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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/15367-h.zip b/15367-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..6a9f24e --- /dev/null +++ b/15367-h.zip diff --git a/15367-h/15367-h.htm b/15367-h/15367-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c258bd4 --- /dev/null +++ b/15367-h/15367-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4959 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" + content="text/html; charset=us-ascii" /> +<meta content="pg2html (binary v0.18b)" name="generator" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of + The Magic Speech Flower, + by Melvin Hix +</title> +<style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[*/ + <!-- + body { margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%; } + p { text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + font-size: 100%; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { text-align: center; } + hr { width: 50%; } + hr.full { width: 100%; } + .foot { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 85%; } + .poem { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left; } + .poem .stanza { margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em; } + .poem p { margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em; } + .poem p.i2 { margin-left: 1.5em; } + .poem p.i3 { margin-left: 2.0em; } + .poem p.i4 { margin-left: 2.5em; } + .poem p.i5 { margin-left: 3.0em; } + .poem p.i6 { margin-left: 3.5em; } + .poem p.i7 { margin-left: 4.0em; } + .quote { margin-left: 6%; margin-right: 6%; text-indent: 0em; font-size: 90%; } + center { padding: 0.8em;} +.leader { border-bottom: 1px dotted black; width: auto; text-align: left; margin-top: -.5em; margin: 0; padding: 0;} +.advertisment { font-size: 90%; margin: 5%; border: 1px solid black; padding: 1em; } + +/*]]>*/ + // --> +</style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Magic Speech Flower, by Melvin Hix + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Magic Speech Flower + or Little Luke and His Animal Friends + +Author: Melvin Hix + +Release Date: March 15, 2005 [EBook #15367] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER *** + + + + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Garcia and the PG Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" style="width:100%;" +alt="The Magic Speech Flower" /> +</div> + +<div style="height: 6em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h1> +<span style="font-size: 75%;"> +THE +<br /> +</span> +MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER +</h1> + +<h2> +OR LITTLE LUKE AND HIS +<br /> +ANIMAL FRIENDS +</h2> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h3> +<span style="font-size: 75%;"> +BY +</span> +<br /> +MELVIN HIX +</h3> + +<h4> +AUTHOR OF "ONCE UPON A TIME STORIES," "UNITED +<br /> +STATES HISTORY FOR FIFTH YEAR," CO-AUTHOR +<br /> +OF "THE HORACE MANN READERS," ETC. +</h4> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h4> +<i>ILLUSTRATED</i> +</h4> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h5> +LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. <br /> +FOURTH AVENUE & 30TH STREET, NEW YORK <br /> +LONDON, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA <br /> +</h5> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h6> +COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY <br /> +LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. <br /> + <br /> +FIRST PUBLISHED, OCTOBER, 1912 +</h6> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h6> + THE PLIMPTON PRESS +<br /> + [W.D.O] +<br /> + NORWOOD. MASS. U.S.A +</h6> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<hr class="full" /> + + +<div class="advertisment"> + +<h2> ONCE-UPON-A-TIME STORIES </h2> + +<p style="text-indent: -1.5em; margin-left: 1.5em;"> +By MELVIN HIX, B. Ped., Principal +of Public School 9, Long Island City, +New York City. +</p> +<p> +The aim of the author is to retell these familiar +stories of childhood in such way as to give +added interest to first and second grade pupils. +</p> + +<center> +<i>ELEVEN STORIES. ILLUSTRATED. +<br /> +105 PAGES. PRICE, 25 CENTS.</i> +</center> + +<hr /> + +<h4> +LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO., +<br /> +PUBLISHERS +</h4> +<p style="text-indent: 0; text-align: center;"> +Fourth Avenue and 30th Street, New York +<br /> +LONDON, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA +</p> + + +</div> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> +THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER +</h2> +<h3> +OR LITTLE LUKE AND HIS +<br /> +ANIMAL FRIENDS +</h3> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<hr class="full"/> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + CONTENTS +</h2> + +<p> + CHAPTER +</p> + +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0003"> +I. THE FINDING OF THE MAGIC FLOWER +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0004"> +II. LITTLE LUKE AND THE BOB LINCOLNS +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0005"> +III. THE STORY OF THE SUMMER LAND +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0006"> +IV. BOB LINCOLN'S STORY OF HIS OWN LIFE +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0007"> +V. LITTLE LUKE MAKES FRIENDS AMONG THE WILD FOLK +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0008"> +VI. LITTLE LUKE AND KIT-CHEE THE GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0009"> +VII. WHY THE KIT-CHEE PEOPLE ALWAYS USE SNAKE-SKINS IN NEST-BUILDING +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0010"> +VIII. LITTLE LUKE AND NICK-UTS THE YELLOWTHROAT +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0011"> +IX. WHY MOTHER MO-LO THE COWBIRD LAYS HER EGGS IN OTHER BIRDS' NESTS +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0012"> +X. THE STORY OF O-PEE-CHEE THE FIRST ROBIN +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0013"> +XI. HOW THE ROBIN'S BREAST BECAME RED +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0014"> +XII. HOW THE BEES GOT THEIR STINGS +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0015"> +XIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST SWALLOWS +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0016"> +XIV. LITTLE LUKE AND A-BAL-KA THE CHIPMUNK +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0017"> +XV. HOW A-BAL-KA GOT HIS BLACK STRIPES +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0018"> +XVI. HOW A-BAL-KA THE CHIPMUNK HELPED MEN +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0019"> +XVII. LITTLE LUKE AND MEE-KO THE RED SQUIRREL +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0020"> +XVIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST RED SQUIRRELS +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0021"> +XIX. HOW THE RED SQUIRREL BECAME SMALL +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0022"> +XX. LITTLE LUKE AND MOTHER MIT-CHEE THE RUFFLED PARTRIDGE +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0023"> +XXI. WHY THE FEATHERED FOLK RAISE THEIR HEADS WHEN THEY DRINK +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0024"> +XXII. LITTLE LUKE AND FATHER MIT-CHEE +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0025"> +XXIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST PARTRIDGE +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0026"> +XXIV. WHY PARTRIDGES DRUM +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0027"> +XXV. MOTHER WA-POOSE AND OLD BOZE THE HOUND +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0028"> +XXVI. MOTHER WA-POOSE AND OLD KLAWS THE HOUSE CAT +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0029"> +XXVII. THE RABBIT DANCE +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0030"> +XXVIII. WHY THE WILD FOLK NO LONGER TALK THE MAN-TALK +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0031"> +XXIX. THE TALE OF SUN-KA THE WISE DOG +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0032"> +XXX. HOW THE DOG'S TONGUE BECAME LONG +</a></p> +<p><a href="#h2H_4_0033"> +XXXI. THE STORY OF THE FAITHFUL DOG +</a></p> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h1> + THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER +</h1> + +<a name="h2H_4_0003" id="h2H_4_0003"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + I. THE FINDING OF THE MAGIC FLOWER +</h2> +<p> +It was June and it was morning. The sky was clear and the sun shone +bright and warm. The still air was filled with the sweet odor of +blossoming flowers. To little Luke, sitting on the doorstep of the +farmhouse and looking out over the fresh fields and green meadows, the +whole earth seemed brimful of happiness and joy. +</p> +<p> +From the bough of an apple tree on the lawn O-pee-chee the Robin chanted +his morning song. "Te rill, te roo, the sky is blue," sang he. +</p> +<p> +From the lilac bush Kil-loo the Song Sparrow trilled, "Sweet, sweet, +sweet, sweet, the air is sweet." +</p> +<p> +Over in the meadows Zeet the Lark fluttered down upon a low bush and +sang, "Come with me, come and see," over and over. Then he dropped down +into the grass and ran off to the nest where his mate was sitting on +five speckled eggs. +</p> +<p> +Bob-o'-Lincoln went quite out of his wits with the joy of life. He flew +high up into the air, and then came fluttering and falling, falling and +quivering down among the buttercups and daisies. He was very proud of +himself and wanted everybody to know just who he was. So he sang his own +name over and over. With his name-song he mixed up a lot of runs and +trills and thrills that did not mean anything to anybody but himself and +his little mate nestling below him in the grass. To her they meant, +"Life is love, and love is joy." +</p> +<p> +Old Ka-ka-go the Crow, sitting on the top of the tall maple, felt that +on such a morning as this he, too, must sing. So he opened his beak and +croaked, "Caw, caw, caw, caw." What he meant to say was, "Corn, corn, +corn, corn." Sam, the hired man, heard him and came out of the barn door +with his gun. Old Ka-ka-go spread his black wings and flapped off to the +woods on the side of the mountain. +</p> +<p> +Far up in the blue sky Kee-you the Red-shouldered Hawk wheeled slowly +about in great circles. When he saw Sam with his gun, he screamed, +"Kee-you, kee-you, kee-you," over and over. +</p> +<p> +That was a poor song, but a good war cry; It sent every singer plunging +to cover. O-pee-chee the Robin hid himself among the thick branches of +the apple tree. Kil-loo the Song Sparrow hopped into the thickest part +of the lilac bush. Zeet the Lark and Bob Lincoln squatted in the thick +grass. Not a bird note was to be heard. +</p> +<p> +But Ka-be-yun the West Wind was not afraid of the warrior hawk. He +breathed softly among the branches of the trees and set every little +leaf quivering and whispering. Then he ran across the meadows and the +wheat fields. As he sped along, great waves like those of the sea rolled +in wide sweeps across the meadow and through the tall wheat. +</p> +<p> +To little Luke it seemed as if the leaves and grass and wheat all +whispered, "Come away. Come and play." Just then a great bumblebee flew +by and now the call was clear. "Come away, come away! Follow, follow, +follow me!" +</p> +<p> +The boy jumped up and ran down the path into the garden. There he met +Old Klaws the House Cat, with a little brown baby rabbit in his mouth. +"You wicked old cat," said little Luke, "drop it, drop it, I say." But +Old Klaws only growled and gripped the little rabbit tighter. Little +Luke seized the old cat by the back of the neck and choked him till he +let go. The little brown rabbit looked up at him with his big round +eyes, as much as to say, "Thank you, little boy, thank you." Then he +hopped off into the thicket of berry bushes, where Old Klaws could not +catch him again. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke went on down the path, through the garden gate, and into the +meadow beyond. All at once Bob Lincoln sprang up out of the grass right +before his feet. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke thought he would find Bob Lincoln's nest. So he got down +upon his knees and began to look about in the grass very carefully. He +did not find the nest, but he did find a fine cluster of ripe, wild +strawberries. He forgot all about the nest and began to pick and eat the +sweet berries. So he ate and ate till his lips and fingers were red as +red wine and smelled strongly of ripe strawberries. +</p> +<p> +Suddenly, as he put out his hand for another cluster, up sprang a black +and brown and yellow bird. That was Mrs. Bob Lincoln. Little Luke put +aside the grass and there was the nest. It was so cunningly hidden that +he could never have found it by looking for it. +</p> +<p> +Mr. and Mrs. Bob Lincoln were greatly frightened. They fluttered and +quivered about, and talked to each other, and scolded at the boy. Little +Luke could not understand what they said, but part of it sounded like, +"Let it be! Don't touch, don't touch! Go away, please, p-l-e-a-s-e, go +away." So he got up and said, "All right, don't be afraid. I'll not take +your eggs, I'll go right away." And so he did. +</p> +<p> +When he had gone two or three rods, Mrs. Bob Lincoln fluttered down to +her nest and settled herself quietly over her eggs. But Mr. Bob flew to +a tall weed in front of little Luke. There he sat and swung and teetered +and sang his merriest song. To the little boy it seemed as if he was +trying to say, "Thank you, thank you, little boy." +</p> +<p> +There was an old apple tree standing near the meadow fence. On one of +its branches was the nest of O-pee-chee the Robin. Both Mr. and Mrs. +O-pee-chee had gone away to pick worms from the soft, fresh earth in the +garden. +</p> +<p> +As little Luke drew near to the tree, he saw Mee-ko the Red Squirrel +crouching by the side of the nest with a blue egg in his front paws. +He had not yet broken the shell when he saw little Luke. At first he +thought he would run away. But he wanted that egg; so he squatted very +quietly where he was and hoped the little boy would not see him. +</p> +<p> +But little Luke's eyes were very keen. He saw Mee-ko and guessed what +he was about. So lie picked up a small round stone and threw it at the +robber squirrel. His aim was so true that the stone flicked Mee-ko's +tail where it curled over his shoulders. +</p> +<p> +Mee-ko was so scared that he dropped the egg back into the nest and ran +along the branch and across to another. From the end of that he dropped +down to the fence and scampered along the rails up toward the woods on +the side of the mountain. +</p> +<p> +He went all the faster because Father O-pee-chee flew down into the +branches of the apple tree just as little Luke threw the stone. He saw +Mee-ko and understood exactly what had happened. He flew a little way +after the thieving squirrel. Then he came back and lit on the highest +branch of the apple tree and began to sing. "Te rill, te roo, I thank +you; te rill, te roo, I thank you," the little boy thought he said. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke went over to the fence. In a bush beside the fence there was +a big spider's web. Old Mrs. Ik-to the Black Spider had built the web as +a trap to catch flies in. But this time there was something besides a +fly in the trap. Ah-mo the Honey Bee had blundered, into the web and was +trying hard to get away. +</p> +<p> +Old Mrs. Ik-to was greatly excited. She was not sure whether she wanted +bee meat for dinner or not. She knew very well that bees are stronger +than flies and that they carry a dreadful spear with a poisoned point. +</p> +<p> +Mrs. Ik-to ran down her web a little way, then she stopped and shook it. +Ah-mo the Honey Bee was not so much entangled by the web that he could +not sting and the old spider knew that. So she ran back again to one +corner of the web. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke stood and watched poor Ah-mo for a moment. Then he took a +twig from the bush and set him free. Ah-mo rubbed himself all over with +his legs and tried his wings carefully to see if they were sound. Then +he flew up from the ground and buzzed three times round little Luke's +head. +</p> +<p> +The little boy was not afraid. He knew that bees never sting anyone who +does not hurt or frighten them, and besides, he thought the buzzing had +a friendly sound to it. It seemed to him as if Ah-mo was trying to say, +"Thank you, little boy, thank you," as well as he could. +</p> +<p> +When Ah-mo had flown away, little Luke looked around to see what old +Mrs. Ik-to was doing, but he could not find her. +</p> +<p> +Leaving the old spider to mend her web as well as she could, little Luke +got over the fence into the pasture. As he was going along he heard Mrs. +Chee-wink making a great outcry. She was flying about a little bushy fir +tree not bigger than a currant bush. "Chee-wink, to-whee; chee-wink, +to-whee!" she called. Little Luke thought she was saying, "Help! Help! +Come here, come here!" And so she was. +</p> + +<a name="image-0001"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="float:right;width: 50%; padding: 0 0 0 1em;"> +<img src="images/illus-015.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<p> +He went up toward the fir bush. As he walked along, he picked up a stout +stick that was lying on the ground. When he came to the bush, Mrs. +Chee-wink flew off to a tall sapling near by and watched him without +saying a word. +</p> +<p> +At first he could not see anything to disturb anybody. But he knew that +Mrs. Chee-wink would never have made all that fuss for nothing. So he +took hold of the fir bush and pulled the branches apart. Then he +understood. He had almost put his hand on A-tos-sa the Big Blacksnake. +</p> +<p> +A-tos-sa had a half-grown bird by the wing and was trying to swallow +it. The young bird was strong enough to flutter a good deal and Mother +Chee-wink had flapped her wings in the snake's eyes and pecked his head, +so that he had not been able to get a good hold. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke struck at once. The stick hit the snake and he let go of the +bird and slid down to the ground. Little Luke hit him again, this time +squarely on the head. Then with a stone he made sure that A-tos-sa would +never try to eat young birds again. +</p> +<p> +After he had finished with the snake, he picked up the young bird which +had fallen to the ground. It seemed more scared than hurt, so he put it +carefully into the nest, where there were two other young birds. Then he +went on up toward the woods. +</p> +<p> +Mrs. Chee-wink flew back to the fir bush. She looked first at the dead +snake and then at her nest. Then she said, "Chee-wink, chee-wink, +to-whee, chee-wink, to-whee," two or three times very softly and settled +down quietly on her nest. Of course that meant, "Thank you, little boy, +thank you!" +</p> +<p> +Up above the fir bush in the pasture stood an old apple tree, all alone +by itself. On a dead branch was Ya-rup the Flicker. He was using the +hard shell of the dead branch for a drum. "Rat, a tat, tat," he went +faster and faster, till the beats ran into one long resounding roll. +Then he stopped and screamed, "Kee-yer, kee-yer!" Perhaps he meant, +"Well done! good boy! good boy!" +</p> +<p> +You see he had seen little Luke's battle with the blacksnake and was +drumming and screaming for joy. Little Luke stopped under the old apple +tree and listened to Ya-rup's drumming and screaming for a while. Then +he went on up to the edge of the big woods. +</p> +<p> +There he found an old trail which he followed a long way till it forked. +Right in the fork of the trail, he saw a young bird. Its feathers were +not half grown and of course it could not fly. Little Luke knew that +it must have fallen out of the nest by accident. So he ran after the +frightened little bird and picked it up very carefully. Just then +O-loo-la the Wood Thrush flew down into a bush by the side of the trail +and began to plead, "Pit'y! pit'y! don't hurt him! Let him go, little +boy; please let him go!" he seemed to say. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke looked around for the nest. Soon he saw it in a tangle of +vines that ran over a dogwood bush. +</p> +<p> +Very carefully he picked his way through the bushes toward the nest. +O-loo-la seemed to guess what he meant to do and hopped from bush to +bush without saying a word. +</p> +<p> +When the little boy went to put the young bird back into the nest, he +saw why he had fallen out. There were three young birds in it, and they +filled it so full that there was scarcely room for another. Little Luke +saw that the bird he held was smaller than the others. So he took one of +them out and put his bird down into the middle of the nest. Then he put +the bigger one back. When this one snuggled down into the nest, it was +quite full. +</p> +<p> +When little Luke went back into the trail, O-loo-la flew to a branch +over his head and began to sing very happily. The little boy thought +that he, too, was trying to say, "Thank you, little boy, thank you." +</p> +<p> +Little Luke took the left-hand trail and followed it till he came to a +beautiful spring which gushed from under a tall rock. He lay down upon +his stomach and took a long drink of the cool, sweet water. +</p> +<p> +Just beside the spring stood a big beech tree. Near the ground two large +roots spread out at a broad angle. Little Luke sat down between the +roots and leaned his head against the tree. It was a very comfortable +seat. So he sat there and dreamed with his eyes wide open. Just what he +was dreaming about he did not know. He only knew that he felt very happy +and very quiet. +</p> +<p> +Mee-ko the Red Squirrel ran out upon a branch just over his head and +peeked and peered at him with his bright, inquisitive eyes. As little +Luke sat very still, Mee-ko cocked his long tail up over his shoulders +and sat and watched him. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke felt so very comfortable and quiet that he closed his eyes +for a moment. At least it seemed only a moment to him. All at once he +heard a loud hum. He opened his eyes and there was Ah-mo the Honey Bee +just before his face. When Ah-mo saw that little Luke was watching him, +he flew down toward the spring and lit upon a beautiful flower. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke was surprised; he had not seen that flower before. It was a +very beautiful flower. He leaned over and looked at it. Its petals were +blue as the sky, except near the heart, where they were pink as a baby's +fingers; and its heart was as yellow as gold. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke reached out his hand to pick the strange flower. As soon as +Mee-ko saw what he was doing, he fairly screamed. To little Luke it +seemed as if he said, "Stop, stop, let it be. Leave it alone. Go away." +</p> +<p> +Little Luke was used to Mee-ko's scolding. He had heard it many times +before, but never before had he thought there was any sense in it. It +seemed very queer to him that he could understand the speech of a +squirrel. +</p> +<p> +In his surprise he forgot about the strange flower and sat looking up at +Mee-ko. At once Mee-ko became quiet. He ran along the branch and down +the tree behind little Luke. Then he leaped to the ground and ran across +to another tree. When he thought he was safe, he began to talk and scold +again. To the little boy it seemed as if Mee-ko was saying, "Come here, +come away, follow me, follow me!" +</p> +<p> +But little Luke did not care to chase Mee-ko. He knew he could not catch +him, and besides, he wanted the strange flower. As soon as he reached +out his hand for it again, Mee-ko began to scold more angrily than +before. "Stop, let it alone, go away," he screamed. +</p> +<p> +"That is queer," thought little Luke; "I wonder what is the matter with +him. What can he care about the strange flower?" +</p> +<p> +Just then Ah-mo the Honey Bee flew up toward little Luke and then back +again to the flower. Little Luke reached over and seized the flower. +The stem was strong and he pulled it up, root and all. He put it to his +nose. Its odor was strangely sweet. From the broken stem some clear +juice oozed out upon his hand. Ah-mo the Honey Bee flew down and sipped +it. Then he rose and began to buzz around little Luke's head. Without +thinking, the little boy put his hand to his lips and his mouth was +filled with a strange, sweet taste. At the same time a mist rose before +his eyes, a strange feeling ran through his body, and his head swam. +</p> +<p> +In a moment the strange feeling passed away and the mist cleared from +before his face. He looked up and could scarcely believe his eyes. There +in a half circle around him sat a strange company—the strangest he had +ever seen. +</p> +<p> +There was Mo-neen the Woodchuck, Unk-wunk the Hedgehog, A-pe-ka the +Polecat, Wa-poose the Rabbit, A-bal-ka the Chipmunk, Tav-wots the +Cottontail, Mic-ka the Coon, and Shin-ga the Gray Squirrel. At one end +of the line stood Mit-chee the Partridge, Ko-leen-o the Quail, and +O-he-la the Woodcock. On the branches above them were Ya-rup the +Flicker, O-pee-chee the Robin, O-loo-la the Wood Thrush, Har-por the +Brown Thrasher, Chee-wink the Ground Robin, Tur-wee the Bluebird, Zeet +the Lark, and Bob Lincoln. Little Luke was surprised to see the last +two, for he had never seen them in the woods before. +</p> +<p> +"What can have happened to me?" said little Luke aloud. All the +creatures in that strange assembly stirred slightly and looked at +Wa-poose the big Rabbit. Wa-poose hopped forward a step or two and stood +up on his hind legs. His ears were stretched straight up over his head, +his paws were crossed in front of him, and he looked very queer. +</p> +<a name="image-0002"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-023.jpg" style="width:100%;" +alt="The Magic Speech Flower" /> +</div> +<p> +Then to little Luke's surprise, he spoke. "Man Cub," said Wa-poose, +"a wonderful thing has happened to you. You have found the Magic Speech +Flower and tasted its blood. By its power you are able to understand the +speech of all the wild folk of field and forest. This great gift has +come to you because your heart has been full of loving kindness toward +all the creatures that the Master of Life has made. +</p> +<p> +"Only he can find the Magic Flower who, between the rising and the +setting of the sun, has done five deeds of mercy and kindness toward the +wild folk of forest and field. These five deeds you have done." +</p> +<p> +Wa-poose paused. For a moment there was silence. All the wild folk +looked steadfastly at the little boy, who in turn gazed at them with +wonder-filled eyes. Then he spoke. "Five deeds! What five deeds have +I done?" he asked, forgetting all about his morning's work. +</p> +<p> +"This morning you saved my child from the fierce jaws of Klaws the House +Cat. You drove off Mee-ko the thieving Red Squirrel when he was trying +to steal the eggs from the nest of O-pee-chee. You helped Ah-mo escape +from the trap of wicked old Ik-to. You saved Chee-wink's fledglings from +the cruel fangs of A-tos-sa, and you put the young one back into +O-loo-la's nest safely. +</p> +<p> +"Two things you must remember if you wish to keep this magic power. You +must never needlessly or in sport hurt or kill any of the wild creatures +that the Master of Life has made and you must tell no one what has +happened to you. If you give heed to these two things, we will all be +your friends. When you walk abroad, you shall see us when no one else +can, and we will talk with you and teach you all the wisdom and the ways +of the wild kindreds." +</p> +<p> +Just then the sound of footsteps was heard coming down the trail. The +gray mist rose again before little Luke's eyes and he heard someone say, +"Wake up, little boy, it is almost noon. Your Aunt Martha will have +dinner on the table before you can get back to the farmhouse." +</p> +<p> +Little Luke looked up and there was Old John the Indian, who lived in +a lonely cabin on the other side of the mountain, and sometimes came to +the farmhouse to sell game he had killed or baskets that he had woven. