tribes, than about his
+name. The almost universal report is that he was the son of Mudjekeewis,
+the West Wind. His mother was Wenonah, the daughter of Nokomis.
+
+The author desires very gratefully to record his indebtedness, for
+assistance or hints received in the pleasant work of here clustering these
+Indian folklore stories, to many friends, among them such Indian
+missionaries as Revs. Peter Jones, John Sunday, Henry Steinham, Allan Salt,
+and also to his Indian friends and comrades at many a camp fire and in many
+a wigwam. He also wishes in this way to express his appreciation of and
+indebtedness to the admirable Reports of the Smithsonian Institution. He
+has there obtained verification of and fuller information concerning many
+an almost forgotten legend.
+
+In regard to a number of the finest of the photographic illustrations in
+the volume the author gratefully acknowledges his obligations to the Canada
+Pacific Railway Company, without whose assistance it would have been
+impossible to reach many of the sublime and romantic places here portrayed;
+until very recently known only to the adventurous red Indian hunter, but
+now brought within the reach of any enterprising tourist.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+Introductory Note
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+The Children Carried Off by the Indians--The Feast in
+the Wigwam--Souwanas, the Story-teller--Nanahboozhoo,
+the Indian Myth--How the Wolves Stole His Dinner, and
+Why the Birch Tree Bark is Scarred--Why the Raccoon
+has Rings on His Tail.
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+The Children's Return--Indignation of Mary, the Indian
+Nurse--Her Pathetic History--Her Love for the Children--The
+Story of Wakonda, and of the Origin of Mosquitoes.
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+More about Mary and the Children--Minnehaha Stung by
+the Bees--How the Bees Got Their Stings--What Happened
+to the Bears that Tried to Steal the Honey.
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+The Love Story of Wakontas--His Test of the Two
+Maidens--His Choice--The Transformation of Misticoosis.
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+The Startling Placard--What Happened to the Little
+Runaways--The Rescue--Mary Tells Them the Legend of the
+Swallows--How Some Cruel Men were Punished who Teased
+an Orphan Boy.
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+Souwanas Tells of the Origin and Queer Doings of
+Nanahboozhoo--How He Lost His Brother Nahpootee,
+the Wolf--Why the Kingfisher Wears a White Collar.
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+The Legend of the Bad Boy--How He was Carried Away
+by Annungitee, and How He was Rescued by His Mother.
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+Happy Christmas Holidays--Indians Made Glad with
+Presents--Souwanas Tells How Nanahboozhoo Stole the
+Fire from the Old Magician and Gave It to the Indians.
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+Kinnesasis--How the Coyote Obtained the Fire from the
+Interior of the Earth.
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+The Christmas Packet--The Distribution of Gifts--A Visit
+by Dog Train, at Fifty-five Below Zero--Souwanas Tells
+How the Indians First Learned to Make Maple Sugar.
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+Mary Relates the Legend of the Origin of Disease--The
+Queer Councils Held by the Animals Against Their Common
+Enemy, Man.
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+The Naming of the Baby--A Canoe Trip--The Legend of
+the Discovery of Medicine--How the Chipmunk Carried the
+Good News.
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+In the Wigwam of Souwanas--How Gray Wolf Persecuted
+Waubenoo, and How He was Punished by Nanahboozhoo.
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+The Pathetic Love Story of Waubenoo--The Treachery
+of Gray Wolf--The Legend of the Whisky Jack.
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+A Novel Race: the Wolverine and the Rock--How the
+Wolverine's Legs were Shortened--A Punishment for
+Conceit.
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+The Legend of the Twin Children of the Sun--How They
+Rid the Earth of Some of the Great Monsters--Their Great
+Battle with Nikoochis, the Giant.
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+Souwanas Tells of the Queer Way in which Nanahboozhoo
+Destroyed Mooshekinnebik, the Last of the Great Monsters.
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+Welcome Springtime in the Northland--How Nanahboozhoo
+Killed the Great White Sea Lion, the Chief of the
+Magicians--The Revenge--The Flood--Escape of Nanahboozhoo
+and the Animals on the Raft--The Creation of a New World.
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+Among the Briers and Wild Roses--Why the Roses have
+Thorns--Why the Wild Rabbits are White in Winter.
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+Passing Hunters and Their Spoils--The Vain Woman--Why
+the Marten has a White Spot on His Breast.
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+Shooting Loons--Why the Loon has a Flat Back, Red
+Eyes, and Such Queer Feet--Nanahboozhoo Loses His
+Dinner--Origin of Lichens--Why Some Willows are Red--The
+Partridge.
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+Nanahboozhoo's Ride on the Back of the Buzzard, who
+Lets Him Fall--A Short-lived Triumph--Why the Buzzard
+has No Feathers on His Head or Neck.
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+A Moonlight Trip on the Lake--The Legend of the
+Orphan Boy--His Appeal to the Man in the Moon--How
+He Conquered His Enemies.
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+Souwanas's Love for Souwanaquenapeke--How Nanahboozhoo
+Cured a Little Girl Bitten by a Snake--How the Rattlesnake
+got Its Rattle--The Origin of Tobacco--Nanahboozhoo
+in Trouble.
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+The Dead Moose--The Rivalry Between the Elk and the
+Moose People, and Their Various Contests--The Disaster
+that Befell the Latter Tribe--The Haze of the Indian
+Summer.
+
+
+Glossary
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+The rabbit tells Nanahboozhoo of his troubles
+
+With the children cuddled around, Souwanas began
+
+The wild and picturesque Ka-ka-be-ka Falls
+
+They howled with rage and terror
+
+The startling placard
+
+While her mate stood beside her
+
+Surrounding them were fierce Indian dogs
+
+The beautiful reflections in the water
+
+They tumbled the tall ghost over
+
+Their dog trains were in constant demand
+
+Where the fire was stolen
+
+The coyote was too quick for them
+
+Across a single log at a dizzy height
+
+Which white men now call Cathedral Mountain
+
+Their babies with them
+
+Gave him such a terrible beating
+
+The big rock was surely gaining on him [note: not in actual text]
+
+Sun dance lodge of the Blood Indians
+
+They both threw their magic sticks
+
+He took a leap into the open mouth
+
+He ran away west, to the great mountains
+
+Wigwams and Indians
+
+The Indian story-teller
+
+Nanahboozhoo then mounted on the back of the great buzzard
+
+With Mary and Kennedy in the birch canoe
+
+Nanahboozhoo gave him a great push
+
+They were excited at his coming
+
+
+
+
+Algonquin Indian Tales
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+
+The Children Carried Off by the Indians--The Feast in
+the Wigwam--Souwanas, the Story-teller--Nanahboozhoo,
+the Indian Myth--How the Wolves Stole His Dinner, and
+Why the Birch Tree Bark is Scarred--Why the Raccoon
+has Rings on His Tail.
+
+Without even knocking at the door there noiselessly entered our northern
+home two large, unhandsome Indians. They paid not the slightest attention
+to the grown-up palefaces present, but in their ghostly way marched across
+the room to the corner where the two little children were playing on the
+floor. Quickly but gently picking them up they swung them to their
+shoulders, and then, without a word of salutation or even a glance at the
+parents, they noiselessly passed out of that narrow door and disappeared in
+the virgin forest. They were pagan Saulteaux, by name Souwanas and Jakoos.
+
+The Indian names by which these two children were called by the natives
+were "Sagastaookemou," which means the "Sunrise Gentleman," and
+"Minnehaha," "Laughing Waters."
+
+To the wigwam of Souwanas, "South Wind," these children were being carried.
+They had no fear of these big Indians, though the boy was only six years
+old, and his little sister but four. They had learned to look with laughing
+eyes even into the fiercest and ugliest of these red faces and had made
+them their friends.
+
+So even now, while being carried away among the dense trees, they merrily
+laughed and shouted to each other. The bright patches of sunshine on the
+ground, the singing birds, and the few brilliant-hued summer flowers,
+brought forth their exclamations of delight, while all the time the grave,
+silent Indians hurried them on deeper and deeper into the forest. Yet
+carefully they guarded their precious loads, and as the antlered deer in
+passing through the thick woods and under the low branches never strike
+trunk or bough, so these sons of the forest glided swiftly on without
+allowing any hurt to come to the children of the paleface, even if at times
+the faint trail led them over slippery rocks and under low intertwining
+branches.
+
+The wigwam of Souwanas was pitched in a beautiful spot at the edge of the
+great forest near the sandy, rocky eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg. This
+great lake is well called The Sea, which is the meaning of its Indian name.
+It is about as long as Lakes Ontario and Erie combined and in some places
+is eighty miles wide.
+
+At the entrance of the wigwam, which was made of a couple of tanned
+reindeerskins, the children were carefully lifted down from the men's
+shoulders and then taken into this Indian abode. Coming in suddenly from
+the bright sunshine it was some time before they could see distinctly. The
+door flap of deerskin had dropped like a curtain behind them. All the light
+there was came in through the hole in the top, where the poles of the
+wigwam crossed each other. Presently, however, they were able to see a
+circle of Indian children gathered around a small fire that smoldered on
+the ground in the center of the tent. It was now in the pleasant summer
+time, but the fire was needed for something else than warmth, as the little
+Sagastao and Minnehaha discovered before long. They were soon seated in the
+circle with the red children, who, young though they were, were a wee bit
+startled at seeing these little palefaces. The white children, however,
+simply laughed with glee. This outward demonstration seemed very improper
+to the silent red children, who were taught to refrain from expressions of
+their gladness or sorrow.
+
+The Indians had brought the white children for a characteristic reason.
+They had said among themselves, "If the white father and mother love us as
+they say they do we will test them by taking away their children without
+asking permission." They also wished to show their own love for the
+children, and so had really brought them to a children's feast.
+
+It was perhaps as queer a tea party as you ever heard of. There was no
+table on which to put the good things prepared for the feast. No plates, no
+cups and saucers, no knives, no spoons, not even a chair! There were no
+cakes, no tarts, no jam, no pies, not even any bread and butter!
+
+"Well, what a feast!" you say. "Without any place to sit, or good things to
+eat!" Not too fast! There were both of these. There was the lap of mother
+earth, and so down on the ground, with bearskins and deerskins on it for
+rugs, the children sat. Then the deerskin door was again opened and in came
+Indians with birch-bark dishes, called _rogans_, in which were nicely
+prepared wild ducks, rabbits, and partridges. But as they were uncooked
+they could not yet be eaten by the now expectant, hungry children.
+
+Then began the preparation of the feast. Some of the Indians added dry wood
+to the fire until there was a hot, smokeless blaze. Others took out their
+sharp hunting knives and cleverly cut up the ducks, rabbits, and
+partridges. Then these pieces were spitted on the ends of sharp points of
+hard wood and skillfully broiled or toasted in the hot flames. As fast as
+the dainty bits of meat were cooked and a little cooled they were given to
+the children in their fingers, and in that way the little ones had their
+feast.
+
+Now, please don't turn up your noses at such a feast. Think of it: out in a
+wigwam in the lovely forest, where the wild birds sing and the squirrels
+chatter, where is heard the music of the waves playing on the shore but a
+few yards away, with great friendly Indians as your waiters! The very air
+of that northern summer gives you an appetite ready for anything.
+
+Those little people, red and white, soon became the jolliest of friends,
+and as the white children could speak the Indian language as well as their
+own they were soon all chattering away most merrily while they daintily
+picked the bones. Of course this way of eating was hard upon their hands,
+faces, and clothing, but what healthy child ever gave a second thought--if
+a first--to any of these things?
+
+After a time this feast, as all feasts must, came to an end. Then the
+question was, "What shall we do next for the children?" for the whole day
+had been planned by the grown-up Indians for the entertainment of the
+little people. Canoes had been collected on the shore of Winnipeg, handy if
+it should be decided that they all should go for an afternoon outing on the
+water. However, Souwanas, who had gone out to look at the sky and observe
+the winds and waves, now came in and reported that he thought they would
+better put off the canoe trip to some time when the lake was more calm. It
+was then suggested that the children be asked what would please them most.
+The little folks, white and red, were not slow in giving their decision.
+
+"Tell us a story about Nanahboozhoo."
+
+"Who shall be the story-teller?"
+
+There was a hearty call for "Souwanas!"
+
+On coming in from investigating the weather, but a few minutes before,
+Souwanas had seated himself on a robe and was now enjoying his calumet, or
+pipe. Stoical though he was, his dark eyes flashed with pleasure at the
+unanimous call of the children, but, Indianlike, it would have been a great
+breach of manners if he had let his delight be known. Then, again,
+Indianlike, it would never have done to have seemed to be in a hurry. The
+Indian children well knew this, but who ever heard of white children that
+could sit like statues, grave and dignified, while the story-teller took
+time to finish smoking a large pipe of tobacco?
+
+So it was in this case. In their wild excitement and eagerness to have the
+story begin, both Sagastao and Minnehaha sprang up and, rushing toward
+Souwanas, vied with each other in seeing which could first pluck the
+half-smoked calumet from his mouth. Such audacity appalled the Indian
+children and fairly took the breath away from the older Indians. For was
+not Souwanas a chief, and the calumet almost a sacred thing while between
+his lips?
+
+Souwanas, however, was greatly delighted. Here was a new experience, and
+the very boldness of the children of the palefaces was an evidence of their
+unbounded confidence and love. To little Sagastao the calumet was
+surrendered, and, with the children cuddled around him, Souwanas began his
+story:
+
+[Illustration: "With the children cuddled around him Souwanas began his
+story."]
+
+"Now, you must know that Nanahboozhoo was a queer fellow. He could make
+himself as tall as a tree or as small as a turtle or snake. Nothing could
+kill him. He could not be drowned even if dropped hundreds of feet into
+the lake, nor burned to death even if he tumbled into the fire. He often
+met with accidents, but he always came up right again and was ready for
+some other adventure in some new shape. He has left his marks on the rocks
+and trees, leaves and flowers. Almost anywhere we look we see signs that
+Nanahboozhoo has been around. As his temper was very uncertain he sometimes
+caused trouble and injured the appearance of things which were once more
+beautiful than they are now. But in general he was the friend of our race
+and worked changes that were for our good.
+
+"One day, as Nanahboozhoo was walking along on a sandy shore, he felt very
+hungry. It was now in the autumn of the year. As he wandered on he saw an
+object moving toward him. He had not long to wait before he saw that this
+object was a great black bear. He pulled up a young tree by the roots and
+hid himself, preparing to kill the bear when he should come near. When the
+bear came near Nanahboozhoo made a big jump out of his hiding place and
+killed the bear with one blow. Then he built a big fire, and having singed
+all the hair off the bear he cut him up and nicely roasted him. When the
+meat was cooked Nanahboozhoo cut it up into fine pieces, for he intended to
+enjoy his feast by eating leisurely.
+
+"While he was thus busy preparing his feast he was annoyed by a strange
+sound among the tree tops that rubbed together when the wind blew.
+Nanahboozhoo was very quick-tempered, and as the noise continued he
+determined to stop it. So he left his feast on the ground and climbed away
+up one of those trees to the spot where the other pressed against it. He
+was endeavoring to pull the two great trees apart when one of his hands got
+caught between them and was firmly held. While struggling to get loose he
+heard a pack of wolves running toward his bear meat. This made him struggle
+the harder to get his hand free. The fierce wolves soon scented the food
+and had a good time devouring it, in spite of the shoutings of
+Nanahboozhoo.
+
+"When Nanahboozhoo at length got his hand free and came down he found
+nothing left of his feast but the skull of the bear. He was very angry, not
+only at the wolves that had eaten his feast but also at the trees that had
+held him, the great Nanahboozhoo, in so tight a grip. As the wolves had run
+away he could not, at present, punish them, but he resolved that he would
+so punish these great birch trees that they would never give him such a
+squeeze again. So he prepared a great whip and with it he severely thrashed
+the trees. Up to this time the birch had been the most beautiful of trees.
+Its great trunk was of the purest white, without any blemish or blotch upon
+it. But ever since the thrashing Nanahboozhoo gave it it has had to carry
+the marks of that terrible whipping; and that is why the white birch tree
+is so covered with scars.
+
+"When Nanahboozhoo had ceased thrashing the trees he found himself so very
+hungry that he resolved to eat the brains that were in the head of the
+bear, that had been overlooked by the wolves. However, he found the skull
+very hard. So he transformed himself into a little snake, and in this way
+got inside of the bear's skull and enjoyed his feast. In fact he enjoyed it
+too much, for when he was through with his eating he could not get out of
+the skull, he was so full. However, he was able to roll along, skull and
+all, but as he could not see where he was going he bumped along in a very
+erratic manner until at length he tumbled into a big lake and sank at first
+deep down under the waves.
+
+"When he came up to the surface he just put a part of the head of the bear
+out of the water, as does the bear when swimming. Then he listened
+intently. It was not long before Nanahboozhoo heard voices saying:
+
+"'Look! There is a bear swimming. Let us kill him."
+
+"So there was a chase on the lake, and it was not long before the Indians
+came up, in their canoe, and one of them with his stone ax struck the
+bear's head such a blow that he split open the skull.
+
+"This just suited Nanahboozhoo, and instantly he sprang out and made for
+the shore.
+
+"Then Nanahboozhoo journeyed on and again he began to feel very hungry. The
+brains of the bear were not much to one who had had his mind set on eating
+the whole carcass. It was not long before he met the raccoon awkwardly
+carrying a birch _rogan_ that he had stolen from a couple of blind men.
+Seeing the merry smile on the raccoon's face, Nanahboozhoo bade him a good
+day, and asked him what was amusing him.
+
+"The raccoon, who did not know that it was Nanahboozhoo with whom he was
+talking, told him how he obtained the dish. When Nanahboozhoo heard this he
+was very angry at the raccoon for his heartless trick.
+
+"It seems that there was quite a large settlement of people who had among
+them a couple of blind men. As these Indians were hunters they had to be on
+the move a good deal of the time following the game. As the other people
+were kind-hearted, instead of killing these old blind men, now that they
+were unable to hunt, they arranged for them a wigwam in a safe, quiet
+place, near the lake. Then they gave them a kettle and bowl and other
+necessary things and cut a large pile of wood and placed it close at hand.
+In order that they might be able to get water for their cooking and yet not
+stumble into the water their friends fastened a rope, for their guidance,
+from the door of the wigwam to a post on the edge of the lake.
+
+"The old men were now quite comfortable. Their friends came frequently with
+abundant supplies of food and the blind men were able to do their own work
+and were happy together. They divided the day's work so that one day one
+would be the cook while the other would bring in the wood and go for the
+water. Next day they would change about. It gave each enough to do, and not
+too much.
+
+"For a long time the two men lived contented and happy. But it happened
+that one day the raccoon was out prowling along the shore, looking for
+something to eat, when he happened to find the end of the rope that was
+tied to the post at the water's edge.
+
+"Now you must know," said Souwanas, "that, next to the wolverine, the
+raccoon is the biggest mischief in the woods. He is full of tricks, but he
+is very cunning and suspicious. So before he interfered with the rope he
+cautiously followed it up and found that its other end was at the wigwam of
+these two old blind men. Hearing no noise, he cautiously peered into the
+wigwam and saw them both sleeping near the fire. There was a smell of
+something good to eat, and the raccoon decided to wait around to see if he
+could not get hold of it.
+
+"While he was thus waiting the old men woke up, and one said to the other,
+'My brother, I am feeling hungry; let us prepare our dinner.'
+
+"'Very well,' said the other; 'it is your turn to go to the lake for water
+while I make the fire.'
+
+"When the raccoon heard this he ran down to the lake and quickly untied the
+rope from the stake and, drawing it back, tied it to a clump of bushes on
+the land. When the old man with the kettle felt his way along the rope
+until he reached its end he tried to dip up the water as usual, but all in
+vain. There was nothing but the dry earth and bushes. Not finding any water
+he returned to his brother with the sad news that the lake had dried up,
+and that already bushes were growing where yesterday there was plenty of
+water. When his brother heard this doleful story he laughed at it, and
+said:
+
+"'Why, that cannot be possible. No bushes could grow up in such a short
+time.'
+
+"However his brother declared it was the case, and so the other one said,
+'Well, let me go, and see if I can find some water.'
+
+"When the tricky raccoon heard this he hurried back and at once untied the
+rope from the bushes and refastened it to the post near the water. When the
+second brother came along he easily found the water, and filling the kettle
+he returned to the wigwam where he vigorously accused his brother of lying.
+He, poor fellow, could not understand it and was much perplexed.
+
+"The preparation of their dinner went on, and soon it was ready. There was,
+however, another one present that the blind men had no suspicion of, and
+that was the raccoon, who had now noiselessly come into the wigwam and
+greedily sat watching the preparations. This dinner consisted of eight
+pieces of meat which, when cooked, were placed in their _rogan_, or wooden
+bowl. When ready they sat down with this bowl between them and began to
+eat. Each took a piece of meat, and they talked of various things while
+they ate.
+
+"The raccoon now noiselessly took four of the pieces of meat out of the
+bowl and began eating them. Soon one of the men reached into the bowl, to
+get another piece of meat, and finding only two pieces left, he said:
+
+"'My brother, you must be very hungry, to eat so fast. I have only had one
+piece of meat, and there are only two left.'
+
+"'I have not taken them,' was the reply, 'but I suspect that you are the
+greedy one who has eaten them.'
+
+"This made the other brother very angry, and as they thus went on arguing,
+the raccoon, to make matters worse, and to have, as he told Nanahboozhoo,
+some more sport with the old blind fellows, hit each of them a smart blow
+on the face. The poor old men, each believing that the other had struck
+him, began to fight; and so they upset the _rogan_ and lost the rest of
+their dinner and nearly set the wigwam on fire.
+
+"The raccoon then seized the two remaining pieces of meat and the bowl,
+and, with shouts of laughter, rushed out of the wigwam. The old men,
+hearing this, perceived that they had been fooled, and they at once stopped
+fighting and apologized to each other.
+
+"The raccoon's rascally trick made Nanahboozhoo very angry. Indeed he had
+had a good deal of trouble to keep from letting the raccoon know who he
+was. So just as soon as the raccoon had finished he said:
+
+"'I am Nanahboozhoo. Those old blind men are my brothers, and I'll teach
+you a lesson you will never forget!'
+
+"So he seized the raccoon and killed him, and carried his body back to the
+tent of the blind men and made out of it a great feast for them, and
+declared that in future the old raccoons should have to carry as many
+circles on their tails as pieces of meat that had been stolen out of the
+_rogan_ of the blind men."
+
+"Good for Nanahboozhoo!" shouted Sagastao. "Mr. Raccoon couldn't play any
+tricks on him. Now tell us another story."
+
+But here Minnehaha interposed.
+
+"I think," said she, "we had better go home now, for father and mother may
+begin to think they have lost their little ones."
+
+"Let us wait until dark," said Sagastao, "and then Mary won't see our dirty
+clothes!" For their greasy fingers had soiled them badly.
+
+The wishes of the little girl, however, prevailed, and so it was not long
+ere the Indian salutations, "Wat cheer! Wat cheer!" were shouted to all,
+and once more the two children were hoisted upon the shoulders of the big
+Indians, and in the same manner in which they had been brought to the
+wigwam in the forenoon they rode home in the beautiful gloaming.
+
+Very tired were they, yet not so weary but that they were able with their
+little hands to rub some of the paint off the faces of their big stalwart
+carriers and daub it on their own. The effect was so ludicrous that their
+merry laughter reached the ears of their expectant parents even before they
+emerged from the gloom of the forest.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+
+The Children's Return--Indignation of Mary, the Indian
+Nurse--Her Pathetic History--Her Love for the Children--The
+Story of Wakonda, and of the Origin of Mosquitoes.
+
+In reaching home the children were quietly received by their parents, who,
+understanding Indian ways, had no desire to lessen their influence by
+finding fault with them for carrying off the children. They treated the
+matter as though it were one of everyday occurrence.
+
+Mary, the Indian nurse, however, did not regard the incident so calmly.
+When the children were brought back dirty, greasy, bedaubed, and so tired
+that they could hardly hold up their little heads, her indignation knew no
+bounds, and as she was perfectly fearless she couched her sentiments in the
+most vigorous phrases of the expressive Cree language.
+
+The history of Indian Mary was very strange. Indeed there was an incident
+in her life so sad that from the day of her recovery she was considered to
+be under the special care of the Good Spirit, so that even the most
+influential chiefs or hunters had a superstitious fear of showing any
+temper, or making any bitter retort, no matter what she might say.
+
+Years before this time Mary was the wife of a cruel pagan Indian who bore
+the English name of Robinson. Although she was slight of figure, and never
+very strong, he exacted from Mary a great deal of hard work and was vexed
+and angry if, when heavily burdened with the game he had shot, she did not
+move as rapidly along on the trail as he did, carrying only his gun and
+ammunition.
+
+Once, when they were out in the woods some miles from his wigwam, he shot a
+full-grown deer and ordered her to bring it into the camp on her back.
+Picking up his gun he started on ahead, and being a large, stalwart man,
+and moving with the usual rapidity of the Indians on the homeward trail, he
+soon reached his wigwam. Unfortunately for him--and, as it turned out, for
+Mary also--he found some free-traders[1] at his abode awaiting his return.
+They had few goods for trade in their outfit, but they had a keg of fire
+water, which has ever been the scourge of the Indians.
+
+[Footnote 1: Fur buyers who were not agents of the Fur Company.]
+
+Robinson informed them of his success in shooting the deer and that it was
+even now being brought in. The traders not only purchased what furs
+Robinson had on hand but also the two hind quarters of the deer which Mary
+was bringing home. Robinson at once began drinking the fire water which he
+had received as part payment.
+
+He was naturally irritable, and short-tempered even when sober, but he was
+much more so when under the influence of spirituous liquors. The
+unprincipled traders, knowing this, and wishing to see him in one of his
+tantrums, began in a bantering way to question whether he had really shot a
+deer, since his wife was so long in coming with it.
+
+This made him simply furious, and when Mary did at length arrive, laboring
+under the two-hundred-pound deer, she was met by her husband now wild with
+passion and the white man's fire water. Little suspecting danger she threw
+the deer from her shoulders, where it had been supported by the carrying
+strap across her forehead. Weary and panting, she turned to go into the
+wigwam for her skinning knife, but ere she had gone a dozen steps she was
+startled by a yell from Robinson which caused her instantly to turn and
+face him. The sight that met her eyes was appalling. Before her stood her
+husband with an uplifted gleaming ax in his hands and curses on his tongue.
+Seeing that there was no chance to fly from him she threw herself toward
+him, hoping thereby to escape the blow. She succeeded in saving her head,
+but the ax buried itself in her spine.
+
+Mary's piercing screams speedily brought a number of Indians from
+neighboring wigwams. When they found poor Mary lying there in agony, with
+the ax still imbedded in the bones of her back, their indignation knew no
+bounds.
+
+Indians, as a rule, have great self-control, but this sight so stirred them
+that there was very nearly a lynching. Robinson, now sobered by his fears,
+clearly foresaw that terrible would be his punishment, and while the
+Indians and traders turned to attend to Mary's wounds the wretched husband
+stealthily slipped away into the forest and was never again seen there.
+Rumors, however, at length reached Mary that he had fled away to the
+distant Kaministiquia River, where for a time he lived, solitary and alone,
+in a little bark wigwam. One day, when out shooting in his canoe, he was
+caught in some treacherous rapids and carried over the wild and picturesque
+Ka-ka-be-ka Falls, about which so many thrilling Indian legends cluster.
+
+For seven years Mary was a helpless invalid. When she did recover her back
+had so curved that she looked like a hunchback. As she was poor, and
+utterly unable either to hunt or to fish, we helped her in various ways.
+She was always grateful for kindness, and in return was very willing to do
+what she could for us. She was exceedingly clever with her needle, and with
+a little instruction was soon able to assist with the sewing required.
+However, what especially won her to us and gave her a permanent place in
+our home, was her great love and devotion to our little ones.
+
+[Illustration: "The wild and picturesque Ka-ka-be-ka Falls."]
+
+Little Sagastao was only a few months old when she installed herself as his
+nurse, and for years she was a most watchful and devoted as well as
+self-sacrificing guardian of our children in that Northern home. She seemed
+to live and think solely for them. At times, especially in the matter of
+parental discipline, there would be collisions between Mary and the mother
+of the children; for the nurse, with her Indian ideas, could not accept
+of the position of a disciplined servant, nor could she quietly witness the
+punishment of children whom she thought absolutely perfect. Hence, if she
+could not have things exactly as she wanted them, Mary would now and then
+allow her fiery temper to obtain the mastery, and springing up in a rage
+and throwing a shawl over her head she would fly out of the house and be
+gone for days.
+
+Her mistress paid no attention to these outbursts. She well knew that when
+Mary had cooled down she would return, and it was often amusing to see the
+way in which she would attract the children's attention to her, peering
+around tree or corner, and then come meekly walking in with them as though
+they had only been for a pleasant outing of an hour or so.
+
+"Well, Mary," would be the greeting of her mistress, while Mary's quiet
+response would be the Indian greeting of, "Wat cheer!"
+
+Then things would go on as usual for perhaps another six months, when Mary
+would indulge again in one of her tantrums, with the same happy results.
+
+She dressed the children in picturesque Indian costumes--coats, dresses,
+leggings, moccasins, and other articles of apparel of deer skin, tanned as
+soft as kid, and beautifully embroidered with silk and bead work. Not a
+spot could appear upon their garments without Mary's notice, and as she
+always kept changes ready she was frequently disrobing and dressing them
+up.
+
+When Souwanas and Jakoos came that morning and picked up the children Mary
+happened to be in another room. Had she been present she would doubtless
+have interfered in their movements. As it was, when she missed the children
+her indignation knew no bounds, and only the most emphatic commands of her
+mistress restrained her from rushing after them. All day long she had to
+content herself with muttering her protests while, as usual, she was busily
+employed with her needle. When, however, the two stalwart Indians returned
+in the evening with the children on their shoulders the storm broke, and
+Mary's murmurings, at first mere protests, became loud and furious when the
+happy children, so tired and dirty, were set down before her. The Indians,
+knowing of the sad tragedy in Mary's life, would not show anger or even
+annoyance under her scathing words, but, with the stoical nature of their
+race, they quietly endured her wrath. This they were much better prepared
+to do since neither of the parents of the white children seemed in the
+slightest degree disturbed by their long absence or the tirade of the
+indignant nurse. With high-bred courtesy they patiently listened to all
+that Mary had to say, and when the storm had spent itself they turned and
+noiselessly retired.
+
+The children were worn out with their day's adventure, and their mother
+intimated that Mary ought at once to bathe them and put them to bed. This,
+however, did not satisfy Mary. It had become her custom to dress them up in
+the afternoons and keep them appareled in their brightest costumes during
+the rest of the day; therefore now the weary children, after being bathed,
+were again dressed in their best and brought out for inspection and a light
+supper before retiring. The bath and the supper had so refreshed them that
+when Mary had tucked them into their beds they were wide awake and asked
+her to tell them a story. But sleep was what they needed now more than
+anything else, and she tried to quiet them without any further words, but
+so thoroughly aroused were they that they declared that if she refused they
+knew somebody who would be glad to have them visit him again, and that he
+would tell them lots of beautiful things.
+
+This hint that they might return to the wigwam of Souwanas was too much for
+Mary, who very freely gave utterance to her sentiments about him. The
+children gallantly came to the defense of the old Indian and also of
+Nanahboozhoo, of whom Mary spoke most slightingly, saying that he was a
+mean fellow who ought to be ashamed of many of his tricks.
+
+"Well," replied Sagastao, "if you will tell us better stories than those
+Souwanas can tell us about Nanahboozhoo, all right, we will listen to them.
+But, mind you, we are going to hear his Nanahboozhoo stories too."
+
+"O, indeed," said Mary, with a contemptuous toss of her head, "there are
+many stories better than those of his old Nanahboozhoo."
+
+"Won't it be fun to see whose stories we like the best, Mary's or
+Souwanas's!" said Minnehaha, who foresaw an interesting rivalry.
+
+Mary had now committed herself, and so, almost without realizing what it
+would come to, she found herself pitted against Souwanas, the great
+story-teller of the tribe. However, being determined that Souwanas should
+not rob her of the love of the children, she was tempted to begin her
+story-telling even though the children were exhausted, and so it was that
+when the lad asked a question Mary was ready.
+
+"Say, Mary," said Sagastao, "the mosquitoes bit us badly to-day. Do you
+know why it is that there are such troublesome little things? Is there any
+story about them?"
+
+"Yes. Wakonda, one of the strange spirits, sent them," said Mary, "because
+a woman was lazy and would not keep the clothes of her husband and children
+clean and nice."
+
+"Tell us all about it," they both cried out.
+
+Mary quieted them, and began the story.
+
+"Long ago, when the people all dressed in deerskins, there was a man whose
+name was Pug-a-mah-kon. He was an industrious fellow, and had often to work
+a good deal in dirty places. The result was that, although he had several
+suits of clothes, he seemed never to have any clean ones.
+
+"It was the duty of his wife to scrape and clean his garments and wash and
+resmoke them as often as they needed it. But she neglected her work and
+would go off gossiping among her neighbors. Her husband was patient with
+her for a time, but at length, when he heard that Wakonda was coming to
+pay a visit to the people, to see how they were getting along, he began to
+bestir himself so as to be decently attired, in clean, handsome apparel, to
+meet this powerful being, who was able to confer great favors on him, or,
+if ill-disposed, to injure him greatly.
+
+"He endeavored to get his wife to go to work and remove the dirt that had
+gathered on his garments. She was so lazy that it was only from fear of a
+beating that she ever did make any attempt to do as he desired. She took
+the garments and began to clean them, but she was in a bad humor and did
+her work in such a slovenly and half-hearted way that there was but very
+little change for the better after the pretended cleaning.
+
+"When the news was circulated that Wakonda was coming, the husband prepared
+to dress himself in his best apparel, but great indeed was his anger and
+disgust when he found that the garments which he had hoped to wear were
+still disgracefully grimy.
+
+"While the angry husband was chiding the woman for her indolence Wakonda
+suddenly appeared. To him the man appealed, and asked for his advice in the
+matter.
+
+"Wakonda quickly responded, and said: 'A lazy, gossiping wife is not only a
+disgrace to her husband, she is annoying to all around her; and so it will
+be in this case.'
+
+"Then Wakonda told her husband to take some of the dirt which still clung
+to his garments, which she was supposed to have cleansed, and to throw it
+at her. This the man did, and the particles of dirt at once changed into
+mosquitoes. And so, ever since, especially in the warm days and nights of
+early summer when the mosquitoes with their singing and stinging come
+around to trouble us, we are reminded of this lazy, slovenly woman, who was
+not only a trial to her husband, but by her lack of industry and care
+brought such a scourge upon all the people."
+
+"Didn't Wakonda do anything else?" murmured the little lad; but that
+blessed thing called sleep now enfolded both the little ones, and with
+mutterings of "Nanahboozhoo--Wakonda--Souwanas--Mary"--they were soon far
+away in childhood's happy dreamland.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+
+More about Mary and the Children--Minnehaha Stung by
+the Bees--How the Bees Got Their Stings--What Happened
+to the Bears that Tried to Steal the Honey.
+
+The next morning while Mary was dressing them the children told her of
+their adventures in the wigwam of the Indians. Mary was really interested,
+though she pretended to be disgusted at the whole thing, and professed, in
+her Indian way, to be quite shocked when they both confidentially informed
+her that they had had such a good time that they were going again even if
+they had to run away and be whipped for it.
+
+This was terrible news for Mary, and placed her in an awkward position. To
+tell the parents of the children's resolve was something she would never
+do, as it might bring down upon them some of the punishment which was quite
+contrary to her principles. Yet, on the other hand, to let them go and to
+give no information might cause more trouble than she liked to think of.
+
+Neither could she bear the thought of the two children returning from
+another day's outing with their neat clothing and pretty faces soiled and
+dirty. Do as they might, she had never once informed on them, and she had
+no mind to begin now. She earnestly pleaded with them not to carry out
+their resolve. The little ones were shrewd enough to see that they had
+thoroughly alarmed her, and they were in no hurry to surrender the power
+which they saw they had over her.
+
+Mary never said a word in English. She understood a good deal that others
+said, but she never expressed herself in other than the Indian language.
+Hence both little Sagastao and Minnehaha always talked with her in her own
+tongue.
+
+Minnehaha, seeing Mary's anxiety at their determination to run away to the
+Indians, thought of compromising the matter by insisting that Mary should
+tell them more tales. If she would do this they "would not run away very
+soon;" especially did she emphasize the "very soon." This was hardly
+satisfactory to Mary, but as it was the best promise she could get she was
+obliged to consent.
+
+Little Sagastao, who was Mary's favorite, once more unsettled her when he
+said, "Now, Mary, remember, we have only promised not to run away very
+soon. That means that we intend to do it some time."
+
+It seems that the little conspirators had talked it all over in the morning
+in their beds, and had decided how they would get stories out of Mary
+without really promising not to run away to the wigwam of Souwanas.
+
+The children, being dressed, were taken down by Mary to prayers and
+breakfast, after which an hour was allowed in summer-time for outdoor
+amusement before the lessons began. Little Sagastao generally spent his
+hour, either with his father or some trusty Indian, playing with and
+watching the gambols of the great dogs, of which not a few were kept at
+that mission home. Minnehaha was with her mother, and was interested in the
+bestowal of gifts to the poor widows and children who generally came at
+that hour.
+
+Owing to the isolated situation of the mission, and the fact that there
+were no organized schools within hundreds of miles, some hours of the
+forenoon were devoted to the education of the children in the home. The
+afternoons, according to the season, were devoted to reading and amusement.
+
+Mary, the nurse, while able to read fluently in the Cree syllabics, had no
+knowledge of English. As the children's education progressed they wanted to
+teach Mary. She stubbornly resisted, however, declaring that if they taught
+her to read English they would want to make her talk it.
+
+The mother noted the unusual expectancy manifested by the children during
+the day, and on inquiring the reason was promptly informed that Mary had
+promised to tell them a story, or legend, and "had got to do it."
+
+"Why has she _got_ to do it?" said the loving mother, struck with the
+emphasis which they had placed on the word.
+
+The little mischiefs were cunning enough to see that they had nearly run
+themselves into trouble, and were wisely silent. Mary also noticed this,
+and at once her great loyalty to the little folk manifested itself, and
+quickly turning to her mistress she said, with an emphasis which was quite
+unusual:
+
+"Mary has promised them a story, and as she always keeps her word she has
+_got_ to tell it."
+
+Saying this she quickly sprang from the floor, where she had been sitting,
+and taking a child by each hand she marched with them out of the room.
+
+"Hurrah for you, Mary! you saved us that time," said little Sagastao.
+
+Mary would not have been sorry if in some way the parents received an
+inkling of what was in the minds of the children, yet she had such peculiar
+ideas that she would never herself be the one to convey that information.
+
+During the brief summer months the pleasantest walks were along the shores
+of the lake. Many were the cosy little cave-like retreats where Mary often
+led the children. There, with the sunlit waters before them, and the
+rippling waves making music at their feet, the old nurse crooned out many
+an Indian legend or exciting story about the red men of the past. To-day,
+however, she was perplexed by the attitude of the children and could not
+select any story that she thought of sufficient interest to divert their
+minds from Souwanas and Nanahboozhoo. So for a time they wandered on along
+the pleasant shore, or turned aside to gather the brilliant wild flowers.
+
+A scream of pain from Minnehaha interrupted their pleasure. In gathering
+some wild lilies she was stung on both hands by some honey bees that were
+in the flowers. Mary quickly made a batter of clay and bound up the wounded
+hands in it. Then she sat down and took the child in her lap.
+
+"Naughty bees to sting me like this," said Minnehaha, with tears streaming
+down her cheeks. "I was not doing them any harm."
+
+"Yes, you were, and so were we all," said the brother. "We were carrying
+off the flowers from which they get their honey, which is their food."
+
+"Well, they might let us have a few flowers without stinging us," replied
+Minnehaha.
+
+The intense pain of the stings rapidly abated under Mary's homely but
+skillful treatment, and as the child still retained her place in Mary's lap
+she said,
+
+"Can you tell us why such pretty little things as bees have such terrible
+stings? My hands felt as if they were on fire when I was first stung, and I
+could not help crying out with the pain."
+
+"Well," said Mary, "there was a time when the bees had no stings, and they
+were as harmless as the house flies. They were just as industrious as they
+are now, but they had any amount of trouble in keeping their honey from
+being stolen from them, for every creature loves it.
+
+"In vain they hid their combs away up in hollow trees and in the clefts of
+high rocks. The bears, which are very fond of honey, were ever on the
+lookout for it, and were very clever in getting it when once they found
+where it was hidden away. Birds with long beaks would suck it out, and even
+the little squirrels were always stealing it. The result was that whole
+swarms often starved in the long winters, because all their honey, which is
+their winter food, was stolen from them. The bees were in danger of being
+destroyed. They gave up working in great numbers together, and scattered
+into little companies, and in the most secret places tried to store away a
+little honey, just enough to keep them alive from season to season. But
+even these little hives were often discovered and the honey devoured.
+
+"Things had come to such a pass with them that they had almost given up
+hope of lasting much longer.
+
+"Fortunately for them, word was circulated that Wakonda, the strong
+spirit--the one who sent the mosquitoes--was coming around on a tour, to
+see how everything was progressing. He was greater than even Nanahboozhoo,
+and was perhaps a relative of his, but he very seldom appeared, or did
+anything for anyone. However, it happened that he had this year left his
+beautiful home at Spirit Lake and was journeying through the country, and
+he was willing to help all who were in real distress.
+
+"So the bees resolved to apply to him for help. Wakonda received them very
+graciously, and ate heartily of the present of beautiful honey which some
+of them had made and had succeeded in keeping out of the way of bears and
+their other enemies.
+
+"When his feast of honey was over he listened to their tales of sorrow and
+woe. He was indignant when he heard of the numbers of their enemies, and of
+the persistency of their attacks upon such industrious little creatures.
+
+"For a time Wakonda was uncertain as to the best method to adopt to help
+them. He dismissed them for that day, and told them to come again on a day
+he mentioned, saying that by that time he would know just what to do--for
+help them he would. The bees were so delighted with this news that they
+could not keep it to themselves but must go and tell their cousins, the
+wasps and hornets, and even bumblebees.
+
+"When the appointed time arrived the bees were on hand--and so were the
+wasps, hornets, and bumblebees. Wakonda welcomed the bees most kindly, but
+was a little suspicious about their visitors, and he asked some sharp
+questions. But the bees were in such good humor about the help that was
+coming that they did not refer to the bad habits of their cousins at all.
+Then Wakonda made a speech to the bees, and told them how much he loved
+them for their industrious habits, which he wished all creatures had. He
+praised them for the fact that, instead of idly wasting the summer days,
+they used them in gathering up food for the long, cold winter.
+
+"Then he proceeded to give them the terrible stings which they have had
+ever since, and as the wasps and hornets claimed to be their cousins
+Wakonda was good-natured enough to give them the same sort of weapons.
+Some people, especially boys, think this was a, great mistake, and would be
+very glad if Wakonda had refused to give stings to the yellow wasp and the
+black hornet."
+
+"Well, what happened after the bees got their stings?" said Sagastao.
+
+"A good deal happened," said Mary, "and that very soon. A lot of them,
+without as much effort to conceal their nest as formerly, selected a tall,
+hollow tree, and using a big knot hole as the door began secreting their
+honey in it. They had made the combs, and were now filling them, when along
+came a couple of bears. These animals, as you have been told, are great
+honey thieves, but they always had hard work to find where the timid bees
+had cunningly hid it away, and now they could hardly believe that right
+here before them was a great swarm of bees filling the air with their
+buzzing as they flew in and out of the knot hole.
+
+"With saucy assurance they at once began climbing the tree, expecting to be
+able to put their long paws into that big hole and draw out the combs. But
+they never reached that knot hole. The noise they made in their climbing
+alarmed the bees. Out they came in great numbers, and now, instead of
+flying around in a panic, like so many house flies, and seeing their honey
+devoured, they at once flew at their enemies, the bears. They stung them on
+their noses and about their eyes and lips, and indeed in every spot where
+they could possibly reach them with their terrible new weapons.
+
+"The bears could not make out what the trouble was. They howled with rage
+and terror, yet they were resolved to get that honey, and still tried to
+crawl up higher on the tree. But at length the bees mustered in such vast
+numbers--for those away gathering honey, as they returned, joined in the
+attack--that the bears became wild with pain and fear, and had to give up
+their effort and drop to the ground. Even then the bees gave them no peace,
+and continued to sting them until they were obliged to run into the dark
+forest for relief.
+
+"Thus it happens now that almost all creatures that bother the bees are
+similarly treated."
+
+[Illustration: "They howled with rage and terror."]
+
+"Well," said Minnehaha, "they need not have stung me because I was picking
+a few flowers; but, after all, I am glad they have their stings or I
+suppose we should never have any honey."
+
+"They are not big enough to have much sense," replied Sagastao, "and so
+they go for everyone that gets in their way."
+
+Mary now carefully removed the clay poultices, which had effectually done
+their work. A wash followed, in the waters of the lake which rippled at
+their feet, and soon not the slightest trace of the sting remained. By the
+time they reached home both pain and tears were well-nigh forgotten.
+
+That evening before the children were sent to bed they overheard Jakoos,
+who had come to the house with venison to sell, telling in the kitchen a
+story that he had heard from Souwanas about a naughty fellow, called
+Maheigan, who tried to capture a beautiful kind-hearted maiden, Waubenoo,
+and of how Nanahboozhoo thrashed him, and then afterward, because of some
+naughty children not holding their tongues, Waubenoo was turned into the
+Whisky Jack.
+
+What the little children overheard had very much excited their curiosity,
+and so when Mary was putting them to bed they demanded from her the full
+story.
+
+As this was one of the Saulteaux Indian legends, while Mary was a Cree, she
+was not familiar with it. She told the children that she knew nothing about
+it, but this by no means set their curiosity at rest.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+
+The Love Story of Wakontas--His Test of the Two
+Maidens--His Choice--The Transformation of Misticoosis.
+
+A few days later Mary was annoyed by having the children tell her frankly
+that they did not think she was a first-class story-teller. For if she had
+been she ought to have been able to answer Minnehaha's question about what
+Nanahboozhoo did to Maheigan when he tried to catch Waubenoo.
+
+Mary was vexed at herself that she was unable to answer the question, for
+she well knew that the children would not rest satisfied until they had the
+story told them by some one, possibly Souwanas himself. Indeed, knowing
+them so well, she had fully resolved to post herself from one of the noted
+story-tellers who have all the Indian legends at their tongue tips. But as
+yet she was ignorant in this matter, and therefore fell considerably in the
+children's estimation. Alary was somewhat hurt by noticing, perhaps for the
+first time, Sagastao and Minnehaha whispering confidentially to each other.
+The children conversed with Mary only in her own language, which at that
+time they perhaps understood better than they did English. Now, much to
+Mary's annoyance, their confidential whisperings were carried on in
+English. Being sensitive and quick-tempered, when she saw this sudden break
+in their affections toward her she was inclined to resent it, and asked the
+reason why she was not allowed to know what they were talking about.
+
+Blunt little Sagastao spoke up at once:
+
+"Minnehaha and I have talked it over, and have decided that unless you tell
+us better stories, and ones which you know all about, we're going to run
+away to the wigwam of Souwanas."
+
+This was humiliating and distressing news. Mary fancied she had told them a
+good story, and that with a few others like it she could satisfy their
+curiosity and keep them at home until the brief summer would have passed.
+Not so, however, thought the children. They saw their advantage and were
+resolved to keep it, and when their lessons were over and they were left
+entirely in the charge of Mary they taxed the little woman in a way that
+obliged her to exercise all her gifts as a story-teller, and she was far
+from being a poor one.
+
+One day she took them out in a graceful birch canoe among the picturesque
+islands. They landed on one of these islands, and spent some time in
+exploring its beauties and resting where grew a profusion of the fragrant
+Indian grass. They were for a time much interested in the various wild
+birds that then were so numerous and fearless. Beautiful gulls of
+different varieties were there nesting, and by following Mary's directions
+the children were delighted to find that they could approach very near to
+the nests of some of them without disturbing the mother bird while her
+mate, in fearless confidence, stood on guard beside her.
+
+[Illustration: The startling placard.]
+
+[Illustration: While her mate stood beside her.]
+
+"Now, Mary, hurrah for a story!" cried the children, as they sat at lunch.
+
+While Mary was wondering what she would tell them, Minnehaha, with all the
+restless, inquisitive spirit of childhood, noticing the ceaseless rustling
+movements of the leaves in the stately northern poplar while the leaves of
+all the other trees were so still, said:
+
+"Why is it, Mary, that even while the leaves on the other trees are so
+quiet those almost round ones are ever stirring?"
+
+Mary knew the Indian legend, and at once proceeded to narrate it.
+
+"It is believed by our people," said Mary, "that there are other persons
+just as clever as Nanahboozhoo, and as able to do wonderful things, but
+they are very seldom heard of. Some of them were the children of Wakonda,
+the powerful spirit who dwelt in the region of Spirit Lake, where they say
+it is always sunshine. Many strange things have been told about them, but
+everybody says they are kind-hearted, and never did anything to injure any
+of our people unless it was well deserved. The story is that long ago one
+of these sons of Wakonda, whose name was Wakontas, could not find a wife
+to suit him in his own beautiful country, and so he came to the regions
+where the Indians dwelt.
+
+"For a long time he wandered throughout great regions of country before he
+found anyone who interested him. However, in his journeyings Wakontas went
+into the wigwam of some Indians where there were two lovely maidens, so
+very beautiful that he fell in love with both of them. He was in the
+disguise of a very fine-looking young hunter. So clever was he in the use
+of his bow and arrow that at the end of every hunting excursion he returned
+laden with the richest spoils of the chase. He fell more and more in love
+with the two girls, and knowing, of course, that he could only get one of
+them he found a great difficulty in making his choice. He had already gone
+to the girl's father, and after finding out from him the price demanded for
+his daughter, without mentioning which one, very quickly by his magic
+powers he obtained the heavy price and laid it at the father's feet. Both
+of the girls seemed equally pleased with him, and each one secretly hoped
+that she might be the object of his choice. Still he hesitated, and
+although he tried many experiments yet they so nearly equaled each other in
+cleverness and beauty that he was still undecided. However, there was a
+great difference in their dispositions. While one was proud and jealous,
+and had a very bitter tongue, the other was just the opposite; while one
+was very selfish, the other was generous and kind-hearted. But Wakontas was
+not able to find this out at first, and after he had considered various
+plans he decided that he would put on one of his many disguises and thus
+try them.
+
+"So he started off as though going on a hunting expedition, but soon after
+he was out of sight he quickly assumed the form of a poor and aged Indian,
+and came to the home of these two beautiful sisters, and asked for
+assistance. Wakontas chose a time when he knew the rest of the family were
+away from the wigwam, in order that he might see how the two sisters would
+act toward him.
+
+"When he walked into the wigwam, for nobody ever knocks at an Indian tent,
+the maidens were a little startled at thus suddenly seeing this
+rough-looking old beggar-man in their midst. The selfish, proud girl, whose
+name was Misticoosis, at once began assailing him, and cried, 'Auwasta
+kena!' (Get out; go away, you!)
+
+"In vain he pleaded that he was aged and hungry. She would not listen to
+him.
+
+"Omemee, the other young Indian maiden, who had not said a word, but had
+been pitying him from the first moment she saw how feeble and sad he
+looked, now interfered, and remonstrated with her sister, whose tongue kept
+up a constant stream of abuse. Taking the old man to her side of the wigwam
+she seated him on a rug of deerskins and then built up before him a bright
+fire. Then she quickly brought in venison, cooked it nicely, and gave him
+the broth for drink and the meat for food. He thanked her gratefully, but
+she checked his words and said that her greatest joy was in making others
+happy. Not satisfied with what she had done, and noticing that his shoes
+were old and worn, she took out of her beaded workbag a pair of splendidly
+worked moccasins, and put them on his feet.
+
+"All this time, while this good-hearted, generous Omemee was treating the
+poor old man so kindly, the proud, selfish Misticoosis was talking as hard
+and as fast as she could against such deeds of kindness to all old people.
+In her opinion, when they had got so old and helpless as that old fellow
+was, they ought to be killed by their relatives.
+
+"The old man again expressed his thanks to the kind sister, and then went
+his way.
+
+"Soon the girls began to think of arraying themselves for the return of
+their friend and lover. The proud, selfish Misticoosis spent all the time
+in fixing herself up in the most elaborate manner. She had lately become
+quite jealous of her sister, and she was resolved to so outshine her in
+appearance that the handsome young hunter would surely prefer her. But
+Omemee (a name which means a dove) thought to herself:
+
+"'My father and mother and the rest of the family will soon be returning to
+the wigwam, tired and hungry, and the best thing I can do will be to have a
+good dinner ready for them all.' So, only taking time to comb and brush her
+luxuriant hair and make herself neat and tidy for her work, she set about
+cooking the meal. She skillfully prepared venison and bear's meat, and the
+finest of fish.
+
+"Hardly had she finished her work and seen everything nicely cooked before
+she heard the happy shoutings of her younger brothers, and the sweet
+birdcalls of her little sisters.
+
+"As Omemee and her sister Misticoosis hurried out to greet them they were
+surprised to see the handsome stranger gliding along in his beautiful canoe
+alongside of the larger one of the family. Of course, the sight of their
+lover excited the two girls. Misticoosis, who had spent all the hours in
+arraying herself in her finery and adornment, boldly thrust herself to the
+front, and crowded out the modest Omemee, who was flushed by the busy work
+of cooking the dinner, and was wisely dressed in a costume which harmonized
+with her face and with the work in which she had been engaged so
+industriously.
+
+"The instant the handsome young Indian landed--fancy the amazement of the
+two girls to notice that he had on his feet the same beautiful moccasins
+that, not many hours before, Omemee had given to the aged feeble man!
+Before anyone could utter a word he came striding up to the girls, and
+said:
+
+"'As an old, weary man, I came to your wigwam a few hours ago. Misticoosis
+gave me nothing but abuse, yet my only crime was that I was old. Her tongue
+went on and on without stopping, and all of her words were words of abuse
+for the old man and anger that he should have been left to live so long.
+But Omemee, kind-hearted Omemee, pitied the poor old man. She made him sit
+down on a couch of deerskins, that he might rest his tired limbs. She
+built a fire and warmed him. She took of the best of the venison, and made
+him food and drink, and then ere he left she put on his feet the most
+beautiful of her moccasins. All her gifts to the unknown old man were the
+best she had.
+
+"'See the beautiful moccasins, the gift of Omemee!
+
+"'I was that old man--I am now the lover long seeking a bride. I have made
+my choice. Two beautiful maidens for a time divided my heart. There is no
+division now. By testing them I have found out that only one is lovely
+within.
+
+"'That no man may have to put up through life with the unceasing clatter of
+the tongue of Misticoosis, she will be from this time the unbeautiful aspen
+tree, while her tongue shall be the leaves that will never again be still
+even in the gentlest breeze. The leaves of other trees shall rest at times,
+but the aspen leaves, now the tongue of Misticoosis, shall ever be restless
+and unquiet.'
+
+"And even while he was speaking, Misticoosis, who was amazed and ashamed at
+the words he spoke, became rooted to the ground, and gradually turned into
+an aspen tree.
+
+"Then, turning from her to the maiden of his choice, he exclaimed:
+
+"'But Omemee, the loving, the tender, the kind-hearted, thou art my heart's
+choice!'
+
+"Saying this, the handsome hunter opened his arms, and Omemee sprang toward
+him. For a moment he held her in his arms; then he said:
+
+"'I am Wakontas, and to the beautiful home of Wakontas thou shalt be
+taken.'
+
+"Then there was a wonderful transformation; as quickly as a butterfly
+bursts from its chrysalis, so suddenly was Omemee transformed into a
+beautiful dove and the hunter as quickly assumed the same lovely form.
+Together they arose into the air, and flew away to the unknown but
+beautiful home of Wakontas, in the land of perpetual sunshine."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+
+The Startling Placard--What Happened to the Little
+Runaways--The Rescue--Mary Tells Them the Legend of the
+Swallows--How Some Cruel Men were Punished who Teased
+an Orphan Boy.
+
+When Mary entered the children's bedroom one bright, pleasant morning she
+was amazed at finding both of the beds empty and a piece of foolscap paper
+pinned to the dressing table. The writing on it was beyond her power to
+read. She remembered now that the children had begged her not to come very
+early in the morning to wake them up, and as their requests were as a law
+she had lingered as long as she dared, and indeed had only gone to call
+them when her mistress had asked the reason for their nonappearance. Not
+until she had shown the paper, with its inscription, to the kitchen maid,
+who could read English, did its full meaning burst upon her. Of course, she
+was very much troubled, and yet such was her loyalty to the children that
+she hesitated about letting the parents know what had occurred. She was
+fully aware that she could not long keep the startling news from them, and
+yet she was still resolved that never should any information be imparted by
+her that might bring down upon them any punishment, no matter how much
+deserved.
+
+It was a long, rough trail through the primitive forest to the wigwam of
+Souwanas. How long the children had been away she could not tell. Mary,
+with Indian shrewdness, had felt their beds, and had found them both quite
+cold, so she knew the little mischiefs had been off at least an hour. She
+interrogated not only the maid in the kitchen but also Kennedy, the man of
+all work, outside. Neither of them had seen or heard anything of the
+children, and as they did not share Mary's ideas the escapade of the
+children was soon known.
+
+The parents were naturally alarmed when they heard the news. At once the
+father, accompanied by Kennedy and the dogs, Jack and Cuffy, started off on
+the trail of the runaways. The intelligent dogs, having been shown a couple
+of garments recently worn by the missing boy and girl and being told to
+find them, at once took up the trail in the direction of the wigwam of
+Souwanas, running with such rapidity that if they had not been restrained
+by the voice of their master they would very quickly have left him and his
+Indian attendant far behind.
+
+At length, with a sudden start, both dogs, growling ominously, dashed off
+ahead, utterly regardless of all efforts made by their master to restrain
+them. This suspicious conduct on the part of the dogs of course alarmed the
+father and his Indian companion, and as rapidly as the rough trail would
+allow they hurried on in the direction taken by the dogs. Soon their ears
+were greeted by a chorus of loud and angry yelping. Fear gave speed to both
+the men, and soon they dashed out from the forest into the opening of an
+Indian's clearing. Here was a sight that filled them with alarm, and almost
+terror. Standing on a pile of logs were little Sagastao and Minnehaha.
+Sagastao erect and fearless, with a club about as large as an ordinary
+cane, while behind him, leaning against a high fallen log, was Minnehaha.
+Surrounding them were several fierce, wolfish Indian dogs, among whom Jack
+and Cuffy, wild and furious, were now making dire havoc. One after another,
+wounded and limping, the curs skulked away as the two men rushed up to the
+children.
+
+"Ha! ha! hurrah for our Jack and Cuffy; aren't they the boss dogs!" shouted
+the fearless little runaways, and now that the victory was won they nimbly
+sprang down from their high retreat and, apparently without the slightest
+fear, congratulated both their father and the Indian on the superiority of
+their own dogs.
+
+Trembling with anxiety, the anxious father, thankful at the narrow escape
+of his children, as he clasped them in his arms could not but be amazed at
+the indifference of the little ones to the great danger from which they had
+just escaped. After petting Jack and Cuffy for their great bravery and
+courage the return journey was begun, much to the regret of the children,
+who pleaded hard to be allowed to resume their trip to the wigwam of
+Souwanas to hear the stories of Nanahboozhoo.
+
+[Illustration: "Surrounding them were several fierce, wolfish Indian
+dogs."]
+
+The father was perfectly amazed at this request, and of course it was
+sternly refused. He had started off in pursuit of the runaways with a
+resolve to punish them for this serious breach of home discipline, but his
+alarm at their danger and his thankfulness for their escape had so stirred
+him that he could not punish them nor even chide them at the time. All he
+could do was to bring them safely home again and, as usual in such
+emergencies, turn them over to the tender mercies of their mother.
+
+Sturdily the children marched on ahead for a while, then Kennedy, the
+Indian, took Minnehaha in his arms. He had not carried her many hundred
+yards before the weary little one fell fast asleep, softly muttering as she
+slipped off into the land of dreams, "Wanted to hear about Nanahboozhoo."
+
+Great was the excitement at home when the party returned. Sagastao rushed
+into the arms of his mother, and without the slightest idea of having done
+anything wrong began most dramatically to describe how "our Jack and Cuffy
+thrashed those naughty Eskimo dogs" that chased Minnehaha and him upon that
+great pile of logs. Mary in the meantime had taken from Kennedy's arms the
+still sleeping Minnehaha, and almost smothered her with kisses as she bore
+her away to bed.
+
+There was great perplexity on the part of the parents to know just what to
+do to impress upon the little ones that they had been very naughty in thus
+running away, for it was very evident from the utterances of both that they
+had not considered the matter in that light. Now, in view of the weariness
+of Minnehaha, it was decided to leave the matter of discipline in abeyance
+until a little of the excitement had passed away.
+
+In the meantime Sagastao was ready to talk with everybody about the whole
+affair. It seems that he and Minnehaha had decided that Mary was "no good"
+in telling stories. He said her stories neither frightened them nor made
+them cry, but Souwanas was the boss man to tell Nanahboozhoo stories. He
+said they got up before anybody was stirring, that morning, and dressed
+themselves so quietly that nobody heard them. They remembered the trail
+along which Souwanas and Jakoos had carried them. After they had walked for
+some time they came to where there was a larger trail, and they turned into
+it, and came upon a lot of dogs that had been chasing some rabbits. Soon
+the rabbits got away from the dogs, when they reached those trees that had
+been chopped down. Minnehaha was the first to notice that the dogs had
+turned back, and were coming after them, and she shouted:
+
+"'O, look! those dogs think we are rabbits, and they are coming for us!'"
+
+"When I saw they really were coming," said Sagastao, "Minnehaha and I
+jumped up on the logs, and we climbed up as high as we could, and I took up
+a stick, and then I stood up with Minnehaha behind me, and I shook the
+stick at them, and--and I shouted:
+
+"'A wus, atimuk!'" (Get away, you dogs!)
+
+"They came so near on the logs that I hit one or two of them, while all of
+the others on the ground kept barking at us. But I kept shouting back at
+them, 'A wus, atimuk!' My! it was great fun. Then all at once we heard Jack
+and Cuffy, and, I tell you! soon there was more fun, when our big dogs
+sprang at them. Every time an Eskimo was tackled by Jack or Cuffy he went
+down, and was soon howling from the way in which he was shaken. And they
+had nearly thrashed the whole of them when papa and Kennedy came rushing
+up. I wished they had been there sooner, to have seen all the fun."
+
+Thus the lad's tongue rattled on, while it was evident he was utterly
+unconscious of the danger they had been in.
+
+After some deliberation it was decided that, in view of this runaway being
+the first offense of the kind, the punishment should be confinement to
+their own room the next day, until six o'clock in the evening, on a diet of
+bread and water. At this Mary was simply furious. She well knew, however,
+that it was necessary for her to control herself in her master's and
+mistress's presence. She managed to hold her tongue, but her flashing eyes
+and an occasional mutter, which would come out as she went about her usual
+duties, showed the smoldering fire that was burning inside. The children
+had been duly lectured for their breach of discipline and then, that
+evening, consigned to their room for their imprisonment which was to last
+until the next evening. That night Mary took up her mattress and blankets
+and went and slept on the floor between the two beds of the children, and
+in spite of orders, so the maid said, she secretly carried up a goodly
+sized bundle from the kitchen.
+
+The day was one of unusual quietness, as the lively pair, who generally
+kept the house full of music, were now supposed to be away in humiliation
+and disgrace. All regretted that the punishment had to be inflicted and the
+children made to realize their naughtiness in thus running away, and all
+were looking forward to the hour of six o'clock with pleasant anticipation.
+When it arrived word was sent to the children that their hours of
+imprisonment were over, and that they were to present themselves in the
+library. Quick and prompt was the response, and noisily and hurriedly the
+two darlings came rushing down the stairs, followed by Mary. They were
+arrayed in their most beautiful apparel, and were evidently prepared by
+their nurse to go with her for a walk.
+
+The father, feeling that it was necessary, began to make a few remarks
+expressive of regret that he had thus been obliged to punish them, when he
+was interrupted by little Sagastao with the honest and candid remark,
+spoken in a way which, while perfectly fearless, was yet devoid of all
+rudeness or impertinence:
+
+"O, father dear, you needn't feel badly about us at all, as Mary has been
+with us all day and has told us lovely stories."
+
+"And Mary brought us taffy candy," broke in darling Minnehaha, with equal
+candor; "and some currant cakes and other nice things, so we got on very
+well after all."
+
+These candid utterances on the part of the two children not only amazed but
+amused the parents, and were another revelation of Mary's wonderful love
+for the children and her defiance of disciplinary measures which she
+thought might cause the slightest pain or sorrow. And here she stood in the
+open door, and as soon as their father's words and their own rather
+startling "confessions" were ended she called them to her and away they
+went for a long walk along the beautiful shore of the lake, leaving their
+parents to conjecture whether the punishment that had been inflicted would
+produce any very salutary results.
+
+When the children were gathered that evening in the study with their
+parents little Sagastao said:
+
+"Papa, Minnehaha and I have been talking it all over with Mary and she has
+shown us that it was naughty on our parts to run away as we did; and we are
+sorry that we did anything that caused you and mamma sorrow and anxiety
+about us, and so, ... Well, we know you will forgive us." And as the four
+little arms went twining around the parents' necks there was joy and
+gladness all round, and it was evident that there was no danger of the
+escapade being repeated.
+
+The following are a couple of the legends that Mary told them while they
+were prisoners in their own room that day.
+
+
+THE LEGEND OF THE SWALLOWS.
+
+"Long ago," said Mary, "there were some Indian families who lived on the
+top of a very high hill, like a mountain. They had quite a number of small
+children, and I am sorry to say they were very naughty and would often
+disobey their parents. One of their bad deeds was to run away, and thus
+make the father and mother very unhappy until they returned. Their parents
+were very much afraid that some of the Windegoos or wild animals would
+catch them when they thus ran away by themselves, with no strong man to
+guard them.
+
+"So the parents tried to make their homes as nice as possible for them.
+They made all sorts of toys for them and gave them nice little bows and
+arrows, and other things, that ought to have amused them and kept them
+happy at home. All the efforts of their parents, however, were of no use.
+They soon were tired of their home amusements, and when their parents'
+backs were turned they would run away.
+
+"At length their conduct became so bad, and the parents found themselves so
+powerless to prevent it, that they decided to appeal to the Indian Council
+for assistance. For a time the stern commands of the Chief were listened to
+and obeyed. Then they neglected his words, and about as frequently as ever
+they were found playing truant from their homes and parents.
+
+"At length, on one occasion when they had all run away and had been off for
+several days and could not be found, their fathers and mothers called upon
+Wakonda to look for them and to send them home. Wakonda was very angry when
+he heard about these naughty children running away so much, and so he set
+off in a hurry to find them. After a long search he discovered them on the
+bank of a muddy river making mud huts and mud animals. He was so angry at
+them that he at once turned them into swallows, and said, 'From this time
+forward you will ever be wanderers and your homes will always be made of
+mud,' and so it has been."
+
+"I say, Mary, did you remember that yarn because Minnehaha and I ran away?"
+said Sagastao.
+
+"Well, we were not making mud huts," said Minnehaha.
+
+Mary was not to be caught, however, even if she did love them so much, and
+she did not answer Sagastao's question, although in her heart she was not
+sorry if he saw something in the legend that would deter him from again
+running away.
+
+
+HOW SOME CRUEL MEN WERE PUNISHED WHO TEASED AN ORPHAN BOY.
+
+"There was once an old grandmother who was left alone with only an orphan
+grandson. All of her other relatives were dead. This boy was a very
+industrious little fellow, and did all that he could to help his
+grandmother. They both had to work very hard to have sufficient to keep
+them from starving. Together they would go out in their canoe and catch
+fish. They also set many snares in the forest to catch rabbits, partridges,
+and other small game.
+
+"Because they were so poor the clothing of this orphan boy was made partly
+of rabbitskins and partly of the skins of birds. When he was not busy
+helping his grandmother he, like other little boys, was pleased to go out
+and play with the other children of the village. Some of the men of the
+village were very fond of teasing him, and some were even cruel to him,
+because of the poor clothing he had to wear. Often the poor boy would
+return to the wigwam of his grandmother crying and weeping because the men
+of the village had not only teased him on account of his poor clothing but
+had almost torn his coat into pieces. His grandmother entreated the men to
+stop teasing the poor boy, who could not help his poverty. She would
+patiently mend his poor torn clothes and try to cheer him up with the hope
+that soon these foolish, cruel men would see how wrong it was to treat him
+thus.
+
+"But they only seemed to get worse instead of better, and so the
+grandmother got very angry at last and determined to have it stopped.
+
+"So she went off to Wakonda and told him all about it. Wakonda was very
+busy just then, but he gave her some of his magical powers and told her
+what to do when she reached her home.
+
+"When she arrived there she found her grandson almost naked from the abuse
+of the cruel men, who, finding that she was absent, had been more cruel
+than ever to him. She then informed him that she was able now to put a stop
+to all their cruel actions. So she told him to dive into a pool of water
+that was near at hand. He did as she had commanded, and there he found an
+underground channel that led out into the great lake.
+
+"When he came up to the top of the water in the lake he found himself
+transformed into a beautiful seal. He at once begun playing about in the
+waves as seals are often seen doing.
+
+"It was not long before he was seen by the people of the village, and, of
+course, the men were very anxious to secure this valuable seal. Canoes were
+quickly launched and away the men paddled with their spears to try and
+capture it. But the boy, now transformed into the seal, quickly swam away
+from them, as instructed by his grandmother, and so kept them busy paddling
+on and on farther from the shore. When they seemed almost discouraged the
+seal would suddenly dive down, and then reappear in the water just behind
+them. Then, before the men could turn around and spear him, he as suddenly
+dived under the water again. The pursuit was so exciting that these cruel
+men did not notice how far out from land they had now come. They did,
+however, after a time see their danger, for suddenly a fierce gale sprang
+up, and the waves rose in such fury that they upset the canoes and all of
+the wicked men were drowned. When the old grandmother saw this she once
+more exerted the magical powers with which she had been intrusted by
+Wakonda, and calling to her grandson to return home he instantly complied
+with her request. He speedily swam back to her, and she at once transformed
+him into his human form.