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke sprang up and rubbed his eyes. Not one of the wild folk was +to be seen. But he held in his hand a broken and crumpled flower. He put +the flower into his pocket and went along down the trail toward the +farmhouse with Old John. +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0004" id="h2H_4_0004"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0003"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width:40%; margin-left:30%;"> +<img src="images/illus-027.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + II. LITTLE LUKE AND THE BOB LINCOLNS +</h2> +<p> +That night little Luke dreamed of the Magic Flower. The next morning, +as soon as he had finished his breakfast, he ran down through the garden +and into the meadow. He was eager to see his wild friends again and to +try his new gifts, "Perhaps," he thought, "it was only a dream after +all." +</p> +<p> +As soon as Bob Lincoln saw him, he came flying across the meadow to meet +him, his black and white uniform gleaming in the bright sunlight. "Good +morning, little boy, good morning," he trilled, and his voice sounded +like the tinkling of a silver bell. +</p> +<p> +"Good morning, Bob Lincoln," said the little boy, delighted that he +really could understand Bob Lincoln's language. "How is Mrs. Bob Lincoln +this morning?" +</p> +<p> +"Come and see, come and see," trilled Bob Lincoln, in his sweetest and +friendliest voice. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke walked over to the nest. When she heard him coming, Mrs. Bob +Lincoln was scared and flew up from the nest. +</p> +<p> +But as soon as she saw who it was, she fluttered down upon the top of +a tall weed and said, "Oh, it's you, is it, little boy? I heard someone +coming and I was frightened, but I am not afraid of you." And so she sat +swinging and teetering on the tall weed. +</p> +<p> +The little boy looked at the nest and admired the pretty eggs. "Oh, +they're coming on finely," said Mrs. Bob Lincoln. "In a day or two I +will show you five of the handsomest baby Bob Lincolns you will ever +see. I heard them peeping inside of the shells this morning." +</p> +<p> +The little boy looked at the father and mother birds. "Bob Lincoln," +said he, "I wish you would tell me why you and Mrs. Bob Lincoln are so +unlike. Your coat is white and black; her dress is black and brown and +yellow. You do not look as if you belonged to the same family." +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Bob Lincoln, "that is a long story." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, please tell it," said little Luke; "I want so much to hear it." +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Bob Lincoln, "we have both had our breakfast and I have +sung my morning song. So if Mrs. Bob will excuse me [Mrs. Bob gracefully +bowed her permission] I will take the time. You go over there and sit +down under the old apple tree and I will come and find a comfortable +twig and tell you all about it." +</p> +<p> +When little Luke had seated himself cozily with his back against the +trunk of the old apple tree, Bob Lincoln began his story. +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0005" id="h2H_4_0005"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + III. THE STORY OF THE SUMMER LAND +</h2> +<p> +"Long, long ago when the world was new," said he, "the first Bob Lincoln +family lived in a beautiful country in the distant north. In that country +it was always summer. None of those who dwelt in that land knew what +winter was. +</p> +<p> +"Ke-honk-a the Gray Goose, who spent half the year in northern +Greenland, had mentioned it, but the people of the Summer Land did not +understand him. They had never felt winds or seen ice or snow. +</p> +<p> +"But there came a time when Ke-honk-a said, as he flew over, 'Winter is +coming, winter is coming.' But nobody understood and nobody cared. Why +should they care about winter when they did not know what it was? +</p> +<p> +"Soon after this the people of the Summer Land noticed a change in the +weather. One half of the year was cooler than the other half. The first +time this happened they did not mind it at all. Indeed, they rather +liked it. It was pleasant to have a change. +</p> +<p> +"The next year it was cooler and the next still cooler. And so it went +on for some years, each winter getting colder than that which had gone +before. +</p> +<p> +"One day a dull, gray cloud came up out of the north and hid the face of +the sun. Out of its gray bosom there came floating to earth a whole +flock of big, white snowflakes. The people of the Summer Land were +amazed. +</p> +<p> +"As the great flakes came wavering lazily down through the air, they +looked at them and thought that they must be some new kind of winged +creatures. 'What a lot of them,' thought they, 'there must be to make +that great cloud which hides the sun!' +</p> +<p> +"In a short time the sun shone out from behind the gray cloud. In the +twinkling of an eye all the snowflakes were gone. 'Strange, strange!' +thought the people of the Summer Land. 'What has become of all those +white-winged creatures?' +</p> +<p> +"The next winter so many snowflakes fell that they hid the brown earth +for many weeks. This happened again and again, and the people of the +Summer Land began to understand what winter was. The snow became so deep +for months at a time that they found it hard to get food. +</p> +<p> +"After a while life became so hard for them that they felt that +something must be done. So they summoned a Great Council to consider the +matter. After much talk they decided to send a messenger to the Master +of Life, who lived far away among the western mountains, to beg him to +come and help them. For their messenger they chose the swallow, the +swiftest of all the birds. +</p> +<p> +"The swallow flew for many days, until at last he reached the lodge of +the Master of Life, and told his story. +</p> +<p> +"'Go back,' said the Master when he had heard it, 'and after four moons +I will come to visit you. Summon all the people of the Summer Land to a +Great Council and I will tell them what they must do.' +</p> +<p> +"At the time appointed, the Master of Life came. When all the people of +the Summer Land had assembled, he spoke to them and said, 'I have heard +of your troubles and have thought of a plan to help you. +</p> +<p> +"'Henceforth, so long as the world shall last, there shall be summer and +winter in this land. Half the year shall be summer and half the year +shall be winter. +</p> +<p> +"'While summer reigns, this is a pleasant land, and you may live here +and find plenty of food. Before winter comes, you must leave this land +and journey far away to the south, to another country where summer +always reigns. But when the snow melts and winter returns to his home in +the distant north, summer shall come again to this land, and so it shall +be every year. +</p> +<p> +"'When summer comes back, you may return with it and dwell in your own +home until it is time for the return of winter.' +</p> +<p> +"When the people of the Summer Land heard this, some were glad, some +were sorry, and some were angry. +</p> +<p> +"'What!' said the angry ones, 'shall we leave our pleasant homes on +account of winter? No, indeed; we will stay.' And so they did. +</p> +<p> +"When summer was over and the cold winds began to blow, the Bob Lincoln +family, obeying the command of the Master of Life, set out for the +Southland. On and on they traveled for many days. +</p> +<p> +"At last they came to the end of the land, and before them was the +great, salt sea. But far on to the southward, they could dimly see +islands rising out of the salt water. +</p> +<p> +"So they flew bravely on across the great, salt sea, till they reached +the islands; and beyond these islands they saw others. On and on they +flew from island to island until they reached another great land like +the home they had left behind them. In it there were vast meadows and +forests, mountains and rivers. In that land it is always summer and food +is plenty all the year round. There in the pleasant meadows, the Bob +Lincolns stopped and there they lived happily for half a year. +</p> +<p> +"When it was time for summer to revisit the Summer Land, the Bob +Lincolns returned also and this they did every year. +</p> +<p> +"In those days all the Bob Lincolns wore black and white clothes +like mine. But, as you see, this black and white dress is very +con-spic'-u-ous. +</p> +<p> +"Now it happened that in their journeyings to and fro, the Bob Lincolns +met many enemies, and these enemies wrought sad havoc in their ranks. +When they were flying in the air, the hawks and the eagles would swoop +upon them and kill them. If they sat upon the ground, the weazels and +the minks, the wildcats and other four-footed prowlers, would pounce +upon them and devour them. Even the Red Men, with their feathered +arrows, would shoot them. So many of them were killed that they began +to fear that soon none of their family would be left alive. +</p> +<p> +"So they called a family council, to consider their sad state and +decide what it was best to do. When they were all assembled together, +they talked the matter over and decided to go and ask aid from the +Master of Life. +</p> +<p> +"'I have heard your complaint,' said the Master of Life when they +had finished, 'and I am willing to assist you. But first you must +understand that the cause of all your trouble is your love of fine +clothes. Your black and white uniforms are very beautiful, but they +are too con-spic'-u-ous for your safety. By day your enemies can spy +you afar because you are black; by night they can see you because you +are white. +</p> +<p> +"'Hereafter you shall wear different clothing. No longer shall your +feathers be black and white; they shall be black and brown and yellow. +When you sit upon the ground you shall look like the dry, brown grass, +and when you fly through the air your enemies shall not be able to mark +your flight from a distance. Thus it shall come to pass that, if you act +wisely, you shall live in peace and safety.' +</p> +<p> +"When they heard this the Bob Lincolns were grieved at heart. They +loved their gay black and white uniforms and sorrowed at the thought of +parting with them. So they humbly begged the Master of Life to let them +keep their gay clothing and tell them some other way of escaping their +enemies. +</p> +<p> +"'There is no other way,' said he. 'But tell me, when do you suffer +least from your enemies? Is it when you are dwelling in your old +northern home, or when you are dwelling in the sunny Southland?' +'When we are dwelling in our old homes,' answered the Bob Lincolns. +</p> +<p> +"'Very well, then,' said the Master of Life, 'while you are dwelling in +your old home, all the male Bob Lincolns may wear their black and white +garments. Nevertheless they shall suffer for their vanity, for their +enemies shall find and slay many of them. +</p> +<p> +"'But your wives and sisters must be content with a quieter dress. It is +they who have the most to do with tending your nests and rearing your +young ones. If they should wear your gay black and white garments, your +enemies would find and kill you all, and the Bob Lincoln family would +perish from the earth,' +</p> +<p> +"That is the story," said Bob Lincoln, "that my grandfather told me +long ago in our distant winter home in the Southland. If you keep watch, +little boy, for a month or so, you will see me put off my black and +white suit for one just like Mrs. Bob Lincoln's. Then you will know that +we are getting ready for our journey to our distant winter home in the +sunny Southland, far away across the great, salt sea." +</p> +<p> +"Now," said Bob Lincoln, when he had finished his story, "it's time for +me to be off to see how Mrs. Bob Lincoln is getting along." +</p> +<p> +And off he flew before little Luke had time to thank him for his +pleasant story. The little boy sat quietly for a while under the old +apple tree. Then he got up and went slowly back to the house. +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0006" id="h2H_4_0006"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + IV. BOB LINCOLN'S STORY OF HIS OWN LIFE +</h2> +<p> +During the long summer days little Luke went often to visit the Bob +Lincolns. The more he watched them, the more he grew to love them. Bob +Lincoln himself was the merriest, jolliest fellow of all the little +boy's feathered friends. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke saw the baby birds as soon as they had broken their shells. +He watched the anxious parents feed them. And how those young Bob +Lincolns could eat! How their busy parents had to work to support the +little family! Back and forth over the meadow the old birds flew hour +after hour, searching for food for their hungry babies. And they were +always hungry! Whenever they heard anyone coming, they would close their +eyes, stretch their long necks, and open wide their yellow mouths. +</p> +<p> +The young birds grew larger and hungrier every day. And every day Bob +Lincoln became busier and quieter. Little Luke noticed that the jolly +little fellow did not sing so much and that his gay coat was becoming +rusty. One by one his bright feathers fell out and dull brown or yellow +ones took their place, until at last he looked just like his little +wife. +</p> +<p> +"Well, little boy," said Bob Lincoln one morning, "we must be getting +ready to move. These youngsters can fly pretty well, and it is time for +us to go. I am sorry, for I love our meadow home, and a long and +dangerous journey is before us." +</p> +<p> +"Tell me about it," said little Luke. +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Bob Lincoln, "you must know that I was hatched in this very +meadow. There were five of us and I am the only one that is left. +</p> +<p> +"When we young ones had learned to fly pretty well, we started south. +After a few days we reached a land where there were broad marshes +covered with reeds. There we stopped for a while. But the men of that +country hunted us with their fire-sticks. They called us reed birds arid +liked us to eat. They shot many of our friends, but for a few days our +family all escaped. But one morning we heard a sound like thunder and +our mother fell to the ground and we saw her no more. +</p> +<p> +"This frightened us and we flew on to the southward for many days. Of +course wherever we found a good place, we stopped to rest and eat. But +we did not stop for long until we came to a land where there were great +fields of rice. There we found great flocks of our kindred, who had +grown fat by feeding upon the rice. +</p> +<p> +"But here again were men with their fire-sticks and they killed two of +my brothers. All the time we stayed there, we lived in fear. So after +some days we left the rice land and went on toward the south. We crossed +the great, salt sea and at last found the winter home of our kindred. +</p> +<p> +"In the spring we came back again to this meadow. And here I found Mrs. +Bob Lincoln. I courted her with my sweetest songs, and after a short +time we were married and set up house-keeping. +</p> +<p> +"That autumn I led a family of my own on the long journey to our +southern home. Three times have I made the journey to and from this +meadow, and each time some of my family have fallen a prey to our many +enemies. But the men with their fire-sticks are the worst of all. Why +are they so cruel to us?" +</p> +<p> +"Alas," said Bob Lincoln, after a pause, "I dread this journey. Not many +of my friends have escaped so long. I fear I shall never return. But it +cannot be helped, we must go. I think, little boy, we shall start this +morning. So I will say good-bye now." +</p> +<p> +"Good-bye, Bob Lincoln," said little Luke, "I hope it will not be as you +fear. I shall look for you again next May." +</p> +<p> +The Bob Lincoln family started on their long southern journey and little +Luke went sadly back to the house. Now that the Bob Lincolns were gone, +the meadow no longer seemed so pleasant to him. +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0007" id="h2H_4_0007"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + V. LITTLE LUKE MAKES FRIENDS AMONG THE WILD FOLK +</h2> +<p> +While little Luke spent a good deal of his time with the Bob Lincoln +family, he did not neglect his other friends among the wild folk. Almost +every day he had long talks with one or more of them. Thus it came to +pass that he soon became exceeding wise with the wisdom of the wild +kindreds; for his eyes were sharper and his ears keener than those of +any other of the house people. +</p> +<p> +There was Sam, the hired man, who thought he knew a good deal about the +wild folk. And there was Old Bill, the hunter, who had done little +besides hunting and trapping all his long life; even these did not begin +to know the beasts and birds as little Luke knew them. Before the +Finding of the Magic Flower, he had thought them marvels of woodcraft +and fieldcraft. Now they seemed to him almost blind and deaf. +</p> +<p> +As he went about with them, he found that for all their boasting (and +they often boasted) they really knew little about the wild folk. Many +times they would pass Wa-poose the Rabbit sitting unseen on his form +within a few feet of them. Mother Mit-chee the Ruffled Partridge made +her nest in plain sight on the ground beside the old trail and they +passed by a hundred times and never saw her. And so it was with many +others of the wild folk. Often they went quietly about their business +before the very eyes of the house people who did not see them. +</p> +<p> +During that summer little Luke spent much time with Old John the lone +Indian, who lived at the foot of Black Mountain. For Old John, seeing +the little boy's love of woodcraft and his wonderful keenness of ear and +eye, and understanding, came to love him more than he had loved anyone +or anything for many years. +</p> +<p> +He would make some excuse to come to the farmhouse. Then, when his +pretended business was finished, he would sit with the little boy on an +old bench on the lawn and tell him stories of the Red Men or of the wild +folk. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes, too, the little boy would go up the trail and sit by the +spring where he had found the Magic Speech Flower and wait for the old +Indian. Or, when Old John started for home, he would go along with him +up into the woods and there they would sit on a fallen log and talk of +the old days when the Red Men dwelt in that land, or of the wood folk +they saw and heard about them. These were most enchanting tales, and +little Luke enjoyed them exceedingly. +</p> +<p> +And he learned that in some matters Old John was very wise. But these +were mostly concerned with hunting and trapping. Little Luke did not +like the idea of killing any of his wild friends, even though he knew +that their flesh and fur were very useful. He knew, too, that the Law of +the Wild Kindred allowed everyone to kill to supply his need and so he +did not much mind the killing in Old John's stories, for he knew that +the old man never killed any creature needlessly. +</p> +<p> +And he learned, too, that the old Indian had some strange notions about +the wild folk. He believed that long ago they had all been very much +like men. "In those days," he said, "the animals could talk and build +wigwams just as the Red Men did." He believed, too, that the forefathers +of some tribes of the Red Men had been animals, and that the forefathers +of some of the animal kindreds had been men. All this seemed queer to +the boy, but not half so queer as it would have seemed before the +Finding of the Magic Speech Flower and his talks with the wild folk. +</p> +<p> +Now the tale of the Finding of the Magic Flower was told abroad among +all the tribes of the wild folk round about. For this reason, as time +went on, many of them came to see the wonderful Man Cub (as they often +called little Luke) who could speak and understand the language of the +wild kindreds. +</p> +<p> +In that way little Luke came to know many of the wild folk that he had +never seen before. Some of them were furry folk, who lived in the woods +and fields and along the brooks, and some were beautiful feathered folk, +who came down from the tops of the tall pines and spruces and hemlocks. +</p> +<p> +These were mostly bird folk who had once lived in the Summer Land and +had learned to travel southward before the return of Pe-boan the cruel +Winter King. They loved the upper spaces of the great forests, and there +they lived as some of the water folk live in the lower depths of the +great sea. +</p> +<p> +These bird folk hated the open fields and even the lower air, in the +thick forests, seemed heavy and unpleasant to them. So they seldom came +down from their airy homes in the upper branches of the great trees. For +this reason little Luke did not see much of them, but when he did see +one of them, it was as if he had seen an angel. +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0008" id="h2H_4_0008"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0004"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width:40%; margin-left:30%;"> +<img src="images/illus-048.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + + +<h2> + VI. LITTLE LUKE AND KIT-CHEE THE GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER +</h2> +<p> +Down in the far corner of the orchard stood an old apple tree. Some of +its limbs were dead and the rest of it was so covered with orchard moss +that it seemed gray with age. As little Luke was passing one day, he +noticed a round hole in one of its branches. "Now," thought he to +himself, "I'll climb up and take a peep into that hole." And so he did. +</p> +<p> +As he looked into the dark cavity, there was a sudden explosion, which +sounded like the noise made by an angry cat. The little boy jumped back +so quickly that he almost fell to the ground. Just then he heard someone +in the branches of the tree above him. "Whee-ree, whee-ree," sounded a +mocking; voice, that made little Luke think that somebody was making fun +of him. He looked up and saw Kit-chee the Great Crested Flycatcher. +</p> +<p> +"Ah-ha!" said Kit-chee; "so she scared you, did she?" +</p> +<p> +The little boy moved his hand toward the hole. +</p> +<p> +"Better not; better not," said Kit-chee; "that's Mother Kit-chee in +there. She doesn't like to be disturbed, and she has a temper of her +own, and a sharp bill to go with it." +</p> +<p> +"Excuse me, Father Kit-chee," said the little boy; "I didn't know. I +only wanted to see what was in that hole." +</p> +<p> +"All right," said Kit-chee. "We don't mind you. Perhaps, if you ask her +politely, she'll come out and let you take a peep." +</p> +<p> +"Pray, Mother Kit-chee," said the little boy, "aren't you hungry? There +are some nice flies and bugs out here, and besides, if you will be kind +enough to allow me, I should like a peep at your nest and eggs." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, very well," answered Mother Kit-chee, "I'll do anything to oblige +you, when you speak in that way." And out she came. +</p> +<p> +Both Father Kit-chee and Mother Kit-chee were rather handsome, dignified +birds. They each wore a coat of butternut brown, mixed with olive green, +and a vest pearl gray toward the throat and yellow lower down. +</p> +<p> +"Thank you," said the little boy to Mother Kit-chee as she came out, +"I'll not disturb anything. I'll be very careful." And so he was. He +looked down into the hole, where he saw five creamy-white eggs, streaked +lengthwise with brown. But the queerest thing he saw was a snake-skin +which formed part of the nest. +</p> +<p> +"There's the skin of a snake," exclaimed the little boy. "How did that +come there? Did the snake try to steal your eggs, and did you kill him?" +</p> +<p> +"Oh, no," replied Father Kit-chee, "I found that skin over yonder in the +pasture. You know that A-tos-sa the Snake sheds his skin when it grows +old and stiff, and grows a new one that fits him better. We just pick up +the cast-off skins and build them into our nests." +</p> +<p> +"What on earth do you do it for?" asked the little boy. "I wouldn't want +such a thing around my bed. I don't like snakes, or even their skins." +</p> +<p> +"I don't like snakes either," said Kit-chee, "but it's a custom in our +family to use their skins in nest-building. Wherever you find a home +of one of our tribe, there you will find a snake-skin. I've heard my +grandfather say that our kinfolk, who dwell far to the south beyond the +big seawater, have the same custom. There's a tradition about it, too." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, please tell me about it," said the little boy. "I'm sure it will be +an interesting story." +</p> +<p> +"Very well; anything to please you," said Kit-chee. +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0009" id="h2H_4_0009"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + VII. WHY THE KIT-CHEE PEOPLE ALWAYS USE SNAKE-SKINS IN NEST-BUILDING +</h2> +<p> +"Long, long ago," began he, "when the world was new, all the beasts and +birds were at peace with each other. In those days it was summer all the +year round. After a while a change came." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, yes, I've heard about that," said the little boy. "Pe-boan the +cruel Winter King came down from the frozen North and drove off Ni-pon +the Queen of Summer. Then the animals and birds got hungry and began to +kill each other. I've heard about that several times." +</p> +<p> +"Yes," said Kit-chee, "that was the way it was. The animals and birds +began to kill and rob each other. No nest was safe. Mee-ko the Red +Squirrel, A-tos-sa the Snake, Ka-ka-go the Crow, and many others learned +to rob our nests and eat our young ones. +</p> +<p> +"Every one of the birds tried to hide her nest, but in spite of the +best that they could do, the robbers would often find them. The worst of +all our enemies was Kag-ax the Weasel. The Kit-chee families suffered +terribly. They built their nests as we do now in holes in trees. Kag-ax +is a good climber and has sharp eyes. It was almost impossible to hide +a nest from him. +</p> +<p> +"After a while things got so bad that the Kit-chee family came together +in a council. They talked over their troubles and made up their minds to +go to the Master of Life and ask him to help them. And so they did. +</p> +<p> +"'I am sorry for you,' said he, when he had heard their story, 'and will +tell you what to do. As you say, your worst enemy is Kag-ax the Weasel. +Now Kag-ax is more afraid of A-tos-sa the Snake than of any other +creature in the whole world. He cannot bear even the sight of a +snake-skin. You must weave a snake-skin into each one of your nests. +Then he will not dare to trouble you.' +</p> +<p> +"'But how shall we get the snake-skins?' asked Grandfather Kit-chee, the +head of the family. +</p> +<p> +"'That is easy,' answered the Master of Life. 'A-tos-sa, as you know, +sheds his skin. If you look sharp, you can find the cast-off skins +almost anywhere. Do as I have said, and you will be safe. Even Mee-ko +the Squirrel and others of your enemies will be afraid of the snake-skin +and let your nests alone.' +</p> +<p> +"The Kit-chee family did as the Master of Life told them to do. From +that time to this they always have woven a snake-skin into their nests, +and their nests have seldom been robbed." +</p> +<p> +"Thank you," said the little boy, "that was a good story. Now I must be +going home. There's Aunt Martha calling for dinner." And he slid down +out of the old apple tree and went across the orchard to the house. +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0010" id="h2H_4_0010"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0005"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width:40%; margin-left:30%;"> +<img src="images/illus-055.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + VIII. LITTLE LUKE AND NICK-UTS THE YELLOWTHROAT +</h2> +<p> +Among little Luke's bird friends was little Nick-uts the Yellowthroat. +He was a dainty little fellow, with an olive green back, a bright +yellow breast, and a black mask across his face that made him look +like a highwayman. Though he was lively and nervous, he had a gentle +disposition and a sweet voice. His home was in some low bushes in the +pasture. +</p> +<p> +Whenever little Luke went up to see him, he would hop up on a branch and +call out, "Which way, sir? Which way, sir?" And when the little boy +started to go away, he would say, "Wait a minute. Wait a minute." +</p> +<p> +Every time the little boy went for the cows he would stop and chat a +moment with Mr. and Mrs. Nick-uts. To be sure, Mrs. Nick-uts never had +much to say. She was a quiet little body, not so fidgety as Nick-uts, +and besides, she had to stay close at home and see to the eggs and +babies. +</p> +<p> +One morning, as little Luke was going for the cows, he saw Nick-uts +bobbing around very excitedly. +</p> +<p> +"Come here. Come here," called Nick-uts, when he saw the little boy; +"I want some help." And he hopped over by the nest. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke went over to the nest and looked in. "Look there," said +Nick-uts, "see that big, ugly egg. Take it out, please." +</p> +<p> +"Take it out?" said little Luke. "Why should I do that? Isn't it yours?" +</p> +<p> +"No, indeed," said Nick-uts, "it's old Mother Mo-lo's. The nasty old +wretch laid it in there while we were away from home. She's always +sneaking around, the lazy old thing, to lay her eggs in some other +bird's nest. She's cowardly too. She always picks out the nest of one +smaller than herself. I wish I were big enough to give her a sound +thrashing. +</p> +<p> +"Please take the egg out," he went on. "I can't do it myself, and if you +don't take it out, we shall have to leave the nest and our own eggs and +build a new one." +</p> +<p> +Little Luke took the egg out of the nest and threw it on the ground. +"Why don't Mother Mo-lo build a nest of her own?" he asked. +</p> +<p> +"Oh, she can't. She doesn't know enough," answered Nick-uts. "In the old +days she had a chance to learn the same as the rest of us. She wouldn't +learn then, and now she can't. I don't believe she ever tries. +</p> +<p> +"She sneaks around and steals her eggs into the nests of other birds, +and some of them are so silly they don't know the difference. They hatch +the egg and bring up the young one as if it were their own. The young +Mo-los are greedy things and they eat up everything away from the other +little birds. Besides, they grow so fast that they crowd out the other +young ones, so that they fall to the ground and die. I've known old +Mother Mo-lo to fool O-loo-la the Wood Thrush that way. It's a shame +for a decent bird to be imposed upon like that. +</p> +<p> +"She tried the trick twice on me last year. Once we managed to roll the +egg out, and once we built a second floor to the nest, but we lost two +of our own eggs by doing it." +</p> +<p> +"You said that Mother Mo-lo had a chance to learn to build a nest," said +little Luke. "Tell me about it." +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Nick-uts, "since you have been so kind as to help me, +I'll try. I haven't heard the story for a long while, perhaps I can't +remember it very well. But I'll do the best I can." +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0011" id="h2H_4_0011"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + IX. WHY MOTHER MO-LO THE COWBIRD LAYS HER EGGS IN OTHER BIRDS' NESTS +</h2> +<p> +"In the beginning," said he, "the Master of Life made the world. When +he had finished the land and the sea, the mountains and the meadows, +he made the fishes, and then the four-footed kindreds. Last of all, he +created the birds. But he didn't make them all at the same time. The +last ones were Father and Mother Mo-lo. +</p> +<p> +"When Mother Mo-lo began to fly about, the other birds went to her and +offered to teach her how to build a nest. +</p> +<p> +"'Come with me,' said the oven bird; 'I'll show you how to build a nest +on the ground where no one will find it. You must just push up some of +the dry leaves in the forest, and then put some grass and twigs under +them. It's very easy.' +</p> +<p> +"'For my part,' said the woodpecker, 'I wouldn't build on the ground +anyway. I should be afraid that a deer or a bear or some other creature +would step on me. If you want a safe nest, I'll show you how to build +one. You just find a dead limb, not too dead, and bore a deep hole into +it. Put a little soft, rotten wood in the bottom, and there you are! +</p> +<p> +"'That must be a close, stuffy kind of a nest; enough to smother one,' +said the oriole scornfully. Come with me and I will teach you to hang +your nest on the end of an elm branch. You just weave together some hair +and grass and moss and hang it on a slender, swinging branch, where +nothing can get to it. Then you'll be safe. The wind will rock your +babies to sleep for you and you'll have plenty of fresh air.' +</p> +<p> +"'I wouldn't like that at all,' said the sand martin. 'I'd be seasick +the first half hour. A good hole in a sandbank suits me much better. To +be sure, the sand sometimes caves in. But that doesn't matter much. A +little hard work will clear your doorway.' +</p> +<p> +"'What do you do when the high waters come?' asked the phoebe bird. +'For my part,' continued she, 'I like a rock ledge for a foundation with +another one above for a roof. The rock never caves in on you. A little +hair and grass, nicely laid down, with a little moss on the outside, and +you are comfortable and safe. You'll never be drowned out there.' +</p> +<p> +"'I don't like rocks,' said the robin. 'A fork in a tree suits me much +better. Just lay down a few sticks for a foundation, then weave together +some twigs and grass and plaster the inside with some good thick mud, +and you have a serviceable nest, good enough for anyone. A few feathers +in the bottom will make it soft and comfortable. It may not be so +elegant as some others, but it suits me.' +</p> +<p> +"And so it went on. Each one of the birds praised its own nest and +offered to show Mother Mo-lo how to build one like it. +</p> +<p> +"But Mother Mo-lo cared little for what they said. She wasn't even +polite enough to pretend to pay attention. She was too conceited. +thought that she was handsome and knew about all there was to be known." +</p> +<p> +"Handsome?" said little Luke; "the ugly old thing! It can't be that she +had ever looked at herself." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, I don't know," said Nick-uts, "the sillier people are, the wiser +they think themselves. And it's always the ugly ones who think +themselves the most beautiful." +</p> +<p> +"Well," said little Luke, "I've seen a good deal of her, but I never +thought her handsome in the least. You know she follows the cows about +so much that we house people call her the cowbird." +</p> +<p> +"Well, at any rate," said Nick-uts, "she thought she knew a great deal +more than she really did. +</p> +<p> +"So she said to the other birds, very haughtily, 'You are all very kind, +and I am very much obliged to you. But I think I can get along without +your help. I know how to build a nest that will suit me better than any +of yours.' +</p> +<p> +"'Indeed, is that so?' cried the other birds. 'You must have learned +very quickly. Who was your teacher anyway?' +</p> +<p> +"'Oh,' said Mother Mo-lo, 'nobody taught me, but I know how just the +same.' +</p> +<p> +"'Very well,' said the other birds, 'we only wanted to be kind and help +you. But we won't bother you any more. Good-bye.' And they all flew away +to attend to their own affairs. +</p> +<p> +"After a while Mother Mo-lo tried to build a nest. First she tried to +bore a hole in a dead branch, but she couldn't do it. Then she tried the +sandbank, but the sand caved in and got in her eyes and almost smothered +her. Then she tried the other kinds of nests. But every one was a +failure. At last she gave it up, and ever since then she has laid her +eggs in other birds' nests and let them rear her young ones for her." +</p> + + +<a name="h2H_4_0012" id="h2H_4_0012"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0006"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width:40%; margin-left:30%;"> +<img src="images/illus-064.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + X. THE STORY OF O-PEE-CHEE THE FIRST ROBIN +</h2> +<p> +One day little Luke heard Old John the Indian speak of redbreast as +Little Brother O-pee-chee. He wanted to ask the old man about the name, +but did not get a chance. So the next morning he went down to the apple +tree in the meadow and asked Father Redbreast about it. +</p> +<p> +"That," answered redbreast, "is an old tale which both the Red Men and +our people know. According to the story, the first redbreast was an +Indian boy, and that is why he calls us Little Brothers." +</p> +<p> +"Tell me about it," said the little boy. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"Long, long ago," began Father Redbreast, "there was a tribe of Indians +which dwelt in the distant Northland. Their chief, who was a wise man +and a brave warrior, had an only child, a little son. The boy was a +bright little fellow, but not very strong. Somehow he was not so big and +hardy as the other Indian boys. But his father loved him more than +anything else in the world and wanted him to become the wisest man and +the greatest warrior of his tribe. +</p> +<p> +"'My son,' said the old chief one day, 'you are about to become a +warrior. You know the custom of our tribe. You must go apart and fast +for a long time. The longer you fast, the greater and wiser you will +become. I want you to fast longer than any other Indian has ever fasted. +If you do this, the Good Man-i-to, the Master of Life, will come to you +in a dream and tell you what you must do to become wise in council and +brave, strong, and skillful in war.' +</p> +<p> +"'Father,' said the boy, 'I will do whatever you bid me. But I fear that +I am not able to do what you wish.' +</p> +<p> +"'Make your heart strong,' answered the father, 'and all will be well. +Most of the young men fast only four or five days. I want you to fast +for twelve days, then you will have strong dreams. Now I will go into +the forest and build your fasting lodge for you. Make yourself ready, +for to-morrow you must begin your fast.' +</p> +<p> +"The little boy said no more and on the morrow his father took him to +the fasting lodge and left him there. The boy stretched himself upon a +mat, which his mother had made for him, and lay still. +</p> +<p> +"Each day the old chief went and looked at his son and asked him about +his dreams. Each time the boy answered that the Man-i-to had not come. +</p> +<p> +"Day by day the boy became weaker and weaker. On the eleventh day he +spoke to his father. +</p> +<p> +"'Oh, my father,' said he, 'I am not strong enough to fast longer. I am +very weak. The Man-i-to has not come to me. Let me break my fast.' +</p> +<p> +"'You are the son of a great warrior,' said the father sternly; 'make +your heart strong. Yet a little while and the Man-i-to will surely come +to you. Perhaps he will come to-night.' +</p> +<p> +"The boy shook his head sadly and his father went back to his wigwam. +</p> +<p> +"The next day when he drew near to the fasting lodge, he heard someone +talking within it. +</p> +<p> +"'My father has asked too much,' said a voice which sounded like, and +yet unlike, the voice of his son. 'I am not strong enough. He should +have waited until I became older and stronger. Now I shall die.' +</p> +<p> +"'It was not the will of the Man-i-to,' said another voice, 'that you +should become a great warrior. But you shall not die. From this time you +shall be a bird. You shall fly about in the free air. No longer shall +you suffer the pain and sorrow which fall to the lot of men.' +</p> +<p> +"The old chief could wait no longer. He opened the door of the lodge and +looked within. No one was there, only a brown bird with a gray breast +flew out of the door and perched upon a branch above his head. +</p> +<p> +"The old chief was very sad, but the bird spoke to him and said, 'Do not +mourn for me, my father, for I am free from pain and sorrow. It was not +the will of the Man-i-to that I should become the greatest warrior of +the tribe. But because I was obedient to you and did the best I could, +he has changed me into a bird. +</p> +<p> +"'From this time, as long as the world shall last, I shall be the friend +of man. When the cold winds blow and ice covers the streams, I shall go +away to the warm land of the South. But in the spring, when the snows +begin to melt, I shall return. And when the children hear my voice, they +shall be happy, knowing that the long, cold winter is over. Do not mourn +for me, my father. Farewell!' +</p> +<p> +"Ever since then, when the Indian children hear a robin singing, they +say, 'There is O-pee-chee, the bird that was once an Indian boy.' And no +Indian boy ever hurts a robin." +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0013" id="h2H_4_0013"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0007"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-069.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + XI. HOW THE ROBIN'S BREAST BECAME RED +</h2> +<p> +When the robin had finished his story, little Luke thought for a moment. +Then he said, "That's a very interesting story. But there is one thing +about it I don't understand." +</p> +<p> +"What is that?" asked Father Redbreast. +</p> +<p> +"Why," said the little boy, "you said that O-pee-chee's breast was gray. +How does it come that yours is red?" +</p> +<p> +"That is another story," answered Father Redbreast. +</p> +<p> +"I should like very much to hear it. Please tell me about it," said +little Luke. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"Once upon a time," said Father Redbreast, "long after the days of the +first robin, old Mah-to the great White Bear dwelt alone in the far +Northland. He was the king of all the bears and was very cunning and +cruel. He was so selfish that he did not like anybody else even to come +into his country. +</p> +<p> +"If a hunter wandered into the region where he lived, he would lie in +wait for him and kill him. One stroke of his mighty paw and the man +would fall, to rise no more. He killed so many of them that the hunters +began to be afraid to go into that land. As for the beasts and birds, +they all feared him and kept as far away from him as they could. +</p> +<p> +"After a time a brave hunter with his son wandered into the kingdom of +the great bear to hunt. Day after day old Mah-to followed the man and +boy. But the hunter was cautious as well as, brave, and the old bear was +afraid of his sharp arrows and did not dare to attack him openly. +</p> +<p> +"When the snow began to fall, the hunter built a lodge and kindled a +fire. He cut down a great many trees and brought the wood close to the +door of the lodge. +</p> +<p> +"'Now,' said he, to his son, 'we must keep the fire going day and night. +Then we shall not freeze.' +</p> +<p> +"Old Mah-to, who was sneaking about the lodge, heard this and thought, +'I will watch and wait until they have gone away or are asleep, and then +I will put out the fire. Then they will have to go away or else freeze.' +</p> +<p> +"But the hunter was very careful. When he went out to hunt, he left the +boy in the lodge to keep the fire burning. The old bear was afraid of +the fire, which he thought was some kind of magic, and so he did not +dare to touch the boy. At night the hunter and the boy watched the fire +by turns, and so kept it burning brightly. +</p> +<p> +"The old bear watched for many days before his chance came. At last one +day when the hunter had gone away, the little boy fell asleep and +allowed the fire to burn low. +</p> +<p> +"'Now,' thought the old bear, 'now is my chance.' So he walked into the +lodge and trampled the fire with his great, wet feet, until he thought +he had put it all out. He meant to kill the boy, but the fire scorched +his feet and scared him. So he went away again to the edge of the forest +and sat there licking his burnt paws, waiting to see what would happen. +</p> +<p> +"Now O-pee-chee had followed the man and the boy into the Northland. He +watched the old bear and saw what he did. When he went away, the robin +flew down and scratched about among the ashes until he found a small, +live coal. Then he brought some splinters and dry moss and laid them +upon the coal and fanned it with his wings until the fire caught the +wood and burned up strong and bright. +</p> +<p> +"The heat of the blazing splinters scorched his breast and made it red, +but the robin did not stop until the fire was blazing brightly. +</p> +<p> +"Just then the hunter walked into the lodge and saw what the robin was +doing. He saw, too, the big footprints of the great bear and he knew +that the robin had saved his life and the life of his boy. +</p> +<p> +"All that winter the good hunter fed the kind robin and sheltered it in +his lodge. When he went back again to his people, he told them the +story, and they grew to love the robin more than before. To this day +they are never tired of telling their children the story of O-pee-chee +the Robin and how his breast became red." +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0014" id="h2H_4_0014"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0008"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-074.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + XII. HOW THE BEES GOT THEIR STINGS +</h2> +<p> +Little Luke was fond of watching the bees. He was not afraid of them, +for he knew that if he did not disturb or annoy them, they would not +sting him. +</p> +<p> +One morning the bees in one of Uncle Mark's hives seemed greatly +excited. They buzzed and buzzed about the hive, till there was a great +swarm of them in the air. All at once they started in a body and flew +down toward the orchard. +</p> +<p> +The little boy followed them. They settled in a great bunch on the +branch of an apple tree. The little boy ran back and told Uncle Mark +that the bees had swarmed. Then Uncle Mark and Sam the hired man took a +beehive, a ladder, and a saw and went down to the orchard. Sam climbed +the ladder, sawed off the limb, and lowered the bees to the ground. +Uncle Mark set the hive over the swarm and left it awhile. He knew that +the bees would settle down in the hive and soon feel at home and begin +to gather honey. And so they did. But Sam the hired man was stung +several times. One of his eyes swelled shut and one of his cheeks looked +as if he had the toothache. +</p> +<p> +"Why did your friends sting Sam?" asked little Luke the next day of his +friend Ah-mo the Honey Bee. +</p> +<p> +"Oh," answered Ah-mo, "he was too rough. The bee people have sharp +tempers and ever since they got stings they are apt to use them when +they get angry." +</p> +<p> +"Got stings!" exclaimed the little boy. "Didn't the bee people always +have stings?" +</p> +<p> +"Oh, no," answered Ah-mo; "not always." +</p> +<p> +"How did they get them?" asked little Luke. "Tell me about it." +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"Long, long ago, when the world was new," said Ah-mo, "the bee folk had +no stings. They were just as busy workers as they are to-day. All day +long and all summer long they flew from flower to flower and gathered +wax and honey, which they stored against the winter, when there would +be no flowers and no honey. +</p> +<p> +"But many of the other creatures liked honey as well as the bees. They +would watch the bees till they found out where their storehouses were. +Then they would break them open and steal all the honey. This was bad +for the bee people. For without their honey they would starve to death +during the long, cold winters. +</p> +<p> +"At last matters got so bad with the bee people that they sent a +messenger to the Master of Life to ask him to come to their aid. When he +had heard about their trouble, he said to their messenger, 'Go back to +your people. In two moons I will come to visit you. By that time I shall +have thought out a way to help you.' +</p> +<p> +"The bee people were very glad. They told their cousins, the hornets and +the wasps, that the Master of Life had promised to assist them against +their enemies. At the end of the two moons, the Master of Life came and +all the bees assembled to meet him. The wasps and the hornets came also. +</p> +<p> +"'I have thought of a way to help you,' said the Master of Life to them. +'From this day you shall have stings. Hereafter, if anyone comes to +steal your honey, you will be able to defend yourselves.' +</p> +<p> +"The bees were greatly pleased. They were no longer afraid of their +enemies and did not try to hide their storehouses as they had done +before. +</p> +<p> +"Now the worst of all the enemies of the bee people was Moo-ween the +Black Bear. One day Mr. and Mrs. Moo-ween were walking by a hollow tree +where the bees had made their home. They looked up and saw many of the +bee folk going in and out of a hole in the tree. +</p> +<p> +"'What lots of honey there must be in that tree,' said Moo-ween. 'How +good it would taste. Let us climb up and take it away from the bees.' +So the two bears began to climb the tree. +</p> +<p> +"But the bees were not afraid of them. They did not fly away and leave +the bears to eat their honey, as they had always done before. Instead, +they flew down and began to sting the bears. The two bears could not +understand it. They had never been stung before and they groaned and +growled with pain. The bees settled upon their eyes, their ears, and +their noses, and stung them again and again, until they had to let go +of the tree, and fell to the ground. There they rolled over and over, +growling and groaning and snapping their teeth. The bees kept on +stinging them. The bears could not stand it. They got up and ran away as +fast as they could, Since that time the bee folk have had stings and the +courage to use them whenever any creature, little or big, attempts to +annoy or injure them." +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0015" id="h2H_4_0015"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0009"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-079.