+
+"Thus freed from his tormentors, he very rapidly grew up to manhood and
+became a great hunter, and was kind to his grandmother as long as she
+lived."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+
+Souwanas Tells of the Origin and Queer Doings of
+Nanahboozhoo--How He Lost His Brother Nahpootee,
+the Wolf--Why the Kingfisher Wears a White Collar.
+
+"Who was this Nanahboozhoo that we are hearing so much about?"
+
+Thus was the old story-teller addressed by Sagastao, who always was anxious
+to learn about those who interested him.
+
+The old man began in this way:
+
+"When the great mountains are wrapped in the clouds we do not see them very
+well. So it is with Nanahboozhoo. The long years that have passed since he
+lived have, like the fogs and mists, made it less easy to say exactly who
+he really was, but I will try to tell you. Nanahboozhoo was not from one
+tribe only, but from all the Indians. Hence it is that his very name is so
+different.
+
+"The Ojibway call him Mishawabus--Great Rabbit; the Menomini call him
+Manabush. He had other names also. One tribe called him Jouskeha, another
+Messou, another Manabozho, and another Hiawatha. His father was
+Mudjekeewis, the West Wind. There was an old woman named Nokomis, the
+granddaughter of the moon, who had a daughter whose name was Wenonah. She
+was the mother of twin boys, but at their birth she died and so did one of
+the boys. Nokomis wrapped the living child in soft dry grass, laid it on
+the ground at one end of her wigwam, and placed over it a great wooden bowl
+to protect it from harm. Then in her grief she took up the body of Wenonah,
+her daughter, and buried it, with the dead child, at some distance from her
+wigwam. When she returned from thus laying away her dead she sat down in
+her wigwam, and for four days mourned her loss. At the end of that time she
+heard a slight noise in her wigwam, which she soon found came from that
+wooden bowl. Then as the bowl moved she suddenly remembered the living
+child, which she had forgotten in her great grief at the loss of its
+mother. When she removed the bowl from its place, instead of there being
+the baby boy she had placed there she beheld a little white rabbit, and on
+taking it up she said, 'O my dear little rabbit, my Manabush!' Nokomis took
+great care of it and it grew very rapidly.
+
+"One day, when Manabush was quite large, it sat up on its haunches and
+hopped slowly across the floor of the wigwam, and caused the earth to
+tremble.
+
+"When the bad Windegoos, or evil spirits who dwell underground, felt the
+earth to thus tremble they said, 'What is the matter? What has happened? A
+great Munedoo (spirit) is born somewhere.' And at once they began to devise
+means by which they might kill Manabush, or Nanahboozhoo, as he was now
+called, when they should find him.
+
+"But Nanahboozhoo did not long continue to look like a rabbit. As he was
+superior to other people he could change himself to any form he liked. He
+was most frequently seen as a fine strong young Indian hunter. He called
+the people his uncles. When he grew up he said to his grandmother, the old
+Nokomis, that the time had come when he should prepare himself to go and
+help his uncles, the people, to better their condition. This he was able to
+do, seeing he was more than human, for his father was the West Wind and his
+mother a great-granddaughter of the moon. Sometimes he was the beautiful
+white rabbit; then he would be a wolf or a wolverine; then he would be a
+lovely bird. He could even change himself to look like a dry old stump or a
+beautiful tree. Sometimes he would be like a little half-frozen rabbit;
+then he would be a mighty magician, and often a little snake. He was just
+as changeable in his disposition as in his outward appearance. Sometimes he
+was doing the best things imaginable for his uncles, the Indian people, and
+at other times he was full of mischief and trickery. But on the whole he
+was a friend, and although quick-tempered and fiery yet he did lots of fine
+things for the people, for he was really one of the best of the Munedoos of
+the early times.
+
+"When the time came for him to leave his grandmother's wigwam he built one
+for himself, and then he asked Nokomis to prepare for him the sacred
+magical musical sticks which she alone could make. His grandmother made
+him four sticks, and with these he used to beat time when singing his queer
+songs. Some of them were very queer, and ended up with 'He! he! ho! ho! ha!
+ha! hi! hi!' Others were in reference to some special benefits he would
+confer on his uncles. In one of them, referring to his going to steal the
+fire for them, he sings:
+
+  "'Help to my uncles I'm bringing,
+  Their sorrows I'll change into singing.
+  From their enemies the fire I'll steal,
+  That its warmth the children may feel.
+
+  "'Disguised will be Nanahboozhoo,
+  That his work may the better be done;
+  But his jolly deeds ever will tell who
+  Has been sporting around in his fun.'
+
+"At first he was a jolly fellow, full of fun, and did lots of good things
+for his uncles. He showed them the plants and roots good for food, and
+taught them the arts of surgery and medicine, but as the years went by he
+did some things that caused him to be feared very much. His uncles always
+went to him when they got into trouble, but whether he would help them or
+not depended much on the humor he was in when they came.
+
+[Illustration: The beautiful reflections in the water.]
+
+"After he had lived for years in the first wigwam which he had built, and
+taught the people of the earth many things, his father, the West Wind, held
+a council with the North Wind and the South Wind and the East Wind, and
+as Nanahboozhoo was never married, and was living such a lonely life, they
+determined to restore to life, and give to reside with him, his twin
+brother who had died at his birth. The name of this brother was Nahpootee,
+which means the Skillful Hunter. Nanahboozhoo was very fond of him, and
+took great care of him. He grew very rapidly, and he and Nanahboozhoo were
+very great friends. Like Nanahboozhoo, Nahpootee could disguise himself in
+any form he chose. One favorite form he often assumed was that of a wolf,
+as he was often away on hunting excursions. The evil spirits, or Windegoos,
+who dwell under the land and sea, had never been able to do much harm to
+Nanahboozhoo, he was too clever for them; and although they often tried he
+generally worsted them. Now they were doubly angry when they heard that
+Nahpootee had been restored to life and was living with him. Nanahboozhoo
+warned his brother of their enmity, and of the necessity of being on his
+guard against them.
+
+"These brothers moved far away and built their wigwam in a lonely country
+on the shore of a great lake which is now called Mirror Lake, because of
+its beautiful reflections. Here, as he was a hunter, Nahpootee was kept
+busy supplying the wigwam with food. Once, while he was away hunting,
+Nanahboozhoo discovered that some of the evil Munedoos dwelt in the bottom
+of the very lake on the shores of which they had built their wigwam. So he
+warned his brother, Nahpootee, never to cross that lake, but always to go
+around on the shore, and for some time he remembered this warning and was
+not attacked. But one cold winter day, when he had been out for a long time
+hunting, he found himself exactly on the opposite side of the lake from the
+wigwam. The ice seemed strong, and as the distance was shorter he decided
+that, rather than walk around on the shore, he would cross on the ice. When
+about half-way across the lake the ice broke, he was seized by the evil
+Munedoos and drowned.
+
+"When Nahpootee failed to return to the wigwam Nanahboozhoo was filled with
+alarm and at once began searching everywhere for his loved, lost brother.
+One day when he was walking under some trees at the lake he beheld, high up
+among the branches, Ookiskimunisew, the kingfisher.
+
+"'What are you doing there?' asked Nanahboozhoo.
+
+"'The bad Munedoos have killed Nahpootee,' Ookiskimunisew replied, 'and
+soon they are going to throw his body up on the shore and I am going to
+feast on it!'
+
+"This answer made Nanahboozhoo very angry, but he concealed his feelings.
+
+"'Come down here, handsome bird,' he said, 'and I'll give you this collar
+to hang on your neck.'
+
+"The kingfisher suspected that the speaker was Nanahboozhoo, the brother of
+Nahpootee, and he was afraid to descend.
+
+"'Come down, and have no fear,' said Nanahboozhoo, in a friendly tone. 'I
+only want to give you this beautiful necklace to wear, with the white
+shell hanging from it.'
+
+"On hearing this the kingfisher came down, but suspecting that Nanahboozhoo
+would be up to some of his tricks he kept a sharp watch on him.
+Nanahboozhoo placed the necklace about the neck of the bird so that the
+beautiful white shell should be over the breast. Then he pretended to tie
+the ends behind, but just as he had made a half knot in the cord, and was
+going to tighten it and strangle the bird, the latter was too quick for him
+and suddenly slipped away and escaped. He kept the necklace, however, and
+the white spot may be seen on the breast of the kingfisher to this day.
+
+"Soon after this the shade or ghost of Nahpootee appeared to Nanahboozhoo
+and told him that, as his death was the result of his own carelessness, in
+not keeping on the land, he would not be restored to live here, but was
+even now on his way to the Happy Hunting Grounds, in the Land of the
+Setting Sun, beyond the Great Mountains.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo was deeply moved by the loss of his brother, who had been
+such a pleasant companion to him. So great was his grief that at times the
+earth trembled and the evil spirits dwelling under the land or water were
+much terrified, for they knew they would be terribly punished by
+Nanahboozhoo if he should ever get them in his power. But it was a long
+time before he had an opportunity to get his revenge on them for the death
+of his brother. How he did it I will tell you at some future time."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+
+The Legend of the Bad Boy--How He was Carried Away
+by Annungitee, and How He was Rescued by His Mother.
+
+"Tell us, Mary, a story about the boys of the old times among the Indians,"
+said Sagastao.
+
+"About bad boys," said Minnehaha with a mischievous look in her eyes; "for
+this morning brother and papa had to have a 'settlement,' and it might do
+Sagastao good to hear about other bad boys and what was done with them."
+
+These words of Minnehaha made Mary very angry. She thought more of Sagastao
+than she did of any other member of the family, and nothing threw her into
+a rage quicker than for anyone to cross him or even to question the wisdom
+of anything he said. Now, indignant that his father had been obliged to
+call him into his study for some misdemeanor, Mary was greatly annoyed to
+hear these words.
+
+"O, pshaw, Sakehow," said Sagastao; "do not be so touchy. I deserved the
+talking to that papa gave me. It was wrong of me to whack that Indian boy
+with my bat as I did, and I ought to have been punished; so if you have any
+jolly good stories about bad Indian boys, and how they were punished, why,
+let us have one."
+
+This confession of her favorite, who, after his temper cooled, was always
+quick to admit that he had been in the wrong, quite pacified Mary, and she
+settled down on the wolfskin rug with the children and began her story.
+
+"Long ago all the Indians believed in Windegoos and other spirits that were
+more or less friendly to good people. Some were man-eaters and, of course,
+were always to be feared. Some Indians were in such fear of these cannibals
+that they would never leave the wigwam after dark for fear of being gobbled
+up by some of the monsters that might be skulking about.
+
+"There was one great creature called Annungitee, or Two Faced. He had a
+great habit of looking out for bad boys, very bad boys. It was said that he
+could not see really good boys; that they were like glass, and he could not
+see them. But when a boy became very bad he was then so black that he was
+easily seen, and Annungitee could espy him a long way off and was very
+likely to come after him.
+
+"Fortunately Annungitee always made a noise when he was passing along. This
+was a good thing for bad boys, for it gave them time to scurry into the
+wigwams, out of his way. He was so big that when he set one of his feet
+down on the ground there would be sounds like the ringing of bells and the
+hooting of owls. When he put the other foot down the sound was like the
+roaring of buffalo bulls when they are going to fight each other. Even when
+he tried to move softly there would be sounds like birds and beasts crying
+out. All the Indians who had heard this great terrible fellow were afraid
+of him, and yet no two were able to give the same description of him. But
+they did agree on one thing, and that was that when he caught a very wicked
+man, which he did sometimes, or very bad boys, which he often did, he just
+threw him into one of his big ears and held him there. Indeed, it was
+believed that he could hold three big men or six bad boys in one of his
+ears at the same time. Nobody knew where he lived, as no one had been found
+brave enough to follow and see, and no daring hunter had ever found his
+abode in any of his hunting expeditions.
+
+"Now a certain Indian man and his wife who lived in a wigwam quite apart
+from other families had one boy. He was their only child. He had been a
+very bad, cruel, unkind boy. His father had to work hard as a hunter to
+obtain sufficient game to keep them from starving. His mother cut the wood,
+carried up the water from the distant river, dressed the skins of the
+animals that were shot by her husband, and did all the work of the wigwam.
+The boy would not lift a finger to help in any way. One day the mother, who
+was quite sick, asked him to go for some water. He refused, and was very
+saucy to her. Then she asked him if he would please bring in some wood for
+her, as she felt cold. No, he would not do anything of the kind. She then
+became quite angry with him, and said:
+
+"'If you do not be a better boy I will put you out of the wigwam, and
+Annungitee will toss you into his ear.'
+
+"All the same, she did not really believe he would, as she had not heard of
+Annungitee or any other kind of ghost being around for a long, long time.
+She only said what she did to frighten the bad boy into obedience. Indeed
+she had often said to him, when she was angry with him, 'I do hope a ghost
+will catch you.' But the more she talked to him the worse he became. So one
+day when he had been very lazy and very rude to her she sprang up and,
+seizing him by the arm, undertook to put him out of the wigwam. He became
+much frightened at this and began to cry. But she, knowing that he deserved
+to be punished, pushed him out and securely fastened the doorway, calling
+out:
+
+"'May Annungitee catch you!'
+
+"She did not really mean it, of course. No mother could wish her boy to
+have such a terrible misfortune. The frightened boy then began running
+round and round the wigwam, trying to find some place where he could get
+in, but he could find no opening. After a while his crying and his efforts
+to get into the wigwam ceased, and all became still and silent. His mother
+listened attentively, and every moment expected to hear his voice again,
+but there was no sound except something like the sound of the singing of
+birds and the rattling of small bells dying away in the distance. At this
+she became very much frightened and began to cry, and to call for her boy.
+She threw open the door flap and began to search all around her wigwam for
+her son. But all in vain! He was nowhere to be found.
+
+"When the father came home from his hunting she told him of the sudden
+disappearance of their boy, and he, too, was very much alarmed. They set
+out and visited the lodges of all the people around. But no one had seen or
+heard anything of the missing boy. They returned to their own silent wigwam
+very sorrowful, and for days they mourned over the loss of their son. One
+night, as the mother was weeping on account of her great loss, she heard
+some one crying out to her:
+
+"'Hi! Hi!' and at the same time she heard the sounds of bells ringing and
+owls hooting. This happened several nights, and then one night there was a
+voice saying:
+
+"'You said, "Ghost, take that boy." Hi! Hi!'
+
+"Next morning the wife told her husband what she had heard during the
+previous night, and she added:
+
+"'I believe the ghost Annungitee has taken our boy.'
+
+"Her husband was very angry when he heard this, and said:
+
+"'Yes, a ghost has taken our boy. You gave him to him, and he has taken
+you at your word. So why should you complain? It serves you right.'
+
+[Illustration: "They tumbled the tall ghost over."]
+
+"At this the mother lifted up her voice and cried out so loud that it could
+be heard a great distance.
+
+"'Husband,' she said, 'I deserve what you have said, but I am going to try
+and get back our boy, and so to-night I will hide in the pile of wood that
+is outside the wigwam, and if the ghost comes along again, as he has been
+coming, I will catch him by the leg, and you must rush out and try to
+rescue our son.'
+
+"So that night she hid herself in the wood pile, and, sure enough, after a
+while she heard the sound of bells ringing and animals softly crying out,
+and then a loud 'Hi! Hi!' after which all was still.
+
+"Then, as she cautiously looked out from her hiding place, there before her
+was a great creature standing beside the wigwam. He was so tall that his
+head was higher than the smoke hole at the top, and he was peeping down
+into the wigwam. But, big as he was, she had a mother's loving heart after
+all, and as she thought of her boy fastened up there in one of his big ears
+she was determined to rescue him if possible. So she cautiously moved along
+until she was able to seize one of his legs, which she did with all her
+strength, and at the same instant she shouted for her husband to come and
+help. Out he rushed, and between them they tumbled the tall ghost over and,
+sure enough, in one of his big ears they found their little boy.
+
+"Poor little fellow. He was half-starved, and so thin and weak that he
+could hardly stand. But they helped him into the wigwam and gave him some
+soup, made out of some birds that his father had killed that day.
+
+"The tall ghost was so frightened by the sudden way in which he had been
+seized that as soon as he could get up he hurried away, and was never seen
+in that part of the country again. Some tribes say he went South, and
+there, when he was stealing children and carrying them off in his ears, he
+was caught by the angry parents and burned to death on a big wood pile."
+
+"Did the little boy get better?" asked Minnehaha.
+
+"O yes, he did, after a while; but he was a long time in getting over the
+fright he had had. It did him good, however, for after that he was never
+rude and saucy to his mother and did all he could to help her."
+
+"Did it do the mother any good?" asked Sagastao, who had not been
+altogether satisfied with her treatment of the boy.
+
+"Yes, indeed," said Mary; "for after that terrible fright she was never
+known to shout out at her boy such words as, 'I hope the ghost will catch
+you,' or any other of the unpleasant ones which she sometimes had used when
+she was angry with him."
+
+"Thank you, Sakehow," said both the children. "A pretty good story, that."
+
+Then what a jolly romp they had with Jack and Cuffy! The two splendid dogs
+were the children's special protectors and companions.
+
+[Illustration: "Their dog trains were in almost constant demand."]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+
+Happy Christmas Holidays--Indians Made Glad with
+Presents--Souwanas Tells How Nanahboozhoo Stole the
+Fire from the Old Magician and Gave It to the Indians.
+
+The Christmas holidays were times of innocent festivities and gladness
+among the Indians and their white friends, both at the mission and at the
+trading post.
+
+The gifts which it was possible to give to the Indians were not of very
+great value, but they were articles much needed and were always prized by
+the recipients even if they were never very profuse in their words of
+thanks. Minnehaha and Sagastao were wild with delight at these times, and
+were eager to be the almoners of the mission, and carry the gifts to the
+Indians whom they loved so well. The fact that the temperature of those
+bright, cold Northern winters kept steadily many degrees below zero did not
+chill their ardor nor lessen their enthusiasm. Their dog trains were in
+almost constant demand, for they kept flying over the various icy trails
+until in the different wigwams all had been remembered with some useful
+gift.
+
+Faithful Mary had made for them the warmest of fur and blanket suits.
+Dressed in these, and tucked in among the robes in the cariole by their
+careful driver, they sped along the trails. They made the woods echo with
+their merry shouts and laughter--unless it was so bitterly cold that they
+had to be completely covered up. It is not to be wondered at that there
+were times when, on reaching some distant wigwam, there were little hard,
+white spots on their cheeks or noses which told the watchful Indians that
+the Frost King had been at work and that speedily those frostbites must be
+removed. Little cared they for the momentary pain that ensued, when the
+frozen parts were being thawed out. They were out for a good time, and they
+had too much grit and courage to let such trifles as a few frostbites
+disturb their happiness. The bright fires burning in the center of the
+wigwams, or in the fireplaces at the end or side of the little Indian
+houses, were of course always welcome after a long run in the bitter cold.
+
+"Tell us, Souwanas," said Sagastao one very cold day, as they were gathered
+around his wigwam fire, "how it was that Nanahboozhoo stole the fire from
+those who were guarding it and gave it to the Indians."
+
+"It must not be too long a story," said Minnehaha, "as we have yet to go to
+the wigwam of Kinnesasis, Little Fish, with his presents, and it would be
+too bad to be late when they know we are coming."
+
+So Souwanas pledged himself to make the story as short as he could without
+spoiling it, and then, after a few more whiffs from his beloved calumet, he
+began:
+
+"It was long ago, when there were fewer people in the forests and on the
+prairies than now. They did not have as many comforts as they have now, and
+one of the rarest things among them was fire. Sometimes when the
+lightning's flash set a tree on fire they would have it for a little while,
+but they did not seem to be able to keep it going, and they were often very
+cold and generally had to eat their food without cooking it.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo was then still living with his grandmother, Nokomis, and was
+sorry to see that she often suffered from the cold and that the food was
+miserable because it was not cooked. So he set his wits to work and decided
+that something must be done. As he should now have to deal with the Muche
+Munedoos, evil spirits, he had to be very careful. He put himself in
+various disguises and at length he heard all about how the coyote had
+stolen some of the fire from the watchers in the underground world, who
+possess enormous quantities of it. It frightened him a little when he heard
+that there was so much fire in the world under us, but he was not apt to be
+afraid very long and so as he went on searching, and on the sly listening
+to the talks of windegoos and others, he found that the fire for which he
+had been so long searching was in the possession of a fierce old medicine
+warrior who guarded it with the greatest care. Those who had employed the
+coyote to get it had intrusted its keeping to him. In those days they had
+an idea that fire was such a dangerous thing that it would be almost
+certain destruction to the race if it was given to all. This old warrior
+had his two daughters, who were great, fierce women, to assist him in
+guarding the fire.
+
+"Several attempts had been made to steal the fire ere Nanahboozhoo resolved
+to see what he could do. All of these other efforts had failed, and the
+parties who tried them were killed. Nokomis heard of these unsuccessful
+attempts and tried to dissuade her grandson, Nanahboozhoo, from such a
+dangerous enterprise.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo, however, was a very skillful fellow, and although this was
+one of his first great undertakings, for it was long ago, he was not to be
+stopped by her fears, and so away he went. As the ice was not yet on the
+waters he took his birch canoe and paddled eastward as far as he could.
+Then he hid his canoe where he could easily find it on his return.
+
+"The next thing he did was to transform himself into a rabbit, and in that
+shape he hurried on until he saw in the distance the sacred wigwam where
+dwelt the old guardian of the fire and his two daughters, who were famous
+for their height and their strength. To excite the pity of these daughters
+Nanahboozhoo jumped into some water, and then crawling out, wet and cold,
+he slowly approached the wigwam. Here the two daughters found him, and he
+looked so miserable that they took pity on him and at once carried him into
+the wigwam and set him down near the sacred fire, that he might soon get
+warm and dry."
+
+[Illustration: "Where the fire was stolen out of the center of the earth."]
+
+"How very kind that was of the old man's daughters," said Minnehaha.
+
+"I don't know about that," said the more matter-of-fact Sagastao; "folks
+sometimes get into trouble by taking up everything that comes along.
+Remember that old rascal that humbugged father."
+
+But Souwanas, remembering his promise, adroitly shunted off the youngsters
+and resumed his story.
+
+"The two girls, after seeing how contented and happy the rabbit seemed to
+be as it warmed itself by the fire, again returned to their duties in
+different parts of the large wigwam. The rabbit soon after hopped a little
+nearer to the fire, that he might be able to seize hold of a burning stick
+or brand, but as he moved the ground shook and trembled under him so that
+it awoke the old man, who had fallen into a heavy sleep. Thus disturbed, he
+called out to his daughters in alarm:
+
+"'My daughters, what was it that caused the ground to tremble?'
+
+"The girls replied that they did not know. They had done nothing beyond
+their usual work except to bring in to warm a poor little shivering
+half-frozen rabbit that they had found outside. At first the old man was a
+little suspicious and, rolling over, he took a good look at Nanahboozhoo.
+But he had made himself into such a poor little wretched half-drowned
+rabbit that the old man's suspicions were completely dispelled, and he
+turned over again and went to sleep.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo was pleased to hear the old man snoring again, and he only
+waited now until the two girls should both be busy in the wigwam on the
+opposite side from the door; then he suddenly changed himself into a fleet
+young Indian runner, and quickly seizing hold of a burning stick he dashed
+out of the wigwam and away he rushed toward the place where he had left his
+canoe.
+
+"Of course there was instant pursuit. The two daughters, although they were
+magicians, like their father, well knew that they would be punished by the
+superior evil spirits if they allowed any of the sacred fire to be stolen,
+and they were furious at the cunning and deceitful Nanahboozhoo, whom they
+now recognized, for playing such a trick upon them. Shouting to their
+father, to arouse him, they immediately ran after the retreating
+Nanahboozhoo, who with the burning brand in his hand was speeding rapidly
+over the trail. But, fleet as he was, he soon discovered that the two
+girls, by their magic, were rapidly gaining upon him. They were the
+fleetest of runners, even if they were girls, and it was for that reason
+that they and their father were intrusted with the sacred fire. Great
+honors were to be theirs if they guarded it to the satisfaction of those
+who had intrusted it to them, while, on the other hand, great would be
+their disgrace if they failed in their duty.
+
+"When they found that they were gaining on Nanahboozhoo, and were likely
+to regain possession of the firebrand, with shouts and threats they
+declared that severe indeed would be his punishment, when he fell into
+their hands, for his abuse of their kindness and his trickery.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo felt that he was indeed in a tight place. He did not,
+however, intend to be overtaken, and he sped on, if possible faster than
+ever, until there was only a large dried-up, barren meadow between him and
+the spot where he had tied his canoe on the shore of the lake. The girls
+were only a few hundred yards behind him, and he resolved to fight them
+with this sacred fire. So, as he rapidly continued his flight, he plunged
+the now blazing firebrand into the dry grass, here and there, on each side
+of the trail. The wind was in his face, and it carried back the fierce
+blaze and dense black smoke and not only quickly hid him from the sight of
+his pursuers but also made it very dangerous for them to follow him.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo thus succeeded in reaching his canoe, and fixing the burning
+brand in one end of the boat he was soon rapidly paddling over the waters
+toward his distant home. The flying sparks of the torch burnt him badly in
+several places, but he did not much mind this, and he dared not stop to
+dress his wounds for fear that his pursuers would yet overtake him.
+
+"Fortunately he succeeded in reaching his distant home. There at the shore
+to welcome his return was Nokomis, who had been full of anxiety about him.
+She carefully dressed his burnt face and hands and gladly received the gift
+of the fire, which has been such a blessing to the Indians ever since.
+
+"At first there was a good deal of trouble among the Indians to keep the
+fire burning. Sometimes the watchers appointed to look after it, especially
+in the summer months, would forget to add fresh fuel, or would go to sleep
+and neglect it. Then they would have to send off to some perhaps distant
+wigwam, where the people had been more careful, and secure some live coals
+from them.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo was troubled about this. He feared that if it were allowed to
+die out at the same time in all of the wigwams he might not be so
+successful again if he had to try to get a fresh supply from the fierce old
+man and his now wrathful daughters. So he went out into the woods and at
+length a good spirit came to him in a dream and told him of various ways in
+which the fire could be obtained. He showed him how it could be made, by
+rapid friction, with dry sticks. Another way he revealed to him was by the
+striking together of a flint stone and a piece of iron; sparks of fire
+could thus be produced which, caught in punk, would soon become a blaze. So
+now the Indians do not have to cover up the fires as they were formerly
+obliged to do; thanks to Nanahboozhoo's dreams, they can make it fresh
+whenever they want it."
+
+"Hurrah for Nanahboozhoo for his good work this time!" said Sagastao.
+
+"Well, I think he was a mean fellow, to so fool those two nice girls who
+took him in and warmed him when he was a poor little wet shivering rabbit!"
+said Minnehaha.
+
+"Took him in?" the lad retorted. "Well, I guess it was well he was able to
+take them in as he did, by setting fire to that old grass in the meadow,
+for if he had not done so they would soon have had his scalp."
+
+But here Minnehaha appealed to Souwanas, and said:
+
+"I have been wondering how it was the old man and his daughters got the
+fire in the first place from out of the underground. Will you not tell us
+that story some time?"
+
+The old man looked grave and was silent for a minute or two, then he
+replied:
+
+"I think you had better ask Kinnesasis. He knows the story better than I
+do, for in his youth he traveled far West, into the land of the high
+mountains, where the legend is that the fire was stolen out of the center
+of the earth."
+
+"All right. Thank you, Souwanas. We are going to take Kinnesasis some
+presents, and while there we will ask him for the story."
+
+Here an Indian lad rushed into the wigwam with the word that Kennedy was
+coming with their cariole. The children were well wrapped up, and soon with
+their usual happy, "Wat cheer! Wat cheer!" they were speeding homeward.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+
+Kinnesasis--How the Coyote Obtained the Fire from the
+Interior of the Earth.
+
+A great time the children had in the wigwam of Kinnesasis. He was such a
+jolly little old Indian, and he was specially happy to-day when the
+children opened out the gifts and presented them. He was more than
+delighted with a suit of black clothes sent him from a distance by friends
+who had heard about him and his needs. He quickly put on the whole suit,
+which fitted him very nicely, and then much amused the children by saying:
+
+"I am sure the man who made these clothes is in heaven, or, if not yet
+dead, he will go to heaven when he dies."
+
+"Why, Kinnesasis, it is the kind friends who sent you these clothes you
+ought to thank, and not make such a fuss over the man who made them; he was
+paid for making them," said Sagastao. But Kinnesasis could only think of
+the man who made the suit of which he was so proud.
+
+Kinnesasis's old wife was, if possible, still more delighted with her
+presents than the old man with his. She and Minnehaha were always the best
+of friends, and now as the child handed her gift after gift of warm
+clothing and food her joy knew no bounds, and, old as she was, when some
+warm shoes were given her, she sprang up and began singing an Indian song,
+while with all the agility of a young maiden she spun around the wigwam in
+rhythmic measure to her words, which, roughly translated, are as follows:
+
+  "The Good Spirit has pity on me,
+  Though for days I had little to eat,
+  I was wretched and sad in my heart,
+  I was cold, O so cold! in my feet.
+
+  "But now I have plenty of meat,
+  Clothes for my body, shoes for my feet,
+  I'll not grumble, nor sorrow, but praise
+  The Good Spirit the rest of my days."
+
+"Well done!" shouted the children when the old woman stopped. They were
+greatly delighted with her performance. Kinnesasis, however, who, as well
+as his wife, was now a church member, professed to be much shocked at
+seeing her thus dancing, as though in the wild excitement of the Ghost
+Dance. But both Sagastao and Minnehaha stood up for the old wife. They said
+the words she sang were good enough for the church, any day, and they were
+sure nobody could find fault with her thus showing how glad and thankful
+she was.
+
+And nobody ever did find fault and soon was the affair almost forgotten,
+for now the merry jingling of more dog bells was heard, and who should come
+into the wigwam of Kinnesasis but the parents of Sagastao and Minnehaha!
+
+Cordially were they greeted. At first it was difficult for them to
+recognize the staid little gentleman in his full suit of broadcloth as the
+lively but generally ill-clothed Kinnesasis. The visitors--who quickly saw
+and were delighted with the transformation--greeted him as though he were
+some distinguished stranger. This vastly amused the children. Screaming
+with laughter at Kinnesasis's pretense of keeping up the farce, they
+shouted out, "Why, this is only our dear old Kinnesasis. He is no great
+stranger. It is only Kinnesasis with his new clothes."
+
+"Well," then was asked, "who is that charming old lady over there with such
+a fine shawl and brilliant handkerchief on, and such fancy new shoes on her
+feet? Surely she is a stranger."
+
+"No! No!" the children again shouted. "Why, that is Kinnesasis's wife, with
+her new presents on! My! doesn't she look nice!"
+
+Here the little ones seized hold of the happy old Indian woman and made her
+get up and show herself off in her new apparel, of which she was just as
+proud as Kinnesasis.
+
+"And she gave us such a jolly dance in them, papa! Wouldn't you like to see
+her do it again?" cried Minnehaha.
+
+But here Kinnesasis, pretending to be shocked beyond measure, in a most
+diplomatic manner directed the attention of the parents to some other
+matter, and so the mischievous child did not succeed in making a church
+scandal by inducing one of the flock to dance before the missionary.
+
+"Tell us, Kinnesasis," said Sagastao, "how it was that that old man and his
+daughters first obtained the fire which Nanahboozhoo so cleverly stole from
+them and gave to the Indians long ago."
+
+At first Kinnesasis hesitated about telling the old legend, saying that he
+did not think the father and mother of the children would care for such
+stories.
+
+"Don't they, though!" cried the children. "You don't know them very well,
+then, if you don't know that they like stories just about as well as we
+do."
+
+And with this they at once appealed to the parents, who of course sided
+with them and expressed their desire to listen to this story that the
+children had told them they were to hear from dear old Kinnesasis.
+
+Throwing some more logs on the fire, around which the white visitors with
+the Indians gathered, Kinnesasis began:
+
+"It was long ago, when I was a young lad, that I heard the story from the
+old story-tellers of our people. I had traveled with my father for many
+days far toward the setting sun. We reached the land of the great
+mountains, and there, with our people of those regions, we spent some
+moons. It was while we were among them that I heard from the ancient
+story-teller the legend of how the fire was stolen from the center of the
+earth, where it was kept hidden away from the human family.
+
+"That there was such a thing as fire was well known. It had been seen
+bursting out of the tops of distant mountains, and there had been times in
+great thunderstorms, when the lightning had set fire to dead trees--and
+indeed in this latter way the Indians had become acquainted with its value
+to the human race. But they had not taken care to keep it burning, and no
+one had been appointed to specially look after it.
+
+"The reason why fire had not been from the first given to men was because
+when the race was created the fire was not much needed. The earth was then
+much warmer than it is now. There was no snow or ice ever seen except on
+the tops of the very highest mountains. Great animals now all dead, and
+others that could only live in the hottest countries, lived all over these
+great lands. Then there was abundance of fruit and nuts and roots that were
+all very good for food. Then some great disaster happened to the world and
+soon it began to grow colder and many animals, and even families, perished.
+Snow and ice appeared where they were never seen before. There was great
+suffering from the cold. The hunters began to kill the animals for food.
+They were now not satisfied with the fruit and roots, they wanted something
+better.
+
+"So the fire was much needed. But where it was, or how to get it, was the
+question. Fortunately an old dreamer dreamed a dream about it. As the
+council assembled to hear his dream he told them that the fire was
+preserved in the heart of the earth by a magician called Sistinakoo, and
+that it was kept very carefully surrounded by four walls, one within the
+other, in each of which was a single door. At the first door a great snake
+kept guard. At the second door a mountain lion or panther was the guardian.
+A grizzly bear guarded the third door, and at the fourth and last door
+Sistinakoo himself kept watchful care over the precious fire that smoldered
+on a stone altar just inside this last wall.
+
+"When the council heard all this they were almost discouraged. They thought
+it would be impossible for anyone to get by all of these guards and steal
+the fire.
+
+"They first asked the fox to try, but he only reached the first door when
+the great snake nearly made a meal of him. Thoroughly frightened, he rushed
+back to the top of the earth and told of his narrow escape.
+
+"For a time nothing more was done to try and get the fire. The people
+continued to suffer, for the earth kept getting colder and colder and ice
+and snow were now to be found in lands that had previously been comfortably
+warm. So the council was called again, and the question again raised as to
+what could be done.
+
+"It happened that there came to the council a very old man who remembered a
+tradition, handed down from his forefathers, which said that part of the
+earth beneath us was hollow, and that some of the animals, even the great
+buffaloes, had dwelt in those underground regions before they came to dwell
+on the surface of the earth. He said that the coyote, the prairie wolf, was
+the last one to leave, and that he was sure that he still remembered the
+route to the very spot where Sistinakoo, the head chief of the regions,
+guarded the fire so jealously."
+
+"Why should they so guard the fire, and be so careful about letting people
+have it, when we know how good it is?" asked Minnehaha.
+
+"Because," replied Kinnesasis, "there was a tradition that at some time or
+other the fire should get the mastery over men, and the whole world be
+burned by it, and they thought that they would carefully guard it from
+getting scattered about by careless people who might set the world on
+fire."