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + XIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST SWALLOWS +</h2> +<p> +In May little Luke had watched Mr. and Mrs. Lun-i-fro the Eave Swallows +while they had built their queer, pocket-shaped, mud hut beneath the +eaves of the big barn. He saw them on the muddy shores of the river, +rolling little pellets of mud, which they carried to the barn and built +into their nest, and wondered at their odd ways. +</p> +<p> +"I wish," he often said to himself, "that they could talk. I would ask +them how they learned to do it." At that time he had no idea he would +ever be able to talk to them. +</p> +<p> +After he had found the Magic Speech Flower he often talked to Father +and Mother Lun-i-fro. But their talks were always short, for the two +swallows were always too busy chasing gnats and flies through the air +to spend much time on anything else. +</p> +<p> +Early in September the swallows began to gather in large flocks. +The young ones, who were now finishing their lessons in flying, were +introduced to the rest of the tribe and the little boy often saw them +training in squads. They would sit in a long row upon the peak of the +barn roof. Suddenly they would start off all together and fly about for +a while. Then they would come back and settle down upon the roof again. +</p> +<p> +One day as little Luke was watching them, Father Lun-i-fro happened to +light upon a fence stake near him. "Father Lun-i-fro," said the little +boy, "what are you swallow folk doing these days?" +</p> +<p> +"We are holding our councils and getting ready to go to the sunny +Southland for the winter," answered the old swallow. +</p> +<p> +"Before you go," said the boy, "I wish you would tell me how you learned +to build your nests in such an odd way." +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Father Lun-i-fro, "since you have been so nice to us this +summer, I'll tell you." +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"Long, long ago," went on the old swallow, "there was an Indian village +upon the top of a high hill. +</p> +<p> +"The grown-up people of the village were very good. But alas! the +children were naughty. They were so disobedient that they could never be +trusted to mind anything that their parents said to them. The old people +often talked to them and did their best to make them behave better, but +it did no good. As soon as their backs were turned, those naughty +children would begin to quarrel and fight and steal and run away. +</p> +<p> +"The old people were much troubled. The woods were full of bears and +panthers and wolves, and they felt sure that some time the wicked +children would be eaten up by them. +</p> +<p> +"They did everything they could think of to make it so pleasant for the +children that they would stay at home. They made bows and arrows for the +boys, and Indian dolls for the girls, and all sorts of playthings for +all of them, but it did no good. They would run away just the same. +</p> +<p> +"At last the elders of the village held a council to see if they could +not think of some plan to make their children behave better. After much +talk it was thought best to call in all the children and have the +village chief talk to them. This was done, but it did no good. The next +day they ran away just the same. Their parents had to search far into +the night before they found them. This time the old folks were very +angry. +</p> +<p> +"Another council was held. They talked the matter over a long time and +made up their minds to send for Gloos-cap the good and wise Magician, +who was yet upon the earth. And so they did. +</p> +<p> +"When he came he found that, as usual, the children had run away from +home and could not be found. They had already been gone two or three +days. +</p> +<p> +"Gloos-cap frowned and looked very stern. 'I will find them,' said he, +'and when I find them I will punish them as they deserve.' +</p> +<p> +"By his magic power he was able to follow their trail, which their +parents had not been able to find. +</p> +<p> +"At length he saw them. They were playing about on the muddy shore of +a small lake. Out of the mud they were making many different kinds of +objects, especially little wigwams. +</p> +<p> +"He walked down to where they were. 'You naughty children,' said he, +'are you not ashamed of yourselves, to disobey your parents and make +them so much sorrow and trouble?' +</p> +<p> +"'No, we are not,' spoke up one bold, saucy little fellow. 'We don't +care for what they say. We've been having a good time all by ourselves.' +</p> +<p> +"'Very well,' said Gloos-cap, 'since you are not willing to obey your +parents, you shall never trouble them any more. You shall become birds. +Since you love to play in the mud, you shall always build your nests of +mud; and since you love to gad about so much, you shall wander about the +earth forever.' +</p> +<p> +"And so it has been with the swallow folk since that time. +</p> +<p> +"But," went on the old swallow, "our foreparents learned their lesson, +and since that time we always bring up our children to be very obedient. +No doubt you have noticed how very well they mind." +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0016" id="h2H_4_0016"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0010"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width:40%; margin-left:30%;"> +<img src="images/illus-085.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + XIV. LITTLE LUKE AND A-BAL-KA THE CHIPMUNK +</h2> +<p> +One of little Luke's best friends among the wild folk was A-bal-ka the +Chipmunk. He was a dainty little fellow about five inches long, with a +tail of the same length. His coat was of a yellowish-brown color, with +black stripes running down his back. This fine, striped coat made him +look much prettier than his cousin Mee-ko the Red Squirrel. +</p> +<p> +He was a clean, jolly, little chap, and very fond of singing, though he +knew but two songs. One was a sharp chip, chip, chip, which he would +sometimes keep up for a long time. At a distance it sounded like the +call note of some bird. The other was a cuck, cuck, cuck, which sounded +much like the song of the Cuckoo. A curious thing about this song was +that one could scarcely tell where it came from. Little Luke was often +deceived by it. Sometimes when it sounded as if A-bal-ka was near by, he +was really a good way off, and when it sounded as if he were a good way +off, he was really close by. +</p> +<p> +Beside these songs, A-bal-ka had an odd way of saying chip, +chur-r-r-r-r, when he was scared. This meant, "I am not afraid of you," +and he never said it till he was safe in some hole where no one could +get at him. +</p> +<p> +A-bal-ka never harmed any one, nor did he scold and steal like Mee-ko +the Red Squirrel. Yet he had many foes. Ko-ko-ka the Owl, Ak-sip the +Hawk, Kee-wuk the Fox, Kag-ax the Weasel, Ko-sa the Mink, and A-tos-sa +the Snake were always ready to pounce upon him at sight and make a +meal of him. Even Mee-ko was not to be trusted. Sometimes he would +chase A-bal-ka and rob him of the nuts which he was carrying to his +storehouse. He would have robbed the storehouse, too, if he could have +got into it. But A-bal-ka's door was too small, and his hallways too +narrow for Mee-ko. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke knew all about A-bal-ka's underground dwelling. The way he +found out was this: Uncle Mark and Sam the hired man were digging stones +on the hillside in the edge of the woods for the foundations of a new +barn. While at this work, they uncovered the home of one of A-bal-ka's +brothers. It was made up of a long, winding passageway, ending in a +sleeping chamber, near which was a storehouse, and in this storehouse +there was a large quantity of nuts. These nuts were all good ones. The +greater part of them were little, three-cornered beech nuts, which the +squirrels like better than anything else. In all there was as much as +half a bushel of nuts, enough to last a chipmunk all winter. The bedroom +was a neat, little, round chamber, nicely filled with leaves, grass, and +moss. In such a house as this, with its store of nuts, a chipmunk could +live snug and warm all winter long and come out sleek and fat in the +spring. +</p> +<p> +Because of A-bal-ka's many enemies, he was very watchful. He seldom went +far from home, and when he did venture to go abroad, he nearly always +followed the same path. At first it ran along under the side of a fallen +log. From the end of this, a few quick leaps carried him to a brush +pile. A jump or two more brought him to a rock and yet a few more to a +stone fence. Once there, he felt safe. At the least alarm, he could run +into a hole too small for any of his foes except, perhaps, A-tos-sa, +whom he dreaded more than any of the others. +</p> +<p> +All along the stone fence stood nut trees,—oaks, hazels, walnuts, +beeches, and others. And at one end was a cornfield. +</p> +<p> +This made it very handy for A-bal-ka. He could gather the nuts which +fell upon the stone fence, and when he went for corn, he could keep to +the fence and thus avoid his enemies. Early in the fall he began to fill +his storehouse. To and fro he went along the fence with his +cheek-pouches full of corn and nuts. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke often amused himself by watching him. He would pick up the +nuts with his paws and put them into his cheek-pouches, and it was +amazing how many they would hold. When he started for home, his cheeks +sometimes looked as if he had a very severe case of the mumps. +</p> +<p> +One day in the autumn little Luke found out a queer thing about +A-bal-ka. He was going up the trail with Old John. A-bal-ka started to +cross the trail, but seeing the old Indian he became scared and ran up a +tree. This was a thing which he seldom did; never unless he was obliged +to, to escape from his enemies. He is a ground squirrel, and no tree +climber, like his cousins the Red and the Gray Squirrels. +</p> +<p> +"Now," said Old John, "I'll show you something." So he got a stout stick +and began to tap the tree. Tap, tap, tap, tap, as if he were beating +time to music. This tapping had a strange effect upon A-bal-ka. At first +he was greatly excited and tried to run farther up the tree. Soon he +gave this up, turned around, and began to come down head foremost. He +would lift his little feet and shake them as if something hurt them. +Lower and lower he came, until the old Indian could easily have killed +him with his club or caught him with his hand. He did neither. He just +laughed and threw away his stick. +</p> +<p> +"There," said he, "that's the way to make a chipmunk come down out of a +tree. They'll always do it, if you tap long enough," +</p> +<p> +"That's queer," said the little boy; "what makes them come down? Why +don't they run farther up?" +</p> +<p> +"I don't know," said Old John, "perhaps they think you are trying to cut +down the tree, or maybe the jar hurts their feet. The Red Men used to +think that there was some kind of a magic charm about it." +</p> +<p> +"I am glad you didn't hurt him," said the little boy, as they went on up +the trail. +</p> +<p> +"Hurt him!" exclaimed the old Indian, "why, don't you know that no +Indian ever hurts a chipmunk?" +</p> +<p> +"Why is that?" asked the little boy. +</p> +<p> +"It's an old, old story," said Old John, "but come, let us sit down on +this log, and I'll tell it to you." +</p> +<p> +So when they were both comfortably seated, the old Indian began the tale +which you will find in the next chapter. +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0017" id="h2H_4_0017"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0011"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width:40%; margin-left:30%;"> +<img src="images/illus-085.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + XV. HOW A-BAL-KA GOT HIS BLACK STRIPES +</h2> +<p> +"In the old days before winter had come into the land, the beasts and +the birds, the fishes, and even the insects, all had one language. They +could speak the speech of the Red Men and they all lived together in +peace and friendship. +</p> +<p> +"In those days, there was no killing and no war. But after winter had +come upon the land, the Red Men learned to kill the wild folk and to use +their flesh for food and their skins for wigwams and for clothing. +</p> +<p> +"At first this was bad enough, but after men had learned to use bows and +arrows, spears, knives, and hooks, it was still worse. They became more +and more cruel. They delighted to slaughter even creatures for which +they had no use. Out of heedlessness, they trod upon the worms and the +frogs, and killed them without caring for the pain and suffering which +they caused. At last the animals made up their minds to try to find out +some means to check the slaughter of the wild kindreds. +</p> +<p> +"The bears were the first to meet in council. After much talk, they +decided to begin war at once against the human race. +</p> +<p> +"'What weapons shall we use against them?' asked one of the bears. +</p> +<p> +"'Why,' answered another, 'the same that they use; bows and arrows, of +course.' +</p> +<p> +"'But how shall we make them?' asked one bear. +</p> +<p> +"'Oh, that is easy,' said another. 'I'll show you how to do it. You know +I lived for a long time in one of their villages.' +</p> +<p> +"So this bear got a piece of ashwood and a string, some straight reeds +and pieces of flint, and made a bow and some arrows. +</p> +<p> +"The White Bear, who was chief of the council, stepped out to make a +trial of the bow. He pulled back the string and let the arrow fly, but +his long claws caught the string and spoiled the shot. +</p> + +<a name="image-0012"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-093.jpg" style="width:100%;" +alt="The Testing of the Bow" /> +</div> + +<p> +"Seeing this, one of the bears proposed to cut off his own claws and +make another trial. This was done and the arrow went straight to the +mark. +</p> +<p> +"Now all the bears were ready to cut off their claws that they might +practice with the bow and arrow. But their chief, the old White Bear, +was wise. +</p> +<p> +"'No,' said he, 'let us not cut off our claws. If we do, we shall not be +able to climb trees or to tear our food to pieces, and we shall all +starve together. It is better to trust to the teeth and claws that the +Master of Life has given us. Man's weapons are not for us.' +</p> +<p> +"All the bears agreed to this, and the council broke up without any plan +for dealing with their cruel enemies. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"The deer were the next to hold a council. Each one had some story to +tell about the cruelty of men. Each one had lost his father or his +mother, his wife or his children, his brother or his sister. +</p> +<p> +"After much talk, their chief, Little Deer, spoke. 'It is a law,' said +he, 'among all the kindreds that each may kill to supply his needs. The +men folk need our flesh to eat and our skins for clothing. +</p> +<a name="image-0013"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="float:right;width: 50%; padding: 0 0 0 1em;"> +<img src="images/illus-095.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> +<p> +"'But there is another law. It is that no one shall kill cruelly or +needlessly. Upon such as do so, let us send pains and aches. Let us make +their joints swell and become stiff, so that they cannot follow us and +kill us. Besides, let us make another law, that when a hunter kills one +of the deer family, he must pray to the spirit of the deer for pardon. +If he has killed to supply his needs and without cruelty, he shall be +pardoned. If not, he shall become a helpless cripple.' +</p> +<p> +"The deer people all agreed to this and sent word to the nearest Indian +village, to tell the hunters about the new law. +</p> +<p> +"Since that time every Indian hunter is careful to pray to the spirit of +the deer which he has killed. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"Next the fishes and the snakes held a council. Each one had complaints +to make against the cruelty of men. After much talk, A-tos-sa the chief +of the snakes spoke. +</p> +<p> +"'We of the snake kindred,' said he, 'will afflict men with diseases of +their nerves. They shall tremble and shake when there is nothing to be +afraid of. And when they draw the bow-strings, their arrows shall go +wide of the mark by reason of the unsteadiness of eye and hand. And we +will send upon them in their sleep evil dreams. The ghosts of the snakes +which they have needlessly killed shall twine about them, with fearful +fangs, ready to pierce their flesh, and the cold sweat of terror shall +ooze from their skin, and they shall awake with cries and tremblings.' +</p> +<p> +"After him the chief of the fishes spoke. +</p> +<p> +"'We,' said he, 'will afflict men with diseases of the stomach. In their +sleep, they shall dream of eating raw or decayed fish and their +appetites shall pass from them.' +</p> +<p> +"These plans were agreed upon, and the council of the fishes and the +snakes broke up. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"After this, the smaller animals, the birds and the insects, gathered +themselves together in a common council. Here, too, all were bitter +against the useless cruelty of mankind. After all complaints had been +heard, Am-wee-soo the Wasp addressed the council. +</p> +<p> +"'Each creature,' said he, 'has the right to live. Our cruel enemies +deprive us of our lives which they cannot restore. It is just that they +shall be punished. We, the wasps, the bees, and the flies, will send +upon men boils and wasting fevers, which shall sap their strength and +bring them to their graves.' +</p> +<p> +"'And we,' said Da-hin-da the Bull Frog, 'will afflict men with colds +and coughs, which shall make them weak and short of breath.' +</p> +<p> +"'We, the birds,' declared E-kes-ke the Blue Jay, 'will afflict them +with sores and diseases of the skin.' +</p> +<p> +"And so it went on. Each of the tribes of the wild folk agreed to +afflict mankind with some sort of sickness. +</p> +<p> +"A-bal-ka the Chipmunk alone spoke in favor of the men. But he had +hardly said ten words, before the others became so enraged that they +fell upon and drove him from the council. He barely escaped with his +life. +</p> +<p> +"And as it was, Up-wee-kis the Lynx fastened his claws on A-bal-ka's +neck and tore four gashes the length of his back. You can see the marks +to this day. That is the way the chipmunk got his black stripes." +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0018" id="h2H_4_0018"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + XVI. HOW A-BAL-KA THE CHIPMUNK HELPED MEN +</h2> +<p> +"The wounded ground squirrel hid himself in his den beneath the roots of +a great oak, where his enemies could not get at him. There he remained +until the other creatures had departed and his wounds were somewhat +healed. +</p> +<p> +"When he was well enough to get about again, he visited the villages +of the Red Men. Everywhere he went, he found sickness and death. The +kind-hearted chipmunk was sorry to see so much suffering and sorrow. +So he revealed the secret plans which had been formed in the councils +of the wild folk. +</p> +<p> +"Men now knew what was the cause of their troubles. But this knowledge +did little good, since it did not heal their diseases or save them from +death. For a time, it seemed as if the human race would be entirely +destroyed. +</p> +<p> +"In their despair, they appealed to their kind friend A-bal-ka the +little ground squirrel. 'What shall we do?' they wailed. 'Cannot you, +who are so kind of heart and so wise, help us?' +</p> +<p> +"'I will do my best,' he replied, 'but I must take time to think about +it.' After turning the matter over in his mind carefully, he went about +among the plants and trees and told them what had been done by the wild +folk against their friends the men. +</p> +<p> +"'Cannot you,' said he, 'do something to heal their diseases and save +the human race from destruction?' +</p> +<p> +"After much coming and going on the part of A-bal-ka the ground +squirrel, and much talking and thinking on the part of the plants and +trees, it was resolved that they, too, should hold councils, to see +what they could do toward checking and overcoming the evils which had +befallen the human race. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"First the big trees of the forest and the shrubs held their council. +They talked over the matter and agreed that each should do all in its +power to furnish remedies to cure the diseases which the wild folk had +inflicted upon men. +</p> +<p> +"'We,' said the pine, the spruce, and the balsam trees, 'will give our +gums and our balsam.' The slippery elm offered its bark; the sassafras +its roots; the cherry tree its bark and its berries. One after another, +the other trees and shrubs offered their berries, their bark, their +leaves, or their roots as medicine to heal the diseases of men. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"Next the plants held their council and resolved to come to the aid of +men in their distress. 'I,' said the ginseng plant, 'will give my roots +to make a healing drink. It shall be good for headaches and for cramps +and for many other kinds of pains and aches.' +</p> +<p> +"'And I,' said the snake-root, 'will give my roots also for a healing +drink. It shall cure fevers and coughs and many other diseases.' +</p> +<p> +"And so it went on. The silkweed, the skull-cap, catnip, boneset, the +peppermint, wild ginger, wintergreen, and scores of other plants, all +gladly offered their roots, their berries, or their leaves. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"Their number was so great that the little striped squirrel, who had +attended both councils, was scarcely able to remember them all. +</p> +<p> +"After the councils were over, he went about among the villages of the +Red Men and told them what the trees and the plants had said. They at +once began to gather and prepare the medicines which they needed to cure +the different diseases from which they suffered. And from this time, on +account of the use of these medicines, they were sometimes able to heal +their diseases and save many of their people from death. +</p> +<p> +"This is the story of how diseases came upon men and medicines to cure +them were found. +</p> +<p> +"The Red Men were grateful to the little ground squirrel for the help he +had given them, and loved him more than any other of the wild folk, and +to this day no Indian boy will injure a chipmunk." +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0019" id="h2H_4_0019"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0014"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width:40%; margin-left:30%;"> +<img src="images/illus-103.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + XVII. LITTLE LUKE AND MEE-KO THE RED SQUIRREL +</h2> +<p> +One day as little Luke was sitting on a fallen log in the woods, Mee-ko +the Red Squirrel ran out on a branch over his head. There he sat up on +his hind legs and began to chatter and scold and cough. +</p> +<p> +He remembered the day when the little boy had stoned him away from the +nest of O-pee-chee the Robin. Ever since that time he had never missed +a chance of saying bad words at him. But the little boy didn't mind +Mee-ko's scolding; he only laughed at him for his bad temper and +spitefulness. +</p> +<p> +"Mee-ko," said he, "what makes you cough so? Tell me. I think there must +be a story about it." +</p> +<p> +"Well, suppose there is?" snapped Mee-ko. "I wouldn't tell you anyway. +A Man Cub has no business to know the animal talk. I did my best to +keep you from touching the Magic Speech Flower. I hate you! I hate you! +I wish I were as big as my forefathers were, I'd drive you out of the +woods!" +</p> +<p> +"Come, now, Mee-ko," replied the boy, "don't be so spiteful. I haven't +done you any harm. I stopped you from stealing Mother O-pee-chee's eggs, +but you had no business with the eggs anyway. How would you like to have +some one eat up your young ones? Let bygones be bygones and tell me +about your forefathers." +</p> +<p> +"I'll not be friends with you on any terms," replied Mee-ko. "I wish +you'd stay about the farmhouse where you belong. You've no business +sneaking about in the woods, disturbing us wood folk, and spying on us +and tattling about us. Go away. You know too much now." +</p> +<p> +"Yes, no doubt he knows too much about you. We all do," said a voice. +Little Luke looked up and there was old Ko-ko-ka the Big Owl, sitting in +a hole in a tree. "As for spying and tattling," Ko-ko-ka went on, "you +are the worst of all the wild folk. It runs in your blood. The Mee-ko +family have always been meddlers. It was the first of your tribe, as +all the wood folk know, who, with his tattling; tongue, set Mal-sum the +Wicked Wolf trying to kill Gloos-cap the Good. Your foreparents were +thieves and murderers too; and you take after them. +</p> +<p> +"The Master of Life has formed some of us so that we must kill to live +and for us to kill is lawful. It is not so with you. You were made to +live on seeds and nuts, yet Kag-ax the Weasel, whom we all hate, is +scarcely more bloodthirsty than you are. And you are a coward to boot. +You haven't the courage to fight and you kill for pleasure and by +stealth." +</p> +<p> +Mee-ko started to talk back at Ko-ko-ka, but the big owl snapped his +beak angrily and rustled his wings. Mee-ko saw and heard and he didn't +wait to finish his remarks. He scurried along the branch, took a flying +leap to the next tree, and disappeared. +</p> +<p> +"Let him go. His room is better than his company," remarked Ko-ko-ka. +</p> +<p> +"That's so," said little Luke, "I never did like him much anyway. But +tell me, what did he mean about his forefathers?" +</p> +<p> +"Well," answered Ko-ko-ka, "I've had a good nap and haven't anything to +do till sundown. So, if you like, I'll tell you about it." +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0020" id="h2H_4_0020"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0015"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-107.