+
+"Well, go on, Kinnesasis, and tell us the rest of the story," said the
+impatient Sagastao.
+
+"So when the Indian council heard this story they sent for the king of the
+coyotes and told him of their wish that he should return to that underworld
+and bring up the fire for their use.
+
+"To their surprise and great delight the coyote said he would go, and he
+immediately began his preparations for the journey. So greatly had the cold
+increased that he found the dark mouth of the entrance under the mountains
+almost surrounded by snow and ice. After traveling for some time in the
+darkness he reached the outer wall, where he waited, a little distance from
+the door, until the snake was taking his usual sleep. Then he quickly
+stepped past him. Knowing the habits of the other animals, he waited until
+they were asleep and then he noiselessly passed them all. Even Sistinakoo
+himself was sound asleep. So the coyote crept silently up to the fire and
+lighted the large brand or torch that was securely fastened to his tail.
+The instant it began to blaze up, as the coyote rushed out through the
+first door, Sistinakoo shouted, 'Who is there? Some one has been here and
+has stolen the fire!'
+
+[Illustration: "The coyote was too quick for them all."]
+
+"He at once began to make a great row and loudly called to the different
+keepers to close the doors in the walls. But the coyote was too quick for
+them all, and ere the sleepers were wide enough awake to do anything he had
+passed through all the doors and was far on his way to the top of the
+ground. The fire was gladly received by the people, but after some time,
+when some big prairies and forests had been burned up by it, the men got
+fearful that the world might be destroyed and so they intrusted it to the
+care of the old magician and his two daughters, with orders to be very
+careful to whom they gave any. It was from them Nanahboozhoo stole it, to
+scatter it once more freely among the people as we now have it.
+
+"But the tradition was still believed in the days of my grandfather that,
+good as the fire was to warm us, and cook our food, it would yet become our
+master, and do the world much harm."
+
+Kinnesasis was thanked by all for his recital of this suggestive legend,
+especially by his older listeners, who saw much in it that was in harmony
+with the earlier beliefs of other nationalities.
+
+By this time, however, the dogs in their trains were impatiently barking,
+and longing to get back home for their suppers. So, after farewell
+greetings to Kinnesasis and his wife, one cariole after another was loaded,
+and away the happy ones sped over the icy expanse of the frozen lake.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+
+The Christmas Packet--The Distribution of Gifts--A Visit
+by Dog Train, at Fifty-five Below Zero--Souwanas Tells
+How the Indians first Learned to Make Maple Sugar.
+
+How great the excitement was which attended the arrival of the Christmas
+packet can hardly be realized by persons who have never been exposed to the
+privations of a land which the mail reaches every six months, and where
+they wait half a year for the daily paper. After this long waiting it is no
+wonder that a great shout was raised when far away in the distance the
+long-expected, heavily-loaded dog-trains were seen that for several hundred
+miles had carried the precious messages of love and the tokens of good will
+from dear ones far away.
+
+This year an extra train well loaded with much-needed supplies for the
+mission was among the arrivals. Its coming was hailed with special delight
+by the children; for even in that Northland Santa Claus was not unexpected,
+and it was surmised by some of the wee ones that possibly some of his gifts
+would arrive about that time.
+
+And they were not disappointed, for loved ones far away in more favored
+lands had remembered these little ones in their Northern home, where the
+Frost King reigns, and many and varied were the gifts which they now
+received.
+
+"I am going to take Souwanas some of my candies," said Sagastao.
+
+"And I am going to give him a nice red silk handkerchief," said Minnehaha.
+
+The children had by this time pretty well learned his weakness for these
+things, and it was a pleasure now for them to think that they had it in
+their power to make him happy.
+
+The next morning was, as usual, bright and cloudless, but it was bitterly
+cold. The mercury was frozen in one thermometer, and in the other one the
+spirit indicated fifty-five below zero. Yet so impatient were these
+spirited children to be off with their gifts to Souwanas, and with
+something also for each member of the family, that their pleadings
+prevailed. A cariole with plenty of fur robes was soon at the door, and
+with old Kennedy as their driver they were soon speeding away behind a
+train of dogs.
+
+Indians are naturally alert and watchful, and so the merry jingle of the
+silvery bells was heard while the cariole was still at some distance on the
+trail. Cordially were they welcomed, and strong arms speedily carried them
+into the cosy wigwam where, in the center, burned a great fire of dry
+spruce and birch wood.
+
+As the cold was so intense, and the children had permission to remain for
+two hours, it was decided that Kennedy should return home at once with the
+dogs, as it would have been cruel to have kept them out in the cold so
+long.
+
+The heavy wraps were soon removed and the children were comfortably seated
+on the fur rugs provided for them. Then they very proudly opened their
+parcels and distributed the contents--their own gifts as well as those
+which had been sent to Souwanas and his family from the mission. Minnehaha
+reserved her special gift for the last. When all of her others had been
+bestowed she unfolded the beautiful red silk handkerchief and, going over
+to Souwanas, she did her best to tie it nicely around his neck.
+
+The old man, genuine Indian that he was, was much moved by her winsome ways
+and handsome gift.
+
+He said but little, but there was a soft, kindly look in his eyes that
+showed his gratitude more than any words could have done. It meant a good
+deal more than perhaps he would like to admit and those who saw it were
+thankful that they had observed it, knowing that it meant so much.
+Sagastao, who had already given him several presents, had held on to his
+box of candies. He had learned that for such things the old man could be
+coaxed to do almost anything, and now he held them out, and said:
+
+"Now, Souwanas, as all the presents have been passed around, I have got
+some fine sweeties for you, but we must have a first-class Nanahboozhoo
+story for them."
+
+"O yes!" said Minnehaha. "And as it is to be for sweeties let us have a
+nice sweet story of Nanahboozhoo this time."
+
+"A sweet story you want? Well, before I begin let us fix up the fire and
+all get comfortably seated around it."
+
+Then, as they usually did, the two white children cuddled as close to the
+inimitable story-teller as they could. Little cared they for the cold
+without or even for the occasional puffs of smoke which seemed at times to
+prefer to enter the eyes of the listeners rather than to go out at the
+orifice at the top of the wigwam.
+
+"A sweet story," musingly said the old man, "in this land of fish, and
+bears, and wolves, and wildcats, and wolverines!" Then he paused long
+enough to fill his mouth again with the candies which he enjoyed so much.
+
+"A sweet story. Then it must be of a land, south of this, where for some
+years I dwelt, many, many moons ago. A land where the Se-se-pask-wut-a-tik
+(sugar maple tree) grows and flourishes in all its beauty.
+
+"There, in those wigwams, long ago lived the people whom we call the
+Hurons, the Dakotahs and the Ojibways. These Ojibways are cousins of my own
+people, the Saulteaux. Well, the story I want to tell you had its beginning
+long, long ago. One day there came a great embassage of Indians from the
+far South with words of peace and good will. They said that in their
+country they had no cold weather, and very seldom saw any snow. They said
+that the trees were different, and that many things grew there that they
+did not see in our Northern country. They brought with them many presents
+and were kindly received by our people, and then, after some weeks of
+feasting and speech-making, they returned home laden with the best gifts
+our tribes could bestow.
+
+"Among the presents which these Southern Indians brought was a large
+quantity of sugar. This was the first time it was ever seen among the
+Indians of the North. It was very much prized, and was very carefully
+divided among the people so that each one had a small quantity. It did not
+last very long, for everybody was fond of it. When it was all gone the
+people were sorry, and the question was asked, 'Why cannot we send a
+company of our own people and get more of it?'
+
+"This suggestion met with the favor of the tribes, and a large party of the
+best runners was selected, and being well supplied with rich presents and
+pipes of peace they started off to find the Southland and to obtain
+abundance of the sugar. Some weeks passed by before word was heard from
+them, and the news was very bad. Fierce wars had broken out among the
+tribes that lived between ours and those who dwelt in that far South. Our
+Indians had to fight for their lives. Many of them were killed, others were
+badly wounded, and of the large company that started out not more than half
+ever returned to their homes. The expedition was a complete failure.
+
+"Still there was the memory of the sugar among them, and it happened that
+one day in the council somebody said:
+
+"'Why not send to Nanahboozhoo?'
+
+"Good!" shouted Minnehaha; "that is just what I thought they would do."
+
+"Well, hold on," said her more matter-of-fact brother; "just as like as not
+Nanahboozhoo would give them salt instead of sugar, if he were in one of
+his tantrums."
+
+Souwanas was not displeased at this interruption on the part of the
+children, and gladly availed himself of the opportunity thus offered to
+once more help himself to the sweets.
+
+Earnestly appealing to Souwanas, Minnehaha, who always looked on the bright
+side of things, and who had a quick intuition quite beyond her years, said:
+
+"It could not be a sweet story if Nanahboozhoo gave them salt instead of
+sugar; could it, Souwanas?"
+
+The old man, as soon as his mouth was sufficiently emptied to resume his
+story, amused by the earnestness with which the child appealed to him,
+replied with the words, "Tapwa, tapwa!" (Verily, verily!)
+
+Sagastao, however, unwilling to give in, retorted, "O 'tapwa, tapwa'
+doesn't mean anything, anyway."
+
+Souwanas only laughed at this criticism, and proceeded with his story.
+
+[Illustration: Across a single log at a dizzy height.]
+
+"So it was decided to send a deputation to Nanahboozhoo to tell him of
+the wish of the tribes to have Se-se-pask-wut (sugar), as had the tribes of
+the Southland.
+
+"The deputation who started off to find Nanahboozhoo had a great deal of
+difficulty in finding him. It seems that a great strife had arisen between
+Nanahboozhoo and some of the underground Muche Munedoos--bad spirits,
+sometimes called the Ana-mak-quin--who had determined to kill Nokomis, the
+grandmother of Nanahboozhoo, because of their spiteful hatred of
+Nanahboozhoo, whom they knew they could not kill because he had
+supernatural powers.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo had, as usual, been playing some of his pranks on them, and
+that was why they were determined to kill Nokomis."
+
+"What were some of the tricks that Nanahboozhoo had been up to this time?"
+asked Sagastao.
+
+"It would take me too long to tell you now," replied Souwanas.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo dearly loved his grandmother, although he was often giving
+her great frights, just as other grandsons sometimes do. So when he heard
+of what the Muche Munedoos were threatening he took up his grandmother on
+his strong back and carried her far away and made for her a tent of maples
+in a great forest among the mountains. The only access to it was across a
+single log at a dizzy height over a wild rushing river.
+
+"It was now in the fall of the year, and the leaves of these trees were all
+crimson and yellow, so brilliant that when seen from a long distance they
+looked like a great fire. Thus it happened that when the bad spirits
+following after Nanahboozhoo and Nokomis saw the brilliant colors through
+the haze of that Indian Summer day they thought the whole country was on
+fire, and they turned back and troubled them no more. Nanahboozhoo was
+pleased that the beautiful maple trees had been of so much assistance to
+him. He decided to dwell among them for some time, so he prepared a very
+comfortable wigwam for himself and his grandmother.
+
+"It was in the wigwam among the maples that the deputation found
+Nanahboozhoo. He received them kindly, and listened to their story and
+their request.
+
+"At first Nanahboozhoo was perplexed. He was such a great traveler that he
+had often been down in the great Southland, and well knew how the sugar was
+there made. He had seen the fields of sugar cane, and knew the whole
+process by which the juice was squeezed out and then boiled down into
+sugar. He also knew that it required a lot of hard work before the sugar
+was made.
+
+"When Nokomis heard the request of the deputation to her grandson she was
+very much interested--for had not Nanahboozhoo several times, when
+returning from those trips to the South, brought back to her some of the
+sugar?--and she had liked it very much; and so now she added her pleadings
+to theirs that he would in some way grant them their request.
+
+"Of course Nanahboozhoo could not refuse now, so he told them that, as the
+beautiful maple trees had been so good to him and Nokomis, from this time
+forward they should, like the sugar cane of the South, yield the sweet sap
+that when boiled down would make the sugar they liked so much.
+
+"He told them, however, that it was not for the lazy ones to have, but only
+for those who were industrious and would carry out his commands. Then
+Nanahboozhoo described to them the whole process of sugar making. He told
+them that only in the spring of the year would the sweet sap flow. Then
+they were to have ready their tapping gouges, their spiles and buckets.
+Great fireplaces were to be built and here, as fast as the sap was gathered
+from the trees, it was to be boiled down in their little kettles into the
+nice molasses; and then a little more, so that when it cooled it would
+harden into sugar.
+
+"'Now,' added Nanahboozhoo, 'go back to your people and tell them that it
+depends on their industry between now and the spring who shall have the
+most of the sugar you love so well.' Then he skillfully modeled out a stone
+tapping gouge of the shape required to make the incision in the tree from
+which the sap would flow. With his knife he made a sample spile of cedar,
+the thin end of which was to be driven into the hole made by the gouge and
+along which the sap would flow. Then he told them to make plenty of buckets
+of birch bark, and thus be ready when the time came to secure an abundant
+supply of sap. Thus the art of making maple sugar first came to be known.
+Nanahboozhoo gave it to the Indians long ago. Then when the palefaces came
+they followed the same process. That is the way Nanahboozhoo showed us how
+to get the maple sugar."
+
+But here the sound of the barking of the dogs, and the sweet tones of the
+silvery bells on the collars of the dogs that had come for the children,
+told that the two hours had passed away.
+
+"Thank you ever so much," said the grateful Minnehaha, as she rose to have
+loving hands carefully wrap her up for the return ride, "for that sweet,
+sweet story. It was so good of Nanahboozhoo to tell them about the sap in
+the maple trees, even if it is only there in the spring time."
+
+"I think old Nokomis deserves a good deal of the credit," said Sagastao.
+"It seems to me that Nanahboozhoo would not have done it if she had not
+made him."
+
+"Well, Nanahboozhoo did it, anyway, and so we and the Indians have our
+maple sugar and molasses, and I am glad. And so, hurrah for Nanahboozhoo!"
+Thus replied Minnehaha.
+
+Here Souwanas lifted the well-wrapped-up child, and carried her out to the
+cariole, where she and her brother were speedily covered and tucked in
+among the warm robes.
+
+"Marche! Marche!" was shouted to the dogs by the driver, and away they sped
+over the icy trail with such speed that it was not long ere they were again
+safe and happy in their own cozy home.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+
+Mary Relates the Legend of the Origin of Disease--The
+Queer Councils Held by the Animals Against Their Common
+Enemy, Man.
+
+"Mary, how is it that I get sick sometimes," said Sagastao the following
+summer, "and have to take medicine that I dislike? Why can't we always be
+well?"
+
+For the last week or ten days Mary had been most devoted and faithful in
+watchful care over her restless charge, who had been very sick but was now
+rapidly recovering.
+
+"As soon as you are a little stronger I will tell you the legends of
+sickness and medicine, as handed down by our Indian forefathers," said
+Mary, "but now you must only rest, and eat, and sleep."
+
+"Well, Sakehow" (beloved), his pet name for his faithful nurse, "I will try
+and mind you; don't forget."
+
+The next week was one of rapid recovery, and very proud, indeed, was Mary
+when she led forth the two children, in the bright sunshine of a delightful
+summer day, to a cozy resting place among the rocks where the waves of Lake
+Winnipeg rippled on the sandy beach at their feet.
+
+Minnehaha was eager for a story about the sweet birdies or the brilliant
+flowers, but the young invalid had his way this time, and Mary proceeded to
+tell the story of the Indians' idea as to the origin of sickness and
+disease.
+
+"Long, long ago," said Mary, "all the animals and birds on this earth lived
+in peace and harmony with the human family. Then there was food for all in
+abundance without any shedding of blood. Even the wild animals, that now
+live by killing and devouring each other, found plenty of food in the
+fruits and vegetables that then were so abundant.
+
+"Men and women also lived on similar things, and were contented and happy.
+But as the years went on the people became so numerous, and their
+settlements spread over so much of the earth, that many of the poor animals
+began to be cramped for room.
+
+"Even this could have been borne, but by and by men began to make bows and
+arrows, spears and knives, and other weapons, and began to use them on the
+defenseless animals. Then soon they began to eat the flesh of the animals,
+and presently they found that they preferred the meat thus obtained to the
+fruits and vegetables of the earth.
+
+"Formerly they had made their garments out of the fiber of the trees and
+plants, which the women carefully prepared and wove; but after a while they
+discovered that the skins of the buffalo and deer and other animals, when
+well prepared, made better and more durable garments and wigwams than the
+materials they had previously used. As time went on the destruction of
+the larger animals increased, and men became so much more cruel than
+formerly that even the frogs and worms, that in the earlier days were never
+harmed, were now destroyed without mercy, or by sheer carelessness or
+contempt. Thus the animals came to be in such a sad plight that it was
+resolved by them to call great councils of their members together to
+consult upon what could be done for their common safety.
+
+"The bears were the first to assemble. They gathered together on the peak
+of a great smoky mountain, which the white men now call Cathedral mountain,
+and the great white bear from the Northland was appointed chairman."
+
+[Illustration: "Which the white men now call Cathedral Mountain."]
+
+"Well, that was funny," said Minnehaha. "Just fancy a big white bear
+sitting up in a chair! Why, he would need a whole sofa to hold him."
+
+"Don't be silly, child," said the patronizing brother. "It was a bears'
+council and, of course, the chairs used were bears' and not men's."
+
+When Mary was appealed to to settle the question she could only say, "As
+the council was held on the top of a mountain perhaps the bears sat on the
+rocks. But never mind; let me go on with the story.
+
+"After the white bear had made his speech he took his seat and said he was
+now ready to hear the statements of the different bears who had assembled
+to lodge their complaints against the way in which men killed their
+relatives, devoured their flesh for food, and made garments and robes out
+of their skins.
+
+"Nearly every kind of bear had grievous statements to make, and so
+blood-curdling were some of their recitals that it was decided to begin war
+at once against the human race.
+
+"Then the question was asked, 'What weapons shall we use against them?'
+After some discussion it was decided to use bows and arrows, the favorite
+weapons of their enemies.
+
+"'And what are they made of?' was the next question.
+
+"This was soon answered by a bear who had been caught when young and kept
+captive for a couple of years in the wigwam of one of their enemies. He had
+often seen the process of making bows, and he was now able to tell all
+about it, and even to do the work himself. It was not long before the first
+bow, with some arrows, was manufactured, and there was great excitement
+when the first trial of it was made. A large strong bear was selected to
+shoot the first arrow. To their great disappointment the trial was not a
+success, for it was found that when the bear let the arrow fly, after
+drawing back the bow, his long claws caught in the string and spoiled the
+shot. Other bears tried, but they all had long claws, and they all failed.
+Then some one suggested that this difficulty could be overcome by their
+cutting off their long claws. But here the chairman, the white bear,
+interposed, saying that it was very necessary that they should have their
+long claws in order to climb trees, or up steep rocky places. 'It is
+better,' said he, 'for us to trust to our claws and teeth than to man's
+weapons, which certainly were not designed for us.'
+
+"The bears remained in council until they got very hungry, but think as
+much as they might they could not devise any satisfactory plan, for they
+are stupid animals after all, and they dispersed to their different homes
+no better able to fight the human race than before.
+
+"Then the deer next held a council. Representatives of all the different
+kinds of deer, from the great elk and moose down to the smallest species in
+existence, assembled in a beautiful forest glade. The moose was selected as
+chief. After a long discussion it was resolved that in revenge for man's
+tyranny they would inflict rheumatism, lumbago, and similar diseases upon
+every hunter who should kill one of their number unless he took great care
+to ask pardon for the offense. That is the reason why so many hunters say,
+just before they shoot, 'I beg your pardon, Mr. Deer, but shoot you I must,
+for I want your flesh for food.' They know that if they do this they are
+safe.
+
+"The Cree legend is that it is the bear that has to be propitiated by
+gentlemanly expressions when he is being approached to be killed. I well
+remember being with a couple of hunters closely following up a bear, and
+just before they fired they kept saying, 'Excuse us for shooting you,
+Brother Bear, but we must do it. We want your warm fur robe, our families
+want your meat, our girls want your grease to put on their heads, so you
+must excuse us, Brother Bear. Please do, Brother Bear; please do.' Thus
+they went on at a great rate until he was killed.
+
+"But many forget it, and the spirit of their chief knows it and is angry,
+and he strikes those hunters, or their relatives, down with rheumatism or
+some other painful disease.
+
+"Next the fishes and snakes and other reptiles held their council, and they
+decided that as the human race had now become such enemies to them they
+would trouble them with 'fearful dreams' of snakes twining about them, and
+blowing their poisonous breath in their faces, by which they would lose
+their appetites and die, while others of them would seek opportunity to
+make the water they drank, or even the air they breathed, unwholesome. The
+poisonous ones were also directed to use every opportunity to kill with
+their deadly bites whenever possible.
+
+"The birds also held a council, over which the crow was appointed chairman.
+The eagle objected, and wanted the place, but he was voted down because
+there were so few of his kind, and these were only hunted for their
+feathers to adorn the war bonnets of the great chiefs and warriors. The
+crow was appointed because he was always with the human race and knew the
+various schemes and tricks they were inventing to injure the birds and
+animals of various kinds. After much deliberation the birds decided to give
+colds, and coughs, and throat diseases, and consumption, to the human
+race, and to thus lessen their numbers that there might be room for all
+creatures.
+
+"The insects and smaller animals then held their council, and the grubworm
+was appointed to preside over the gathering. He was so elated over his
+election, and that they had arranged a scheme which should be fatal
+especially to women, that he fell over backward and could not get on his
+feet again. So from that time the grubworm has only been able to wiggle in
+that way. There was any amount of talking and buzzing among the crowd. The
+frog was especially noisy and angry in his remarks.
+
+"'It is high time,' said he, 'that we began to do something against this
+cruel human race, or we will soon be swept off the earth. See how my back
+is ugly with lumps and sores because men have so kicked and knocked me
+about!'
+
+"Others followed in the same strain of indignant protest against man's
+cruelty. Even the flies and mosquitoes had something to complain of.
+
+"Well, after the buzzing, and the croakings, and the hummings and angry
+talkings were over, they settled down to business.
+
+"Some were appointed to poison the waters so that malarias and fevers
+should attack the now hated race. Others, such as the flies and mosquitoes,
+were to carry in their bites and stings many diseases. Thus it has come to
+pass that there is more damage done to the hated human beings by these
+bites and stings than the mere smarting pain caused at the time of the
+bite. Thus, because the human race changed from being all kindness to the
+rest of the creatures, both great and small, into being cruel and savage,
+all these various creatures have combined to bring dreadful diseases among
+men in revenge for their own wrongs."
+
+"That is too bad," said Minnehaha. "Why could they not have kept on loving
+each other all the time, instead of things being as they are now?"
+
+Sagastao, who had laughed at the idea of the mosquitoes coming to a
+council, and of their having anything to complain of, said, "I would like
+to know what mosquitoes lived on in those good old days you speak about.
+Now they are after me lively enough." And he slowly lifted up his hand, on
+the back of which a couple were rapidly filling themselves with his blood.
+
+But Mary, who, Indian like, was wise and observant, only said, "Wait a
+minute or two and I will show you." Then she quickly hurried back into a
+swampy place and soon returned with a thick juicy leaf, to the under side
+of which several mosquitoes were still clinging, with their bodies
+distended with its juice.
+
+"There," she said, as she carefully held the leaf sideways, "that is what
+most of the mosquitoes still live on. They attack our race in revenge for
+our being so cruel as to kill so many of the animals, large and small, but
+this, as you can easily see, is their natural food."
+
+This appeal to the eye quite silenced the children, who had considered the
+whole story as only an Indian legend to be amused with.
+
+Mary, who had often been worsted by the sharp criticisms and inquiries with
+which they were apt to receive her pet Indian legends, was quite delighted
+at her apparent triumph, so she hastily sprang up, saying:
+
+"It is time we were going home. Some other day I will tell you the story of
+how the medicines came."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+
+The Naming of the Baby--A Canoe Trip--The Legend of
+the Discovery of Medicine--How the Chipmunk Carried the
+Good News.
+
+There was great excitement among a number of Indian men and women who had
+gathered on the shore in front of the mission one pleasant summer morning.
+Grave Indians, with Souwanas in their midst, were calmly discussing some
+object of interest, while Mary and a party of women, some of whom had their
+babies with them, were much more noisy, talking rapidly about something
+which was evidently a matter of exciting interest. Even Sagastao and
+Minnehaha were rushing in and out of the house and running from one group
+of Indians to the other, full of eager inquiries and pleasant
+anticipations. What could it all be about?
+
+Let us ask the children, for such little people often know more than we are
+likely to give them credit for. Here comes Minnehaha, and we ask her the
+cause of such an early gathering of the Indians, and the reason why they
+are so unusually interested in some matter unknown to us.
+
+[Illustration: "Their babies with them."]
+
+"Why, don't you know?" the bright little girl promptly replies. "They have
+come to form a Naming Council, to give my little baby sister an Indian
+name. You see," she added, "Sagastao and I were born among the Cree
+Indians, but baby was born here among the Saulteaux. Just think: the first
+little white baby born among them! And they want to give her a nice
+Saulteaux name. The reason why they are talking so much now, before they
+form the council, is that lots of them have pet names they want to give our
+baby, but of course she can only have one."
+
+"Yes," said Sagastao, "and our old Mary is trying to get the women to
+oppose the name that Souwanas will offer, just because she is down on him.
+But I'll bet he will beat her yet."
+
+"You should not say, 'I'll bet.' Mother has often told you that it was very
+rude," reprovingly said little Minnehaha. "You never learned it from father
+or mother. You must have picked that up from some rough trader."
+
+"Well, all right, I'll not say it again, but I'll bet--no, I mean--hurrah!
+for Souwanas and his side, anyway," and off he ran.
+
+"Dear me!" said the little sister. "I do have so much trouble with that
+boy!"
+
+Soon the council assembled. The men and women arranged themselves in a big
+circle and spent some time in drinking some strong, well-sweetened tea that
+had been prepared for them. They had been desirous of having their usual
+pagan ceremonies, but of course this could not be allowed, so the
+ceremonies of tea drinking and their usual smoking were substituted. Then
+the little baby was brought in by her nurse and handed to one of the oldest
+women. She took the child, and after kissing her and uttering some words of
+endearment passed her on to the woman on her left. She in her turn kissed
+her, uttered some kindly words, and passed her on to the next. So baby went
+from hand to hand until she had made the complete circle of women and men.
+This was the ceremony of adopting the child into the tribe.
+
+Mary, the nurse of the older children, was excluded from this circle as she
+was of another tribe. After some more tea had been drunk the child was
+again sent on her rounds. This time each person, as he or she held the
+child, pronounced some Indian name that he or she wished the babe to be
+called. Mary, who had now crowded herself into the circle, persisted in
+having a voice in the matter. She wanted the child to be called
+Papewpenases (Laughing Bird), but she was voted down by the crowd, who
+said:
+
+"No, that is Cree; we must have Saulteaux."
+
+With a certain amount of decorum each name suggested was discussed, only to
+be rejected.
+
+For a time there was quite a deadlock, as no name could be decided upon.
+
+"Now that you have all spoken," said Souwanas, "and cannot come to any
+agreement, I, as chief, will make the final decision. This is the first
+white child born among us, as Sagastao and Minnehaha, whom we all love,
+were born at Norway House, among the Crees. Most of the names which you
+have suggested have some reference to birds and their sweet songs. A
+compound name, which will include these ideas and mine, Souwanas (South
+Wind), can surely be found."
+
+This suggestion was well received, as Florence was born in the spring of
+the year, when the birds, returning from the South, filled the air with
+melody after the long stillness of that almost Arctic winter.
+
+So busy brains and wagging tongues were at work, and the result was the
+formation of the following expressive name, which was quickly bestowed upon
+the child. It was first loudly announced by Souwanas himself:
+Souwanaquenapeke; which in English is, "The Voice of the South Wind Birds."
+
+At once all the Indians took it up and uttered it over and over again, so
+that it would not be forgotten. Even Sagastao and Minnehaha, who could talk
+as well in the Indian language as in English, took up the word and shouted
+out, Souwanaquenapeke, until they had it as thoroughly as their own.
+
+Mary alone was vexed, and so annoyed that she could not conceal her
+disappointment. This was particularly noticed by Sagastao, and as soon as
+Minnehaha joined them they slipped quietly away together. Having obtained
+permission they took a canoe and went for a paddle on the quiet lake. Mary,
+like all other Indians, was passionately fond of the water, and in spite of
+her crooked back was a strong and skillful paddler.
+
+The children were placed in the center of the canoe, on a fur rug, while
+Mary seated herself in the stern and paddled them over the beautiful sunlit
+waves.
+
+For a time but little was heard, for the children were absorbed in the
+scenes of rarest beauty or watched some fish, principally the active gold
+eyes, sporting in the water around them.
+
+After a while the children began to clamor for a story, but Mary would not
+speak a word. Sagastao suspected the cause of Mary's unusual silence.
+
+"What is the use, sakehou," he protested, "of your being in a pet because
+baby was not named Papewpenases? The name they gave her pleased everybody
+else; you must be pleased too."
+
+"If you are cross and won't speak to us we will go and run away to
+Souwanas; won't we?" said Minnehaha.
+
+This was too much for Mary, and she quickly surrendered and made an excuse
+about thinking of some beautiful story to tell them when they should land
+on that little rocky island just ahead of them.
+
+"Very well," said Sagastao, "let us have the one about how medicines were
+discovered and given to the Indians to cure diseases."
+
+"Just the one I was thinking about," said Mary; "and while we rest on the
+lovely white sand I will tell you the story."
+
+A few vigorous strokes of the paddle sent the canoe well up on the sandy
+shore, and soon they all landed. A good romp relieved them of the stiffness
+caused by the cramped position in the canoe. Then as they cuddled down in
+the warm sand Mary began her story.
+
+"You remember, little sweethearts, how the animals of various kinds held
+councils and decided to be revenged on the human family for their cruelty
+by sending diseases among them. Well, these creatures did as they said they
+would and the result was that lots of men died, and also the women and
+children, that did the creatures no harm, were getting different kinds of
+sicknesses and many of them were dying.
+
+"Were there no diseases among them before these times?" inquired Minnehaha.
+
+"No; not what you might call diseases," replied Mary. "The people lived
+such simple lives that, with the exception of accident, such as being
+drowned in great storms or killed by falling trees, or something that way,
+nearly all the people died of old age."
+
+"Then they had no doctors in those days?" asked Sagastao.
+
+"No; there were no medicine men in those times. Although there were those
+skillful to set broken limbs or attend to any who happened to be
+accidentally wounded, but that was nearly all. Then all at once these
+diseases sent by the angry animals began to appear among them, and, of
+course, there was much alarm. The people did not know what had brought
+them, nor how to get rid of them. Many people were sick and numbers of them
+died.
+
+"You see, the animals held their councils in secret, and away from the
+presence of men, and so it would never have been known if the ground
+squirrel, called by some the chipmunk, had not gone and told all about the
+councils to the men. He had always been friendly to the human race. He had
+attended a number of the councils and was the only animal that had ventured
+to say anything in the favor of man. By doing this he so enraged the other
+animals that some of them fell upon him with great fury, and would have
+torn him in pieces if he had not been able to escape into his hole in the
+ground. As it was, they so tore and wounded him with their teeth and claws
+that the stripes remain in his back to this day.
+
+"Well, when he was healed enough to get around again he visited the abodes
+of the human race and was very sorry to find that the diseases sent by the
+other angry animals were causing much suffering and many deaths, so he
+revealed the whole thing to a number of men and told them to be on their
+guard. But even this was not sufficient. It was felt that, now that these
+diseases were spreading among them, they must have some remedies for the
+cure of them or they would all soon be destroyed.
+
+"While thus wondering what they should do their little friend the ground
+squirrel came to their help again. He went about among the trees and
+plants, who were always friendly to man, and he told them of the sad
+calamities that had come to the human race.
+
+"When the trees and plants heard what had been done by the animals to
+injure and destroy their friends they speedily held councils among
+themselves and resolved that they would do all they could to overcome the
+evil.
+
+"First the great trees held their councils, talked over the matter, and
+decided what they could do in the way of furnishing remedies to cure these
+diseases that were doing so much injury. The pine and the spruce and the
+balsam trees said, 'We will give of our gums and balsams.' The slippery elm
+said it would give of its bark to make the soothing healing drink. The
+sassafras said it would give of its roots to make the healthful tea that
+will bring back health again. The prickly ash and the sumach and others
+volunteered their help, and spoke of the wonderful healing power there was
+in them, if rightly used.
+
+"When the plants came to their council the numbers that wanted to help were
+very great. No one was able to keep a record of them and of the healing
+powers they professed to have. There was the mandrake, with its May apples,
+and the wintergreen, with its pretty red berries; the catnip and the
+bone-set, which are so good for colds; the lobelia, which is such a quick
+emetic; the spikenard, the peppermint, the snakeroot, sarsaparilla,
+gentian, wild ginger, raspberry, and scores of others. All cheerfully
+offered assistance.
+
+"When the ground squirrel, who had for days been attending the council of
+the trees and plants, had made out his list of what remedies each tree and
+plant could furnish he was very much delighted, and then, thanking them for
+their offered assistance, he rapidly returned to the abodes of mankind and
+informed them of his great success.
+
+"Of course they were very much pleased, and very grateful to the ground
+squirrel for his kindness and his interest in their happiness. This is the
+reason why the chipmunk, or ground squirrel, lives near the homes of men.
+You never see an Indian shoot them or the boys or girls try to snare them.
+They are always welcome among the trees and the wigwams. The Indians love
+them because they spoke up for man when the other animals turned against
+him, and because it was one of their ancestors that made the trees and
+plants reveal their good medicines for the cure of the sick."
+
+"Now I know why it was, when I was out with the Indian boys, that they
+never would shoot an arrow at a chipmunk, even when I asked them to," said
+Sagastao.
+
+"Yes," said Mary, "all of the Indians have heard their fathers tell of the
+kindness of the old father chipmunk in the days when the animals knew so
+much and could talk, and so they warn the children against injuring these
+pretty little creatures."
+
+But it was now time they were returning. The light canoe was once more
+pushed down into the lake, and soon they were merrily gliding along over
+the clear, transparent waters to their cozy home.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+
+In the Wigwam of Souwanas--How Gray Wolf Persecuted
+Waubenoo, and How He was Punished by Nanahboozhoo.
+
+"We have come to-day for a nice story about Nanahboozhoo," said Minnehaha,
+as she and Sagastao lifted the deerskin door at the wigwam of Souwanas, and
+entered with all the assurance of children who knew they were welcome.
+
+"Did he ever do anything to punish bad fellows who were cruel to their
+wives and children?" asked Sagastao. "Because, if he did, I wish he would
+come and thrash old Wakoo, that bad fellow who has been thrashing his wife
+again because he said she did not snare enough rabbits to suit him."
+
+Souwanas, who was one of the kind-hearted Indians, never cruel to any of
+his family, was much amused at the fire and indignation with which the
+young lad spoke. So after he had had comfortable seats arranged for the
+children among the robes and blankets he endeavored to satisfy their
+demands. "Nanahboozhoo," he said, "did such things long ago, but once,
+when he was giving a good thrashing to a man who had been very cruel to his
+wife, the wife, as soon as she was able, sprang up from the place where her
+husband had knocked her to, seized a paddle and attacked Nanahboozhoo with
+such fury that he resolved never to interfere again, if he could help it,
+in a quarrel between man and wife. And," added the old man, with a merry
+twinkle in his eye, "it is best for everybody, if possible, to keep out of
+such quarrels."