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + XVIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST RED SQUIRRELS +</h2> +<p> +"Long, long ago," began the old owl, "when the world was new, there +dwelt upon the earth a wise and good man whose name was Gloos-cap. He +was a servant of the Master of Life, who had sent him to teach the men +and all the other creatures everything that was good for them to know. +So he went about from place to place, teaching the kindreds. +</p> +<p> +"He taught the Red Men how to build their wigwams and to plant corn and +care for it. He taught the beavers how to build their lodges and the +birds how to build their nests and care for their little ones. To all +the kindreds he taught the things which each most needed to know. +</p> +<p> +"At first all the creatures were good and heeded the teachings of +Gloos-cap. But after a time their hearts became evil. Gloos-cap often +spoke to them and did his best to turn them from their wicked ways, but +in vain. They grew more and more envious, spiteful, and quarrelsome. At +last they became so wicked that they began to fight and kill each other. +Worse than all else, the victors took to devouring the bodies of the +slain. +</p> +<p> +"The good Gloos-cap was grieved and disgusted. He made up his mind to +invite them to a feast and try once more to turn them from their evil +ways. When they came, he set before each one of them food in abundance. +Although each had enough and more than enough for himself, some of them +were not satisfied. They began to quarrel and fight, each striving to +take from the other his portion. +</p> +<p> +"Now Gloos-cap was a mighty magician. By his magic power, he caused the +food to turn to ashes in the mouths of the greedy ones. As soon as they +tasted the ashes, they tried to talk and scold, but they could scarcely +say two words on account of the ashes which got into their throats. +</p> +<p> +"The angry Gloos-cap waved his hand over them, and by his magic power +the quarrelsome, envious, and greedy ones disappeared. In their place +there were a number of red squirrels, who chattered and scolded and +coughed as red squirrels always do even to this day. These were the +foreparents of all the red squirrels in the world. +</p> +<p> +"'Now,' said Gloos-cap to the other creatures, 'take warning by the +fate of these who are now squirrels and cease from being quarrelsome, +envious, and greedy.'" +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0021" id="h2H_4_0021"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + XIX. HOW THE RED SQUIRREL BECAME SMALL +</h2> +<p> +"Now in those days Mee-ko the Red Squirrel was much larger than he is +to-day,—as large as Moo-ween the Bear; and his temper was even as his +size. He desired most earnestly to take revenge upon Gloos-cap the Good +for what he had done to him. So he sought out the brother of Gloos-cap, +even Mal-sum the Wicked Wolf, and tempted him to kill his brother. +</p> +<p> +"'I would gladly slay him,' said Mal-sum, 'but I know not how it may be +done. On account of his magic power, there is only one thing in all the +world that can hurt him, and I know not what that is.' +</p> +<p> +"'Go you,' said Mee-ko, 'and pretend to be friendly with him and find +out his secret. Then you may slay him.' +</p> +<p> +"Mal-sum thought this good advice, and acted according to it. For many +days he behaved to his brother with pretended kindness, always watching +to find out his secret. +</p> +<p> +"'My brother,' said he, one day when they were hunting together, 'you +know that there is but one thing in all the world that can hurt either +of us, one thing for you, and another for me. Tell me what it is with +which you may be slain?' +</p> +<p> +"Now Gloos-cap the Good knew the wickedness and spite that lay hid in +the heart of his brother. So he said, 'Nay, but tell me first, what it +is with which you may be slain?' +</p> +<p> +"And the wicked Mal-sum thought in his heart, 'What would it matter even +if he knew the truth? I shall slay him before he can harm me.' So he +answered truly, 'By the stroke of a fern-root only can I be slain. Now +what is your secret?' +</p> +<p> +"But Gloos-cap, knowing his brother's wickedness, was unwilling to trust +him. So he answered falsely and craftily, 'By the stroke of an owl's +feather it is fated that I shall be some day slain.' +</p> +<p> +"Now the wicked Mai-sum was greatly rejoiced in heart at hearing this. +So he left his brother, making some excuse, and went off into the woods +alone. There finding an owl, one of my foreparents, he shot him, and, +taking some of his feathers, returned home. +</p> +<p> +"That night while Gloos-cap was sleeping, the wicked Mai-sum arose, and +taking the owl's feather, struck his brother upon the forehead. But +Gloos-cap, awakened by the blow, only laughed. 'It is not really a +feather,' said he, 'but a pine-root that shall end my life. I was but +joking with you this morning.' +</p> +<p> +"But the wicked Mai-sum feigned that lie, too, had been only in sport, +and the two brothers lay down again and slept. +</p> +<p> +"But the next night, while Gloos-cap was sleeping, Mai-sum again arose +and struck him upon the forehead with a pine-root. +</p> +<p> +"This time Gloos-cap, seeing the wickedness of his brother's heart, and +that he was bound to take his life, arose and drove Mai-sum forth into +the woods. Then he went away and sat down by the brookside, considering +what he should do. +</p> +<p> +"'Truly,' said he to himself, 'he will yet slay me. If he but knew that +a flowering rush is fated to be my bane, my life would not be safe for a +moment.' +</p> +<p> +"Now it chanced that the beaver was hidden among the reeds in the brook +and heard what Gloos-cap had said. So he went off to Mal-sum, and told +him his brother's secret for a reward. +</p> +<p> +"The reward was that Mal-sum by his magic power should grant whatever +the beaver might ask. So the beaver asked that he might have wings +like a wood dove. But Mal-sum only laughed at him. 'Wings for you!' he +chuckled; 'you, who have nothing to do but paddle about in the mud and +eat bark! what need have you of wings? Besides, how would you with that +flat tail of yours look with wings!' +</p> +<p> +"Now you may be sure that the beaver was angry at being thus made sport +of. So he went straightway to Gloos-cap and told him that Mal-sum had +found out his secret. +</p> +<p> +"'Now,' said Gloos-cap to himself, 'I must needs slay him. He does +naught but evil in the world, and I have not yet finished the good +work which the Master of Life sent me to do.' That night he arose and, +talking a fern-root, smote the wicked Mal-sum on the head so that he +died. +</p> +<p> +"Now Gloos-cap knew that Mee-ko the Red Squirrel had tempted his brother +to try to slay him, and since Mee-ko was so large and of such an evil +temper, lie feared that he would do much harm. So meeting Mee-ko one day +in the woods, he said, 'Tell me, what would you do if you should see a +man?' +</p> +<p> +"'If I should see a man,' answered Mee-ko, 'I would dig up the trees of +the forest, so that they would fall upon and slay him. Then I would +feast upon his dead body.' +</p> +<p> +"'You are too large and too wicked,' said Gloos-cap. 'I fear I cannot +change your temper, but I can your size,' So he passed his hands over +the big red squirrel's back, and behold, he shrunk and shriveled until +he became small, even as small as he is at this day. But his temper +remained almost as bad as before. Even to-day, he can scarcely see +any creature without scolding and saying bad words." +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0022" id="h2H_4_0022"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + XX. LITTLE LUKE AND MOTHER MIT-CHEE THE RUFFLED PARTRIDGE +</h2> +<p> +Up in the woods on the side of the mountain Mother Mit-chee the Ruffled +Partridge built her nest, close beside the trail. It was nothing but a +little hollow in the ground, lined with leaves. +</p> +<p> +It was in plain sight and you would have supposed that anyone going +along the trail would have seen it. But they didn't. Old John the Indian +and Sam the hired man passed it a dozen times and never noticed it. Even +Old Boze did not find it, although he followed Sam up and down the trail +many times. +</p> +<p> +You see, Mother Mit-chee knew enough to sit perfectly still, and her +mottled feathers blended so exactly with the tree trunks and the dead +leaves about her that only the sharp eyes of the Finder of the Magic +Flower ever found her out. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke saw her one day as he was walking up the trail beside Sam +the hired man, and with Old Boze following at his heels. But he went +right on by, as if he had not seen Mother Mit-chee at all. He did not +want Sam or Old Boze to see her, for he knew they could not be trusted. +They would be almost sure to try to kill Mother Mit-chee, or at the very +least, they would rob her nest. +</p> +<p> +The next morning the little boy went up the trail alone, to pay Mother +Mit-chee a visit. "Good morning, Mother Mit-chee," said he, "I saw you +yesterday, but Sam and Old Boze didn't, and I wouldn't tell them." +</p> +<p> +"I knew you saw me," replied Mother Mit-chee, "and I knew you wouldn't +tell. You are too kind-hearted for that, especially since you found the +Magic Flower and learned the animal talk. We all trust you. You may come +to see me as often as you like, but be careful not to leave any trail +near my nest. I don't want Old Boze nosing around here. And when you +come along with any of the house people, just go right by and don't look +this way. I am more afraid of Old John the Indian than of anyone else. +He looked right at me the other day and I was sure he saw me. I was +scared, I tell you. I was all ready to fly away. But he didn't see me. +If he had, I never should have seen my eggs again." +</p> +<p> +"All right," said the little boy, "I'll do just as you say." And after +some more talk, he went on up the trail to visit some of his other +friends among the wild folk. +</p> +<p> +Many times during the days that followed the little boy stopped and +talked with the Mother Partridge. "If you will come to-morrow," said +she, one day, "I'll show you as fine a brood of partridge chicks as +anyone could wish to see." +</p> +<p> +"I'll be sure to come," answered the little boy, "for I want to see them +very much." +</p> +<p> +As he came up the next day, Mother Mit-chee stepped off her nest. +"There," said she, "there they are. Now aren't they fine ones?" +</p> +<p> +The little boy looked. In the nest there were a dozen of the daintiest, +downiest, little creatures he had ever seen. They were scarcely bigger +than an acorn. "They surely are a fine brood," said he. "Aren't you +afraid that something will catch them?" +</p> +<p> +"Of course I am afraid. I'm always afraid." said Mother Mit-chee, "but +the creature that catches them will have to be pretty sharp. I know a +trick or two that will fool most of the wild folk, and the house people +as well. You come up to-morrow and I'll show you. They are pretty young +now, and I don't want to disturb them unless I have to." +</p> +<p> +The next day the little boy found the nest empty. He looked carefully +about for Mother Mit-chee and her brood. Suddenly something rose almost +from under his feet, and whizzed off through the wood. There was a sound +like an explosion, followed by thunder, which scared the little boy so +that he jumped. But he saw that it was only Mother Mit-chee, and he had +seen her do that before. +</p> +<p> +He knew that the chicks were near at hand, and looked around carefully +for them. +</p> +<p> +Pretty soon Mother Mit-chee sailed around through the woods and dropped +to the ground but a little way from the boy. She seemed to have been +hurt, badly hurt. One wing dragged as if it was broken, and she limped +sadly. +</p> +<p> +"Ha, ha," laughed the little boy, "you can't fool me with that trick. +You needn't keep it up any longer, I shan't follow you. I know that you +are not hurt at all. Old John told me all about it. He told me that he +saw you playing that very trick on Kee-wuks the Red Fox only the other +day." +</p> + +<a name="image-0016"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-119.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<p> +"Well, well!" said Mother Mit-chee. "Did Old John see that? I didn't +know he was anywhere about. Yes," she went on. "Kee-wuks thought he had +me that time. I let him get close up. Then he jumped for me; but when he +landed where I was, I wasn't there! If I hadn't made him believe he +could catch me he might have found my chicks." +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Little Luke, "I heard Sam say that no one could find a +young partridge chick, but I'm going to try it. You know since I found +the Magic Flower my eyes are sharper than those of any of the other +house people." +</p> +<p> +"All right," said Mother Mit-chee, "I'll call them out. I'm afraid if +you walk around there, you'll step on them; they're right around your +feet." And she began calling to the chicks. "Kreet, kreet, come out, +come out, right away," she called. +</p> +<p> +Right before little Luke a dead leaf that was curled up seemed to come +to life, but it wasn't really the leaf. It was the partridge chick that +had squatted upon it that moved. Just before him, little Luke saw a tiny +bunch under the dead leaves. He reached down and seized it, but very +carefully. It was another one of the chicks. And the ground about him +seemed alive with the little ones as they came out at their mother's +call. +</p> +<p> +"Well done," said Mother Mit-chee, "your eyes certainly are good. But +handle him carefully. Don't squeeze too tight. There now, you've hurt +him!" (The little one was peeping as if in pain.) +</p> +<p> +Little Luke set him very carefully on the ground. "Don't worry," said +he, "he isn't hurt, he's only a little scared." +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Mother Mit-chee, "I must take these babies of mine down +to the spring and teach them how to drink. They have never tasted +water yet." +</p> +<p> +"Kreet, kreet, come along, come along," called Mother Mit-chee. +</p> +<p> +"Peep, peep, we're coming, we're coming, mother," said the little ones. +And they all started down the mountainside toward the spring. +</p> +<p> +It took a good while to get there, for the chicks were young, and their +little legs so short and so weak that Mother Mit-chee had to wait for +them a good many times. But it was a pretty sight. The yellow, downy, +little fellows marched along boldly behind their mother. Sometimes she +would go on a little way ahead. Then she would stop and call, "Kreet, +kreet, come along, children," and the little fellows would race to see +who could catch up first. +</p> +<p> +Some of them were not so strong as others, and at times they would squat +upon the ground to rest. Mother Mit-chee would wait as long as she +thought proper, and then tell them to "come along." And away they would +go down the mountainside. +</p> +<p> +At last they reached the spring. The little ones had never seen water +before, and did not know what to do. But Mother Mit-chee took a drop of +clear, cold water in her bill, and raised her head before she swallowed +it. Each chick copied her motion exactly. It was fun for the little boy +to watch them. Nearly the whole dozen would clip their little bills into +the water at once, and raise their heads to swallow it, as they had seen +their mother do. +</p> +<p> +"Mother Mit-chee," said the little boy, after they had all finished +drinking, "what makes you raise your head before you swallow the water?" +</p> +<p> +"Oh," said Mother Mit-chee, "that is our way of giving thanks to the +Master of Life for the cool, sweet water. Our family learned to do it a +long time ago, and we have always done it since." +</p> +<p> +"That sounds as if there might be a story about it," said the little +boy, who was always on the watch for stories. +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Mother Mit-chee, "there is a story about it." +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0023" id="h2H_4_0023"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + XXI. WHY THE FEATHERED FOLK RAISE THEIR HEADS WHEN THEY DRINK +</h2> +<p> +"A long time ago," she went on, "there came a summer when no rain fell +for many weeks. As you know, all the feathered folk can get along pretty +well if there are only dew-drops to drink. But after a time there was no +dew, and even the grass withered and died. +</p> +<p> +"All the feathered tribes suffered terribly from thirst. At last they +gathered together in a great council, and asked the Master of Life to +take pity on them in their sad state. He heard their prayer, and sent +the angel who cares for the wild folk to speak to them. +</p> +<p> +"'The Master of Life,' said he, 'has seen your sufferings and heard your +prayers. He is merciful and kind, and has given orders to the Angel of +the Rain Clouds to supply your needs. Look!' said he, pointing to the +west. All the feathered folk looked, and behold, in the distance, the +dark Rain Clouds were already flying toward them, driven by the breath +of the Angel of the Winds. +</p> +<p> +"Soon the rain began to fall, the grass, the flowers, and the trees +revived, the springs were filled, and the sweet murmur of running water +was again heard in the brooks and rivers. The wild folk drank and were +refreshed. +</p> +<p> +"Before the Angel of the Wild Folk departed, he said, 'From this time on +forever when you drink, you must raise your head as a token of +thankfulness to the Master of Life who has sent you the refreshing +rain.' +</p> +<p> +"If you watch them, you will notice that all the feathered folk show +their gratitude to the Master of Life in the same way." +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0024" id="h2H_4_0024"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + XXII. LITTLE LUKE AND FATHER MIT-CHEE +</h2> +<p> +"Where is Father Mit-chee?" asked the little boy of the Mother +Partridge, one day. +</p> +<p> +"I don't know," she answered; "I haven't seen him since I began to sit." +</p> +<p> +"Well," said the little boy, "I think he's a mean, lazy scamp, to go off +and leave you to take care of the family alone." +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Mother Mit-chee, "it would be rather nice to have some +help. I feel a bit lonesome sometimes, especially when I notice how kind +Father O-loo-la is to his wife and family. But it isn't the custom in +our family. The fathers leave the mothers to take care of the family. +They never come near us until their children are able to take care of +themselves. I've taught these youngsters of mine what to eat and where +to find it. They have learned to fly pretty well, and taken some lessons +in whirring, so that they can frighten their enemies. I wouldn't be +surprised to see Father Mit-chee any day. Why, there he is now! I can +tell his drumming any time." +</p> +<p> +The little boy listened. Far off in the distance he heard +thump!—thump!—thump!—thump!—thr-r-r-r-r-r! +</p> +<p> +"Let's go and meet him," said Mother Mit-chee. "He doesn't know you, so +I'll go ahead. Then he won't be frightened." +</p> +<p> +So they went through the woods, Mother Mit-chee in the lead, till they +came in sight of the Father Partridge. He was standing on a fallen log +and drumming. Just how he did it the little boy could not tell. He +flapped his wings like a rooster, and seemed to beat the log or his own +sides. As the little boy watched him, he thought that perhaps the sound +was made by Father Mit-chee's wings striking together over his back. +When he saw Mother Mit-chee coming, he walked up and down the log very +proudly. Then he stopped and drummed louder than ever. +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Mother Mit-chee, "so you've come back at last, have you? +Here are your children. Don't they look as if I had taken good care of +them?" +</p> +<p> +"Why, yes," replied Father Mit-chee, "they're looking pretty well. I've +heard of you several times, and knew that you were getting along all +right. But who's that over yonder?" he asked, as he caught sight of +Little Luke. +</p> +<p> +"Oh," answered Mother Mit-chee, "you've heard of him before. He's the +boy who found the Magic Flower, and learned the animal talk." +</p> +<p> +That was the way little Luke came to know Father Mit-chee. +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0025" id="h2H_4_0025"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + XXIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST PARTRIDGE +</h2> +<p> +"Father Mit-Chee," said little Luke one day as the two were sitting +together on the drumming log, "can't you tell me a story?" +</p> +<p> +"Why, yes," said Father Mit-chee, "I suppose I might, I might tell you +the story of the first partridge." +</p> +<p> +Long, long ago an Indian was hunting in the woods. As he went along, he +heard a noise as of people jumping and dancing on hard ground. "That is +queer," said he to himself. "I will go and see what is going on." +</p> +<p> +So he turned his steps in the direction of the sound, and went on +through the forest swiftly but silently. Though at the first the noise +had seemed to come from a place near at hand, it was a long time before +he came in sight of the dancers. They were a man and a woman, and they +were jumping and dancing about a tree, in the top of which was Hes-puns +the Raccoon. +</p> +<p> +Now all three of them, the raccoon as well as the man and woman, were +magicians. The man and the woman were enemies to the other, and as their +magic was stronger than his, he had turned himself into a raccoon to +escape them. +</p> +<a name="image-0017"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="float:left;width: 50%; padding: 0 1em 0 0;"> +<img src="images/illus-130.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> +<p> +The hunter did not know this. He went toward them, and as he drew near, +he saw that the dancers had worn a ditch waist-deep about the tree. +</p> +<p> +He went up to them and asked them why they did this strange thing. +</p> +<p> +Now the man and the woman did not want the hunter to know the truth of +the matter. So they said, "We are trying to wear away the earth from the +root of this tree, so that we can get it down and catch Hes-puns, We are +hungry and we have no tomahawk." +</p> +<p> +"Well," said the hunter, "I have a good tomahawk and I will cut down the +tree for you. But you must give me the skin of Hes-puns." +</p> +<p> +They agreed to this, and the hunter soon brought the tree to the ground. +They caught the raccoon and killed and skinned him. Then they gave the +skin to the hunter, who went home. +</p> +<p> +A few days after this, the hunter saw a stranger coming toward his +lodge. On his head he wore a strange kind of cap which looked like a +small wigwam. When the hunter went out to meet him, the stranger took +off his cap and set it upon the ground. At once it grew larger and +larger until it became a beautiful lodge with several fine rooms in it. +</p> +<p> +The hunter was greatly amazed, but invited the stranger into his own +lodge and set food before him. While eating, the visitor chanced to see +the pelt of Hes-puns hanging on one of the lodge poles. +</p> +<p> +Now he was a magician and the brother of the one who had turned himself +into a raccoon. As soon as he saw the skin, he knew it by certain marks +to be the skin of his brother, and supposed that the hunter had killed +him. So he thought, how he might be revenged upon him. +</p> +<p> +"That is a fine pelt you have there," said he to the hunter. "I should +like to buy it." +</p> +<p> +"Yes," replied the hunter, "it is a fine one, but I do not care to sell +it." +</p> +<p> +"I will give you more than it is worth," said the magician. And he +offered everything that he had except his magic wigwam. +</p> +<p> +"No, I do not care to sell it," answered the hunter to each new offer. +But finally, he said, "If you will give me that fine lodge of yours, you +may have the skin." +</p> +<p> +"It's a bargain," said the magician; "the lodge is yours. But you must +keep me overnight. We will sleep in your new lodge, which is much finer +and better furnished than this." +</p> +<p> +"Very well," replied the hunter, "but you must show me how to carry my +new lodge upon my head as you did." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, that is easy," returned the magician, "you just pick it up and put +it on your head. Come out and try it now." +</p> +<p> +The hunter went out and picked up the lodge and put it upon his head. He +found he could carry it easily, for it was as light as a wicker basket. +</p> +<p> +When he put it upon the ground, it at once grew as large as before. So +the hunter and his wife and the stranger went into the lodge. Its new +owner was greatly pleased with it. It contained several large rooms, in +one of which was a very fine bed covered with a white bear skin. On that +bed the hunter and his wife lay down to sleep, while the stranger found +a bed in another room. +</p> +<p> +In the morning when the hunter and his wife awoke, they were more +delighted than ever with their new lodge. It seemed large and airy, and +from the beams high above their heads hung all kinds of things good to +eat. There were ducks and geese, rabbits and venison, ears of corn, and +bags of maple sugar. +</p> +<p> +In their joy, the man and his wife sprang out of bed and made a jump +toward the dainties. At once the white bear skin melted and ran away, +for it was nothing but the snow of winter. At the same time, their arms +spread out into wings, and they flew up to the food, which was only the +early buds of the birch tree on which they hung. For the magician had +cast a spell upon the man and the woman and they had become partridges +and had been sheltering themselves from the storms of winter under a +snowdrift, after the manner of their kind, and now came forth to greet +the pleasant spring. +</p> +<p> +And these two were the first partridges, the foreparents of all the +partridges that are now in the world. +</p> +<p> +"That is a strange story," said the little boy. "I thank you for telling +it. But now I must go home. Good-bye for to-day." +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0026" id="h2H_4_0026"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + XXIV. WHY PARTRIDGES DRUM +</h2> +<p> +A few days later little Luke went up into the woods again. As he walked +along the trail, he heard Father Mit-chee drumming. He knew where the +drumming log was, so he went over to it and sat down on one end. +</p> +<p> +"Father Mit-chee," said he, when the old partridge had finished, "I +noticed a queer thing about your drumming. One day I heard Old John +pounding on a canoe he was building. At a distance your drumming sounded +just like his pounding. Why was that?" +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Father Mit-chee, "I suppose it was because Grandfather +Mit-chee, the first partridge, was a canoe builder. When he stopped +building canoes he kept up his drumming." +</p> +<p> +"Tell me about it, please," said the little boy. +</p> +<p> +"All right,' said Father Mit-chee, and he began this story. +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"In the olden days, Mit-chee the Partridge was the canoe builder for all +the birds. Once upon a time they all came together on the bank of the +river, and each one got into his own bark. Truly that was a fine sight +to see! +</p> +<a name="image-0018"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-136.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> +<p> +"Kit-chee the Great Eagle paddled off first, using the ends of his broad +wings. After him went Ko-ko-ka the Owl; Kusk the Crane; Wee-so-wee the +Bluebird; and Chip-sis the Blackbird. Even tiny A-la-moo the Humming +Bird had a neat little boat. But his wings were so small that Mit-chee +had made for him a dainty little paddle. Some of the birds thought it +rather too large, for it was almost an inch long. So the fleet of canoes +stood bravely out to sea, and after a pleasant voyage returned safely to +land. +</p> +<p> +"Now the partridge had not taken part in the voyage, for he had built no +canoe for himself. 'It's great sport,' said the other birds, on their +return. 'Why didn't you build a canoe for yourself?' But Mit-chee only +looked wise and drummed upon the log on which he was sitting, and the +sound was the sound of one making a canoe.' +</p> +<p> +"But the birds kept asking him to build a canoe for himself and join +them. At last he remarked that he was about to do so, and that when he +had finished it, it would be a wonder, something new such as no eye had +ever before beheld. +</p> +<p> +"Then he went off into the woods by himself and was seen no more for +several days. When he came back, he invited all the birds to come and +see his wonderful canoe,—one he had built for himself on an entirely +new plan. +</p> +<p> +"Now Mit-chee had reasoned that if a boat having two ends could be rowed +in two ways, one which was all ends (that is, round) could be rowed in +every direction. So he had made a canoe exactly like a nest, perfectly +round. When the honest feathered folk saw this, they were greatly amazed +and wondered that so simple a thing had not occurred to all of them. +</p> +<p> +"But when Mit-chee got into his new canoe and began to paddle, their +wonder turned into amusement, for he made no headway at all. However +hard he worked, the canoe simply turned round and round. +</p> +<p> +"After wearying himself, and all in vain, he went ashore, and flew off +far inland. There he hid himself for shame under the low bushes in the +woods, and there he has lived ever since. But at certain seasons, when +he thought no one was looking, he would get upon a dead log and drum +with his wings, and the sound was like the sound which he used to make +when he was building canoes. +</p> +<p> +"And so his children have always done since that day." +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0027" id="h2H_4_0027"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0019"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width:40%; margin-left:30%;"> +<img src="images/illus-139.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + XXV. MOTHER WA-POOSE AND OLD BOZE THE HOUND +</h2> +<p> +Up at the edge of the woods the wood-cutters had felled a tree into the +open pasture. As they trimmed the trunk, they threw the smaller branches +into a big pile. Uncle Mark intended to burn them when they became dry +enough, but forgot all about it. There they had lain for years, till +they were dead and covered with moss. Over the heap of half-rotted +brushwood a tangle of wild vines had spread, and up through them a +thicket of blackberry bushes had grown. +</p> +<p> +This was just the place for a rabbit nest. Mother Wa-poose could squat +anywhere in the pile and her brown coat would blend with the dead brush +so perfectly that only the keenest eye could see her. No hawk or owl +could swoop through such a tangle of vines and brush, and no fox or dog +could creep through the close-set hedge of thorny blackberry bushes +without losing a good deal of his hide. +</p> +<p> +Through the thicket Mother Wa-poose cut two or three paths just wide +enough for herself, but not big enough for a dog or a fox. In the middle +of the brush pile, she dug a little round hollow about a foot across and +lined it with coarse grass. On the top of this she placed another lining +of finer grass. Then she filled the hollow quite full of soft fur from +her own coat. No bird's nest could be cosier or safer. To be sure, it +was on the ground, but the land sloped and no water could settle into +it. +</p> +<p> +One day as little Luke was passing by the brush pile, his keen eye saw +Mother Wa-poose. "There," said he to himself, "is just the place for a +rabbit's nest. I'll take a look at Mother Wa-poose's babies." +</p> +<p> +So he got down on his hands and knees, pulled the bushes apart, and +crept into the thicket. He saw the nest, but could not get quite to it +because of the sharp thorns on the blackberry bushes. +</p> +<p> +"Good morning, Man-cub," said Mother Wa-poose. +</p> +<p> +"Good morning, Mother Wa-poose," said little Luke; "don't be afraid, +I only want to take a look at your babies." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, I'm not afraid," said Mother Wa-poose. "None of us are afraid of +you any more. Look all you want to. But don't come any nearer. I am +afraid you will open a path for Kee-wuk the Red Fox, or for Old Boze the +Hound. Both of them have been around here several times. They know that +I and my babies are here, but they can't get in. Old Boze tried it the +other day, but went back to the house with a pair of bloody ears for +his pains." +</p> +<p> +"Yes, I noticed his ears," said little Luke, "and wondered what he had +been up to." +</p> +<p> +The little boy sat down as comfortably as he could and looked at Mother +Wa-poose and her babies. +</p> +<p> +"Mother Wa-poose," said he after a while, "what makes you wriggle your +nose so?" +</p> +<p> +"Oh," said Mother Wa-poose, "I do that to keep my smeller clear. You see +we have so many enemies that we have to be on the watch all the time, +and I can smell a fox or a dog almost as far as I can see them. You +see I always sit with my nose to the wind, and my ears in the other +direction. My nose tells me who is coming in front; my ears tell me who +is coming from behind; and my eyes keep watch on both sides. I sleep +most of the day, but my eyes, my ears, and my nose are always awake. +Why, I knew you were coming almost half an hour ago. My nose told me. +It is only in such a place as this that my three sentinels ever get +any rest. +</p> +<p> +"When I haven't any babies to care for, I like to sit in a more open +place in the sun. So long as I have a chance to run each way, I am not +much afraid of anybody. And if it wasn't for the men with their dreadful +fire-sticks, we of the Wa-poose family would have a pretty safe and easy +time of it." +</p> +<p> +Just then the deep bay of a hound was heard. "There," said Mother +Wa-poose, "there's Old Boze now. Would you like to see how I can fool +him?" +</p> +<p> +"I would indeed," said little Luke, "if you are not afraid. Old Boze is +a wise, old hound, and he may catch you." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, I'm not afraid of that," said Mother Wa-poose. "You just sit here +where you can see, and I'll go down there and give Old Boze the time of +his life. I think he must be trailing me now by the sound. I was down in +the garden last night after a meal of cabbage leaves, and I suppose he +has found my track." +</p> +<p> +Mother Wa-poose sprang out of her hiding place and went down the slope +ten feet at a bound. She crossed her old track near the pasture bars and +hopped slowly on to the edge of the blackberry patch. There she sat till +she was sure that Old Boze had found her new trail. Then she skipped +here and there through the briar patch till she came out on the other +side. With a great leap she cleared the fence and ran on down through +the cornfield. When she was clear of that, she ran along beside the +stone wall till she came to the creek. Over the creek she went at one +leap; then down through the alder bushes till she came back again into +the pasture. Two or three times she crossed the brook. Then she came +around up through the woods to the brush pile, where little Luke was +sitting. From its lower edge there was a good view all down through the +pasture. There Mother Wa-poose sat up and watched the old hound, her +big, round eyes shining with glee. +</p> +<p> +Old Boze followed her trail into the blackberry thicket. Round and round +he followed the scent, pushing his way through the stout bushes. Every +bush was armed with a thousand sharp hooks, and every hook clung to the +old hound's skin. He fairly whimpered with pain. Now and then he gave +tongue, until at last he came out on the other side. But his ears were +in tatters and blood drops oozed from his skin in a thousand places. +</p> +<p> +At the fence he was balked. Up and down beside the fence he ran several +times, nosing the ground for the scent. +</p> +<p> +"Look at him! Look at him," said Mother Wa-poose, fairly shaking her +sides with laughter. "Isn't he a sight? But that won't teach him +anything. He'll do it the next time. Rabbit chasing must be lots of fun +for him." +</p> +<p> +"I really do think he enjoys it," said little Luke. +</p> +<p> +Old Boze jumped over the fence and found the trail again. He followed +it until he came to the creek. There he was puzzled. But he crossed the +brook and found the trail at last. Over in the pasture he lost it again. +Mother Wa-poose had been too cunning for him this time. After nosing the +ground in all directions for a long time in vain, the old hound gave it +up, and went back to the house. +</p> +<p> +"You see," said Mother Wa-poose, "if it wasn't for the fire-sticks, the +hounds would not bother us much. Why will the house people be so cruel +to us? We never harm them. Last fall the fire-sticks killed six of my +children." And Mother Wa-poose's eyes filled with tears at the thought. +</p> +<p> +"It is too bad," said little Luke, "but Uncle Mark says that if some of +the rabbits weren't killed off every year, they'd soon eat all the grass +from the sheep and cows, and we wouldn't be able to raise any cabbages +or turnips at all. Besides, you know, the house people like rabbit's +flesh to eat. I used to eat it myself, but I'll never do it any more." +</p> +<p> +"How dreadful!" said Mother Wa-poose. "I don't see how anybody can eat +flesh. Clover, or a nice, tender cabbage leaf is a good deal better." +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0028" id="h2H_4_0028"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + XXVI. MOTHER WA-POOSE AND OLD KLAWS THE HOUSE CAT +</h2> +<p> +A few days after little Luke saw something that gave him a new feeling +of respect for Mother Wa-poose. +</p> +<p> +He was going up to make her another visit. As he came near the brush +pile, he heard a thump! thump! thump! "That's Mother Wa-poose," said he +to himself, "and she's angry about something. I wonder what can be the +matter." +</p> +<p> +He went around to the other side of the brush pile and then he knew. +There was Old Klaws the House Cat, his tail twitching and his round eyes +shining hungrily. +</p> +<p> +Just as the boy caught sight of the old cat, Mother Wa-poose sprang out +of the thicket. She sprang straight at Old Klaws. The cat snarled and +shrank to one side. But Mother Wa-poose was too quick for him. As she +went over, she struck him a sounding thwack with her hind feet. It +fairly made the old cat's ribs crack, and he rolled over and over down +the slope. In a second he sprang up, snarling and spitting. Again Mother +Wa-poose sprang at him. This time she hit him squarely on the side of +the head. Old Klaws went down, rolling over several times before he +could right himself. The last thwack took all the fight out of him. He +scrambled to his feet and went flying down the hillside at his best +speed. +</p> +<a name="image-0020"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-148.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> +<p> +"There," said old Mother Wa-poose, "I guess he'll know enough to keep +away from here after this." +</p> +<p> +"Why, Mother Wa-poose," said the little boy, "I didn't know that you +were such a fighter." +</p> +<p> +"Well," said Mother Wa-poose, "we of the Wa-poose family never fight if +we can help it. We'd rather run. But we aren't really afraid of anything +our size. And this time I couldn't run. If I had, Old Klaws would surely +have carried off one of my babies. He got one of them this spring. You +remember the one you took away from him. He is grown up and has gone out +into the world for himself now. You know we Wa-pooses have three or four +families each year." +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0029" id="h2H_4_0029"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0021"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-150.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + XXVII. THE RABBIT DANCE +</h2> +<p> +"Would you like to see a rabbit dance?" asked Father Wa-poose one day in +September. +</p> +<p> +"Indeed, I should," replied little Luke. +</p> +<p> +"Come out to-night then," said Wa-poose, "and sit down in the shadow of +the stone wall in the corner of the clover field. There you will see +something you have never seen before." +</p> +<p> +"I'll be there," said the boy. +</p> +<p> +That night little Luke went up to his room early. He took off his shoes +and threw them heavily upon the floor, and blew out the light. Then he +jumped upon his bed, so that it creaked loudly. Without taking off his +clothes, he got under the blankets, and when Aunt Martha looked in, he +seemed to be sound asleep. She did not look into the closet to see +whether his clothes were hanging up there or not. +</p> +<p> +When he thought Aunt Martha had gone to bed, the little boy got up +quietly, took his shoes in his hand, and slipped softly down the back +stairs. Silently he unlocked and opened the kitchen door, and went out +into the moonlight. +</p> +<p> +He did not feel that he was doing quite right, but he was afraid to ask +Aunt Martha. You see he was afraid that she might ask questions, which +he could not answer without telling about the Magic Flower and his wild +friends. +</p> +<p> +He went over to the clover field and sat down in the corner of the stone +fence where some bushes hid him from view. +</p> +<p> +For some time nothing happened. Pretty soon he heard a queer thump! +thump! thump! He looked up and there was old Father Wa-poose close +beside him. He had come into the field so quietly that little Luke had +not heard a sound. +</p> +<p> +"Hi! hi! there you are, Man-cub," said the old rabbit. "Now you sit +very still, and you'll see something worth seeing. Of course we are not +really afraid of you, but if some of the young folks should see you, +they might get nervous. I'll just go out and get my supper, and when the +fun begins I'll come back and keep you company. I don't care much for +dancing. I leave that mostly to the young people." +</p> +<p> +Soon from all sides, rabbits came leaping over the fence into the field. +There were young rabbits and old rabbits, big rabbits and little +rabbits. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes one of them would stop and thump the ground with his hind +feet. This seemed to be a signal; for when one thumped, another would +come hopping toward him. The two would touch noses and then turn to on +the sweet, young clover, that had grown up since the July mowing. +</p> +<p> +Their feast lasted for an hour or more. Then the fun began. Several +of them would hop close together in the centre of the field. Then they +would skip slowly about in a sort of stately dance. Little by little the +movement became faster and faster until they were spinning around like +a pinwheel in a brisk breeze. Round and round they went until it made +little Luke's head dizzy to watch them. +</p> +<p> +Suddenly a rabbit stamped with his hind feet,—thump! thump! thump! +Instantly every rabbit squatted motionless. It was a danger signal, but +a false one. Nothing happened. +</p> +<p> +Soon the fun began again. Several of the rabbits had a game of tag. +Round and round they went, leaping ten feet or more at each bound. +Sometimes in the midst of their race, one of them would take a sky-hop. +Up straight into the air he would go as if he were trying to reach the +moon. +</p> +<p> +"Why do they do that?" asked little Luke of Father Wa-poose, who had +come back and was sitting quietly beside him. +</p> +<p> +"They do that," answered the old rabbit, "to get a clear look all +around them. You know we always have to be on the lookout for our foes." +</p> +<p> +Not far from little Luke two rabbits were having a boxing match. They +stood up to each other just like men. Little Luke could hear a soft +spat, spat, spat, as the blows went home. Their paws were so soft that +the blows did not hurt and it was great fun. +</p> +<p> +Suddenly thump! thump! thump! sounded the danger signal again. Not for +nothing this time! Ko-ko-ka the Great Owl came sailing over the clover +field as silently as a ghost. But for all his great eyes, the old owl +could not see a single rabbit. Neither could little Luke. +</p> +<p> +"Where have they all gone to?" he asked Father Wa-poose. +</p> +<p> +"Oh," said he, "they're all there. So long as they sit perfectly still +old Ko-ko-ka can't see them." +</p> +<a name="image-0022"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="float:left;width: 50%; padding: 0 1em 0 0;"> +<img src="images/illus-154.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> +<p> +"Why didn't they run away?" asked little Luke. +</p> +<p> +"What's the use?" replied the old rabbit; "so long as we know he is +coming, we aren't afraid of Ko-ko-ka. If he should swoop at one of them, +he'd just give a bound and get out of danger. Old Ko-ko-ka can't catch +a rabbit who knows he's coming. It's the way he comes that makes us fear +him. His wings are covered with down and do not make a sound. That's the +reason we all dread him so. Ugh! I fairly shiver when I think of him. He +nearly got me once. His sharp claws scratched my ears." +</p> +<p> +Ko-ko-ka was very hungry. He knew the rabbits were in that meadow, and +hated to go off without one. While Wa-poose had been talking, he had +been sailing slowly round the field. Now he was coming back again. +</p> +<p> +As he flew over little Luke's head he looked down. Perhaps he saw a +slight movement as little Luke tried to look up at him. Instantly he +swooped and his sharp claws struck the little boy's hat. +</p> +<p> +"Hi, there!" said little Luke in astonishment. It was Ko-ko-ka's turn to +be astonished now. He dropped the hat, flapped his great wings, and +floated off towards the woods. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke left his hat where it fell and waited to see what the +rabbits would do. After a short time the fun began again. There were two +young ones that little Luke noticed in particular. They began their race +in the middle of the field. Round and round they went and each time +round their circles became larger. +</p> +<p> +Now on the other side of the clover field there was an open gap in the +fence. All at once the danger signal sounded again. Thump! thump! thump! +Again every rabbit squatted, with ears and eyes alert to catch sound or +sight of an enemy. +</p> +<p> +It was too late. Through the gate bounded a ball of reddish, yellow fur. +Snap! And the teeth of Kee-wuk the Red Fox had seized one of the young +rabbits by the neck. Swinging the limp body over his shoulders, he +trotted quietly off through the gap. +</p> +<p> +That ended the fun. As they saw the Red Fox every rabbit sprang to his +feet, and with a hop, skip, and jump went over the fence and out of the +clover field. And little Luke saw them no more that night. +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0030" id="h2H_4_0030"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + XXVIII. WHY THE WILD FOLK NO LONGER TALK THE MAN-TALK +</h2> +<p> +Now in his talks with his wild friends little Luke noticed that they +used many Indian words such as he had learned from Old John the Indian. +</p> +<p> +"Why is it," said he, one day to Wa-poose, "that you wild folk use so +many of the Red Men's words?" +</p> +<p> +"Well," said the old rabbit, "that is a long story. But if you will sit +down here beside me, I will tell you about it." +</p> +<hr /> +<p> +"In the first days," said Wa-poose, "when the world was new, the men and +the wild folk were much alike. They all spoke one language. +</p> +<p> +"In those days it was always summer. All the year round the grass was +green and the flowers bloomed. Twelve times a year the vines and bushes +and trees bore fresh blossoms, and twelve times a year they were loaded +with ripe berries, fruits, and nuts. +</p> +<p> +"In those times there was no hunting and no killing. All the wild +kindreds lived in peace with each other and with the Red Men, who then +dwelt in this land. You see there was plenty to eat and the weather was +so warm and pleasant that the Red Men did not need the skins of their +wild brothers to keep them from the cold. +</p> +<p> +"But after a while a change came. Pe-boan the dreadful Winter King came +down from the North and made war upon Ni-pon the Queen of Summer. After +many battles peace was made and the year was divided; half the year was +ruled by the Queen of Summer, and half by the Winter King. +</p> +<p> +"Now it came to pass that after the war was over the vines and bushes +and trees put forth their buds and blossomed and bore fruit but once a +year. The Red Men and the wild kindreds suffered dreadfully from hunger, +and their hearts became hard and cruel. Then the hunting and the killing +began. The Red Men hunted many of the wild kindreds for their flesh and +their fur, and the wild kindreds began to kill and devour each other. +And so it has been since that day. +</p> +<p> +"In those times the Wa-poose folk were much larger than they are now, +even as large as Mo-ween the Bear. But they refused to take part in the +killing and flesh eating, and so they suffered more from hunger than +some of the wild kindreds. Year by year, on account of the scarcity of +food, the Wa-poose folk became smaller until they were as you see them +now. +</p> +<p> +"In the beginning, as I have said, the Red Men and the wild kindreds +spoke one language. Even to this day, the Red hunters have kept many of +the watchwords of the wild folk, and by means of them are able to +deceive and kill them. +</p> +<p> +"Now by reason of the great slaughter that was made by the Red Men, the +wild kindreds gathered themselves together in a great council to discuss +their condition. After much talk they decided to ask help of the Master +of Life. +</p> +<p> +"'There is but one way,' said he, when he had heard their story, 'you +must change your speech. Then the Red Men will no longer be able to +deceive you so easily and slay so many of you.' +</p> +<p> +"The wild folk did as the Master of Life told them to do. They changed +their language, and refused to speak any longer with the Red Men. But +some of the Red Men's words they have kept to this day, and that is why +you hear us use them." +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0031" id="h2H_4_0031"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + XXIX. THE TALE OF SUN-KA THE WISE DOG +</h2> +<p> +One day Old John the Indian came down the trail to the farmhouse. He was +on his way to town to sell some baskets. As Uncle Mark was going to town +with the team, he invited him to ride. Since the town was several miles +away, the old Indian gladly accepted the invitation, leaving Ke-ha-ga +his old hound at the farmhouse. +</p> +<p> +In the afternoon little Luke was sitting on the fence when old Ke-ha-ga +came over to him. Putting his front paws on top of the fence, he licked +the little boy's hand. +</p> +<p> +"Hello, Ke-ha-ga," said little Luke, "so you have come out to see me, +have you? Can't you tell me a story?" he added as he gently patted the +old hound's head. +</p> +<p> +"What kind of a story do you want?" asked the old dog. +</p> +<p> +"Oh, most any kind will do," said the boy. "Tell me a story about some +dog of the olden, days,—the days before the white men came to this +country." +</p> +<p> +"Very well," said Ke-ha-ga, "I'll tell you a legend that my grandfather +told to me when I was a puppy." And he began the following tale. +</p> +<a name="image-0023"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-162.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> +<p> +"Many winters ago there was a wise dog whose name was Sun-ka. He lived +with an old Indian woman. Now Sun-ka was a good hunter, and often +brought home to the lodge rabbits and other small animals which he had +hunted and caught by himself. +</p> +<p> +"But his mistress was a bad, greedy old woman. She took all the game +which he brought, and used it for herself. What she could not eat at +once, she dried and put away for another time. To Sun-ka she gave only +the bones and other poor scraps, so that most of the time he was half +starved. +</p> +<p> +"At last there came a season when game was very scarce. The old woman, +it is true, had plenty of dried meat in her wigwam, but she gave none of +it to Sun-ka. He almost died of starvation. +</p> +<p> +"At last he said to himself, 'Why should that old woman have plenty to +eat, and I scarcely anything at all? Most of the meat which she has +hidden in her lodge, I caught for her myself. It is as much mine as it +is hers. Since she will not give me my share of it, I'll just take it +without asking her.' +</p> +<p> +"But the old woman was very watchful. When Sun-ka tried to get the meat, +she beat him over the head with a club until he ran away yelping with +pain. +</p> +<p> +"The next morning one of his dog friends came to visit him. 'Good +morning, Sun-ka,' said he, but Sun-ka made no reply. Indeed, his head +was so swelled from the blows he had received, that he could hardly open +his mouth. +</p> +<p> +"'Well, well,' said his friend, after looking him over carefully, 'you +seem to be in a sad case. What has happened to you?' +</p> +<p> +"'Oh,' replied Sun-ka, speaking with difficulty, 'I tried to get my +share of the meat, which my mistress has in her lodge, and she beat me +for it. She beat me till I am stiff and sore, and can scarcely move.' +</p> +<p> +"'Well,' said his friend, 'I wouldn't stand it if I were you. The meat +is just as much yours as it is hers. You caught most of it yourself and +you helped her to catch the rest of it, I'll tell you what we'll do; +well pay her off for it. I'll go and call our friends; I'll call +Rainmaker, Stillbiter, Strongneck, and Sharptooth.' And so he did. +</p> +<p> +"Rainmaker caused it to rain, and it rained all the day through until +dark, and when it was dark it was very dark. Then Stillbiter crept up +softly to the lodge and bit off all the thongs which fastened the +covering to the lodge poles. +</p> +<p> +"When this was done, Strongneck crept in and seized the meat and carried +it away. Then Sharptooth ripped open the bag which held the meat, and +before morning the six dogs ate it all up. +</p> +<p> +"When the meat was all gone, Sun-ka ran away and became a wild dog. What +became of the old Indian woman I do not know." +</p> +<p> +"Served her right," said the little boy. "If she hadn't been so stingy +with her meat, she wouldn't have lost it. And Sun-ka would have stayed +with her to help catch more." +</p> +<a name="h2H_4_0032" id="h2H_4_0032"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + XXX. HOW THE DOG'S TONGUE BECAME LONG +</h2> +<p> +It was hot. Little Luke sat on the doorstep in the shade. Over in the +pasture Old Boze the Hound gave tongue. He was at his favorite sport of +trailing rabbits all by himself. He really didn't have any spite against +the rabbits, but when he struck a fresh trail, he felt that he just must +follow it. And when he had puzzled out a balk or break in the trait, he +couldn't for the life of him keep still. +</p> +<p> +But it was really too hot for trailing, especially when there was +nothing in it but fun. The old hound would have stuck to it longer if +Sam the hired man had been around somewhere, hiding behind the bushes +with his thundering fire-stick. Old Boze wasn't afraid of the +fire-stick. He liked to hear it roar, and see the poor rabbits fall +before its deadly breath. +</p> +<p> +Well, after a while he gave it up and came back to the house. Going +around to the doorstep, he lay down on the cool porch with his head +close to the little boy's shoulder. He was tired, and his dripping +tongue hung far out from his open mouth. The little boy looked at it. +</p> +<p> +"Old Boze," said he, "what a long tongue you have. Why is it that dogs +have such long tongues?" +</p> +<p> +Old Boze shifted his eves uneasily and looked the other way, but said +nothing. +</p> +<p> +"Come, now," said the little boy, "I am sure there is a story about that +long, red tongue of yours." +</p> +<p> +"To be sure there is," said a voice that came from just behind the boy's +ear. He looked around and there was Old Klaws the House Cat. +</p> +<p> +"What do you know about it?" asked the little boy. +</p> +<p> +"Oh, I know all about it," answered the old cat. "But ask Old Boze," he +went on with a grin, "perhaps he'll tell you." +</p> +<p> +Old Boze got up slowly and with dignity. "I am too tired to tell +stories," said he, "but I'm not too tired to shake the foolishness out +of a cat." +</p> +<p> +"Here now," said the little boy, "no quarreling and fighting. I won't +have it. And Klaws shall tell me that story about your long, red tongue, +if he will." +</p> +<p> +"To be sure I will," said Old Klaws, delighted to be able to tease Old +Boze safely. Of course there was another time coming when little Luke +might not be at hand, but then the old cat trusted to speed and sharp +claws to put himself up a tree and out of the reach of the old hound. +</p> +<p> +"All right," said Old Boze, "if you're fond of the company of a +sneaking, mouse-eating, old tabby. I'm not. I'll take myself off. But +my memory is good," he added, glancing at Old Klaws with a snarl that +showed all his sharp, white teeth. +</p> +<p> +"Well, now for the story," said the little boy, when Old Boze was out of +sight around the corner. +</p> +<p> +"Long, long ago," began Old Klaws, "when all the animal kindreds could +talk the man-talk, the dogs were the greatest telltales in the world. +They told everything they knew, and sometimes a great deal more. Their +masters often flogged them for tattling, but it did little or no good. +</p> +<p> +"In those days there was a great hunter whose name was Man-e-do. He +wanted a dog to help him hunt, but he did not want a tattletale. So he +took a fine, young pup, and tried to bring him up to be a good hunter +and to keep his tongue. He took good care of him. He often told him how +foolish it was to tell everything he knew. The pup would promise not to +tattle, but he was only a dog, and blood will tell after all. +</p> +<p> +"When the pup was big enough, his master took him with him when he went +hunting for small game. The dog was a good trailer by this time, and +together they killed many rabbits and other small animals. +</p> +<p> +"But when they went home, the dog couldn't hold his tongue. He would +brag to the other dogs, and tell them what a great hunter he was, and +how at such and such a place he had caught the biggest rabbits that ever +were seen. Then the other dogs would lead their masters to those places +and clear them of game. Whenever Man-e-do went to a place a second time, +he found no game there. +</p> +<p> +"Besides, if they were hunting near the village and made a kill, the dog +would pretend to go off after more game. But when he was out of sight of +his master, he would run home and tell some of his chums about his kill. +Then the other dogs and their masters would come out and kill or scare +away all the game there was in that place. Many times Man-e-do caught +the dog tattling, and scolded and beat him for it, but it did no good. +He just couldn't keep anything to himself. +</p> +<p> +"One time Man-e-do went off on a long hunt. He took three horses and +traveled several days before making his camp. He thought he would get so +far away that the dog could not go back to the village and tattle. +</p> +<p> +"While hunting in the mountains near his camp, he found a valley which +was full of game. There he made many kills, and soon had all the meat +his three horses could possibly carry. +</p> +<p> +"'To-morrow,' said he to his dog, 'we will start for home. When we get +there, you must keep your tongue in your mouth. You must not tell where +we have been. If the other hunters do not find our valley, we can come +back at any time and get all the meat we want.' +</p> +<p> +"'All right,' said the dog, 'I'll keep the secret.' +</p> +<p> +"'See that you do,' added his master; 'for if you don't, I'll make you +sorry for it.' +</p> +<p> +"The next morning they started for home. That night they camped beside a +brook. At daybreak Man-e-do arose and made ready to start, but the dog +was nowhere to be seen. +</p> +<p> +"'Where can he be?' said he to himself. 'Surely he has not gone home to +the village.' You see, he thought that at last he had broken the dog of +his tattling. Why then should he go on ahead? +</p> +<p> +"So he turned about and went back to his camp near the valley. The dog +was not there. 'Perhaps,' thought he, 'a bear or a panther has killed +him.' +</p> +<p> +"So he turned about and went home to his wigwam alone. There he found +the dog as well as ever. He had been home a long time, and told all he +knew about the valley of game and more too. According to his stories, he +and his master had killed more game than had ever been seen before, and +there was plenty more in the valley yet. All the hunters in the village +were getting ready to go there to hunt. +</p> +<p> +"Man-e-do was very angry. He caught the dog, and gave him the worst +whipping any dog ever had. 'I'll stop your tattling,' said he. And he +caught the dog by the tongue and pulled it nearly out of his mouth. Then +he shoved a round stick back into his mouth and tied his mouth shut over +it. +</p> +<p> +"He left the stick there for a long time. When he took it out, the dog's +mouth was larger, and his tongue longer than any dog's mouth and tongue +had ever been before. +</p> +<p> +"Since that time, all dogs have had big mouths and long tongues. +</p> +<p> +"But," added Old Klaws, "they don't tattle as much as they did before." +</p> +<p> +While Old Klaws had been telling this story, Old Boze had been lying in +the shade and resting. After a while, he thought to himself, "I'll give +that old mouser a scare and I'll do it before little Luke can hinder +me." +</p> +<p> +So he got up and walked silently around to the corner of the porch. With +one foot raised, he stopped scarcely three feet from Old Klaws, who was +sitting on the end of the top step. +</p> +<p> +Just as the old cat finished his story, Old Boze sprang toward him +with a loud, "Bow-wow-wow." The old cat bounded as if he were made of +India-rubber of the best quality. Such a cat-jump the little boy had +never seen before. The first leap carried Old Klaws far out on the +garden walk, and in the twinkling of an eye he was among the topmost +branches of the old pear tree. When he felt himself safe, he turned +round and began to spit and snarl and say bad words at Old Boze, who was +looking at him with his long tongue hanging out of his mouth, and his +face all wrinkled up into a broad grin. +</p> +<p> +Little Luke had jumped almost as lively as Old Klaws, but when he saw +who it was and took in the old cat's language, and the old dog's funny +looking face, he lay down on the porch and laughed till the tears came. +</p> + +<a name="h2H_4_0033" id="h2H_4_0033"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<a name="image-0024"><!--IMG--></a> +<div style="width: 100%;"> +<img src="images/illus-174.png" style="width:100%;" +alt="" /> +</div> + +<h2> + XXXI. THE STORY OF THE FAITHFUL DOG +</h2> +<p> +"Dear Old Boze," said the little boy, after the fun was over, "can't you +tell me a story of the old days?" +</p> +<p> +"Yes," replied the old hound, "I can. And since Old Klaws has told you +about one dog, I'll tell you about another." +</p> +<p> +"Once upon a time," went on the old hound, "there was an Indian hunter +who had a dog that he loved very dearly. And the dog on his part loved +his master more than his own life. +</p> +<p> +"For many years, master and dog hunted together. When night came they +ate of the same food, and shared the same bed. Many and many a time, +each saved the life of the other. At last both began to grow old. +</p> +<p> +"One morning in winter a stranger entered their lodge. 'I am the +Man-i-tou of Death,' said he to the hunter. 'The Master of Life has sent +me to summon you to the Happy Hunting Ground. Make ready at once, for +when the sun rises for the third time, you must set forth.' +</p> +<p> +"'It is well,' replied the hunter, 'the summons shall be obeyed.' +</p> +<p> +"At once he began to make ready. He danced the death dance and sang the +death song. His wife and his two sons mourned and wept, and the dog +joined in the death chant. +</p> +<p> +"On the third morning, the hunter was ready to depart on the long +journey from which he could never return. +</p> +<p> +"'Alas, my husband,' said his wife, 'I cannot live without you. I will +go with you. Where you are, there will I be also.' And so also said his +two sons. +</p> +<p> +"The hunter tried to comfort them, and to persuade them to remain until +they too should be summoned by the Master of Life. But they refused to +be comforted, and at last they all set forth. +</p> +<p> +"Meanwhile the dog had said nothing. But when they started, he was close +at the heels of his master. +</p> +<p> +"Day after day they traveled toward the south-west. Alter a time, they +entered a desert land, where water was scarce and there was no game. +Soon they began to be hungry as well as weary. +</p> +<p> +"The younger boy's strength and courage gave out, and he turned and +followed the trail back to the wigwam. +</p> +<p> +"A little farther, and the older son said, 'Alas, my father, I am +famished, and my strength has gone from me. I will return and seek my +younger brother. When I have found him and we have rested and eaten, we +will come and overtake you.' So he turned back, and that was the last +that was seen of him. +</p> +<p> +"Seeing that her children had turned back, the wife said, 'Be of good +courage. I am still with you, I am strong and we shall yet enter the +gate of the Happy Hunting Grounds together.' +</p> +<p> +"The dog said nothing, but though he was hungry, footsore, and weary, +he still followed close at his master's heels. +</p> +<p> +"Now the trail entered a region of desolate mountains. The way became +rough and rocky. Their moccasins were worn from their feet, and there +was no food to be found. +</p> +<p> +"'At last the wife cried, 'Oh, my husband, I am faint and weary. I can +go no further. Let us rest here.' And she sat down beside the trail. +</p> +<p> +"'Nay,' said the hunter, 'I may not stop. The Master of Life must be +obeyed. The summons was not to you, but to me. Rest here beside the +trail, and when your strength has returned, go back to the wigwam and +dwell with our two sons until the Death Man-i-tou comes for you.' +</p> +<p> +"Then he went on, up the steep trail. He had not noticed the dog, who, +footsore and famished, now limped painfully at his heels, and when he +camped for the night, came silently and lay down at his feet. +</p> +<p> +"The next morning, they arose and continued their journey. After many +days, they saw far before them a narrow gap between two tall snow-capped +mountains. Through this the trail went, and at the further end they +found the gateway to the Happy Hunting Ground. Beside the gateway stood +the lodge of the keeper of the gate. +</p> +<p> +"Before the lodge the hunter stopped and lifted up his voice, and cried, +'The Master of Life called. Here am I.' +</p> +<p> +"Hearing his cry, the keeper of the gate came from his lodge. +</p> +<p> +"'You are welcome,' said he to the hunter, 'but where are those who set +out upon the long trail with you?' +</p> +<p> +"'They are not here,' returned the hunter, 'the way was long and +toilsome, and their feet grew weary,' +</p> +<p> +"'Who is that,' again asked the keeper of the gate, 'who stands beside +you, and looks upon you with eyes of love?' +</p> +<p> +"'That is he,' said the hunter, 'who loved me best of all.' +</p> +<p> +"'His great love and his faithfulness have made him worthy,' said the +keeper of the gate. 'He shall enter with you,' and he opened the gate. +</p> +<p> +"With a bark of joy the dog sprang forward and entered the Happy Hunting +Ground beside the master whom he had loved more than his own life." +</p> + +<div style="height: 6em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<div class="advertisment"> + +<h3> + THE HORACE MANN READERS +</h3> +<p style="margin-left: 1.5em; text-indent: -1.5em;"> +<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">By Walter L. Hervey, Ph.D.</span>, Member of Board of Examiners, New York City; +formerly President of Teachers College; and <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Melvin Hix, B.S.</span>, Principal +of Public School No. 9, Long Island City, New York City. +</p> +<p> +A new series of basal readers shaped by these controlling ideas: +personal interest on the part of children in the doings of children +of their own age; personal hunger for stories having continuity, +development and variety; and the development of a personal power of +satisfying the literary appetite. The stories, dialogues, poems, and +other selections, are almost entirely of new material. +</p> +<p> +This material is <i>varied</i>; and was selected because of its +<i>intrinsic interest</i>—action, appeal to self-activity. The lessons +are not mere collections of words and sentences, but have <i>continuity +of thought</i>. The pictures, <i>being adapted to the text</i>, are +distinct aids in teaching children to read. The <i>helps to teachers</i> +are varied, time-saving, practical. The <i>method</i> is simple, +effective, original. +</p> +<p> +Each book is fully illustrated with black and white pictures and several +colored illustrations. +</p> + +<table border="0" align="center" width="90%" summary="Book Price List"> +<tr><td> Primer <div class="leader"></div> </td><td align="right">$.30 </td></tr> +<tr><td> First Reader <div class="leader"></div> </td><td align="right"> .32 </td></tr> +<tr><td> Second Reader <div class="leader"></div> </td><td align="right"> .40 </td></tr> +<tr><td> Third Reader <div class="leader"></div> </td><td align="right"> .48 </td></tr> +<tr><td> Fourth Reader <div class="leader"></div> </td><td align="right"> .55 </td></tr> +<tr><td colspan="2"> Fifth Reader (Preparing) </td></tr> +<tr><td colspan="2"> Sixth Reader (Preparing) </td></tr> +<tr><td> Manual for Teachers (Daily Lesson Plans) <div class="leader"></div> </td><td align="right">$.75 </td></tr> +<tr><td> Phonogram Cards—Primer Set, 26 cards <div class="leader"></div> </td><td align="right"> .25 </td></tr> +<tr><td> Word Cards—Primer Set, 130 cards <div class="leader"></div> </td><td align="right">1.25 </td></tr> +<tr><td> Phonogram Cards—First Reader Set, 115 Cards <div class="leader"></div> </td><td align="right">1.00 </td></tr> +</table> + +<p> +<i>Daily Lesson Plans</i> is the teacher's manual for the first year's +work with <i>The Horace Mann Readers</i>. Every step of each day's +lesson is planned and explained. The directions given are intended to be +so definite, so complete and so practical, that comparatively +inexperienced teachers may be able to follow them with excellent +results; while in the hands of the experienced teacher it is hoped that +it will be of much accommodation in following the progress of the work. +</p> +<center> +<i>The manual for the remainder of the series is in preparation</i>. +</center> +<hr /> +<center> +LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO., PUBLISHERS +<br /> +FOURTH AVENUE AND THIRTIETH ST., NEW YORK +</center> + +</div> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<div class="advertisment"> + +<h3> + FEATURES OF<br /> THE HORACE MANN READERS +</h3> +<p> +<i>The Horace Mann Readers</i> are highly organized—words being +developed into independent yet mutually related parts; different stories +being related to other stories; the vocabulary of one lesson being +related to the vocabulary of the lessons preceding and the lessons +following; a system of phonics complete in itself and yet organically +related to the reading matter. +</p> +<p> +The principle of self-activity is carefully developed, +</p> +<p> +The action rhymes given impress the children and give variety to the +reading lesson. But since reading isn't all poetry, all other phases of +sound methods of teaching are employed. Especial attention is called to +the system of phonics developed. It is rational and wonderfully +effective. +</p> +<p> +The Theory of Multiple Sense Appeal is carefully applied. Every avenue +of approach has been taken—the eye, the hand, the ear—all are used to +make the appeal broader and more interesting. No sound psychological +precept has been omitted. +</p> +<p> +<i>The Horace Mann Readers</i> have successfully combined all the +approved methods of teaching reading. +</p> +<p> +The material is new and varied. The books contain clear and vivid +images, whole situations and self activity, which appeals to the child. +They also afford the teacher every possible suggestion and convenience +in respect to method. +</p> +<p> +<i>Daily Lesson Plans</i>, the teacher's manual for these readers, gives +minute directions for each day's lesson. +</p> +<hr /> +<center> +LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO., PUBLISHERS +<br /> +FOURTH AVENUE AND THIRTIETH ST., NEW YORK +</center> + +</div> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<div class="advertisment"> + +<h3> + APPRECIATIVE LETTERS ABOUT<br /> THE HORACE MANN READERS +</h3> +<p> +"I like particularly the long story element. I never did like 'hash' in +a reading book. I like also the narratives relative to our own great +men, Lincoln, Webster, etc. I like also the idea of developing related +words from the same root, as you do in the last few pages. This will +tend to enable the child to increase his vocabulary independently of +teacher."—<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">E.M. Sherry</span>, <i>County Supt., Rolla, N.D.</i> +</p> +<p> +"These readers deal with nature and subjects very near the hearts of +children. They are delighted with them. The dramatic form also helps +with the expression. The illustrations are fine for language as well as +reading."—<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Miss Carrie J. Richardson</span>, <i>Sheppard School, Philadelphia, +Pa.</i> +</p> +<p> +"An excellent set of books. They are mechanically well made. The +material is well selected and very well arranged and graded. They will +certainly meet the approval of any who give them a careful +examination."—<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">A.R. Chapman</span>, <i>State Normal School, Terre Haute, +Ind.</i> +</p> +<p> +"I liked the Second Reader so much that I at once ordered copies for use +in the Second Reader Class. What I especially like is the fact that the +little stories and poems are exactly adapted to the literary development +of the children in the class. They recite the poems and tell the +stories, and altogether we are having a very good time."—<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Miss Winifred +G. Jones</span>, <i>The Greenwich Academy, Greenwich, Conn.</i> +</p> +<p> +"It is a pleasure to recommend the <i>Horace Mann Readers.</i> The books +are full of interest, in keeping with the best results for teachers and +pupils. We enjoy them in our school, Troy's largest Grammar +School."—<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Miss Annie A. Green</span>, <i>Grammar School No. 14, Troy, N.Y.</i> +</p> +<p> +"The Primer is a favorite with teacher and pupils. The literary merit of +the stories used is high. The vocabulary is such as will open many books +to the child, and the frequent repetition of words I consider +excellent."—<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Miss Alice M. Johnston</span>, <i>Calhoun School, Minneapolis, +Minn.</i> +</p> +<center> +LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO., PUBLISHERS +<br /> +FOURTH AVENUE AND THIRTIETH ST., NEW YORK +</center> + +</div> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<div class="advertisment"> + +<h3> + PHONOGRAM CARDS +<span style="font-size: 50%;"><br />FOR USE WITH<br /></span> + THE HORACE MANN READERS +</h3> + +<h4> +Designed for Rapid Phonic Drills<br /> and for Rapid Word Building +</h4> +<p> +<i>The object of these drills is to train pupils so that the sight of +the phonogram will cause an immediate, correct, and automatic vocal +response; while the word building will develop skill in uniting or +"blending" readily and correctly the different phonic elements of which +words are composed.</i> +</p> +<h4> +THE PRIMER SET +</h4> +<center> +26 CARDS IN A STOUT MANILA ENVELOPE ... 25 CENTS +</center> +<h4> +THE FIRST READER SET +</h4> +<center> +115 CARDS IN PASTEBOARD CASE ... $1.00 +</center> + +<hr /> + +<h3> + WORD-CARDS +<span style="font-size: 50%;"><br />FOR USE WITH<br /></span> + THE HORACE MANN PRIMER +</h3> +<p> +Designed for Rapid Word-Drill or Flash Reading, and for Rapid Sentence +Drills +</p> +<p> +<i>The object of these word-drills is to secure instantaneous automatic +word recognition with rapidity and promptness as the foundations of +success; while the sentence drills, if properly conducted, will train +pupils to grasp instantly the total meaning of groups of related +words.