+
+"Yes, but, mismis" (grandfather, Minnehaha's pet name for Souwanas), "you
+surely know a nice story in which Nanahboozhoo helped some one without
+getting into trouble himself."
+
+"Of course I do, my grandchild," said the old man, "and I know you will be
+pleased with it.
+
+"My story is about a lovely Indian maiden who was bothered by a cruel
+hunter. He was determined that she should marry him, although she did not
+like him, and Nanahboozhoo came to her rescue.
+
+"The maiden's name was Waubenoo. She had the misfortune to lose both her
+father and mother when she was about eighteen years old. There were four
+children, all much younger than she, left in her sole care. They had no
+uncles or aunts, or other relatives, near, to take care of them, and so
+Waubenoo had to hunt and fish to get food for her little brothers and
+sisters. Fortunately her father had left a number of good traps and nets,
+and plenty of twine for snares, and so the industrious girl got on fairly
+well. The great lake near her wigwam was well supplied with fish, and the
+forests all round had in them many rabbits and partridges and other small
+game. When great storms arose on the big lake, and Waubenoo could not go
+out alone in her birch bark canoe to visit her nets, some of the Indians,
+who were pleased to see how kind and industrious she was, would overhaul
+her nets and bring in what fish were caught. Thus she toiled on, and with
+the assistance of these kind Indians she did very nicely. Her little
+brothers and sisters loved her dearly, and did what they could to help in
+the simpler and easier part of the work. Every decent person among the
+Indians was pleased with her industrious habits, and often, in their quiet
+way, had some cheery words of encouragement for her.
+
+"But there was one exception, and this was a selfish Indian hunter who,
+seeing what a fine-looking, strong woman she had become, and so clever in
+her work with both nets and traps, resolved that she should be his wife, to
+work for him and do his bidding. This man had been married before and, if
+the reports were true which had been told, it was likely that his wife had
+died because of his cruelties to her. So he resolved, in his selfishness,
+to take Waubenoo from caring for her brothers and sisters to be his wife,
+and to hunt and fish for him, that he might live a life of idleness.
+
+"Her parents being dead this selfish young Indian did not have to go to her
+father to buy her to be his wife. All he thought he had to do was to go and
+tell her she had to be his wife and come and do as he commanded her. So
+harsh and cold were his words, and so very rough and forbidding his looks,
+that, while Waubenoo was frightened, she was grave and high spirited enough
+to indignantly refuse his request, and to order him never to trouble her
+again.
+
+"This, of course, made him very angry. He refused to go, and continued to
+insist on her going with him.
+
+"Fearing that he might revenge himself upon her by doing her or the
+children some harm, she told him that it was her duty to stay with the
+little ones whom the death of the parents had left in her care; that they
+might perish if she now left them.
+
+"But nothing would turn away his anger, and if it had not happened just
+then that some friendly Indians came along he would have cruelly beaten
+her. Before them he durst not strike her, and so, muttering some threats,
+he sulkily strode away into the forest.
+
+"Poor Waubenoo was now sadly troubled. Lighthearted and free, she had
+cheerfully worked and toiled for her loved ones, but now here comes this
+cruel, fierce-looking man, whom she could only look on with fear and dread,
+and threatens to drag her away from them all. Gray Wolf, for that was his
+name, had a bad reputation among the Indians. The young men shunned him and
+the maidens took good care to be out of the way when he was around. That he
+would persist in his attempts to get Waubenoo all were convinced, but that
+he should succeed no one desired. Still, while Indian ideas on some of
+these things are so peculiar that no one seemed disposed to interfere, at
+the same time some of them were generally on the lookout for her
+protection. As for brave Waubenoo, while certain that he would still
+trouble her, she was resolved never to submit to him.
+
+"Thus the weeks rolled on, with Gray Wolf looking for some opportunity to
+carry her off, and making several attempts to do so, which Waubenoo, ever
+alert and watchful, succeeded in preventing.
+
+"At length his persistent attempts became so annoying that she was obliged
+to neglect much of her work in order to keep on her guard. Food was getting
+scarce because she dared not now go far from her wigwam to hunt for the
+partridges and rabbits and other small creatures she was so clever in
+snaring.
+
+"At length she resolved to go to Nanahboozhoo and seek his aid in getting
+rid of this troublesome fellow. When Nanahboozhoo heard her sad story he
+became very angry. He was indignant that such a commendable maiden, one who
+had been so kind to her little brothers and sisters, should be bothered by
+a big, selfish, lazy fellow who only wanted her because she was so
+industrious and so clever at her work.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo had heard much about her kindly treatment of the children,
+and of her skill in providing for their wants, so he lost no time in going
+back with her to her wigwam. At first the younger children were much afraid
+of him, as they, like all other Indian children, had heard such wonderful
+tales about him. But he was in such a jolly good humor that day, and was so
+delighted with everything he saw about Waubenoo's wigwam and with the
+proofs of her industry that he soon made friends with all the children. How
+to go to work to give Gray Wolf such a lesson that he would never trouble
+them any more he hardly knew at first. However, he had not been there many
+hours before he had to come to a decision, for one of the little children
+came rushing into the wigwam with the terrible news that Gray Wolf,
+carrying a big dog whip and looking very angry, was coming along the trail.
+Nanahboozhoo only laughed when he heard this, and he very quickly decided
+what to do. 'Sit down there,' he said to Waubenoo, 'in that dark side of
+the wigwam, with a blanket over your head, and keep perfectly still until I
+call you; and you, children, must keep quiet. Do not be frightened or say a
+word, no matter what happens.'
+
+"Then Nanahboozhoo, who, as you know, could change himself into any form he
+liked, suddenly transformed himself so as to look exactly like Waubenoo. So
+perfect was his resemblance to her, even to his dress, that her brothers
+and sisters could not have detected the disguise. Indeed, the young ones
+could not help looking over to the spot where the real Waubenoo sat in the
+gloom with the blanket drawn over her head. But they were Indian children,
+early trained to be quiet and do as they were told, and so they fully
+obeyed his commands.
+
+"Of course, when Gray Wolf came into the wigwam he was completely
+deceived, and now, thinking that he had caught Waubenoo when there were no
+friendly Indians around, he at once began speaking very fiercely to her:
+
+"'I have asked you for the last time,' he said, 'and now I have come with
+my dog whip and I intend giving you a good thrashing and then driving you
+to my wigwam. I intend to call you Atim, my dog, and like a dog I am going
+to thrash you.'
+
+[Illustration: "Gave him such a terrible beating."]
+
+"He then savagely raised the whip to strike, as he thought Waubenoo, but
+the blow never reached its victim, or even Nanahboozhoo in his disguise, at
+whom it was aimed, for Nanahboozhoo was so enraged that anybody in the
+shape of a man could be so cruel and selfish as to come and threaten a kind
+young woman like Waubenoo that he suddenly sprang at Gray Wolf, and seizing
+him by his scalp lock he dragged him out of the wigwam, and then wrenching
+the heavy whip out of his hand gave him such a terrible beating that he
+remembered it as long as he lived. Then roughly throwing him to the ground,
+Nanahboozhoo, still in the disguise of Waubenoo, hurried into the wigwam
+and said to the real Waubenoo:
+
+"'Now, while he is weak and cowed, go out and talk sternly to him, and tell
+him that if he ever troubles you again it will be worse for him than this
+has been.'
+
+"When Waubenoo came out her appearance so terrified Gray Wolf that he tried
+to get up and skulk away, weak as he was. Waubenoo, glad that her enemy
+was so conquered that he would not be likely to trouble her much more, did
+as Nanahboozhoo requested her.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo was heartily thanked by Waubenoo and the children for thus
+ridding them of this bad Indian, who had for so long made their lives
+miserable. Ere he left Nanahboozhoo warned the children to say nothing
+about his coming, 'for,' said he, 'if Gray Wolf finds out who it was that
+thrashed him he may yet be troublesome.'
+
+"Well would it have been for all if the children had remembered this
+advice," added Souwanas.
+
+"O tell us what they did, and what happened," shouted Sagastao.
+
+"Not to-day," said the old man; "it is time you both were back at your
+lessons, and as I am going that way with some whitefish I will take you
+with me in my canoe."
+
+"But is that all about the story of Waubenoo and the children?" said
+Minnehaha.
+
+"Yes," said Souwanas, "until we come to the next. For a long time after
+Gray Wolf received the beating he kept away from them, although his heart
+was full of anger and revenge. Although he was a big fellow he feared to
+again threaten her who, although she seemed but an ordinary-sized Indian
+maiden, possessed the strength that had enabled her to give him such a
+thrashing."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+
+The Pathetic Love Story of Waubenoo--The Treachery
+of Gray Wolf--The Legend of the Whisky Jack.
+
+"It came about in this way," said Souwanas, "and it is such a sad story
+about beautiful Waubenoo."
+
+"Will it make me cry?" said the tender-hearted Minnehaha. "If so, I do not
+think I want to hear it."
+
+"Stay and hear it, you little pussy," said Sagastao. "I am sure it is not
+worse than the Babes in the Wood."
+
+"Well, you always cry first, when we read that story together," said
+Minnehaha.
+
+At this the lad had nothing to say, for in spite of his apparent
+brusqueness his heart melted more quickly, and his eyes filled easier with
+tears, at a pathetic story, than did his sister's.
+
+"Well, go ahead, Souwanas," said Sagastao. "We each have a pocket
+handkerchief, and when they are used up you can lend us a blanket."
+
+At this quaint speech everybody laughed, and then the old man began his
+second story about Waubenoo. "It all came about because little children
+have long tongues, and this story should warn little children that, while
+they have two eyes and two ears, they have but one tongue, and that they
+should not at any time talk about or repeat half of what they have seen and
+heard.
+
+"The little brothers and sisters of Waubenoo had been warned that they
+should say nothing about the visit of Nanahboozhoo to their wigwam. In
+fact, Nanahboozhoo was such a queer fellow that he did not at any time want
+people to be gossiping about him, and, if he had done any good deed for
+anyone, he did not wish them to be ever speaking about it. Then another
+reason why Nanahboozhoo did not want them to talk about his visit and help
+was the fear that Gray Wolf, finding out how it was that he had received
+such a beating, would be more bitter and revengeful against Waubenoo and
+would again try to get her in his power. The little children were, of
+course, delighted that their wigwam was no longer visited by Gray Wolf,
+whose coming had always filled them with terror, while Waubenoo was so
+pleased at having thus got rid of him that she was happier and brighter
+than she had been for a long time. It was not long before some of the other
+Indians noticed the change. They were surprised that Gray Wolf had so
+suddenly stopped his visits, and that he seemed so dejected and sullen.
+Naturally their curiosity was excited, and they were anxious to find out
+what had happened."
+
+"Better to have been minding their own business," broke in young Sagastao,
+who seemed to see the drift of the story.
+
+"Be quiet, and do not interrupt Souwanas," said Minnehaha, who often felt
+called upon to restrain her brother's impulsiveness.
+
+"Of course," Souwanas continued, "Gray Wolf had so suffered that he had
+very little to say, and if ever teased about Waubenoo he fell into a great
+passion.
+
+"Waubenoo herself was too sensible to gratify their idle curiosity, but the
+very return of her brightness, and her unwillingness to talk about the
+matter, only added to the foolish desires of outsiders to find out what had
+really occurred. So some of these naughty busybodies began questioning the
+children when they could get them away from Waubenoo, for in her presence
+they were as mute as she was. They pestered and bothered the children and
+tried in various ways before they succeeded. But one day, while Waubenoo
+was away overhauling her traps, some of those wicked meddlers visited her
+wigwam and succeeded in getting one of the smallest ones--I just forget now
+whether it was a boy or a girl."
+
+"A girl, of course," shouted Sagastao.
+
+"No, indeed; I am sure it was a naughty boy," said Minnehaha.
+
+"Well, no matter which; but one of them said: 'Nanahboozhoo!'
+
+"This one word, Nanahboozhoo, was quite enough to startle and alarm them,
+for Nanahboozhoo was also much feared, as he sometimes did dreadful things.
+
+"The fact that Nanahboozhoo had been in their very midst, although they
+were a long time in hearing anything more than the one word from the now
+frightened children, was quite enough to excite the whole village, for the
+news was soon spread abroad by the tattlers.
+
+"Such busybodies could not be satisfied with only hearing that Nanahboozhoo
+had visited the wigwam of Waubenoo. Of course they wanted to hear about
+what he said and did, and I am sorry to have to say that after a while,
+with coaxing and presents, they managed to get from the children the whole
+delightfully exciting story.
+
+"When Gray Wolf, who was so jeered and laughed at by all who dare, heard
+from the gossipers how it had happened that he had received such a
+thrashing he was doubly wild and furious.
+
+"When Waubenoo found out that all was known about how Nanahboozhoo had
+helped her she was very sorry that her little brothers and sisters had been
+so naughty and disobedient. She also knew that now she would have to be
+more careful than ever against the movements of Gray Wolf. But the fact was
+that he had been so cowed by his beating that he was afraid to openly
+attack her, lest she should get Nanahboozhoo to help her again and it might
+be worse for him than it was at his first meeting. But he treasured up
+revengeful feelings in his heart and resolved that at some time or other he
+would dreadfully punish her.
+
+"Some years passed by, and the older children, next to Waubenoo, were able
+to do most of the hunting and fishing as well as to be on guard against
+any of the evil doings of Gray Wolf. Thus they were able, in a measure, to
+repay their sister, whom they dearly loved, although they were so
+thoughtless, for all her great kindness to them.
+
+"One fall there came to the village a splendid Indian hunter. He was of the
+same tribe, but lived with his people, most of the time, at a distant part
+of the country. He was so pleased with this village, where dwelt Waubenoo,
+that he decided to remain for the winter and hunt. He was such a very
+pleasant fellow and such a great hunter that he soon made many friends.
+Gray Wolf was the only man who seemed to hate him, and he was even so rash
+as to insult him openly in an Indian gathering.
+
+"Soquaatum, for this was the young warrior's name, stood the insults of
+Gray Wolf for some time, then, when he saw that some of the young hunters
+began to think he was afraid of Gray Wolf, he suddenly sprang at him and
+knocked him down, and then seizing him by his belt, he shook him as easily
+and thoroughly as a wildcat would a rabbit. Then he threw him from him and
+sat down among the people as though nothing had happened.
+
+"That evening, when he and the relatives with whom he lived were seated
+around the fire in the wigwam, he heard for the first time the story of
+Waubenoo: of her great industry, her love for her little brothers and
+sisters, and how she had been threatened by Gray Wolf and then befriended
+by Nanahboozhoo.
+
+"This story very much interested Soquaatum, and especially as in his
+hunting he had met her younger brother, now a fine strapping hunter, and
+had become very fond of him, although he was much younger. So he resolved
+that as soon as he could he would visit her wigwam and seek her
+acquaintance."
+
+"Ho! Ho! So this is to be a love story," said Sagastao.
+
+"Be quiet, do," said his sister. "All love stories do not end well.
+Remember, there was Gray Wolf!"
+
+Souwanas profited by the interruption, for it gave him an opportunity to
+light his pipe with flint and steel, and he then resumed the story.
+
+"Soon after Soquaatum arrayed himself in his most attractive costume and
+called at the tent of Waubenoo. His excuse was that he wanted to see her
+brother and arrange some hunting excursion.
+
+"Waubenoo, who had often heard her brother speak of his great skill as a
+hunter, and had also heard how easily and thoroughly he had handled Gray
+Wolf, received him most kindly and at once made him welcome.
+
+"Well, it is not surprising that he should soon fall in love with Waubenoo,
+and so pleased was she with his manner, as well as his attractive
+appearance, that she became very fond of him, and it was not many days
+after their first meeting before it was noised abroad that Soquaatum and
+Waubenoo were lovers.
+
+"Soquaatum remained until about the middle of the winter. Then he returned
+to his distant home to make all preparations for receiving his wife, for
+whom he was to come in the spring.
+
+"Gray Wolf was, of course, furious when he heard that Waubenoo was to be
+married, and to the man who had humiliated him in the presence of so many
+people. Though angry and revengeful, he was at heart a cowardly fellow, and
+now that Waubenoo's brother was full-grown he was afraid of him, as well as
+of Soquaatum while he was in the neighborhood. But his fears did not
+prevent him from thinking of schemes for revenge which, however, came to
+nothing, because the friends of Waubenoo were so vigilant and well
+prepared.
+
+"At length one of his plans succeeded, and this is how it happened:
+
+"Gray Wolf enlisted a young Indian who was equally bad with himself to help
+him. As Soquaatum had now been gone for some weeks to his home, which was
+far east from that region, Gray Wolf and his wicked companion went a good
+long distance--many miles--in that direction. There they made a hunting
+lodge and laid their plans to capture Waubenoo. Then Gray Wolf's companion
+went back and remained secreted near the wigwam of Waubenoo. One night he
+saw her two brothers leave, about midnight, for some distant traps that
+would take them all day to reach.
+
+"As soon as this bad fellow was satisfied that they were well out of sight
+and hearing he rushed up to the tent of Waubenoo and hastily aroused her
+from her sleep. He had arrayed himself as though he was gaining on her,
+she began calling: 'Soquaatum! Soquaatum!' Alas! he was far away, but there
+was another who, fortunately, was near. Nanahboozhoo had been out hunting
+and he had a sled which he was dragging, loaded with game. He was surprised
+as he heard this calling, 'Soquaatum! Soquaatum!' and as he continued
+listening it became hoarse and then only like a whisper. He could stand it
+no longer; he rushed through the woods and there he saw Waubenoo, dashing
+along on snow-shoes, calling in a low whisper: 'Soquaatum! Soquaatum!'
+while not a hundred feet behind her was Gray Wolf, yelling in triumph that
+he would soon capture her. Unfortunately Nanahboozhoo was not in a very
+good humor that day. He had heard of some little children that had been
+tattling about him, and he had heard that the children in the tent of
+Waubenoo had told about his visit.
+
+"However, when he saw who it was that was in danger, and heard her cry to
+him for help when she saw him, and especially when he saw who it was that
+was after her, he quickly turned Waubenoo into a bird and without any
+trouble she quickly flew up into a tree out of the reach of danger.
+
+"Ever since that Waubenoo has been the Whisky Jack, and if you will listen
+to Whisky Jack when he is not scolding or clamoring at your camp for food
+his voice is like that of the lost Indian maiden, with a bad cold, calling
+for her lover."
+
+"What did Nanahboozhoo do to Gray Wolf?" said Sagastao.
+
+"Hush," said Minnehaha. "Don't you know Nanahboozhoo doesn't like to have
+children talk about him?"
+
+This excessive caution on the part of the little girl vastly amused
+Souwanas. Then he told them that Nanahboozhoo turned Gray Wolf into a dog
+and made him draw home his heavy load of meat.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+
+A Novel Race: the Wolverine and the Rock--How the
+Wolverine's Legs were Shortened--A Punishment for
+Conceit.
+
+There was great excitement one morning among the children in the schoolroom
+when Mary came in with the word that some hunters with their dog sleds had
+called, and that they had with them a great wolverine which had been killed
+in the woods not very far away. The children ran out to look at it.
+
+Now the wolverine is known to be such a cunning, clever animal that the
+killing of one is quite an event among the Indians, and the lucky hunter
+who succeeds in destroying one is the hero of the hour. A man may on one
+hunting trip kill several bears or wolves, or many other animals, and there
+is not much said about it, but to kill a wolverine, that pest and scourge
+of the hunters, is indeed a feat that any man is proud of.
+
+"Why is it called a wolverine?" asked Sagastao.
+
+"Because it was once like a wolf, and had small feet and long legs, but now
+its legs are short and its feet are very large."
+
+"What shortened its legs and made its feet become so large?" asked
+Sagastao.
+
+It was too cold a day to remain any longer outside looking at the
+wolverine, or to learn more about it, so the children were obliged to
+return to their warm schoolroom, where their lessons were resumed.
+
+It was evident, however, that both Sagastao and Minnehaha were ready with a
+couple of questions for Mary, and it was not long after school hours that
+they sought her and asked:
+
+"Mary, what was it that shortened the legs of the wolverine? and what made
+his feet so big?"
+
+"The wolverine," replied Mary, "was once the finest of all the different
+kinds of wolves. He had the softest and nicest of fur. His legs were long,
+and his feet were firm and handsome, but he was an awfully conceited
+fellow. He fancied he was the handsomest creature in existence and looked
+down with contempt on all the other kinds of wolves. He used to go to the
+side of the clear transparent lake, where he could see his shadow reflected
+in the water, and he would strut up and down and say: 'O dear, what a
+lovely creature I am!'
+
+"It is true he was very clever in many ways. He was so swift that he could
+run down even the antelope and the elk, and at all the great animal
+gatherings, where the different creatures met in council, he was the
+swiftest there, and easily won the chief prizes at the great races which
+the animals used to hold. Indeed, he won so many races that at length he
+could get no animal to compete with him. He even tried to get up races with
+the birds, but they laughed at him for his conceit.
+
+"One day he happened to be hunting among the mountains. Near the top of
+one he saw a large ball-like rock, standing there apart from the other big
+rocks. Coming up close to this great round rock he said to it:
+
+"'Was that you I saw walking just now?'
+
+"'No; I cannot walk, I have lain here for a long time,' said the rock.
+
+"The wolverine retorted that he was sure he had seen the rock walking.
+
+"This made the rock angry and he told the wolverine that he was telling a
+falsehood. Then the saucy wolverine replied:
+
+"'You need not speak to me in that way, for I have seen you walking.'
+
+"Then the wolverine ran off a little distance and challenged the rock to
+catch him. But the rock did not reply to this and the bold wolverine came
+close up to the rock, struck it with his paw, and said:
+
+"'Come, now, see if you can catch me!'
+
+"'I cannot run,' said the rock, 'but I can roll.'
+
+"At this the conceited wolverine began to laugh. 'That will do! All I want
+is a race. You can run or roll, just as you like.'
+
+"Then the race began; the wolverine started down the mountain side at a
+great rate, and the rock came rolling behind him. At first the big rock did
+not move very fast, and the wolverine laughed as he looked back and saw the
+rock was so far behind. But the rock came on faster and faster, and now it
+made the wolverine do his very best to keep ahead of it. On they rushed,
+over the sticks and stones and rough places, down--down that great, long
+mountain side. At length, swift and strong as he was, the wolverine began
+to get tired, and although he was running as he never did before in his
+life the big rock was surely gaining on him. By and by he was so frightened
+that in looking behind at the rock, now close at his heels, he tripped over
+a stick and down he fell. The rock rolled over him and, just as it had
+completely crushed him down to the earth, there it stopped.
+
+"Then the wolverine, whose head was not crushed under the rock, cried out:
+
+"'Get off! go away! you are hurting me. You are crushing my bones.'
+
+"But the rock replied:
+
+"'You tormented me and told me I was telling a falsehood, and you
+challenged me to a race with you; and now that I have caught you I will not
+stir until some one stronger comes and takes me off.'
+
+"Then the wolverine lifted up his voice and cried to his relatives, the
+wolves and foxes, to come and remove the rock.
+
+"When these animals came and saw him in such a plight, they asked him:
+
+"'How came you to get under the rock?'
+
+"The wolverine replied:
+
+"'I challenged the rock to catch me, and it rolled on me.'
+
+"When the wolves and the foxes heard this they were not very sorry. They
+knew how conceited the wolverine had been about his speed, indeed they
+were all smarting because of the ease with which he had beaten them, and
+so, instead of helping him at once, they said he deserved his punishment.
+
+"After a time, however, they began to be sorry for the poor wolverine, who
+was crying out piteously for help, but they found they were not able to
+remove the rock. They could not even stir it in the least.
+
+"'Get out of the way,' said the wolverine, 'and I will call my other
+friends, the thunder and the lightning.'
+
+"In a few minutes a great black cloud was seen rapidly coming out of the
+west. As it came rushing along the foxes and the wolves were very much
+frightened by the great noise it made. However, they had courage enough to
+ask the lightning to take off the fine coat of the wolverine but not to
+kill him. Then they ran back and watched to see the lightning do its work.
+The lightning promised to do what had been asked of him; for he had heard
+of this proud, conceited wolverine, who had boasted that he could run like
+lightning, and now he was just going to teach him a lesson. So he darted
+back a distance to gather force, and then he came on with a rush and struck
+the rock and knocked it into small pieces. He also completely stripped the
+skin from the back of the wolverine but did not kill him. When the
+wolverine got up and stood there naked, with all his beauty gone, he was
+very angry at the lightning.
+
+"'You are like other so-called friends I have heard about,' he said; 'you
+cannot do a thing but you must overdo it and spoil all. You had no need to
+tear my beautiful fur coat from my back when you knew I only asked you to
+come and strike the rock.'
+
+"Then the poor, shivering wolverine gathered the pieces of his coat and
+carried them to his sister the frog, who dwelt in a marsh, and he asked her
+to sew them together. The frog had sore eyes, and when she sewed them
+together she did not do it properly. Hence the wolverine was very angry,
+and he hit her a crack on the head and knocked her into the water. Then he
+took up the coat and went and found his youngest sister, the mouse. He told
+her of his troubles, and how the frog had so badly done her work. Then he
+showed the mouse how he wanted the coat to be sewed. His little sister felt
+badly for her big brother, and so she set to work and with great care sewed
+all the pieces together in their right places. When the wolverine saw how
+nicely she had done her work he was much pleased.
+
+"'You mice may live everywhere,' he said, in real gratitude, 'and in spite
+of all your enemies you will never be destroyed.'
+
+"Then the wolverine tried to put on his coat, but, alas! he found his legs
+had been shortened and his feet very much flattened out by the terrible
+crushing he had had under that big stone which he had been so foolish as to
+challenge to a race."
+
+"Guess he didn't run many more races," said Sagastao.
+
+"No, indeed," was the reply; "he was so mortified and angry that from that
+day to this the wolverine has always been a sulking, solitary animal, and
+playing all the mean tricks he can on all kinds of animals as though he had
+a spite against them. He now has not one friend who ever cares for him,
+unless it is his little sister the mouse."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+
+The Legend of the Twin Children of the Sun--How They
+Rid the Earth of Some of the Great Monsters--Their Great
+Battle with Nikoochis, the Giant.
+
+One pleasant summer day, when the children had the pleasure of a canoe
+outing with Mary and Kennedy, they decided to visit the wigwam of their old
+friends, Kinnesasis and his wife. They had not seen them for some time, and
+as Souwanas was away on a long hunting excursion they could not expect any
+Nanahboozhoo stories until his return. Kinnesasis was a capital
+story-teller, and they were eager to reach his wigwam. There, after making
+both him and his wife happy with some gifts, they knew they could get some
+interesting stories in return.
+
+They met with a hearty welcome and spent a happy day there. Among the
+stories Kinnesasis told them, as handed down by his forefathers, the
+following is perhaps the most interesting:
+
+"Long ago there were great monsters on this earth. Some of them were
+enormous animals and fiercer than any that now exist. Then there were
+magicians, and other evil spirits, like windegoos, some of whom were tall,
+giant cannibals, that filled the people with terror. They lay in wait and
+caught the children, and even the grown-up people, as the wild beasts now
+catch their prey. Then they kindled up great fires and roasted them and ate
+them.
+
+"Often, when the parents went to look for their children, they also were
+caught and eaten.
+
+"The people were rendered very miserable not only by these great monsters
+in human form, but also by the attacks of the enormous animals that then
+lived. Indeed they began to fear that they would all soon be killed, unless
+help came to them.
+
+"These people were worshipers of the sun, whom they called the great Sun
+Father, and some tribes still have their sun dances in his honor. When he
+saw that the people were in such great trouble and were likely to be all
+killed by their cruel enemies he resolved to deliver them from their foes.
+So he disguised himself and came down to the earth and married a beautiful
+woman of the Northland. They had lovely twin boys, whose names were
+Sesigizit, the older, and Ooseemeeid, the younger. They grew so rapidly
+that they were able to walk when only a few days old. Their sun father
+disappeared as soon as they were born, going to the far Eastland.
+
+"Strange to say, although these two boys grew so rapidly at first, they as
+suddenly ceased growing, and so remained quite small. But they were very
+intelligent, and were ever asking questions.
+
+"'Who is our father?'" they inquired of their mother one day.
+
+[Illustration: Sun dance lodge of the Blood Indians.]
+
+But she ignored the question, and although they kept bothering her it was
+a long time before she would give them any information at all, and that was
+very little. However, she did tell them that they were more than ordinary
+children and finer than other boys, but then there are lots of mothers who
+say such things to their own little ones.
+
+"As they were now big enough, she brought out of hiding a couple of bows,
+and quivers full of arrows, and some magic rabbit sticks, and gave them to
+the boys.
+
+"'These were left for you by your father,' said the mother, ere he went
+away, and he gave commands that they were to be given to you as soon as you
+were able to use them.'
+
+"The children were, of course, anxious to try their bows and arrows and
+these magic sticks. So very soon after they had received them they resolved
+to go off on a hunting expedition.
+
+"The mother, who was anxious about them, warned them of the various
+monsters in human shape, great windegoos and cannibals, that were ever
+lying in wait to catch and roast and eat little boys. She also told them of
+the animals that were so enormously large that they could catch them up and
+swallow them as easily as a turkey does a grasshopper.
+
+"Thus she tried to put them on their guard against the terrible foes that
+had devoured so many of their people. The boys, however, were not much
+frightened, and they eagerly set off on their journey.
+
+"They were especially warned by their anxious mother not to go to the
+east, as there was a narrow lake there to which many of these evil
+creatures came for water, especially a great monster wolf that had devoured
+many people. Yet they immediately started off in that direction, for, like
+some other boys, they did not obey even their mother. It was noon before
+they reached the lake. At first, as they examined it, everything seemed
+very quiet and still.
+
+"'Mother must have been mistaken,' said Sesigizit; 'I do not see any living
+thing here.'
+
+"But as they wandered farther along the shore, suddenly Ooseemeeid cried
+out:
+
+"'O see that great wolf on the other side!'
+
+"They dropped down as quickly as they could, but the fierce brute had
+already caught sight of them. He was very much larger than any of the
+wolves that now howl in the dark forests. He not only destroyed many of the
+people, but when he came to springs, or small streams, he either drank up
+all the water or so spoiled it that it was unfit for use.
+
+"The boys shot their arrows at him, but his sides were so tough, for he had
+bones like jointed armor upon them, that he was only slightly wounded. He
+was, however, made very angry by their attacks, and he picked up a magic
+stick and threw it at them. They would have fared badly if they had not so
+suddenly thrown themselves upon the ground that it passed over them.
+
+"When the boys saw that their arrows were not swift enough to kill such a
+great animal they decided to use the magic rabbit sticks which their
+father, the sun, had given them, with orders that they were only to be used
+when the arrows failed.
+
+"The wolf, when he saw that one of his magic sticks had missed its aim, was
+more savage than ever, and he seized his remaining one, for he only had
+two, and he threw it with all his power at the boys. This time they both
+jumped high up from the ground and the stick passed under them.
+
+"It was their turn now, and so they both threw their magic sticks with such
+force that the great bony armor of the wolf was crushed in and he was
+killed.
+
+"Sesigizit quickly ran around the lake to the spot where the great body lay
+and cut out the heart of the wolf, while Ooseemeeid secured the two magic
+sticks that the wolf had thrown at them, as well as their own weapons, and
+then with these trophies they returned to their own home.
+
+"'Where have you been?' asked the anxious mother when they appeared.
+
+"'We have been to the lake,' they replied.
+
+"She could hardly believe it.
+
+"'My boys,' she said, 'you surely are mistaken, for no one who goes there
+returns. The great monsters that devour our people live there, and they let
+no one escape.'
+
+"Then they told her of their battle with the great wolf, and how they had
+killed him. They also showed her his heart, which they had brought home
+with them.
+
+"She was very much excited. She called the people together, and there was
+great rejoicing at the death of this terrible wolf which had been such a
+scourge to them.
+
+"Some time after Sesigizit and Ooseemeeid asked their mother if she knew
+where grew any good tough wood suitable for making bows and arrows. Her
+answer was:
+
+"'Far away in the foothills is a canyon, or ravine, where a forest of just
+such wood as you need is growing, but the path that leads to it is narrow,
+and there sits guard a great monster giant who kills and throws into the
+ravine everyone who has attempted to get any of that wood. And in addition
+there is a fierce mountain lioness prowling around somewhere on the route,
+and she has already killed many people and carried them off to her den.'
+
+"Ooseemeeid at once desired to set off and get a supply of this wood, but
+Sesigizit, when he found out how fearful their mother was that they would
+both be killed if they made the attempt, at first refused to go. His
+objection, however, vanished when he saw his brother making ready to start,
+and in spite of their mother's fears they started off.
+
+"They had not gone very far when they met the great mountain lioness. She
+was out hunting food for her cubs. These she had hidden in a den which was
+away up on a precipitous mountain side.
+
+"Ooseemeeid asked her if she knew the way to the canyon where grew the good
+wood.
+
+"'Yes,' she replied. 'I am just going that way, and I will show you the
+route.' She said this because she wished in this way to allure the two boys
+to walk near to her den, and there she would kill them for food for her
+cubs.
+
+"So she led them until they came to a place where the path was very
+dangerous, because it was on a narrow, shelving rock around the mountain
+side. Here the monster lioness asked the boys to walk on ahead of her, but
+they refused, saying that they had been taught never to walk in front of
+their elders. The lioness urged, but the boys were firm, and so she had to
+yield and let them have their way.
+
+"When in the most dangerous part of the pass the boys pretended to be very
+much alarmed, and asked to be permitted to walk between her and the
+mountain side. At first she was suspicious, but they seemed now to be so
+cowardly and afraid that she thought they were not able to do her any harm,
+so she walked on the outer edge of the pass and let them have the inside,
+and also allowed them to put their hands on her as though to steady
+themselves. When they came to the most dangerous spot, where it was so
+narrow that even a mountain lion had to be careful, they both suddenly drew
+their magic sticks and, giving her a great shove, sent her over the side of
+the narrow rocky ledge and down she fell--to be dashed to pieces thousands
+of feet below.
+
+"With a shout of triumph the two boys carefully pushed on and, finding the
+den, quickly killed the cubs and cut off the right forepaw from each one to
+carry home.
+
+"From this high pass they could now see the canyon where grew the good
+wood for which they were seeking. They also saw the lodge of the monster
+giant who guarded the narrow path that led to it. They saw by its size that
+he must be an enormous creature, and so they looked to see that their
+arrows and magic sticks were all in good order and handy for use.
+
+"The great giant had heard their shout of triumph when they had destroyed
+the mountain lioness and it made him very angry, for he hated any noise or
+disturbance; his name, Nikoochis, which means solitude, indicated this.
+
+"When he saw the small boys he was at first inclined to laugh in derision
+at them, but when they had come near enough to shoot their magic arrows at
+him he soon began to roar with the stinging pain they gave him.
+
+"In vain he tried to catch the active little fellows; he was so big and
+clumsy, and they were so quick in their movements, that it was an utter
+impossibility for him to get his hands upon them.
+
+"Then he began tearing up great rocks and stones and tried to crush them by
+hurling these at them. Here the boys' father, the sun, came to their help,
+and he shone so fiercely into the eyes of the great monster that he was
+unable to see very well, and the boys easily kept out of the way of the
+rocks thrown at them.
+
+[Illustration: "They both threw their magic sticks."]
+
+"The monster was big and fat and unaccustomed to exertion, and he was soon
+tired out. Indeed he was so big that the arrows of the boys seemed only
+like pins and needles sticking into him, and the boys began to fear that
+their quivers would be emptied before they had conquered him. Just then
+they met an old witch with a bundle of sticks which she was carrying to her
+wigwam. She was very angry with Nikoochis, for he would not allow her even
+to gather the dry sticks that fell to the ground in the forest he was
+guarding. The result was that she had to wander far away to get the little
+fuel she needed in her wigwam.
+
+"The boys told her of their battle with this selfish old monster, and that
+even now he was badly wounded by their arrows, which, however, did not seem
+to reach any vital spot. She told them that the only place where their
+weapons could be effectual in killing him was in the top of his skull. That
+they must first in some way crack it with their magic rabbit sticks, and
+then they could shoot their arrows into his brain. Hearing this they
+quickly resumed their attack upon him. In vain he tore up great rocks and
+hurled them with all his force at them. They either cleverly jumped on one
+side or sprang up into the air out of the way.
+
+"Then, watching for their opportunity, they waited until he stooped down,
+and when he was struggling to loosen from the earth a great rock as big as
+a house Sesigizit threw, with all his power, his magic rabbit stick. It
+struck the giant fair on the top of his head with such force that it broke
+off a piece of his skull. The next instant Ooseemeeid fired one of his
+arrows so accurately that it pierced into the brain through the spot thus
+left exposed.
+
+"With a roar of rage and pain the great monster fell, rolled down into the
+deep canyon, and died.
+
+"After securing his big flint knife, which dropped from his belt, the boys
+hurried into the canyon and gathered a lot of fine wood for arrow shafts
+and returned to their mother. When she asked them where they had been they
+replied that they had been to the canyon, and that they had killed both the
+mountain lioness and the great giant.
+
+"At first she could hardly believe this, but as they had brought the paws
+of the cubs and the flint knife of the great giant, why, she just had to
+believe it. Great indeed were the rejoicings of the people at being thus
+rid of these creatures."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+
+Souwanas Tells of the Queer Way in which Nanahboozhoo
+Destroyed Mooshekinnebik, the Last of the Great Monsters.
+
+One cold day Souwanas, who had not been seen by the children for some
+time--he had been away on a long hunting excursion--quite unexpectedly
+walked into the mission house during the school hours of Sagastao and
+Minnehaha. The news of his coming was hailed with delight by the children,
+and it required a certain amount of firmness on the part of the heads of
+the household to keep them at their studies. They were, however, quickly
+pacified, and returned with diligence to their lessons, when informed that
+their old friend had been invited to stay all day and doubtless would have
+a story of some kind for them when their studies were all over.
+
+The venison and bear's meat which he had brought were quickly purchased at
+a price that well pleased him. Then he sat down for a rest and a smoke in
+the kitchen. Of course he had his usual tiff with Mary, the nurse, who was
+very jealous of him because he had so won the love and confidence of the
+children. Souwanas was greatly amused at her jealousy of him, especially
+since he was told by one of the Indian maids that the children had been
+overheard gravely debating between themselves which was the better
+story-teller, Mary or Souwanas.
+
+When peace again reigned some illustrated volumes from the library were
+given to Souwanas for his inspection. He was not able to read English, but
+he was very fond of looking at pictures.
+
+There was one book that had a special fascination for him, in fact when he
+first examined it, and had had some of its illustrations explained to him,
+it gave this superstitious Indian about the biggest fright he had ever
+received. It was a book in which were pictured and described many of the
+great extinct monsters of the old times. These enormous hideous creatures,
+whose bones and fossil remains are still occasionally to be found, quite
+alarmed him. Yet the book was generally about the first one he desired to
+see.
+
+On this present visit, however, Souwanas, while as usual eager again to
+inspect this book, was observed to look at it in a very different spirit.
+The explanation came out later, when he had the children around him--indeed
+almost the whole household--listening to a new Nanahboozhoo story which he
+had secured from some famous old Indian whom he had met while far away on
+his long hunting excursion.
+
+"Yes, it is true," he began, "that there did once live on this earth, both
+in the land and in the water, great animals like those here shown in this
+book. I have been to the wigwam of the great Shuniou and from him I have
+learned much about them, as handed down in the tradition of our
+forefathers. Great and terrible were they, and the people of those times
+lived in great terror of them, for the bows and arrows and even the stone
+war clubs of the strongest warriors were powerless to kill or even
+dangerously wound such monsters. It was well for the inhabitants of the
+earth in those days that these great monsters were few in number and that
+they were constantly fighting among themselves, for so large and terrible
+were they that only animals as big and fierce of other kinds could battle
+with them.
+
+"But there was one great monster that lived in the water, and as he had no
+enemies big enough to attack him he lived on, even long after the other
+great animals were all killed off.
+
+"Shuniou said that the tradition was that a great rush of waters caused
+many of the last of the great monsters that had tusks of ivory to be
+carried to the far Northland, and there, as the terribly cold winter set
+in, they were all frozen to death.
+
+"This must be true," added Souwanas, "for it was not many years ago that
+the Hudson Bay Company sent their men there to get this ivory, which they
+intended to ship to England. They came back with word that some of the dead
+bodies had been seen where the ice broke up. But this great monster in the
+water, as I have said, lived on after the rest were all supposed to have
+died off or been killed. He was a terrible scourge to those Indians whose
+wigwams were on the shores of the great sea in which he lived. They were
+in mortal terror when they ventured out in their canoes to fish. This they
+had to do, as they depended almost entirely on fish for their living, and
+there were times when the fish left the shallow waters near the shore and
+went out far from land. There the Indians had to follow and catch them or
+they and their families would starve.
+
+"Happily for them, sometimes for months together no one would hear or see
+anything of this great sea monster. Then, perhaps, suddenly he would rise
+up right under a canoe in which were several Indians, whom he would easily
+catch and swallow one by one. He would sometimes rush after a herd of deer
+that had gone out swimming in the waters. He would catch and easily swallow
+several of them."
+
+"Well, I should think that the big horns of a moose or reindeer would give
+him some trouble to swallow," said Sagastao.
+
+"He was so large," said Souwanas, "that the horns or body of the largest
+deer did not seem to bother him in the least degree."
+
+"I wonder if it were not one of his great grandfathers that swallowed
+Jonah," said the observant Minnehaha.
+
+"The Indians at length came to be so much distressed by the loss of so many
+of their number, and by their inability to slay the monster, that they
+resolved to ask Nanahboozhoo to come and help them if he possibly could.
+
+"I ought to have told you," said Souwanas, "that this great monster was
+called by the Indians Mooshekinnebik.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo at once responded to their request, for he was very angry
+when he heard how many industrious fishermen had been swallowed by this
+creature. He was doubly angry when he returned with the deputation who had
+gone for him and further learned that, only the day before, Mooshekinnebik
+had been mean enough to come near to the shore and catch and swallow some
+boys and girls who had been out swimming that warm summer day.
+
+"When Nanahboozhoo informed Nokomis of the request of the people for his
+help to deliver them from the long hated Mooshekinnebik she was very much
+frightened, and more so when he told her of the strange and dangerous plan
+he was going to adopt to carry out his purpose. It was this: he was going
+to allow himself to be swallowed by this monster who had already destroyed
+so many people."
+
+"O how dreadful!" said Minnehaha. "We will never hear any more nice stories
+about Nanahboozhoo."
+
+"All a pack of lies; there never were any such monsters," snapped out old
+Mary, who could not longer conceal her jealousy at seeing how interested
+the children were in the story.
+
+"Hold on, Mary; not so fast," cried Sagastao, taking the book from Souwanas
+and showing the pictures to Mary.
+
+"There, Sakehow," he said, using his favorite term of endearment, "look
+for yourself and see those lovely creatures--some of them quite big enough
+to swallow us all without winking."
+
+But Mary was stubborn, as well as jealous, and would not give in, even when
+Kennedy, the favorite dog driver, who was present, told her that even now
+there were some of the great tusks and bones of animals that the officers
+called mammoths over at the Hudson Bay Company's fort ready to be shipped
+to England next summer. She was, however, quickly silenced when Sagastao
+sat down beside her and throwing his head into her lap said, very
+coaxingly:
+
+"Now, Mary, just be quiet and let us hear Souwanas tell the rest of the
+story of what Nanahboozhoo did to Mooshekinnebik."
+
+Peace being thus restored, Souwanas, who had been much amused by Mary's
+ire, resumed his story:
+
+"When Nokomis heard her grandson describe how he was going to let the
+monster swallow him she resolved to come and pitch her tent on the
+seashore, among the people who had been so troubled, and there to await the
+return of her grandson, if he should ever come back from such a perilous
+adventure.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo asked his mother for some magic singing sticks, and also for
+a very sharp knife. Then he made for himself a small raft of logs and,
+bidding her good-bye for a short time, he sprang on it and was soon
+floating out, in search of the dreaded creature, over the great waters.
+
+"When well out from the shore he began to make music with his magic sticks
+and to sing a defiant song:
+
+  "'Ho, ho! great fish down in the sea,
+  Come, if you dare, and swallow me.
+  My brothers all you're fond of eating,
+  'Tis time some one gave you a beating.
+  He, he! Hi, hi! Ho, ho! Ho, ho!
+
+  "'You see I am not far away,
+  So come and taste me while you may;
+  Yet not afraid am I, no, no!
+  So hurry up, old fish. Ho, ho!
+  He, he! Hi, hi! Ho, ho! Ho, ho!'
+
+"Nanahboozhoo sang this brave song over and over, to the weird harmony of
+his magic music sticks, until he reached the place where the great fish was
+resting.
+
+"When the great monster Mooshekinnebik heard the voice of Nanahboozhoo he
+came up to the surface of the water to find out who was making all that
+music and shouting out such defiant words.
+
+"When he saw that it was only one young man on a raft of dry logs, he
+ordered one of his children to go and knock the raft to pieces and swallow
+that noisy fellow. But this was not what Nanahboozhoo wanted, and so he
+shouted out:
+
+"'I want the old father fish to eat me.'
+
+"This made old Mooshekinnebik very angry, and so, open mouthed, he rushed
+furiously at Nanahboozhoo who, when the great monster was close enough,
+took a leap into the open mouth and was immediately swallowed up.
+
+"For a short time after being swallowed Nanahboozhoo was unconscious, but
+he soon recovered himself and was able to look around and see the queer
+prison in which he was now confined. It was fortunate for him that he had
+eyes like a cat, and so could see as well in the dark as in the light. He
+found that he was not the only inmate of this queer prison; there were a
+lot of creatures whom he called his brothers--the bear, the deer, the fox,
+the beaver and even the squirrel. Nanahboozhoo inquired of them and they
+told him how they had been captured and the length of time they had been in
+that horrid place. They also informed him that many others who had been
+captured were now dead. Nanahboozhoo found that they were quite hopeless,
+and looked forward to nothing but death. However he called them around him
+and informed them that he had willingly come among them for the purpose of
+affording a speedy deliverance.
+
+"This was indeed good news. Then he explained to them the plan he had in
+his mind, and said that it was necessary for them to kick up a rumpus in
+the interior of this monster, that they would thus make him so very sick
+that he would have to go near to land, and when they should have him there
+he thought he had another plan that would enable them all to escape.
+
+[Illustration: "He took a leap into the open mouth."]
+
+"They all agreed to do anything they could to help on his plans, so
+Nanahboozhoo took out his magic singing sticks and began to play and sing.
+
+"At once the bear, the deer, the fox, the beaver, and indeed all of the
+creatures that were still alive, caught up the lively tune, and such a
+dancing and jumping and flying around was hardly ever seen before.
+
+"This internal commotion very much disturbed Mooshekinnebik. He could not
+make out what was the matter. He shook himself thoroughly, but that did no
+good; then he darted off through the water at a great rate, but this also
+was of no use. Then he rolled over and over and over in the water. This of
+course stopped the dancing and hubbub inside for a time, but as the walls
+of the prison were soft, also the floor and ceiling, nobody was hurt, and
+so the instant it ceased they were up and at it again, harder than ever.
+Mooshekinnebik never had such a turn in his life. He did not know what to
+do. Still Nanahboozhoo kept singing louder and louder, while the dancers
+kept up their wild antics around him.
+
+"At length Nanahboozhoo decided that the monster was about enough
+frightened for him to do something else, and so he drew out his sharp knife
+and gave Mooshekinnebik a good stab near his heart.
+
+"This threw him into convulsions and added to his terror, and he began
+swimming toward the shore. When Nanahboozhoo knew this he kept stabbing him
+more and more, until at length his body was heard to scrape on the shallow
+sandy ground. At this Nanahboozhoo with a mighty effort plunged his knife
+with all his power deep into the monster's heart.
+
+"The instant he did this Mooshekinnebik was thrown into a number of mighty
+convulsions, and in one of them, with one tremendous effort, he fairly
+threw himself out of the water on the shore, and there he died.
+
+"So great and terrible had been these dying convulsions that all the
+creatures inside, and even Nanahboozhoo himself, had become unconscious
+from being so knocked about.
+
+"How long they remained so they did not know. Nanahboozhoo was the first to
+regain his senses, and he was indeed very sorry to see that all of his
+comrades were still unconscious. He had some difficulty in getting out from
+under the bodies of his comrades, who were piled up on him. He was glad
+that the monster was dead, but he was uncertain whether they were on the
+shore or at the bottom of the water. So he speedily determined to find out.
+He climbed up over the bodies of his comrades to the place that he thought
+was the thinnest, and there, with his keen knife, he began cutting through
+the roof of this queer prison.
+
+"To his great delight he was soon able to see the sunshine coming through.
+When he had cut a hole big enough to let in some air and sunshine he took
+up his magic singing sticks and began singing, for the purpose of reviving
+all those imprisoned with him. His song was not much to us, but it was a
+great deal to those shut up in such a prison. It was:
+
+  "'Kesik-in-na-win,
+  Kesik-in-na-win.'
+  (I see the sky,
+  I see the sky.)
+
+"As Nanahboozhoo continued to sing this over and over, one after another
+his brothers sneezed and opened their eyes. They were indeed a happy lot at
+the prospect of deliverance.
+
+"When Nanahboozhoo saw that they were all now recovered he again set to
+work with his knife, and it was not long before he had a hole large enough
+to permit all of the imprisoned creatures to make their escape.
+
+"The news soon spread, and it was not long before Nokomis, with others,
+came to see the huge dead monster, and there were great rejoicings."
+
+"And this," added Souwanas, "is the tradition, as told by Shuniou, of how
+Nanahboozhoo destroyed Mooshekinnebik."
+
+"What became of the little monsters?" asked Minnehaha.
+
+"The Indians," replied Souwanas, "under the leadership of Nanahboozhoo made
+such a war upon them that they were soon annihilated."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+
+Welcome Springtime in the Northland--How Nanahboozhoo
+Killed the Great White Sea Lion, the Chief of the
+Magicians--The Revenge--The Flood--Escape of Nanahboozhoo
+and the Animals on the Raft--The Creation of a New World.
+
+The coming of the pleasant springtime was hailed with great delight. Seven
+or eight months were found to be a very long spell of cold winter weather,
+and so when with a rapidity unknown in more Southern climates the winter
+broke up, and the welcome warm weather made its appearance, everybody
+seemed to feel its genial influence.
+
+The first little wild flowers were looked for with intense interest, and
+great indeed was the joy of the children when some were found. The sweet
+singing birds that in the previous autumn, on the first signs of the coming
+down from the colder North of the Frost King, had flitted away to the
+summer Southland were now returning in multitudes. The air was full of
+their melody, and as scores of them, fearless and trustful, made themselves
+at home in the bird resorts around Wahkiegum, great indeed was the
+children's delight as they welcomed them back to their haunts in the North.
+
+And really it did seem as though the birds were glad to be there again,
+for it is only in the North that these birds sing their sweet love songs to
+each other and build their nests and hatch out their little broods.
+
+The Whisky Jacks, that had been croaking out their hoarse cries all winter,
+seemed to get sulky and vexed that they were now so little admired, and so
+they flitted away farther north and buried themselves in the interior of
+the deepest forests.
+
+In the joyousness of those happy days up in those high latitudes, when the
+changes of every twenty-four hours can easily be noticed, Sagastao and
+Minnehaha for a time troubled neither Souwanas nor Mary for Indian legends
+or stories. There was in the rapid melting of the snow, the breaking up of
+the immense ice fields on the lake, the appearance of the land, and then
+the grass and flowers, and the planting of seeds in their little gardens,
+enough to keep them busy and happy.
+
+But even all these things at length lost their interest. The flights of the
+wild geese, swans, and ducks had all ceased. They, with many other kinds of
+migrating birds, were busy nesting. The sweet songsters around the home
+were everyday companions, and, while the children loved them as much as
+ever, the excitement of their coming had died away. So when one day they
+saw Souwanas coming over the now sparkling waters in his canoe they were
+delighted to welcome him. As usual, when he reached the shore the contents
+of his canoe were examined speedily. There the children found a couple of
+beavers that had but lately been trapped, and a dozen or more muskrats that
+Souwanas had speared in the marshes. These animals were the result of one
+night's hunting, and now Souwanas was on his way home to have them skinned
+and the pelts prepared for sale to the fur traders.
+
+The children's curiosity was much aroused by the sight of the beavers and
+muskrats, and they questioned the old man about them. The queer, broad,
+scaly tail of the beavers much interested them, and drew from Souwanas an
+interesting account of the various purposes for which the clever,
+industrious beavers use this apparently awkward appendage.
+
+"Do you know any Nanahboozhoo stories in which he tells anything about
+beavers or muskrats?" asked Sagastao.
+
+"Yes, indeed," replied Souwanas; "in nearly all the stories that are told
+about the forming of the new land after the great flood both the beaver and
+the muskrat are mentioned, as well as the other animals."
+
+"Tell us one of the stories," urged little Minnehaha.
+
+The arrival of some other canoes at this point interrupted the
+conversation. The newcomers were on their way to the wigwam of Souwanas,
+who was their chief. He was about to go on with them, but when he saw the
+look of disappointment on the faces of the children he, with his usual
+thoughtful kindness, transferred the two beavers and the muskrats from his
+own canoe to one of the late arrivals. Then telling the people to give them
+to his wife, to have them all cooked and ready for dinner, by which time he
+would join them, he sent the people on their way. Having lighted his
+calumet, with the children seated near him, he began:
+
+"Nanahboozhoo's life commenced long before the great flood of waters that
+covered the earth, about which all of our tribes have heard something. He
+had his own wigwam and furnished it with everything he wanted. One day when
+walking on the shore of a great river he saw some sea lions lying on the
+sandy beach, basking in the sun. These animals, like the beaver, could live
+as well in the water as on the land. As he closely watched them from a
+distance, and saw the rich, shiny skins, he thought what a nice tobacco
+pouch could be made out of one of them. When Nanahboozhoo once set his
+heart on anything he at once began to work hard to secure it. He tried
+various plans to capture one of these sea-lions, but none of them
+succeeded. They were too clever to be caught as other animals are, and he
+saw that he would have to adopt some unusual method. He decided that he
+would go down very early to the spot on the bank of the river where they
+were in the habit of sunning themselves and disguise himself as an old
+stump of a tree, then, when they came out and were enjoying the sunshine,
+he would shoot the fine old white one with the beautiful glossy skin that
+he had so much admired. As on other days the lions came, and when they saw
+this stump the white lion, which was a kind of king among them, said:
+
+"'I never saw that big stump before. I think it must be Nanahboozhoo.'
+
+"Another one said he thought the same thing.
+
+"Others only laughed, and said, 'It is only an old pine stump.'
+
+"However, as a number of them were suspicious, it was decided to go up and
+shake it and see if it would move, and thus really find out. They went to
+it, and three of them together used their greatest efforts to move it.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo had to make one of the hardest efforts of his life to hold
+firm. However, he succeeded, and so the lions only said:
+
+"'It really is a stump of a tree, but it is very strange we did not notice
+it before.' Then they rolled about on the warm sand in the sunshine until
+one after another fell asleep.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo now noiselessly and quickly turned himself into a young
+hunter, then taking up his bow and arrow he shot the white lion. His arrow
+stuck fast in his body and badly wounded him, but did not kill him. At once
+the lions all plunged into the river and disappeared. Nanahboozhoo was
+sorry that he did not get the lion's skin, indeed he was greatly vexed and
+annoyed to have to return to his wigwam without it. A day or two after, as
+he was walking in the woods, he met with a very old woman. She had a bundle
+of slippery elm bark, out of which poultices were made by the Indians for
+wounds and bruises, and also some roots for medicine.
+
+"'Where are you going, nookoom (grandmother), and what are you going to do
+with the bark and roots?'
+
+"'O' said she, 'you cannot imagine what trouble we are in, for Nanahboozhoo
+has shot and badly wounded one of our chiefs, and great efforts are going
+to be made to catch and kill him.'
+
+"She also told him that she had been honored in being sent for to come and
+use all of her healing arts to try and restore the wounded chief to health
+again, and that now she was on her way to his abode to poultice him with
+the slippery elm bark, and to give him medicine, made by boiling the roots,
+to allay the great fever from which he was suffering.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo thus discovered that these lions, as he had supposed them to
+be, were wicked magicians who had been doing a great deal of harm, and who
+when they chose to do so could change themselves into the form of lions and
+live either under the water or on land, as best suited them, to escape from
+being killed by those whom they had injured. As the old woman was very
+talkative, Nanahboozhoo soon obtained from her all the information he
+desired. Among other things she told him that sometimes people came to her
+for bad medicines, to give to persons with whom they had quarreled, and in
+this way they would kill them with the poisons which she made out of
+toadstools and other deadly things.
+
+"Hearing these dreadful facts from her own lips Nanahboozhoo resolved to
+kill her, but first he had her tell him where the wounded chief's abode
+was, and all about what was expected of her when she arrived there. He then
+speedily tomahawked her, and clothing himself in her garments he made
+himself look exactly like her, after which he took up her bundle of bark
+and roots and went to the dwelling of the chiefs.
+
+"There he found quite a crowd assembled, but all were in confusion and
+excitement on account of the wounded chief. When they saw, as they thought,
+the old woman coming, whom they were eagerly expecting, they made way for
+her. Nanahboozhoo went straight to the place where the wounded chief lay.
+
+"He was surprised to see that the arrow which he had shot was still
+sticking in his side. He made a great ado about preparing the poultices and
+medicine, and set everybody around him doing something to help carry out
+his plans. Then when all were hurrying, and none looking at him,
+Nanahboozhoo pushed the arrow with such force into the body of the chief
+that it killed him instantly. Then with a shout of triumph he made his
+escape.
+
+[Illustration: "He ran away west, to the great mountains."]
+
+"There was, of course, great excitement among the people. They at once
+called a council and consulted what they should do to destroy Nanahboozhoo.
+They were, as I have told you, magicians, and had power to raise the
+waters, and so they resolved to drown him. They accordingly called on the
+waters to rise and rush over the plains and forests in the direction in
+which he lived. Nanahboozhoo had traveled with great speed back to his
+wigwam, but hardly had he reached it ere he heard the roar of the floods of
+water that were coming to overwhelm him. He saw his great danger and he ran
+away west, to the great mountains; but the floods of water continued rising
+and drove him up higher and higher. When he saw that he was nearing the
+highest peak he began to think what he must do next. Around him in the
+raging waters were quantities of logs and trees, and among them, or on the
+now small peak of land, were numbers of various animals.
+
+"With all his powers he set to work and it was not very long ere he had a
+large raft made out of the floating logs. As the last spot of land was now
+being overwhelmed by the flood, and he pitied the animals that were
+swimming about, he took them on the raft with him. As Nanahboozhoo knew all
+the animals and their languages he held a council on the raft. He told them
+that if he could get even a very little of the old world that was drowned
+he could make a new world for them all. He first asked the otter if he
+would try, and see if he could dive down and bring up a little portion of
+the earth. The otter at once made the attempt, but after a while he came up
+to the surface apparently quite dead. Nanahboozhoo reached out and lifted
+him in and placed him in a sunny spot on the raft. Then the beaver tried.
+He took a great header and down he dived, resolved to succeed if possible,
+but after a time even he came up apparently as lifeless as the otter.
+Nanahboozhoo lifted his body up out of the water and laid it in the sun by
+the side of the otter. The muskrat next volunteered to try what he could
+do, so down he dived and, after a much longer time than the others had been
+down, he too floated up senseless and cold. Nanahboozhoo took him up, and
+as he did so he noticed that there was earth in his mouth and on his paws.
+He carefully collected this in his hand, and then placed the body of the
+muskrat beside the otter and the beaver. He then blew upon the earth and
+thus made it dry and porous, so that when it was placed in the water it
+would not sink but float. He then put a lively little mouse upon it, which
+by running round and round upon the earth made it grow larger and larger.
+Nanahboozhoo then put a squirrel upon it for the same object. Then the
+marten and mink--for the new earth was now so extended that it could hold
+up these light animals.
+
+"For a time Nanahboozhoo had to guard the now rapidly growing young world
+from the larger animals with a stick, for fear they would sink it. They
+were all very tired of having to remain huddled together so long on the
+raft, and were eager to follow the smaller creatures that seemed so happy
+on the new earth, even if it were not very large as yet. As there was much
+to be done to fit this new world up for them to dwell upon, everyone had to
+do what he could. The birds were sent to fly over the water to pick up
+branches and seeds.
+
+"By and by Nanahboozhoo decided that the earth, which had now grown beyond
+the reach of his eyes, was large enough, and so he revived the otter, the
+beaver and the muskrat, and with them and all the other animals around him
+he took possession of the new world.
+
+"In order to ascertain the size of the world he sent a wolf to run to the
+end of it and then to return at once to him. The wolf easily made the
+journey in one day. Nanahboozhoo then kept him with him for some time, and
+again sent him off. The second journey took him five days, the third ten,
+the fourth a month, then he was gone a year and then five years. Thus it
+went on, until at length Nanahboozhoo started off a young wolf just able to
+run on the long journey. This one died of old age ere he had completed the
+trip. Nanahboozhoo then said that the world was large enough, and commanded
+it to cease from growing."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+
+Among the Briers and Wild Roses--Why the Roses have
+Thorns--Why the Wild Rabbits are White in Winter.
+
+One day as the children were out in the clearings back of their home,
+gathering some of the wild strawberries that grew there and also some of
+the wildflowers that bloomed during the short brilliant summer, they were
+delighted to see Souwanas coming along the road with his gun on his
+shoulder and some ducks and rabbits in his hand.
+
+Very cordial were their greetings, but soon the quick eyes of the kindly
+Indian noticed that there were several long red scratches and even some
+drops of partly dried blood on the hands of his little friends. It was
+hardly necessary for him to ask the cause of the wounds, as the bunches of
+sweet briers and wild roses, with their sharp needle-like thorns, in the
+happy children's hands told the tale.
+
+Putting down his gun and game, Souwanas quickly gathered some of the sweet
+fragrant grass which is there so abundant, and skillfully twisting it into
+little coils he wound one around each of the bunches of flowers which the
+children had gathered, and which they were still having trouble to hold on
+account of the thorns.
+
+The bouquets thus arranged could now be carried without inflicting any
+more wounds or pain. Amid their chat and laughter, for these white children
+were taught, like Indian children, not to be afraid of a few scratches or a
+little pain, Minnehaha, who was industriously wiping the blood from some
+wounds on her little white hands with her apron, said:
+
+"How is it, Souwanas, that all these rosebushes and briers have such sharp
+thorns on them?"
+
+"I suppose Mary would say that Nanahboozhoo, the rascal, had something to
+do with it," put in Sagastao.
+
+At this reference to Mary there was a mischievous twinkle in the eyes of
+the old Indian.
+
+"Yes," he replied, "Nanahboozhoo had lots to do with it, and yet when you
+hear the story you will see that he was not such a rascal at the time he
+did it as Mary would make out, but almost as good as her pet, Wakonda, who
+gave the bees their stings."
+
+"O tell us all about it now," said Minnehaha. "We have this forenoon as a
+half holiday, and papa is to join us in about an hour for a walk in the
+woods."
+
+The kind-hearted old Indian had been pleased with the plucky way in which
+the children had slighted their wounded hands, and before he began his
+story he acted the part of the skillful physician. He found some soft juicy
+leaves which he crushed and spread on the ugly red scratches. The effect
+was magical, and the children who had so bravely treated their wounds with
+indifference gratefully acknowledged the sudden cessation of the smart.
+
+Selecting a pretty spot under a clump of balsam trees, where some
+boulder-like stones afforded them comfortable seats, the children cuddled
+down with their old friend, to hear how the roses got their thorns.
+
+"Long ago the roses were the most abundant of flowers, but they grew on
+bushes that were smooth and fragrant, and such delicious eating that all
+the animals that eat grass or browse were constantly seeking for and
+devouring not only the rose flowers but also the bushes on which they grew.
+The result was that the roses of all kinds were in danger of being
+exterminated. In those days trees and flowers and other things had greater
+powers of thinking and acting than they have now, and so the roses of
+different kinds met in council to decide what could be done to preserve
+those of them that were still left in existence. It was decided that a
+deputation of them should be sent to Nanahboozhoo to implore his
+assistance.
+
+"He is such an eccentric fellow, and assumes so many disguises, that they
+had a good deal of difficulty in finding him. They traveled long distances,
+and inquired of the various wild animals they met and even consulted the
+trees and hills. At length they were informed that he was now living in a
+valley among the mountains and experimenting as a gardener. They hurried
+away as fast as the fierce wind which they had hired to carry them could
+blow them along. At first when they reached his abode they were very much
+frightened, as it was easy to observe from the loud angry tones in which
+Nanahboozhoo, although afar off, was speaking, that he was in a great rage.
+However, they had come too far to be easily discouraged. They quietly drew
+near, and hiding behind some dense balsam trees they carefully listened to
+find out the cause of his anger. Fortunately, they could not have come at a
+better time for themselves, for it seems that Nanahboozhoo had become very
+much interested in his work as a gardener. All the things he had planted
+had grown so well that in order to protect them from prowling wild animals
+he had set all around the garden a fine hedge of rosebushes. So many were
+required that Nanahboozhoo had been obliged to transplant bushes from a
+great distance around, for they did not grow so abundantly as formerly.
+
+"The morning of the very day on which the deputation of the rosebushes
+arrived Nanahboozhoo had returned from one of his short adventures. Fancy
+his indignation at finding that in his absence all sorts of animals, from
+the rabbit to the mountain elk, had visited his abode, and had not only
+completely eaten that lovely hedge of rosebushes, but had also greatly
+injured the beautiful garden, of which he was so proud!
+
+"When the deputation of roses understood the cause of his wrath they at
+once left their hiding places and, aided by a sudden puff of wind, came
+before Nanahboozhoo. The sight of them excited his curiosity, as it had
+seemed to him that every rosebush had been destroyed. Before he could say a
+word, however, the rosebushes, who were then able to talk, at once
+presented their petition and pleaded for his powerful assistance to save
+them from being exterminated by their enemies.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo listened to their petition, and after some consultation with
+the rose bushes it was decided to cover the stocks and branches, up to the
+very beautiful flowers, with small thorn-like prickles, so that every
+animal henceforth would be afraid to either devour or closely approach
+them, as they had been accustomed to do in the past. With this protection
+granted them they were more than pleased, and so it now happens that roses
+of many kinds still exist in various parts of the world."
+
+"Thank you very much for that story," said Minnehaha. "Even if Nanahboozhoo
+did put prickles on the rosebushes he was not a rascal, for we would not
+have had any roses at all but for what he did."
+
+For a wonder, Sagastao was silent for a time; but at length he found
+something to say, and his words were a bit of a confession and promise of
+amendment:
+
+"Now that I know why it is that the prickles are on the wild roses I'll not
+get mad even if my fingers bleed when I am gathering a bouquet for mother."
+
+At this moment the two favorite dogs, Jack and Cuffy, came bounding up. By
+this the children knew that their father was not far behind, and they were
+not disappointed. At first he looked anxious when he saw the little hands
+wrapped up in green leaves, but as with merry laughs they told him what the
+leaves were for everything was bright again.
+
+Souwanas was greeted very cordially, as usual, and assured that at the
+mission house he would find in the mistress a willing purchaser of his
+ducks and rabbits. The children were always interested in the game,
+although Minnehaha strongly declared that it was a pity to kill the pretty
+creatures. Souwanas and their father were chatting together while the
+children were turning the ducks and rabbits over.
+
+"See what red eyes some of the ducks have," said Sagastao. "They look as
+though they had been crying."
+
+"Guess you would have cried too," rather indignantly replied Minnehaha, "if
+you had been shot as they were."
+
+"Huh!" he replied with a tinge of contempt, "how could they cry after being
+shot? I don't believe that is it at all. And, look here, Minnehaha, I am
+going also to ask why it is that, while all the rabbits were so white in
+winter, they are all now so brown in summer."
+
+Quickly the resolve was carried out, and so, while Minnehaha was telling
+her father what a beautiful story they had heard about the roses, Sagastao,
+with his hand on the shoulder of the old Indian, who was seated on a rock,
+was eagerly firing at him his double-barreled question: "Why have some
+ducks such red eyes, and why are the rabbits white in winter and brown in
+summer?"
+
+"Both done by Nanahboozhoo," said the old man with a smile, as he took his
+pipe out of his mouth.
+
+"Hurrah for Nanahboozhoo!" shouted the lad.
+
+This outburst on the part of Sagastao at once attracted the attention of
+the others to him and Minnehaha wanted to know what was the matter now.
+
+"Why, did you not hear? Souwanas says that Nanahboozhoo gave the ducks the
+red eyes and makes the rabbits to be white in winter and brown in summer."
+Then turning to Souwanas he asked, "How does Nanahboozhoo do it?"
+
+Here the father, while amused at the lad's enthusiasm, interposed, and
+said:
+
+"You have already kept Souwanas a long time, and perhaps he is busy."
+
+"Busy!" said the irrepressible Sagastao, who was shrewd beyond his years.
+"Busy! Why Souwanas would rather tell stories than do anything else--unless
+to smoke his pipe."
+
+Then he glibly told Souwanas in Saulteaux what had passed between him and
+his father in English, and added, "Is that not so, Souwanas?"
+
+The old Indian smiled, and said kindly:
+
+"How can I help enjoying telling stories when I have such good little
+listeners?"
+
+"But what about his dinner?" asked the kind-hearted Minnehaha. "If we keep
+him here telling stories he will be too late to get back to his wigwam for
+his dinner. I think we had better take him home with us."
+
+This was quickly decided upon, and that there might be no mistake a piece
+of bark was quickly cut from a birch tree and a few lines written upon it
+telling the good mother in the home that they had met Souwanas, and that he
+was entertaining the children with Nanahboozhoo stories and would be with
+them to dinner. Then Jack, the great dog, was called and sent back with the
+missive, with orders to give it to his mistress.
+
+As the dog dashed away homeward the mischievous Sagastao said:
+
+"My! don't I wish I was in the kitchen when Mary hears that we are out here
+with Souwanas listening to stories about Nanahboozhoo! Won't she be hopping
+mad!"
+
+"It will be better," said his father, "for Souwanas to tell his story than
+for you to make any further remarks of that kind."
+
+At first Souwanas seemed to show some hesitancy in beginning his story in
+the presence of his missionary, and he whispered to Sagastao his fears that
+perhaps his father would not care for such trifles as Indian legends and
+stories.
+
+With his usual bluntness, the lad declared:
+
+"O, you don't know our father if you think that way about him. He loves
+nice stories as well as we do, and tells us lots of them; so go ahead, for
+you are going home to dinner with us."
+
+Thus assured, the old man began:
+
+"I will tell you to-day about how it is that the rabbits are white in
+winter.
+
+"Long ago they were always brown, just like those that are lying there
+with the ducks. It is true that they increase very fast, but then it is
+very true that they have many enemies. They have not many ways to defend
+themselves against their foes, who are of so many kinds. Almost all the
+animals that live on flesh are always hunting for rabbits, and so are the
+foxes of all kinds, the wild cats, wolves, and wolverines, and even the
+little weasels and ermine. Then there are fierce birds--the eagle, the
+hawks of all kinds and the owls--that are always on the lookout for
+rabbits, young or old.
+
+"The result was that with this war continually being waged against them the
+poor rabbits had a hard time of it, and especially in winter; for they
+found it very difficult to hide themselves when the leaves were off the
+trees and the ground covered with snow. In those days in the long ago the
+animals used to have a great council. There the great fathers or heads of
+each kind of animal and bird used to meet together and talk about their
+welfare and the welfare of each other. Then there was peace and friendship
+among them while at the council.
+
+"They appointed a king, and he presided as a great head chief. All the
+animals that had troubles or grievances had a right to come and speak about
+them and, if possible, have them remedied.
+
+"Some queer things were said sometimes. At one council the bear found great
+fault with the fox, who had deceived him, and had caused him to lose his
+beautiful tail by telling him to go and catch fish in a big crack in the
+ice. He sat there so long that the crack froze up solidly and to save his
+life he had to break off his tail.
+
+"But all the things they talked about were not so funny as that. They had
+their troubles and dangers, and they discussed various plans for improving
+their condition and considered how they could best defeat the skill and
+cleverness of the human hunters.
+
+"When the rabbit's turn came to be heard he had indeed a sorrowful tale to
+tell. He said that his people were nearly all destroyed. The rest of the
+world seemed combined against his race, and they were killing them by day
+and night, in summer and winter, and they had but little power to fight
+against their many enemies. They were almost discouraged, but had come to
+the council to see if their brethren could suggest any remedy or plan to
+save them from complete destruction. While the rabbit was speaking the
+wolverine winked at the wildcat, while the fox, although he tried to look
+solemn, could not keep his mouth from watering at the thought of the many
+rabbits he intended yet to eat.
+
+"Thus it can be seen that the poor, harmless rabbit did not get much
+sympathy from that part of the crowd that killed his race all the rest of
+the year.
+
+"Still there were some animals, like the moose, and the reindeer, and the
+mountain goat, that stood up in the council and spoke out bravely for the
+rabbit. Indeed they told the animals that had only laughed at the rabbit's
+sad story that, if nothing was done for the little rabbit and they went on
+killing as they were doing, they would soon be the greatest sufferers, for
+if the rabbits were all gone there was nothing else that they could get in
+sufficient numbers to keep them alive. This, which is a fact, rather
+sobered some of them at first; but they soon resumed their mocking at the
+poor little rabbit and his story, and, as they were in the majority, the
+council refused to do anything in the matter.
+
+"When the moose heard the decision of the council he was very sorry for his
+poor little brother the rabbit, so after thinking it over he told the
+rabbit to jump up on one of his flat horns while he was holding them down.
+Then the moose carried him out some distance from the council meeting, and
+said:
+
+"There is no hope for you here. The most of the animals live on you, and so
+they will not do anything that will make it more difficult for you to be
+caught than it is now. Your only chance is to go to Nanahboozhoo, and see
+what he can do for you."
+
+"Hurrah!" shouted Sagastao. "I thought it would be to Nanahboozhoo after
+all."
+
+Continuing, Souwanas said:
+
+"The moose encouraged the rabbit by saying, 'Nanahboozhoo's name was once
+Manabush, or Keche-Wapoose, Great Rabbit, and so I am sure he will be your
+friend, as I think he is a distant relation.'
+
+"Not waiting for the council to close, away sped the rabbit along the route
+described by the moose, who had lately found out where Nanahboozhoo was
+stopping. The rabbit was such a timid creature that when he came near to
+Nanahboozhoo he was much afraid that he would not be welcomed. However,
+his case was desperate, and although his heart was thumping within him
+with fear he hurried along to have the thing over as soon as possible. To
+his great joy he found Nanahboozhoo in the best of humor and he was
+received most kindly.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo saw how wearied and tired the rabbit was after the long
+journey, and so he made him rest on some fragrant grass in the sunshine
+while he went out and brought in for him to eat some of the choicest things
+from his garden. Then afterward he had the rabbit tell of all his troubles
+and of how he was treated at the council.
+
+"This part of the story, of how they acted at the council, made
+Nanahboozhoo very angry.
+
+"'And that's the way they treated this little brother at the council we
+have given them, where it is expected that the smallest and the weakest
+shall have the same right to have his case heard and attended to as the
+biggest and strongest! It is high time that somebody was coming to me with
+council news if things are like this. Look out, Mister Fox, and Wolverine,
+and Wild Cat, for if I get after you I will so straighten you out that you
+will be sorry that the rabbit had to go to Nanahboozhoo for the help you
+ought to have given him!'
+
+"Nanahboozhoo had worked himself up into such a furious temper that the
+rabbit was almost frightened to death. But when he saw this Nanahboozhoo
+only laughed at him, and said he was sorry to have scared him.
+
+"'I was so angry,' said Nanahboozhoo, 'at those animals for ill-treating
+you that I forgot myself; and now, little brother, what do you want me to
+do for you?'
+
+"They had a long talk about the matter and the decision was that there
+should be two great changes. The first was that the eyes of the rabbit were
+to be so increased in power that they should in future be able to see by
+night as well as by day, and the second was that in all Northlands where
+much snow falls during many months of the year rabbits shall change into a
+beautiful white color, like the snow, and thus continue as long as the
+winter lasts. And the rabbits now have a much better time than they had
+formerly. They can glide away in the darkness from their enemies when in
+the woods, and when out in the snow they are not easily seen and often
+escape notice by remaining perfectly still."
+
+But long ere Souwanas had ended Jack had returned from the home with a note
+to say that dinner would soon be ready, and that no one could be more
+welcome than Souwanas.
+
+"But what about the red eyes of the ducks?" said the two children, whose
+appetites for stories were simply--well, like those of other boys and
+girls.
+
+Here the father had to interfere and say that there had been quite enough
+for one day. However, before the walk homeward began, Souwanas was pledged
+to tell the other story at the first convenient opportunity.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+
+Passing Hunters and Their Spoils--The Vain Woman--Why
+the Marten has a White Spot on His Breast.
+
+As the home where Sagastao and Minnehaha lived was near a trail along which
+numbers of Indian hunters were accustomed to travel when on their way to
+the trading post with their furs, they frequently called in to see their
+loved friends the palefaces. These hunters were always welcome, and as they
+were very seldom in a hurry the children drew from them many a quaint
+Indian legend or story of animal life.
+
+It was also a great pleasure for the children to have the hunters,
+returning from a successful trip, open their fur packs and spread out
+before them the rich furs and tell them stories about these animals--the
+silver fox, the otter, beavers, minks, martens, ermines, and sometimes even
+about great bears and wolves, whose skin they had often had. These valuable
+furs were generally well dressed and prepared for shipment by the
+industrious women before they were taken to the trading post. Sometimes,
+however, a hunter when on the trail to the trading post would find in one
+of his traps an animal just caught, and not having time to return to his
+wigwam and have the skin dressed and dried he would carry the animal just
+as it was and sell it to the fur traders.
+
+One day there called a number of Indians, and among them was a hunter with
+a couple of martens which he had caught in his trap that very morning.
+Sagastao and Minnehaha had never seen these little animals before, and they
+handled them with much interest and asked several questions about them.
+
+"Why has the marten that queer white spot on its throat?" asked Minnehaha.
+
+The Indians looked at each other and a grim smile flitted over their
+bronzed faces when they heard this question.
+
+Their conduct only the more excited the curiosity of the children and they
+both clamored for the answer. Then one of the Indians said:
+
+"Ask Mary; she knows all about the story, and as a woman was in the affair
+she can tell it better than we can."
+
+With this answer the children had to be content, for the hunters, having
+drank their cups of tea, soon took their departure.
+
+When the children found Mary they at once demanded the story.
+
+"What story?" said Mary.
+
+"O, you know what we want, for you were in the kitchen and heard what was
+said."
+
+[Illustration: Wigwams and Indians.]
+
+But Mary still protested her ignorance, and declared that she had been so
+busy caring for Souwanaquenapeke that she had not listened to half the
+chatter that had passed between them and the Indians.
+
+"O, I know you, sakehow Mary," said Sagastao. "You don't want to tell us
+because there was a woman like yourself mixed up in it."
+
+Mary bridled up with indignation, but before she could utter a word the
+arms of Sagastao were around her neck, and he cried:
+
+"Forgive me, sakehou! for speaking so foolishly. I do remember now that you
+had left the kitchen with baby before Minnehaha asked the question."
+
+This prompt apology and the sweet word "sakehow" restored harmony, and Mary
+was now anxious to please them.
+
+"What was the question which interested you?" asked Mary.
+
+"Why has the marten that queer white spot on its throat?" asked Minnehaha.
+
+"And the men told us to go to you because there was a woman in it," added
+Sagastao.
+
+Mary smiled when she heard this.
+
+"Yes," she said, "there was a foolish woman mixed up in the story. It was
+like this, as far as I can remember, and it is a story from the North
+people. Long ago a man had a wife who was a very proud, vain woman. She was
+not contented with having her husband and her own people saying nice things
+about her, but she wanted to be flattered and admired by every creature.
+You know that I have told you that, in old times, animals could talk and
+do many things. Well, this conceited woman, with her silly foolish way,
+began attracting the different animals around her. Almost everybody was
+laughing at her, but she seemed to think it great fun to have so many
+admirers. She got a lesson one day when flirting with the bear. They were
+walking along together and she let him put his arm around her, but he gave
+her such a hug that he broke two of her ribs. She was a long time getting
+well and then her husband gave her a great lecturing. You would have
+thought that this would have cured her, but not a bit of it. When she was
+well again she was just as silly as ever, though she took good care not to
+flirt with any animal that could hug like a bear. She next bewitched the
+skunk with her foolishness. But one day, as they walked together, a dog
+suddenly attacked the skunk and in his anger and excitement he so perfumed
+the woman, instead of the dog, with his odor that her husband found her out
+and gave her a beating.
+
+"Everybody was now laughing at her on account of her silly ways, and as her
+husband had persons employed to see what creatures she went out walking
+with she had to remain at home in her wigwam. But when a woman gets proud
+and conceited and carries on like this one did she is hard to cure. The
+fact was, her husband was too kind to her. He did not give her plenty of
+work to keep her busy and out of mischief. Instead of making her chop the
+wood and carry the water, and do other hard things, he did it for her, for
+he was very proud of her and she was indeed a beautiful woman. He did,
+however, make her stay in their wigwam instead of allowing her to go about
+wherever she liked.
+
+"She spent most of her time in fixing herself up in her beautiful clothes
+and thinking what a lovely creature she was. But she soon missed the
+flattery of her admirers and resolved that, in spite of her husband, she
+would try to hear it again. So vigilant, however, were her husband and his
+friends that they were too clever for her.
+
+"One day her husband returned from hunting and visiting his traps and
+snares. Among other animals that he had trapped was a beautiful marten. He
+had caught it in what is called a dead-fall; that is, where a log is so
+arranged that when the animal reaches the bait he is directly under the
+log, which falls upon him the instant he pulls the bait.
+
+"When the woman took up the marten which her husband had thrown at her feet
+she noticed that it was still quite warm, but she said nothing about it to
+her husband, who, picking up an ax and blanket, said that he was going off
+to visit his more distant traps and would not be back for some days. Before
+he left he made her promise that she would not leave the wigwam until his
+return.
+
+"The woman, as soon as she was sure that her husband was really gone,
+picked up the marten. On examining it she was convinced that it was not
+dead, only knocked senseless by the falling log, so she rubbed it, and
+breathed into its nostrils, and then with a reed blew air into its lungs.
+
+"Sure enough, the life was in it, and the first sign it gave was a big
+sneeze or two. At this the woman wrapped it up in a warm covering and held
+it until it was well again. The marten, of course, was very much frightened
+when it found itself in the hands of a woman. It was about to struggle to
+get free, when the woman spoke to it in its own language. At this it was
+very much surprised, and more so when the woman told it how she had given
+it back its life, and that now in return it must do what she desired.
+
+"Any animal or human being would be willing to promise as much when its
+life had been thus restored to it.
+
+"'I will do anything I can for you,' said the marten.
+
+"'I want you to go to your king marten,' said the woman, 'and tell him that
+a beautiful lady has heard so many wonderful things about him that she is
+very anxious to have a visit from him.'
+
+"This the marten promised to do, and it was not very long before the king
+marten came. Of course he had to be very cautious, as he had been warned of
+the many who were watching the silly woman.
+
+"Hardly, however, had he time to say much to her before the footsteps of
+her husband were heard outside. The instant he opened the door of the
+wigwam the king marten ran out, and disappeared in the forest.
+
+"'What was that?' asked the husband.
+
+"'O, dear, that was the marten you trapped. It must have come to life and
+escaped,' said the woman, who thus cleverly saved herself and the king
+marten.
+
+"The man was suspicious, but as the marten which he had trapped was not to
+be found he could not find fault with her, except to say that she ought to
+have skinned the marten soon after he had brought it in.
+
+"The king marten, who was a very conceited fellow, had been quite struck
+with the beauty of the woman, and so, in spite of his narrow escape, he
+resolved to go and see her again. By watching her husband's departure he
+managed to have several brief visits, and at length became so infatuated
+with her that he tried to coax her to run away with him.
+
+"When she heard this she was very angry, for, with all her foolishness, she
+had only acted as she did because of her vanity and love of flattery. Now
+that the marten had dared make such a request she resolved that he should
+be punished; so one day, when he was sitting beside her and saying a lot of
+foolish flattery, she heard the footsteps of her husband approaching, but
+did not warn the king marten.
+
+"So the man thus caught the old marten sitting by the side of his wife. At
+this he was much annoyed, and as the marten suddenly ran out the man asked
+the woman what it meant. So she told him all that the marten had said, and
+of his impertinence in asking her to leave him and become the marten's
+wife. At this the man was very indignant, and so they arranged to punish
+the marten.
+
+"The next time the man went off he told his wife to fill the kettle with
+water and put it on the fire to boil. Then the man took his traps and
+started off as though he were going on a long journey. But he only went a
+little way, just far enough to throw the marten off his guard, and, sure
+enough, while he was watching he saw the marten go into the wigwam.
+
+"Then the man came quietly to the door and listened. He heard the marten
+urging his wife to leave and run away with him. Then he suddenly sprang
+into the tent and shouted out:
+
+"'Old king marten, what are you doing here? How dare you talk to my wife?'
+
+"So saying, the man seized the kettle of boiling water and threw its
+contents at the marten, severely scalding him. The marten tore at his
+burning breast as he dashed away into the woods. And from that day to this
+all martens have that whitish spot on their chests caused by that burn."
+
+"What became of the woman?" said Sagastao.
+
+"Never mind now. We have wasted too much time already on such a
+good-for-nothing conceited flirt," said Mary.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+
+Shooting Loons--Why the Loon has a Flat Back, Red
+Eyes, and Such Queer Feet--Nanahboozhoo Loses His
+Dinner--Origin of Lichens--Why Some Willows are
+Red--The Partridge.
+
+Nothing gave the children greater pleasure than to have the Indians take
+them in their canoes for a couple of hours' trip on the bright waters of
+the beautiful lake that spread out before their home.
+
+These pleasant outings were sometimes rendered exciting and doubly
+interesting by the sight of a black bear or a deer wandering on the shore
+or swimming from some point on the island. At other times there would be
+numbers of loons, or great Northern divers, as they are generally called.
+Their wonderful quickness in diving, then the length of time that they
+could remain under the water and the great distance they would swim before
+coming to the surface were watched with great interest by both Sagastao and
+Minnehaha.
+
+The Indians did not often hunt loons. In fact they found it so difficult to
+shoot one that more than its value in ammunition was generally expended in
+the attempt. The Indians always declared that these clever birds could see
+the flash of their guns and dive down out of danger before the shot reached
+them.
+
+However, as some of them were desired for their beautiful feather-covered
+skins, which make most valuable and beautiful caps and muffs, it was
+decided that Souwanas and Kennedy should take the missionary's
+breech-loading rifle, in addition to their own guns, and try to secure a
+few.
+
+The children begged to be allowed to accompany them, and as the day was
+unusually fine and the lake almost without a ripple they were given a
+holiday and allowed the privilege of an all-day outing with these two
+trusty and experienced men.
+
+A generous lunch, with the indispensable tea kettle, was placed in the
+canoe by careful Mary, who, as usual, was angry that the children were to
+be so long under the witchery of old Souwanas.
+
+With the merry shouts of laughter from the children as their accompaniment
+the two Indians skillfully plied their paddles, and it was not long before
+they were some miles distant and on the lookout for loons. It often happens
+that the things desired are the last to come. So it was this day. Wild
+ducks in goodly numbers, and even geese and some swans and pelicans were
+frequently seen. At length, however, strange, mournful sounds far ahead
+were heard, and the experienced Indians knew that the birds for which they
+were looking were not far away. Still it was some time before the first
+long white neck and black head were seen in the distance, for the cry of
+the loon not only differs from that of any other bird, but is very
+far-reaching.
+
+The excited children were now told to be very still and keep quiet, using
+their eyes alone, and witness the contest between man's skill and the
+birds' cleverness.
+
+So accustomed have some old loons become to being fired at and missed by
+Indians using the old-fashioned flintlock shotgun, which makes such a flash
+when fired, that they just barely keep out of range. The instant they see
+the fire flash--down they go, and then as the shot or bullet strikes the
+place where they were they bob up again serenely in the same spot, or in
+one not very far distant. This risky sport some of them will keep up for
+hours, or until the disheartened hunters have wasted nearly all their
+ammunition.
+
+To-day, however, there was to be a new weapon tried against them, and, alas
+for them, they were sadly worsted. Kennedy first loaded his old flintlock
+shotgun and blazed away, but, as usual, they were out of sight under the
+water before the shot struck the place where the loons had been.
+
+For a time the loons were shy, and swam quite a distance away. But after a
+while, as they found that Kennedy's gunshots could be dodged, they did not
+bother to swim very far away. This was just what Souwanas was waiting for.
+He now took up the rifle, and as soon as a loon came to the surface he
+fired from this new weapon, that gave no flash to warn the poor bird of the
+deadly bullet that was so rapidly speeding on its way. Thus it happened
+that loon after loon was struck and several beautiful birds were
+secured--greatly to the sorrow of the children, who delighted in watching
+their clever diving and sudden reappearance after Kennedy discharged his
+old gun. Out of deference to their feelings the Indians soon ceased
+shooting, although with this new rifle they could easily have secured many
+more.
+
+"Let us now go ashore, on one of these islands," said Sagastao, "and have
+our lunch."
+
+"And a Nanahboozhoo story after," put in Minnehaha.
+
+This plan was just what the Indians were thinking about, and so in a short
+time they were all on the shore. Dry wood was abundant and a bright fire
+was soon burning, and then, when the water was boiled and the tea made, the
+lunch basket was opened and the meal was much enjoyed by all.
+
+"Now, Souwanas," said Minnehaha, "we are all ready for the story at the
+same time, and if your pipe goes out I'll hand you a burning stick with
+which you can light it again."
+
+"Maybe I will keep you very busy," remarked the old man, much amused at the
+offer--and so it proved, for his pipe to-day persisted in going out.
+
+"One day," began Souwanas, "as Nanahboozhoo was walking along the shore of
+a lake he became hungry. He considered what it would be best for him to do
+in order to procure something to eat. He decided to deceive the waterfowls.
+He saw a duck swimming along near the shore and spoke to the bird in this
+fashion:
+
+"'Come here, my brother.'
+
+"'What is it?' said the duck, as it approached Nanahboozhoo.
+
+"'Kesha Munedoo (Gracious Spirit) has revealed words to me to tell to all
+the waterfowl some very important things. Go and tell all sorts of
+waterfowl to come, and when they are all together I will inform you what
+has been revealed to me.'
+
+"The duck obeyed Nanahboozhoo, who in the meantime made a very bare wigwam
+of green boughs, or rather caused it to appear that he did, for he did not
+exert much labor upon it. All sorts of waterfowl came to Nanahboozhoo and
+they seemed anxious to hear what had been revealed. Nanahboozhoo received
+them with great apparent friendliness and invited them to come into the
+wigwam. When they had all entered, he said:
+
+"'You must all dance, first, before I tell you what has been revealed to
+me. All of you must stand close together around inside of the wigwam and
+put your necks close together while dancing, and all of you must flap your
+wings at the same time.'
+
+"Then Nanahboozhoo commenced singing:
+
+  "'Pau-zau-gwa-be-she-moog,
+  Ke-ku-ma-mis-kwa-she-gun.'
+
+  ("'Shut your eyes,
+  And I'll make you wise.')
+
+"These words Nanahboozhoo repeated three times.
+
+"All the fowl kept time to the music and words of the song, and danced,
+shutting their eyes. Nanahboozhoo continued singing, changing to the
+following words:
+
+  "'Au-yun-ze-kwa-gau.'
+
+"All the time such was Nanahboozhoo's power over the birds that they kept
+singing and dancing and at the same time holding their heads close
+together. Nanahboozhoo's voice was singing in the center of the tent, his
+drum beating at the same time, while he in person went around in the wigwam
+or lodge wringing the necks of the waterfowl and throwing them on the side
+of the lodge. The loon, the great diver bird, was dancing on the open door
+side of the lodge. He suspected that Nanahboozhoo was up to some of his
+tricks, doing something bad, so he opened his eyes and saw. At once he gave
+the alarm, and shouted:
+
+"'Nanahboozhoo is killing us!'
+
+"All the fowl that were still alive when they heard these words at once
+flew out at the top opening of the lodge, except the loon, or diver, and he
+being at the door turned and ran out of the lodge as fast as he could
+toward the shore of the lake.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo was so angry at him for daring to open his eyes, and then for
+warning the others, enabling many of them to get away, that he ran after
+him and stamped upon him as he had just reached the shore. Hence it is,
+because of Nanahboozhoo's cruelty, that the loon has had a flat back and
+red eyes, and its feet are so unlike those of any other waterfowl.
+
+"When Nanahboozhoo had made a large fire he took the waterfowls he had
+killed before the diver gave the alarm, and covered them under the ashes,
+leaving only their feet sticking out. While he was waiting for them to cook
+he felt very sleepy, so he lay down to rest.
+
+"But before he went to sleep he said, 'My face side has always done all the
+watching. This is not fair. I will make my back do its share of the
+watching.'
+
+"So, as he cuddled down to have a sleep before the fire, he said to his
+back:
+
+"'Now, you do the watching, you lazy, broad back, while I am sleeping.'
+Then, being very tired, he fell into a heavy sleep.
+
+"After a time the watcher called out:
+
+"'Nanahboozhoo! Indians are coming!'
+
+"Nanahboozhoo slightly raised himself, but he saw no Indians, so he lay
+down to sleep again.
+
+"But again and yet again, for three times, did his faithful watcher call
+and warn him against his approaching enemies. Nanahboozhoo was now so
+stupid with sleep that he only aroused himself a little, not enough to
+enable him to detect the lurking enemy. So he became very angry with his
+watcher, his broad back, and gave it a great thrashing, saying:
+
+"'There! take that, you great stupid watcher, for so disturbing me with
+your false reports!'
+
+"Then Nanahboozhoo fell asleep again. The broad back was very much
+offended at the treatment he had received, for he knew he was right, and
+now, though the Indians were close at hand, he did not again warn
+Nanahboozhoo, so the enemies came and stole all of his cooked fowls. The
+Indians carefully lifted out the fowls by their legs, which Nanahboozhoo
+left sticking up. When they had eaten the bodies of the fowls they stuck
+back the legs in the ashes, as Nanahboozhoo had left them.
+
+"When at last his sleep was ended Nanahboozhoo arose ready for his meal of
+nicely cooked fowl. Great, indeed, were his surprise and indignation when
+he pulled out the feet from the ashes and found that the bodies of the
+fowls were not there.
+
+"He flew into a passion and resolved to punish his back. So he made a fire
+of big trees and stood with his back very close to it. When his flesh began
+to be badly burned it blistered, and made a noise like the roasting of
+meat. Nanahboozhoo did not at first seem to mind the pain, and only said:
+
+"'You may well say 'Zeeng, Zeeng,' in your burning. I will teach you a
+lesson you will remember for not telling me that the Indians were stealing
+my roasted waterfowl.'
+
+"Nanahboozhoo then went on his way, but in spite of his magic powers he
+felt a sort of a soreness in his back. He twisted his head around and saw
+the blisters that had been made by the fierce fire. So he thought how he
+must get rid of them, for they bothered him, although nothing could injure
+him for very long. While walking on the edge of a precipice he
+slipped--and away he slid, far down the rocky side. When he reached the
+bottom, he looked back, and there, on the rock, on which he had slid down,
+he saw things which he had never seen before.
+
+"'My nephews,' said Nanahboozhoo, 'when they see these things on the rocks,
+will call them Wau-konug (lichen), and although they are poor food they
+will keep them from starving when they have nothing better.'
+
+"This is the Indian tradition of the origin of the patches of lichen
+attached to the bare rocks. The Indians still call them 'no-scabs,' and
+when boiled they make a kind of jelly food which is a little better than
+starvation.
+
+"Then Nanahboozhoo, although his back was bleeding from his sliding down
+the rough rocks, continued walking, sometimes along the shore and sometimes
+in the thick bush. In one place where the thicket was very dense such was
+his magic power that he pulled a lot of the thickets together and walked
+over on their tops. When he looked back he saw that the blood from the
+wounds in his back had given a red color to the bushes over which he had
+walked. Then said Nanahboozhoo:
+
+"'My nephews will call these bushes "Me-squah-be-me-sheen" (red willows).
+They will use them to stop bleeding when they meet with any severe
+accidents;' and such the Indians still do when they live among them.
+
+"This is the tradition as to the origin of the red willow, once so common
+in many of the Indian haunts.
+
+"The reason why the partridge is called Kosh-ko-e-wa-soo (one that
+startles) is because one made even Nanahboozhoo give a big jump. It
+happened in this way:
+
+"As Nanahboozhoo was walking along one day in the woods he saw a small
+creature. This little thing thought it would be best for him to be brave in
+the presence of Nanahboozhoo, and so when he was asked who he was he
+answered:
+
+"'I am one who startles.'
+
+"'You cannot startle me,' said Nanahboozhoo.
+
+"The little creature suddenly flew away and Nanahboozhoo resumed his
+journey. By and by he reached a dangerous rocky point on the shore. Just as
+he was at the worst point the partridge suddenly flew almost from under his
+feet with a rumbling noise, and so startled him that he jumped up, sprang
+quickly aside, fell into the water, and got a great wetting. So even
+Nanahboozhoo had to confirm the name of the little partridge."
+
+The return trip was not much enjoyed by the children. The dead loons in the
+canoe did not look as attractive as they had appeared when swimming and
+diving so gracefully in the lake. Souwanas was quick to notice their
+depression of spirits, and he there and then resolved that he would never
+again shoot any living thing in their presence, and he faithfully kept his
+resolve.
+
+Mary met them as they landed and her quick eyes detected the change in
+their spirits, and as they wore their hearts on their sleeves for her she
+quickly found out the cause of their sorrow. She was not slow in availing
+herself of the opportunity afforded of giving Souwanas and Kennedy a
+vigorous scolding for nearly breaking the hearts of her precious darlings,
+by killing in their presence some of the birds whose play they had often
+watched for hours together.
+
+The two men took her scolding in their usual silent way, and then had a
+quiet laugh together when her wrath had exhausted itself and she had
+indignantly walked off with the children.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+
+Nanahboozhoo's Ride on the Back of the Buzzard, who
+Lets Him Fall--A Short-lived Triumph--Why the Buzzard
+has No Feathers on His Head or Neck.
+
+One beautiful warm day, when the leaves of the trees were all bright and
+golden with their autumnal tints, the children were visiting at the tent of
+Souwanas.
+
+The old man was making a beautiful little bow and a quiver full of arrows
+for Sagastao while the old wife was manufacturing an elaborate baby cradle,
+of the Indian pattern, for Minnehaha, in which she could carry her favorite
+doll in the style popular among the Indian girls.
+
+The children were much interested in watching these highly-prized gifts
+being prepared for them, and of course had much to say in the way of thanks
+to those who were doing so much to add to their happiness.
+
+While they were thus busy several canoes were seen coming from the south.
+As the wind was favorable sails had been improvised out of blankets, each
+fastened to a couple of oars, and with these simple appliances they sped
+rapidly along. Seeing Souwanas's wigwam on the point of land the Indians
+came to the shore and smoked and chatted for a short time ere they
+resumed their journey toward the north.
+
+[Illustration: The Indian story-teller.]
+
+They had in their canoes quite a variety of game, and among them a large
+ill-smelling bird called a turkey-buzzard. It was said that the young
+Indian hunter who had shot it thought at first that it really was a turkey,
+but he found out his mistake when he went to lift it from the ground where
+it had fallen. The odor was so offensive that at first he thought he would
+leave it behind, but when he remembered that often some of the large
+feathers were used in ornamental work he decided to bring it along.
+
+The children were interested in its appearance, as this was the first dead
+turkey-buzzard they had ever seen.
+
+"Look, Souwanas," said Minnehaha, "the poor birdie has no feathers on its
+neck or head. It must be very cold there when the winter comes."
+
+"Well, I think that, as likely as not, it was its own fault that it lost
+its feathers," said Sagastao, and then he added as he poked the rank bird
+over with a stick:
+
+"I would not be surprised to hear that Nanahboozhoo had something to do
+with it."
+
+"Nanahboozhoo had," said Souwanas, "and it was because of a mean trick that
+the buzzard played upon him. And now that these Indians are off, who are in
+a hurry to reach Poplar Point, if you will sit down on the rocks in the
+warm sunshine I will tell you the story."
+
+No second invitation was necessary, so while the children seated
+themselves near him on the; smooth granite rock the old man continued his
+arrow making and told them the following story:
+
+
+"One day when Nanahboozhoo was walking through the country he saw the
+buzzard soaring up high in the air. Like an eagle, he was making graceful
+circles round and round with very little effort. After a time the buzzard
+flew down to the earth, and there he stood on a rock with his great wings
+outstretched. Nanahboozhoo quietly approached and entered into conversation
+with him.
+
+"'Brother Buzzard,' he said, 'you must be very happy when sailing around up
+there in the blue sky where you can so easily see everything that is going
+on down here on the world below you. I wish you would take me up there on
+your back and let me see how this world looks from that high place in the
+blue sky, where you live so much.'
+
+"The buzzard on hearing this request at once flew down to the side of
+Nanahboozhoo and said:
+
+"'I will with pleasure take you up on my back and let you see, as you
+desire, how the world looks from that high place.'
+
+"Then Nanahboozhoo, seeing how smooth was the back of the great bird, said:
+
+"'Brother Buzzard, your back is so smooth that I am afraid I will slip off,
+so you must be careful not to sweep round too rapidly in your circles in
+the sky.'
+
+"The buzzard told Nanahboozhoo that he would be very careful although at
+the same time he was resolved, if it were possible, to play a trick on him;
+for he had a grudge of some long standing against him which Nanahboozhoo
+seemed to have forgotten.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo then mounted on the back of the great buzzard and held by his
+feathers as well as he possibly could. The buzzard then took a short run,
+sprang from the ground, and spreading his great strong wings speedily rose
+up higher and higher in the sky.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo at first felt rather timid as he found himself thus rapidly
+soaring through the air, especially as it was so difficult for him to keep
+his seat. When the buzzard began circling round and round it was even more
+difficult, for the body of the bird leaned over more and more as his speed
+increased. But Nanahboozhoo was very clever, and after a while he became
+more accustomed to his queer position and was very much interested in the
+splendid sights of the great world beneath him, over which he could now see
+for such a great distance. Lakes and rivers, forests and mountains, all
+gave delight to Nanahboozhoo, who had wonderful powers of vision.
+
+"At length, as they rose up higher and higher in the blue sky, Nanahboozhoo
+shouted out in his delight as far away in the distance he recognized the
+wigwam of his grandmother, Nokomis. Indeed so delighted was he that for a
+moment he let go his hold on the buzzard and swung up his arms in his
+excitement. The treacherous buzzard noticed this, saw it was the
+opportunity for which he had been watching, and circled round so suddenly
+that his body was tilted over, and before Nanahboozhoo could regain his
+grip he slipped off the smooth back and fell like a stone to the ground. So
+terrible was the force with which he struck the earth that he was knocked
+senseless, and lay there for a long time like one dead.
+
+"But, as I have told you, Nanahboozhoo was more than human and nothing
+could really kill him. So it happened that after a while he recovered his
+senses, but he was annoyed, disgusted, that he had allowed the buzzard to
+play such a mean trick on him.
+
+"Then he prepared to resume his journey, and of course he looked up to see
+if there were any sign of the buzzard. He had not far to look, for there,
+up in the sky, not far off, was the old buzzard laughing at the trick he
+had played upon Nanahboozhoo, and much pleased with his own cleverness in
+deceiving one known to be so crafty.
+
+"'Laugh away, old buzzard,' said Nanahboozhoo. 'You have had the best of me
+this time, but look out! For I will put a mark upon you for this trick of
+yours that will enable your friends and your enemies to recognize you both
+by day and by night.'
+
+"But the buzzard, from his high safe place in the sky, only laughed back in
+derision, and said:
+
+"'No, indeed, Nanahboozhoo, you will do nothing of the kind. You have been
+deceiving the other creatures, but in me you have found your match. You
+cannot deceive me. And now, especially as you have threatened me, I will
+always be on the watch for you.'
+
+[Illustration: "Nanahboozhoo then mounted on the back of the great
+buzzard."]
+
+"Nanahboozhoo made no reply to this boastful speech, but he did a lot of
+thinking, and he soon had his plans laid to teach Mr. Buzzard a lesson he
+would never forget.
+
+"Resuming his journey he pushed on as though nothing had happened.
+
+"The buzzard was at first suspicious and watched him for some time. Then
+seeing nothing unusual in his movements he flew away into the distant sky.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo, in order to carry out his plan to punish the buzzard,
+resolved to turn himself into a dead deer. He knew that the buzzard lived
+on dead animals of all kinds. He chose a high spot, visible from a great
+distance, and there he laid himself down and changed himself into the body
+of a great deer. It was not long before the various animals and birds that
+subsist on such things began to gather round this dead body.
+
+"The buzzard, that has such wonderful eyes, to see great distances, saw
+from afar this gathering of the birds and animals, and as he was ever on
+the lookout for such things he soon joined the rest of the creatures around
+the deer. He flew round and round it several times, for he was at first
+somewhat suspicious. The closest inspection, however, showed him that it
+was only a dead deer, and that was the unanimous opinion of all the other
+animals and birds that gathered there. There could be no doubt in any
+creature's mind but that it was a deer and that it was quite dead.
+
+"The buzzard, now that all his suspicions were gone, in his great greed to
+get the best he could savagely began, with his powerful beak, tearing a
+hole in the side of the body that he might get down to the rich fat that is
+around the kidneys. This is what those fierce, greedy birds always try to
+get first. Deeper and deeper into the flesh he tore, until at length he was
+able to crowd in his head and neck to reach the dainty morsels he so much
+prized.
+
+"This was just what Nanahboozhoo was waiting for, and when the head and
+neck of the buzzard were completely hidden in the body up jumped the deer,
+and as he did so the flesh closed up so tightly around the head and neck of
+the buzzard that the greedy bird was there securely held.
+
+"'Ha, ha, old buzzard! I did catch you after all, as I said I would,' said
+Nanahboozhoo. 'Now pull out your neck and head.'
+
+"The buzzard with very great difficulty at length succeeded in drawing his
+head out of the side of the deer. The effort to do so, however, was so
+great that he lost all of the beautiful feathers that once adorned his head
+and neck. From that day they have never grown on him again, and there is
+nothing there to be seen but the red rough-looking skin.
+
+"'Never again,' said Nanahboozhoo, 'will feathers cover your neck or head,
+and so your friends and enemies, as they see you, will be reminded of how
+Nanahboozhoo punished you for playing one of your tricks on him. And also
+from this time forward your food will only be of the rankest kind, and the
+disagreeable odor will so cling to you that even in the darkest nights your
+hateful presence will be detected and shunned.'
+
+"Thus," added Souwanas, "the buzzard is the most despised of birds, because
+he is such an ugly fellow, with his featherless head and neck, and because
+his disagreeable odor taints the sweet air wherever he goes."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+
+A Moonlight Trip on the Lake--The Legend of the
+Orphan Boy--His Appeal to the Man in the Moon--How
+He Conquered His Enemies.
+
+Moonlight nights in the Northland are often very beautiful. There in the
+summer time the gloaming continues until nearly midnight. Then nothing can
+be more glorious than to glide along amid the beautiful fir-clad rocky
+islands in a birch canoe over the still transparent waters. So large and
+luminous are the full moons of July and August that, with the west aglow
+and with the wondrous aurora flashing and blazing in the north, there is
+practically little night and no darkness at all.
+
+Nothing gave the children greater pleasure than to have permission to go
+with Mary and Kennedy in a large roomy birch canoe for a moonlight
+excursion during one of those warm, brilliant nights. With plenty of rugs
+or cushions, to make the coziest of seats in the center of the canoe, they
+fairly reveled in the beauties of the romantic surroundings while they
+floated on the moonlit lake. Often in some place of more than ordinary
+beauty Kennedy would cease paddling, and then their very quietness added
+to the charms of those happy outings.
+
+[Illustration: With Mary and Kennedy in the birch canoe.]
+
+"Say, Mary," said Sagastao, "I was reading in one of my books about the
+'man in the moon.' Do you know anything about him?"
+
+"He is looking at us very kindly to-night," said Minnehaha. "I really
+believe I saw him laughing, he is so pleased we have come out to see him
+this lovely night."
+
+These remarks of the children caused all in the canoe to more closely scan
+the great round moon that was shining with silvery whiteness straight in
+front of them.
+
+"There are lots of stories about the moon among our people," said Mary,
+"but not a great many about the man in the moon. There is, however, a queer
+one about how he came down and helped a poor orphan boy."
+
+"O, tell it to us just now," said Minnehaha, "while he is watching and
+listening."
+
+"Do, Mary," said Sagastao, "and Minnehaha and I will watch the old fellow
+and see how he likes to be talked about."
+
+"Well," said Minnehaha, "Mary will be talking to him to his face, and not
+behind his back, as people sometimes do when talking about others."
+
+Thus the children ran on with their prattle. Mary and Kennedy were much
+amused.
+
+"Come, Mary, hurry up! Father said the gloaming would end about eleven, and
+we must be at the shore by that time."
+
+"Pretty late hours for little children," said Kennedy.
+
+"Never mind that," said Sagastao; "we will make up for it in winter time,
+when it gets dark at four o'clock."
+
+With Sagastao on one side of her in the big canoe and Minnehaha on the
+other--their favorite positions when listening to her fascinating stories
+as she crooned them out in her soft, musical Cree--Mary told them the
+story.
+
+"Long ago," she began, "there was a poor orphan boy who had neither father
+nor mother, uncle, aunt, nor any living relative that he knew of. He had a
+very hard time of it, as the people did not seem to take kindly to him. So
+he had to live just where he could. He managed to get along all right
+during the pleasant summer time, but when the long cold winters began he
+suffered very much. One winter some selfish people let him live with them
+because he was willing to work hard for what little they did for him. They
+treated him badly in many ways. They made him go out into the woods and cut
+firewood, but when he brought it home they would only allow him to stay in
+the cold entry-way which they had built to their winter dwelling.
+
+"They made him go and hunt different animals for food, and then when he
+brought, them home they cooked and ate the best themselves, and just threw
+the fragments and bones to him as they would to a dog. Every member of the
+household treated him very cruelly, except a nice little girl, the youngest
+daughter of the family. She felt very sorry for him. She would secretly
+take him better food, and she furnished him with a knife with which he
+could cut the tough pieces of meat. She had to be very careful not to be
+discovered, for if found out she would have been severely punished. So her
+pity had to show itself on the sly, and the few words she was able to tell
+him of her sympathy had to be whispered as she passed him, when nobody was
+looking or listening. The poor boy up to this time had no ambition to
+better himself, but her kind words and deeds made him resolve that he must
+begin and do something for himself. But what could he do? Everybody seemed
+against him but this little girl, and she could do nothing in the way of
+helping him to escape from these people, who, now that he was becoming so
+useful to them, would not let him go. What, really, could he do?
+
+"Thus the days and weeks and months passed on and there seemed no chance of
+escape. He had tried to run away, but had been caught and brought back and
+beaten.
+
+"One night when it was not very cold he went outside of the narrow entry
+where he generally had to sleep and threw himself on the ground and cried
+in his sorrow and despair. He seemed to be utterly unable to better
+himself. As he lay there he began looking up at the great bright moon that,
+now so large and round, was, he thought, looking earnestly at him. Soon he
+was able to see that there was a great man in the moon. As he watched him
+he was glad to notice that he was not looking crossly at him, but kindly,
+and so he began crying to the man in the moon to come and help him to
+escape from the miserable life he was leading. Sure enough, as the boy kept
+on crying and pleading he saw the man in the moon beginning to come down to
+this world. He came to the very spot where the unhappy boy was lying, but
+instead of helping him he made him stand up and then he gave him a good
+sound thrashing, making the boy, however, strike back at him as vigorously
+as he could. The beating he got very much disheartened and discouraged the
+boy, for it was not what he had expected. On the following night, when he
+had recovered a little, he began reproaching the man in the moon.
+
+"'I called for you,' he said, 'to come and help me against my enemies, and
+now you have come and thrashed me.'
+
+"But these words, instead of softening the man in the moon, caused him to
+come down again and give the poor boy a far worse thrashing than before,
+but for every blow he made the boy return one as good as he had received.
+
+"Now for the first time the boy began to notice that the more he was beaten
+the stronger he grew. Still he could not understand what the man in the
+moon meant. So he came again, and they had another regular set-to, and the
+boy had another good sound thrashing. He asked him what was the meaning of
+his beating him thus. The man in the moon now spoke to him, but his words
+were so much like a puzzle that at first the boy did not understand them.
+This is what the man in the moon said:
+
+  "'Would you triumph o'er the strong?
+                            Be strong.
+    Would you let them no more conquer?
+                             Conquer.'
+
+"For a time the boy repeated them over and over. He used to say that as the
+result of these meetings with the man in the moon he had grown so strong
+that he was nearly able to hold his own against his antagonist. Then one
+day, when the man in the moon was puffing from the encounter, the latter
+said:
+
+"'Now by hard knocks and exercise I have put you on the way of ending your
+troubles. Be strong, and conquer. Farewell! I am not coming again, as you
+do not need me any more.'
+
+"Then away he flew back to his place in the moon.
+
+"The boy seemed now to know that he was to use his strength for his own
+deliverance. To test himself he began tossing up the stones that were so
+numerous on the shore of the lake. First he began with quite small ones,
+but soon he found that he could pick up and throw about great big ones,
+that were like rocks. When he returned from this last contest with the man
+in the moon it was nearly daylight.
+
+"At first the people began ordering him about as usual. But they soon had
+reason to be sorry for their cruelty and abuse, for the boy seized one
+after another of them and flung them with such violence against the rocks
+that their brains were dashed out and their blood ran in streams down the
+sides of the rocks--where it turned into seams in the rocks which can be
+seen to this day.
+
+"One person only, of all who lived in that dwelling, did the now strong boy
+leave alive, and that was, of course, the good-hearted little girl who used
+to speak kind words to him and befriend him when she could.
+
+"They grew to be very fond of each other, and were afterward married and
+lived in full possession of all the things that once belonged to the cruel
+people for whom the little orphan boy had worked so long."
+
+"Well, sakehou," said Sagastao, "I have been watching the man in the moon
+while you have been telling the story about his queer way of helping the
+boy to help himself, and he was looking pleased all the time. So I am sure
+he is well satisfied with the way you have told the story."
+
+Old Mary was delighted with these words from the lips of the lad she loved
+with such a passionate devotion.
+
+"But what do you think about it, little sister?" said the lad, calling to
+Minnehaha, who was cuddled down on the other side of Mary.
+
+But the darling gave no answer, for she had long ago slipped off into
+Dreamland, and there she remained until the strong arms of Kennedy lifted
+her up from the canoe and carried her home.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+
+Souwanas's Love for Souwanaquenapeke--How Nanahboozhoo
+Cured a Little Girl Bitten by a Snake--How the
+Rattlesnake got Its Rattle--The Origin of Tobacco--Nanahboozhoo
+in Trouble.
+
+Wahkiegun, as Souwanas named the home of his white friends, always had a
+warm welcome for Souwanas. Little Souwanaquenapeke had learned to love him
+and nothing gave the grave old man greater pleasure than to have charge of
+her for hours at a time. He often carried her away to his wigwam and with
+great delight explained to visiting Indians how his name was woven into
+that of the first little paleface born among his people.
+
+Sagastao and Minnehaha, while of course pleased to see the love of the old
+chief for their sweet little sister, were sometimes a little impatient when
+they found that he would have his hour with her before they could draw a
+Nanahboozhoo story out of him.
+
+"You are all right," he would say in his dry, humorous way, "as far as you
+go; you are only Crees," he would add with a smile, referring to the fact
+that they had been born among the Cree Indians farther north; "but
+Souwanaquenapeke is better, as she is a pure Saulteaux."
+
+This of course would put Sagastao and Minnehaha on the defensive, for in
+those days their own pride of birth was that they were Cree Indians.
+Faithful old Mary, herself a Cree, would of course take their part, and it
+was very amusing--laughable at times--to listen to the wordy strife. In
+these discussions Mary was always the one to first lose her temper. When
+this happened the penalty was to have the children throw a shawl over her
+head and thus silence her. From their loving hands she quietly took her
+punishment and was soon restored to good nature. Good-hearted Souwanas then
+speedily responded to the call for a story. But the little Souwanaquenapeke
+must be, if awake, in his arms, or, if asleep, in a little hammock or
+native cradle beside him.
+
+"What is it to be about to-day?" asked the old man, as the children, full
+of eager anticipation, drew a couple of chairs up before him.
+
+After some discussion Souwanas decided to tell them the Nanahboozhoo story
+of how he lessened the power of the rattlesnakes to do harm.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo, in starting off one day from his grandmother's wigwam, had
+put on the disguise of a fine young hunter. He had not gone many miles on
+his journey before he came to a little tent on the edge of the forest where
+he found a young Indian mother full of grief over her sick child.
+Nanahboozhoo could not but feel very sorry for her, especially when he
+heard her story that a snake had crawled noiselessly into her tent and had
+bitten her little girl while she slept. Nanahboozhoo felt such pity, both
+for the weeping mother and the bitten child, that at once he set to work to
+counteract the sad doings of the snake. He hurriedly went into the forest,
+and there finding a certain plant he said, 'From this day forward the root
+of this plant shall be a remedy for all people against the bites of
+snakes.'
+
+"Then Nanahboozhoo showed the mother that the roots were to be pounded and
+made into a drink and a poultice. The glad mother quickly carried out his
+instructions and the little girl was soon well again. The Indians have ever
+since been very thankful to Nanahboozhoo for letting them know of this
+plant, which they still use for such purposes and which they call
+snakeroot. Nanahboozhoo remained until he saw that the little girl was
+quite recovered. Then he said:
+
+"'Now I will fix that snake so that he will not be able to do so much harm
+in the future.'
+
+"Then going out he caught the king of the snakes and gave him a great
+scolding for the meanness of that one of his family which had crawled into
+the tent of the Indian mother and so cruelly bitten that little girl while
+she slept. Then getting very angry, for Nanahboozhoo was very
+quick-tempered, he said:
+
+"'Snakes, like other things, have the right to live. They are given their
+place in the world, and their work. They are to keep down the mice, rats,
+frogs, toads, and other things that might become too numerous. They have
+their poisons given them to defend themselves if attacked. But they have no
+right to go and kill or injure anyone doing them no harm. I'll teach you
+snakes that in future you cannot quietly crawl about and bite innocent
+people thus.'
+
+"So he took a piece of the wampum from one of the strings with which he had
+decorated himself, and having carefully carved the hard shells of which
+wampum is made, Nanahboozhoo firmly fastened them to the snake's tail, and
+said:
+
+"'From this day forward may all snakes like you have those noisy rattles
+upon them, so that all people will call you rattlesnakes. And may it be
+that you can never move without making a noise with those rattles, so that
+people will always be able to hear them and thus get ready to fight you, or
+to get out of your way before you can do any harm.'"
+
+"Well done, Nanahboozhoo!" shouted little Sagastao. "He's the one for me.
+But why did he not kill all the rattlesnakes at once?"
+
+Souwanas was, however, too clever to be caught trying to answer a question
+that, although asked by a child, was beyond his knowledge, so he resorted
+to his calumet, and as the smoke of it began to taint the air Sagastao
+said, "Well, Souwanas, can you tell us where you Indians first got your
+tobacco?"
+
+This question was more to the taste of the old Indian, so while he smoked
+he related the tradition of the introduction of tobacco among his people.
+
+"Very many winters ago," said he, "as Nanahboozhoo was traveling on one of
+his long journeys he visited a land of great high mountains. One day as he
+was passing a great chasm in the mountains he saw some blue smoke slowly
+coming up out of it. This excited his curiosity and he went to see what
+caused it. As he drew near to it he was very much pleased with its odor. On
+further investigation he found that the great cave from which the smoke
+arose was inhabited by a giant who was the keeper of tobacco.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo, on searching, found him half asleep in this cave among great
+bales and bags of tobacco.
+
+"The smell of the smoke of the tobacco had so pleased Nanahboozhoo that he
+asked the giant to give him some. The giant refused in a very surly
+fashion, saying that he only gave portions of it away to his friends the
+Munedoos, who came once a year to smoke with him.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo, seeing that he was not going to be able to get any by thus
+pleading for it, snatched up one of the well-filled tobacco bags, dashed
+out with it, and fled away as rapidly as possible. The great giant was
+fearfully enraged, and at once began the pursuit of this rash fellow who
+had thus stolen his tobacco from under his very nose.
+
+"It was a fearful race. Nanahboozhoo had to jump from one mountain top to
+the next, and so on and on from peak to peak. Closely behind him followed
+the giant, and Nanahboozhoo had all he could do to keep from being
+captured. Fortunately for him he now knew the mountains well, and he
+remembered one ahead of him the opposite side of which was very steep. When
+he reached this top he suddenly threw himself down upon the very edge, and
+as the giant passed over him Nanahboozhoo suddenly sprang up and gave him
+such a push that he tumbled down into the fearful chasm. He was so bruised
+and wounded that, as he got up and hobbled away down the far-off valley,
+Nanahboozhoo watching him saw that he looked just like a great grasshopper.
+He burst out laughing, and then shouted to the giant:
+
+"'For your meanness and selfishness I change you into a grasshopper;
+Pukaneh shall be your name and you will always have a dirty mouth.'
+
+"And so it is to this day, for every little boy who has caught grasshoppers
+knows that their saliva is as though they had been chewing tobacco.
+
+"When Nanahboozhoo had rested himself a little he returned to the cave of
+the giant and took possession of the great quantities of tobacco he found
+there. He divided it among the Indian tribes, and from that time those who
+live where it will grow have cultivated it and have supplied all the
+others."
+
+"I wish," said Minnehaha, "that Nanahboozhoo had left Pukaneh and his
+tobacco in the cave, for I don't think tobacco smoke is very nice in the
+house."
+
+[Illustration: Nanahboozhoo gave him a great push.]
+
+Souwanas was amused with the little girl's opposition to his beloved weed,
+and while she was talking took the opportunity to refill his calumet. When
+it was in good smoking order he, urgently requested by Sagastao, resumed
+his story-telling.
+
+"Sometimes it did not fare so well with Nanahboozhoo. There were times when
+his cleverness seemed to forsake him, and he got into trouble' that at
+other times he would easily have avoided. For example, one day in the
+summer time as he was hurrying along he became very thirsty. Soon, however,
+he came to a river which has many trees on its banks. He pushed his way
+through them until he came to the bank. Just as he was stooping down to
+drink he saw some nice ripe fruit in the water. Without seeming to think of
+what he was doing he dived into the quite shallow water to get the fruit,
+hit his head against the rocky bottom and was pretty badly hurt. He was
+vexed and angry as well as disappointed, but he took a good drink of the
+water and then he lay down on the grass in the shade of the trees to rest.
+As he lay there on his back he saw above him on the branches of the trees
+the fruit which he had at first thought was in the water.
+
+"Laughing at his own stupidity and climbing up into the trees he soon had
+all the ripe fruit he could eat.
+
+"Then on he went, and as his head was quite sore from the bump he had got
+when he dived into the shallow river he determined to visit some wigwams
+which he saw not far off.
+
+"The people received him very kindly, with the exception of one surly,
+cross old man. They quickly prepared some balsam and put it on his wounded
+head.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo was well pleased with this kindness, and said that he would
+be glad to perform for them some kindly act in return.
+
+"Before anyone else, however, could speak the cross old man sneered out:
+
+"'O, if you think you are clever enough to do anything, grant that I may
+live forever!'
+
+"This request and the sneering way in which it was made caused the
+quick-tempered Nanahboozhoo to become very angry, and he suddenly sprang up
+and caught the Indian by the shoulders and violently throwing him on the
+ground said:
+
+"'From this time you shall be a stone, and so your request is granted.'"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+
+The Dead Moose--The Rivalry Between the Elk and the
+Moose People, and Their Various Contests--The Disaster
+that Befell the Latter Tribe--The Haze of the Indian
+Summer.
+
+The sight of four stalwart Indians dragging on a dog sled the body of an
+enormous moose on the ice in front of their home very much interested the
+children.
+
+Nothing would do but they must be wrapped up and allowed to go out and
+examine it while the men rested and had a smoke. Its great horns, its
+enormous ugly head, and then its coarse, bristle-like hair, had all to be
+examined and commented upon. The opportune arrival of Souwanas, who had
+been attracted by the sight of the moose, much pleased the children, and
+just as soon as the investigation of the moose was over and the hunters had
+proceeded on their journey the children insisted on Souwanas going home to
+Wahkiegun with them and telling them something about the moose. They also
+wanted to hear a wonderful story, which he knew, telling how Nanahboozhoo
+helped the elks to conquer the moose.
+
+When there is a disposition to surrender we are easily conquered. So it was
+with Souwanas on this occasion. The children in their love for their friend
+pleaded so importunately that a good cup of tea was prepared for and much
+enjoyed by him before he began his story, his interested auditors as close
+as possible around him.
+
+"Once when Nanahboozhoo was journeying through the country," said Souwanas,
+"he found a village of Indians who were very poor. They were called
+Oomaskos, Elk people. They had nothing but the poorest of robes on their
+backs, and they were nearly destitute of everything in the shape of traps,
+weapons, and canoes. The village was strangely silent, for even the dogs,
+that generally are around in such numbers, had disappeared. When
+Nanahboozhoo saw this destitution and poverty he at once inquired the
+reason, and was surprised and very angry to hear that they were great
+gamblers.
+
+"Not far off from them was another village whose people were called Mooswa,
+or Moose people, and Nanahboozhoo soon found out that, while the
+inhabitants of these two villages were antagonistic to each other, they
+frequently met to gamble, and that the Moose people were nearly always
+successful and had won from the Elk people nearly everything they
+possessed. The latter were very much humiliated at Nanahboozhoo's finding
+them in such a wretched condition, but they told him they were convinced
+that some trickery had been practiced upon them by their opponents. They
+also informed Nanahboozhoo that they would be glad if he would help them to
+get back their much needed possessions.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo promised that he would assist them on condition that after
+their possessions were regained they should give up the pernicious habit of
+gambling. This they unanimously promised to do. The first thing
+Nanahboozhoo did was to disguise himself as a whisky-jack and fly over to
+the village of the Moose people and try to discover how it was that they
+had been so invariably successful when they gambled with the Elk people. It
+was as he suspected. His old enemies the Anamakquis, the evil spirits that
+had destroyed his brother Nahpootee, the wolf, had sent one of their number
+among the Moose people, and he had enabled them to win nearly all of the
+dogs, as well as other things, from the Elk people. Indeed, he himself had
+generally been the one who had tossed the plum stones with which they
+gambled, and they had won by his magic powers.
+
+"When Nanahboozhoo heard this he knew that his first work must be to secure
+the magic muskamoot (medicine bag). So he flew round and round, and peering
+in through the top of the wigwam, where the poles crossed each other, he
+was fortunate enough to see the magic bag hanging up on a cross pole over
+the place where the Anamakqui slept. He noticed also that it was well
+guarded and that it would require some cleverness on his part to get it.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo was, as you know, a very clever fellow. He quickly flew back
+to the village of the Elk people and ordered the most industrious of the
+women, who were skillful in making fire bags, to make one exactly as he
+described. This was, of course, similar to the magic muskamoot he had seen
+hanging up in the tent.
+
+"Nanahboozhoo then put into it things that would have just the opposite
+effect to those which were in the bag of the Anamakqui. He waited until it
+was dark, and then, noiselessly flying back to the village of the Moose
+people, he silently entered the wigwam at the top, where there was now a
+wide opening, as it was in the warm summer time, very quickly exchanged the
+bag he had with him for the magic muskamoot, and returned to the village of
+the Elk people. It did not take him long to arrange his plans. The chief of
+the Elks had a beautiful daughter, and it was given out that a fine young
+chief from a far-away tribe had come to ask for her in marriage. The father
+had welcomed this young chief--who was, of course, Nanahboozhoo--and as he
+had brought costly gifts he was at once acknowledged as the accepted
+son-in-law.
+
+"The news spread rapidly and it soon reached the Moose village. When they
+heard of the many gifts which this rich young stranger had brought with him
+they, of course, were greedy to win them, as they had won the rest of the
+Elks' property. It was not many days before a company of them came over to
+the Elks, and meeting the beautiful daughter of the chief they said:
+
+"'We have come over to have a game of plum stones with your lover, to see
+if he is a better player than we are.'
+
+"The girl went at once into the wigwam and informed her intended husband,
+Nanahboozhoo, of the challenge of these people. She also told him that they
+were very clever but that they had no idea of him being anything else than
+what he appeared to be. Then she added:
+
+"'Be sure to win; if you do not they will beat us with clubs and sticks.
+For the custom is that the side that is defeated in the gambling must
+submit to a beating by the conquerors.'
+
+"Then Nanahboozhoo and the champion for the Moose people sat down on
+opposite sides of the bowl in which were the plum stones, while the people
+of each of the two villages ranged themselves behind their own champion.
+When Nanahboozhoo shook the bowl, and then let the plum stones cease
+rolling, it was seen that he had won every point. At this the Elks set up a
+great shout of triumph. The Moose people shouted back:
+
+"'Don't be so fast; the game is to be the best three out of five; just wait
+until our man has played.'
+
+"The plum stones were then handed to him and patting his medicine bag he
+confidently shook them up, but when they had ceased rolling it was seen
+that he had lost every point.
+
+"The victory was now so nearly won that the Elks began to say:
+
+"'Get your clubs ready to thrash the Moose people, for we are surely going
+to be winners this day.'
+
+"The Moose people were, however, not yet quite discouraged. 'There are
+three tries yet,' they said, 'and our man may yet win.' But their hopes
+were soon gone, for when Nanahboozhoo threw the plum stones the third time
+he was as successful as at the first.
+
+"This decided the game in favor of the Elks, who now rushed upon the Moose
+people and thrashed them all the way back to their own village.
+
+"The Moose were very much humiliated at this defeat. They had not only had
+a good beating but, according to the custom of the tribes, they were
+obliged to restore much of the property which they had won from the Elks in
+their previous contests. A council was called not long after and there was
+quite a discussion among them as to the best plan to be adopted to defeat
+the Elks and regain supremacy. They decided on a trial of strength, for in
+such encounters they had generally been victorious. They had two high poles
+erected with a crossbar on the top, and the contest was to see which side
+could produce the man who should throw the heaviest stone over that bar.
+They sent their challenge to the Elks to meet them if they dare.
+
+"The Elks quickly responded and were soon at the place where the Moose
+people, who were awaiting them, had erected the high poles with the
+crossbar. When everything had been arranged their strongest man took up a
+heavy stone and, with a tremendous effort, succeeded in barely throwing it,
+so that it struck the crossbar and carried it down to the ground. When the
+crossbar had been replaced a son of the chief of the Elks went forward, as
+though he would be the competitor on the side of the Elks. He pretended as
+though he could not even lift the heavy stone which the Moose champion had
+thrown. When the Moose people saw this they shouted out in triumph, and
+began to get ready to give the Elks as good a beating as they had received
+from them on a former occasion.
+
+"Seeing them thus coming, Nanahboozhoo rushed forward, seized the heavy
+stone, and sent it high up and far over the tops of the poles--thus winning
+the victory again for the Elks. With a shout of triumph the Elks again
+attacked the Moose and drove them in disgrace back to their own village.
+The Moose people were now more humiliated than ever, but they determined to
+try another plan; for they were resolved not to give up to the Elks, whom
+they had so often defeated. After much consultation they said:
+
+"'Let us have a contest at diving in the lake, that we may see if our
+champion cannot remain longer under the water than any one of the Elks.'
+
+"So they went over to the village of the Elks and told them they had come
+to have another contest with them. To the proposal of the Moose the Elks
+all agreed, and both parties proceeded to the lake. Here a large hole was
+cut in the ice and the champion of the Moose prepared to go down into the
+water. One of the brothers of the beautiful Indian girl who had been
+selected as Nanahboozhoo's bride said to Nanahboozhoo:
+
+"'As our bodies are tougher than yours you must let me compete this time.'
+
+"Nanahboozhoo would not let him do this. He said:
+
+"'I am not afraid of the cold water, and besides I have plenty of friends
+down there.'
+
+"And, sure enough, the mud turtle came up and said, in words that only
+Nanahboozhoo could understand:
+
+"'My brother, I have come up at the request of your brother, the wolf, to
+aid you. Trust yourself in my care and no harm will come to you.'
+
+"Nanahboozhoo was well pleased to hear this, for he knew that his spirit
+brother had sent his friend the mud turtle to help him in this trial.
+
+"The competitors now stripped themselves, and when the signal was given
+they both dived into the water and disappeared. The Moose people had such
+confidence in their champion that they had all brought with them very heavy
+sticks with which they intended giving the Elks a great beating in return
+for the two previous defeats.
+
+"The Elks, however, were not dismayed. They only said:
+
+"'Just wait until the contest is decided.'
+
+"In the meantime the competitors under the water were so near together at
+first that the people on the land heard the Moose say, 'Elk, are you cold?'
+To which the mud turtle, who had covered the Elk competitor over with his
+shell, replied:
+
+"'No, Moose; but are you cold?'
+
+"As the people on the shore could not hear any answer to this question it
+gave some alarm to the Moose people about their champion, who they feared
+must be benumbed with the cold. This was really the case, for in a short
+time he came to the surface of the water so nearly frozen to death that he
+had to be helped out of the water.
+
+"When the mud turtle and Nanahboozhoo heard the shoutings of triumph of the
+Elks they knew that the Moose champion had failed, and so they came up to
+the surface. Nanahboozhoo swam ashore and joined in the pursuit of the
+disheartened Moose people, who had again so signally failed.
+
+"These repeated defeats very much angered and humiliated the Moose people.
+They almost quarreled among themselves in their vexation as they talked
+them over at their councils. Still they were in no humor to give up. They
+had two very swift runners among them, and they decided to challenge the
+Elks to a foot race. So they again sent a number of their party over to the
+tent of the Elk people and said:
+
+"'We are not at all satisfied yet, and we wish to know if the son of the
+chief and his brother-in-law, the young stranger who has come into your
+midst, will run a foot race against two of our young people.'
+
+"This challenge was at once accepted and soon all preparations were made
+for the great race. It was decided that it should be run on the ice of the
+frozen lake, which was several miles round. Much snow had fallen, but the
+people of both sides turned out for days and cleared out a good track. They
+made it near the shore, and so that the finishing spot would be near where
+was the starting point.
+
+"The Moose felt quite certain of winning this time, because by their magic
+their runners were to be turned into real Moose, with four legs, and they
+argued that runners with four feet could surely beat those who had only
+two. But there were others who had heard about this great race, and among
+them was the wolf, the spirit brother of Nanahboozhoo, and so he came to
+him the night before the race.
+
+"'My brother,' he said, 'I will come and help you in this race. You are the
+only one that can see me, so I will be on the track, about half way round,
+and when you come there you can get on my back and I will carry you at a
+greater speed. But you must keep your legs moving as if rapidly running, or
+the people will suspect something unusual.'
+
+"There was a great crowd to witness this race between the two great Moose,
+to represent the Moose people, and the son of the chief and his unknown
+brother-in-law to represent the Elks. When the signal was given away they
+started over the icy trail. The Moose soon were at the front, with the
+chief's son not far behind. Nanahboozhoo was purposely a little in the
+rear, and so was able to spring upon the wolf's back without attracting
+attention.
+
+[Illustration: They were excited at his coming.]
+
+"With this steed under him he sped along with marvelous rapidity. At the
+half-way point of the race he overtook his brother-in-law, and giving him
+his hand, they were soon far in front. When they rushed in ahead there
+was great excitement. The Moose people were soon running back to their
+village with the Elks whipping them to the very doors of their wigwams.
+
+"After this the Moose dare not challenge the Elks to any further contest,
+but they were so furious that they meditated murder in their hearts toward
+the young stranger, who had, they now saw, been the cause of their many
+defeats. Nanahboozhoo, however, easily thwarted their evil schemes, but at
+length some of them were so bad that his anger was aroused and he exerted
+all his magic power.
+
+"'Moose you are by name,' he said to them, 'and for your bad deeds I change
+you into the animals after whom you are named. Hereafter you will live in
+the swamps, among the willows and young birch. On them you will have to
+browse for a living. For a little variety in your food you may, in the
+summer time, go out into the shallow waters and paw up and eat the great
+roots of the water-lilies.'
+
+"Thus the Elks again had peace and quietness. Gambling was never again
+allowed among them, and Nanahboozhoo, after receiving their grateful
+thanks, returned to his own country."
+
+"What did he do after that?" asked Sagastao.
+
+"Not much, for a while; but after a time he decided to go away up North.
+Each fall, however, he comes and looks around to see how everything is
+going on. Then he rests on some of the mountains and has a big smoke, which
+settles down on the hillsides and valleys and makes the beautiful hazy
+time which we all call the Indian Summer."
+
+"Well," said Minnehaha, "if the smoke of Nanahboozhoo's big pipe of peace
+makes the beautiful haze of the lovely Indian Summer, it is about the best
+thing I have heard yet of tobacco smoke doing."
+
+And so say we all.
+
+
+
+
+GLOSSARY
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Ana-mak-qui, _Evil spirits or magicians_.
+
+An-nun-gi-tee, _The ghost with big ears_.
+
+Ja-koos, _Strong-armed_.
+
+Keche-Wapoose, _Great Rabbit_.
+
+Kin-ne-sa-sis, _Little Fish_.
+
+Kosh-ke-e-wa-see, _Partridge_.
+
+Ma-hei-gan, _Wolf_.
+
+Mani-boos or Manitoos or Munedoos, _Spirits_.
+
+Me-squah-be-me-sheen, _Red Willows_.
+
+Minne-ha-ha, _Laughing Waters_.
+
+Mis-ta-coo-sis, _Aspen Tree_.
+
+Mis-mis, _Grandfather_.
+
+Moos-wa, _Moose_.
+
+Moo-she-kin-ne-bik, _Sea Monster_.
+
+Musk-a-moot, _Medicine Bag_.
+
+Mud-je-kee-wis, _West Wind_.
+
+Na-nah-booz-hoo, _Son of Mud-je-kee-wis--West Wind_.
+
+Nah-poo-tee, _Wolf_.
+
+Ni-koo-chis, _Solitude--name of a giant_.
+
+Nokomis, _Grandmother_.
+
+Ome-mee, _Pigeon or Dove_.
+
+Oo-kis-ki-mu-ni-sew, _Kingfisher_.
+
+Oo-see-mee-id, _The Younger_.
+
+Se-si-giz-it, _The Older_.
+
+Pa-peu-pe-na-ses, _Laughing Bird_.
+
+Pug-a-mah-kon, _A hammer_.
+
+Puk-an-eh, _Grasshopper_.
+
+Sa-gas-ta-oo-ke-mou, shortened to Sagastao, _The Sunrise Gentleman_.
+
+Sa-ke-how, _Beloved_.
+
+Se-se-pask-wut, _Sugar_.
+
+Sis-tin-a-koo, _The magician who guarded the fire in the interior of the
+earth_.
+
+Shu-ni-ou, _Money_.
+
+So-qua-a-tum, _Steadfast_.
+
+Sou-wa-nas, _South Wind, The great Story-teller_.
+
+Sou-wa-na-que-na-peke, _The Voice of the South Wind Birds_.
+
+Wah-ki-e-gun, _The House_.
+
+Wau-be-noo, _The East_.
+
+Wakonda, _A supernatural Person_.
+
+Wakontas, _Son of Wakonda_.
+
+Wau-konug, _Lichen_.
+
+Wenonah, _Daughter of Nokomis and mother of Nanahboozhoo_.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Algonquin Indian Tales, by Egerton R. Young
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10891 ***