</i> +</p> +<center> +130 CARDS IN PASTEBOARD CASE ... $1.25 +</center> +<hr /> +<center> +LONGMANS, GREEN, & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS +<br /> +FOURTH AVENUE & 30TH STREET, NEW YORK +</center> + +</div> + +<div style="height: 6em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Magic Speech Flower, by Melvin Hix + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER *** + +***** This file should be named 15367-h.htm or 15367-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/3/6/15367/ + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Garcia and the PG Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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mode 100644 index 0000000..64a0995 --- /dev/null +++ b/15367.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4006 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Magic Speech Flower, by Melvin Hix + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Magic Speech Flower + or Little Luke and His Animal Friends + +Author: Melvin Hix + +Release Date: March 15, 2005 [EBook #15367] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER *** + + + + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Garcia and the PG Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + + + + + + + +THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER + +OR LITTLE LUKE AND HIS +ANIMAL FRIENDS + + + +BY MELVIN HIX + +AUTHOR OF "ONCE UPON A TIME STORIES," "UNITED +STATES HISTORY FOR FIFTH YEAR," CO-AUTHOR +OF "THE HORACE MANN READERS," ETC. + + + +_ILLUSTRATED_ + + + LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. + FOURTH AVENUE & 30TH STREET, NEW YORK + LONDON, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA + + * * * * * + +COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY +LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. + +FIRST PUBLISHED, OCTOBER, 1912 + + + +THE PLIMPTON PRESS +[W.D.O] +NORWOOD. MASS. U.S.A + + * * * * * + + + ONCE-UPON-A-TIME STORIES + + By MELVIN HIX, B. Ped., Principal + of Public School 9, Long Island City, + New York City. + + + The aim of the author is to retell these familiar + stories of childhood in such way as to give + added interest to first and second grade pupils. + + _ELEVEN STORIES. ILLUSTRATED. + 105 PAGES. PRICE, 25 CENTS._ + + + LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO., + PUBLISHERS + Fourth Avenue and 30th Street, New York + LONDON, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA + + * * * * * + + + +THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER + +OR LITTLE LUKE AND HIS +ANIMAL FRIENDS + + + + * * * * * + + + + +CONTENTS + + +CHAPTER + + I. THE FINDING OF THE MAGIC FLOWER + II. LITTLE LUKE AND THE BOB LINCOLNS + III. THE STORY OF THE SUMMER LAND + IV. BOB LINCOLN'S STORY OF HIS OWN LIFE + V. LITTLE LUKE MAKES FRIENDS AMONG THE WILD FOLK + VI. LITTLE LUKE AND KIT-CHEE THE GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER + VII. WHY THE KIT-CHEE PEOPLE ALWAYS USE SNAKE-SKINS IN NEST-BUILDING + VIII. LITTLE LUKE AND NICK-UTS THE YELLOWTHROAT + IX. WHY MOTHER MO-LO THE COWBIRD LAYS HER EGGS IN OTHER BIRDS' NESTS + X. THE STORY OF O-PEE-CHEE THE FIRST ROBIN + XI. HOW THE ROBIN'S BREAST BECAME RED + XII. HOW THE BEES GOT THEIR STINGS + XIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST SWALLOWS + XIV. LITTLE LUKE AND A-BAL-KA THE CHIPMUNK + XV. HOW A-BAL-KA GOT HIS BLACK STRIPES + XVI. HOW A-BAL-KA THE CHIPMUNK HELPED MEN + XVII. LITTLE LUKE AND MEE-KO THE RED SQUIRRELS + XVIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST RED SQUIRRELS + XIX. HOW THE RED SQUIRREL BECAME SMALL + XX. LITTLE LUKE AND MOTHER MIT-CHEE THE RUFFLED PARTRIDGE + XXI. WHY THE FEATHERED FOLK RAISE THEIR HEADS WHEN THEY DRINK + XXII. LITTLE LUKE AND FATHER MIT-CHEE + XXIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST PARTRIDGE + XXIV. WHY PARTRIDGES DRUM + XXV. MOTHER WA-POOSE AND OLD BOZE THE HOUND + XXVI. MOTHER WA-POOSE AND OLD KLAWS THE HOUSE CAT + XXVII. THE RABBIT DANCE + XXVIII. WHY THE WILD FOLK NO LONGER TALK THE MAN-TALK + XXIX. THE TALE OF SUN-KA THE WISE DOG + XXX. HOW THE DOG'S TONGUE BECAME LONG + XXXI. THE STORY OF THE FAITHFUL DOG + + * * * * * + + + + +THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER + + + + +I. THE FINDING OF THE MAGIC FLOWER + + +It was June and it was morning. The sky was clear and the sun shone +bright and warm. The still air was filled with the sweet odor of +blossoming flowers. To little Luke, sitting on the doorstep of the +farmhouse and looking out over the fresh fields and green meadows, the +whole earth seemed brimful of happiness and joy. + +From the bough of an apple tree on the lawn O-pee-chee the Robin chanted +his morning song. "Te rill, te roo, the sky is blue," sang he. + +From the lilac bush Kil-loo the Song Sparrow trilled, "Sweet, sweet, +sweet, sweet, the air is sweet." + +Over in the meadows Zeet the Lark fluttered down upon a low bush and +sang, "Come with me, come and see," over and over. Then he dropped down +into the grass and ran off to the nest where his mate was sitting on +five speckled eggs. + +Bob-o'-Lincoln went quite out of his wits with the joy of life. He flew +high up into the air, and then came fluttering and falling, falling and +quivering down among the buttercups and daisies. He was very proud of +himself and wanted everybody to know just who he was. So he sang his own +name over and over. With his name-song he mixed up a lot of runs and +trills and thrills that did not mean anything to anybody but himself and +his little mate nestling below him in the grass. To her they meant, +"Life is love, and love is joy." + +Old Ka-ka-go the Crow, sitting on the top of the tall maple, felt that +on such a morning as this he, too, must sing. So he opened his beak and +croaked, "Caw, caw, caw, caw." What he meant to say was, "Corn, corn, +corn, corn." Sam, the hired man, heard him and came out of the barn door +with his gun. Old Ka-ka-go spread his black wings and flapped off to the +woods on the side of the mountain. + +Far up in the blue sky Kee-you the Red-shouldered Hawk wheeled slowly +about in great circles. When he saw Sam with his gun, he screamed, +"Kee-you, kee-you, kee-you," over and over. + +That was a poor song, but a good war cry; It sent every singer plunging +to cover. O-pee-chee the Robin hid himself among the thick branches of +the apple tree. Kil-loo the Song Sparrow hopped into the thickest part +of the lilac bush. Zeet the Lark and Bob Lincoln squatted in the thick +grass. Not a bird note was to be heard. + +But Ka-be-yun the West Wind was not afraid of the warrior hawk. He +breathed softly among the branches of the trees and set every little +leaf quivering and whispering. Then he ran across the meadows and the +wheat fields. As he sped along, great waves like those of the sea rolled +in wide sweeps across the meadow and through the tall wheat. + +To little Luke it seemed as if the leaves and grass and wheat all +whispered, "Come away. Come and play." Just then a great bumblebee flew +by and now the call was clear. "Come away, come away! Follow, follow, +follow me!" + +The boy jumped up and ran down the path into the garden. There he met +Old Klaws the House Cat, with a little brown baby rabbit in his mouth. +"You wicked old cat," said little Luke, "drop it, drop it, I say." But +Old Klaws only growled and gripped the little rabbit tighter. Little +Luke seized the old cat by the back of the neck and choked him till he +let go. The little brown rabbit looked up at him with his big round +eyes, as much as to say, "Thank you, little boy, thank you." Then he +hopped off into the thicket of berry bushes, where Old Klaws could not +catch him again. + +Little Luke went on down the path, through the garden gate, and into the +meadow beyond. All at once Bob Lincoln sprang up out of the grass right +before his feet. + +Little Luke thought he would find Bob Lincoln's nest. So he got down +upon his knees and began to look about in the grass very carefully. He +did not find the nest, but he did find a fine cluster of ripe, wild +strawberries. He forgot all about the nest and began to pick and eat the +sweet berries. So he ate and ate till his lips and fingers were red as +red wine and smelled strongly of ripe strawberries. + +Suddenly, as he put out his hand for another cluster, up sprang a black +and brown and yellow bird. That was Mrs. Bob Lincoln. Little Luke put +aside the grass and there was the nest. It was so cunningly hidden that +he could never have found it by looking for it. + +Mr. and Mrs. Bob Lincoln were greatly frightened. They fluttered and +quivered about, and talked to each other, and scolded at the boy. Little +Luke could not understand what they said, but part of it sounded like, +"Let it be! Don't touch, don't touch! Go away, please, p-l-e-a-s-e, go +away." So he got up and said, "All right, don't be afraid. I'll not take +your eggs, I'll go right away." And so he did. + +When he had gone two or three rods, Mrs. Bob Lincoln fluttered down to +her nest and settled herself quietly over her eggs. But Mr. Bob flew to +a tall weed in front of little Luke. There he sat and swung and teetered +and sang his merriest song. To the little boy it seemed as if he was +trying to say, "Thank you, thank you, little boy." + +There was an old apple tree standing near the meadow fence. On one of +its branches was the nest of O-pee-chee the Robin. Both Mr. and Mrs. +O-pee-chee had gone away to pick worms from the soft, fresh earth in the +garden. + +As little Luke drew near to the tree, he saw Mee-ko the Red Squirrel +crouching by the side of the nest with a blue egg in his front paws. +He had not yet broken the shell when he saw little Luke. At first he +thought he would run away. But he wanted that egg; so he squatted very +quietly where he was and hoped the little boy would not see him. + +But little Luke's eyes were very keen. He saw Mee-ko and guessed what +he was about. So lie picked up a small round stone and threw it at the +robber squirrel. His aim was so true that the stone flicked Mee-ko's +tail where it curled over his shoulders. + +Mee-ko was so scared that he dropped the egg back into the nest and ran +along the branch and across to another. From the end of that he dropped +down to the fence and scampered along the rails up toward the woods on +the side of the mountain. + +He went all the faster because Father O-pee-chee flew down into the +branches of the apple tree just as little Luke threw the stone. He saw +Mee-ko and understood exactly what had happened. He flew a little way +after the thieving squirrel. Then he came back and lit on the highest +branch of the apple tree and began to sing. "Te rill, te roo, I thank +you; te rill, te roo, I thank you," the little boy thought he said. + +Little Luke went over to the fence. In a bush beside the fence there was +a big spider's web. Old Mrs. Ik-to the Black Spider had built the web as +a trap to catch flies in. But this time there was something besides a +fly in the trap. Ah-mo the Honey Bee had blundered, into the web and was +trying hard to get away. + +Old Mrs. Ik-to was greatly excited. She was not sure whether she wanted +bee meat for dinner or not. She knew very well that bees are stronger +than flies and that they carry a dreadful spear with a poisoned point. + +Mrs. Ik-to ran down her web a little way, then she stopped and shook it. +Ah-mo the Honey Bee was not so much entangled by the web that he could +not sting and the old spider knew that. So she ran back again to one +corner of the web. + +Little Luke stood and watched poor Ah-mo for a moment. Then he took a +twig from the bush and set him free. Ah-mo rubbed himself all over with +his legs and tried his wings carefully to see if they were sound. Then +he flew up from the ground and buzzed three times round little Luke's +head. + +The little boy was not afraid. He knew that bees never sting anyone who +does not hurt or frighten them, and besides, he thought the buzzing had +a friendly sound to it. It seemed to him as if Ah-mo was trying to say, +"Thank you, little boy, thank you," as well as he could. + +When Ah-mo had flown away, little Luke looked around to see what old +Mrs. Ik-to was doing, but he could not find her. + +Leaving the old spider to mend her web as well as she could, little Luke +got over the fence into the pasture. As he was going along he heard Mrs. +Chee-wink making a great outcry. She was flying about a little bushy fir +tree not bigger than a currant bush. "Chee-wink, to-whee; chee-wink, +to-whee!" she called. Little Luke thought she was saying, "Help! Help! +Come here, come here!" And so she was. + +[Illustration] + +He went up toward the fir bush. As he walked along, he picked up a stout +stick that was lying on the ground. When he came to the bush, Mrs. +Chee-wink flew off to a tall sapling near by and watched him without +saying a word. + +At first he could not see anything to disturb anybody. But he knew that +Mrs. Chee-wink would never have made all that fuss for nothing. So he +took hold of the fir bush and pulled the branches apart. Then he +understood. He had almost put his hand on A-tos-sa the Big Blacksnake. + +A-tos-sa had a half-grown bird by the wing and was trying to swallow +it. The young bird was strong enough to flutter a good deal and Mother +Chee-wink had flapped her wings in the snake's eyes and pecked his head, +so that he had not been able to get a good hold. + +Little Luke struck at once. The stick hit the snake and he let go of the +bird and slid down to the ground. Little Luke hit him again, this time +squarely on the head. Then with a stone he made sure that A-tos-sa would +never try to eat young birds again. + +After he had finished with the snake, he picked up the young bird which +had fallen to the ground. It seemed more scared than hurt, so he put it +carefully into the nest, where there were two other young birds. Then he +went on up toward the woods. + +Mrs. Chee-wink flew back to the fir bush. She looked first at the dead +snake and then at her nest. Then she said, "Chee-wink, chee-wink, +to-whee, chee-wink, to-whee," two or three times very softly and settled +down quietly on her nest. Of course that meant, "Thank you, little boy, +thank you!" + +Up above the fir bush in the pasture stood an old apple tree, all alone +by itself. On a dead branch was Ya-rup the Flicker. He was using the +hard shell of the dead branch for a drum. "Rat, a tat, tat," he went +faster and faster, till the beats ran into one long resounding roll. +Then he stopped and screamed, "Kee-yer, kee-yer!" Perhaps he meant, +"Well done! good boy! good boy!" + +You see he had seen little Luke's battle with the blacksnake and was +drumming and screaming for joy. Little Luke stopped under the old apple +tree and listened to Ya-rup's drumming and screaming for a while. Then +he went on up to the edge of the big woods. + +There he found an old trail which he followed a long way till it forked. +Right in the fork of the trail, he saw a young bird. Its feathers were +not half grown and of course it could not fly. Little Luke knew that +it must have fallen out of the nest by accident. So he ran after the +frightened little bird and picked it up very carefully. Just then +O-loo-la the Wood Thrush flew down into a bush by the side of the trail +and began to plead, "Pit'y! pit'y! don't hurt him! Let him go, little +boy; please let him go!" he seemed to say. + +Little Luke looked around for the nest. Soon he saw it in a tangle of +vines that ran over a dogwood bush. + +Very carefully he picked his way through the bushes toward the nest. +O-loo-la seemed to guess what he meant to do and hopped from bush to +bush without saying a word. + +When the little boy went to put the young bird back into the nest, he +saw why he had fallen out. There were three young birds in it, and they +filled it so full that there was scarcely room for another. Little Luke +saw that the bird he held was smaller than the others. So he took one of +them out and put his bird down into the middle of the nest. Then he put +the bigger one back. When this one snuggled down into the nest, it was +quite full. + +When little Luke went back into the trail, O-loo-la flew to a branch +over his head and began to sing very happily. The little boy thought +that he, too, was trying to say, "Thank you, little boy, thank you." + +Little Luke took the left-hand trail and followed it till he came to a +beautiful spring which gushed from under a tall rock. He lay down upon +his stomach and took a long drink of the cool, sweet water. + +Just beside the spring stood a big beech tree. Near the ground two large +roots spread out at a broad angle. Little Luke sat down between the +roots and leaned his head against the tree. It was a very comfortable +seat. So he sat there and dreamed with his eyes wide open. Just what he +was dreaming about he did not know. He only knew that he felt very happy +and very quiet. + +Mee-ko the Red Squirrel ran out upon a branch just over his head and +peeked and peered at him with his bright, inquisitive eyes. As little +Luke sat very still, Mee-ko cocked his long tail up over his shoulders +and sat and watched him. + +Little Luke felt so very comfortable and quiet that he closed his eyes +for a moment. At least it seemed only a moment to him. All at once he +heard a loud hum. He opened his eyes and there was Ah-mo the Honey Bee +just before his face. When Ah-mo saw that little Luke was watching him, +he flew down toward the spring and lit upon a beautiful flower. + +Little Luke was surprised; he had not seen that flower before. It was a +very beautiful flower. He leaned over and looked at it. Its petals were +blue as the sky, except near the heart, where they were pink as a baby's +fingers; and its heart was as yellow as gold. + +Little Luke reached out his hand to pick the strange flower. As soon as +Mee-ko saw what he was doing, he fairly screamed. To little Luke it +seemed as if he said, "Stop, stop, let it be. Leave it alone. Go away." + +Little Luke was used to Mee-ko's scolding. He had heard it many times +before, but never before had he thought there was any sense in it. It +seemed very queer to him that he could understand the speech of a +squirrel. + +In his surprise he forgot about the strange flower and sat looking up at +Mee-ko. At once Mee-ko became quiet. He ran along the branch and down +the tree behind little Luke. Then he leaped to the ground and ran across +to another tree. When he thought he was safe, he began to talk and scold +again. To the little boy it seemed as if Mee-ko was saying, "Come here, +come away, follow me, follow me!" + +But little Luke did not care to chase Mee-ko. He knew he could not catch +him, and besides, he wanted the strange flower. As soon as he reached +out his hand for it again, Mee-ko began to scold more angrily than +before. "Stop, let it alone, go away," he screamed. + +"That is queer," thought little Luke; "I wonder what is the matter with +him. What can he care about the strange flower?" + +Just then Ah-mo the Honey Bee flew up toward little Luke and then back +again to the flower. Little Luke reached over and seized the flower. +The stem was strong and he pulled it up, root and all. He put it to his +nose. Its odor was strangely sweet. From the broken stem some clear +juice oozed out upon his hand. Ah-mo the Honey Bee flew down and sipped +it. Then he rose and began to buzz around little Luke's head. Without +thinking, the little boy put his hand to his lips and his mouth was +filled with a strange, sweet taste. At the same time a mist rose before +his eyes, a strange feeling ran through his body, and his head swam. + +In a moment the strange feeling passed away and the mist cleared from +before his face. He looked up and could scarcely believe his eyes. There +in a half circle around him sat a strange company--the strangest he had +ever seen. + +There was Mo-neen the Woodchuck, Unk-wunk the Hedgehog, A-pe-ka the +Polecat, Wa-poose the Rabbit, A-bal-ka the Chipmunk, Tav-wots the +Cottontail, Mic-ka the Coon, and Shin-ga the Gray Squirrel. At one end +of the line stood Mit-chee the Partridge, Ko-leen-o the Quail, and +O-he-la the Woodcock. On the branches above them were Ya-rup the +Flicker, O-pee-chee the Robin, O-loo-la the Wood Thrush, Har-por the +Brown Thrasher, Chee-wink the Ground Robin, Tur-wee the Bluebird, Zeet +the Lark, and Bob Lincoln. Little Luke was surprised to see the last +two, for he had never seen them in the woods before. + +"What can have happened to me?" said little Luke aloud. All the +creatures in that strange assembly stirred slightly and looked at +Wa-poose the big Rabbit. Wa-poose hopped forward a step or two and stood +up on his hind legs. His ears were stretched straight up over his head, +his paws were crossed in front of him, and he looked very queer. + +[Illustration: THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER] + +Then to little Luke's surprise, he spoke. "Man Cub," said Wa-poose, +"a wonderful thing has happened to you. You have found the Magic Speech +Flower and tasted its blood. By its power you are able to understand the +speech of all the wild folk of field and forest. This great gift has +come to you because your heart has been full of loving kindness toward +all the creatures that the Master of Life has made. + +"Only he can find the Magic Flower who, between the rising and the +setting of the sun, has done five deeds of mercy and kindness toward the +wild folk of forest and field. These five deeds you have done." + +Wa-poose paused. For a moment there was silence. All the wild folk +looked steadfastly at the little boy, who in turn gazed at them with +wonder-filled eyes. Then he spoke. "Five deeds! What five deeds have +I done?" he asked, forgetting all about his morning's work. + +"This morning you saved my child from the fierce jaws of Klaws the House +Cat. You drove off Mee-ko the thieving Red Squirrel when he was trying +to steal the eggs from the nest of O-pee-chee. You helped Ah-mo escape +from the trap of wicked old Ik-to. You saved Chee-wink's fledglings from +the cruel fangs of A-tos-sa, and you put the young one back into +O-loo-la's nest safely. + +"Two things you must remember if you wish to keep this magic power. You +must never needlessly or in sport hurt or kill any of the wild creatures +that the Master of Life has made and you must tell no one what has +happened to you. If you give heed to these two things, we will all be +your friends. When you walk abroad, you shall see us when no one else +can, and we will talk with you and teach you all the wisdom and the ways +of the wild kindreds." + +Just then the sound of footsteps was heard coming down the trail. The +gray mist rose again before little Luke's eyes and he heard someone say, +"Wake up, little boy, it is almost noon. Your Aunt Martha will have +dinner on the table before you can get back to the farmhouse." + +Little Luke looked up and there was Old John the Indian, who lived in +a lonely cabin on the other side of the mountain, and sometimes came to +the farmhouse to sell game he had killed or baskets that he had woven. + +Little Luke sprang up and rubbed his eyes. Not one of the wild folk was +to be seen. But he held in his hand a broken and crumpled flower. He put +the flower into his pocket and went along down the trail toward the +farmhouse with Old John. + + +[Illustration] + + + + +II. LITTLE LUKE AND THE BOB LINCOLNS + + +That night little Luke dreamed of the Magic Flower. The next morning, +as soon as he had finished his breakfast, he ran down through the garden +and into the meadow. He was eager to see his wild friends again and to +try his new gifts, "Perhaps," he thought, "it was only a dream after +all." + +As soon as Bob Lincoln saw him, he came flying across the meadow to meet +him, his black and white uniform gleaming in the bright sunlight. "Good +morning, little boy, good morning," he trilled, and his voice sounded +like the tinkling of a silver bell. + +"Good morning, Bob Lincoln," said the little boy, delighted that he +really could understand Bob Lincoln's language. "How is Mrs. Bob Lincoln +this morning?" + +"Come and see, come and see," trilled Bob Lincoln, in his sweetest and +friendliest voice. + +Little Luke walked over to the nest. When she heard him coming, Mrs. Bob +Lincoln was scared and flew up from the nest. + +But as soon as she saw who it was, she fluttered down upon the top of +a tall weed and said, "Oh, it's you, is it, little boy? I heard someone +coming and I was frightened, but I am not afraid of you." And so she sat +swinging and teetering on the tall weed. + +The little boy looked at the nest and admired the pretty eggs. "Oh, +they're coming on finely," said Mrs. Bob Lincoln. "In a day or two I +will show you five of the handsomest baby Bob Lincolns you will ever +see. I heard them peeping inside of the shells this morning." + +The little boy looked at the father and mother birds. "Bob Lincoln," +said he, "I wish you would tell me why you and Mrs. Bob Lincoln are so +unlike. Your coat is white and black; her dress is black and brown and +yellow. You do not look as if you belonged to the same family." + +"Well," said Bob Lincoln, "that is a long story." + +"Oh, please tell it," said little Luke; "I want so much to hear it." + +"Well," said Bob Lincoln, "we have both had our breakfast and I have +sung my morning song. So if Mrs. Bob will excuse me [Mrs. Bob gracefully +bowed her permission] I will take the time. You go over there and sit +down under the old apple tree and I will come and find a comfortable +twig and tell you all about it." + +When little Luke had seated himself cozily with his back against the +trunk of the old apple tree, Bob Lincoln began his story. + + + + +III. THE STORY OF THE SUMMER LAND + + +"Long, long ago when the world was new," said he, "the first Bob Lincoln +family lived in a beautiful country in the distant north. In that country +it was always summer. None of those who dwelt in that land knew what +winter was. + +"Ke-honk-a the Gray Goose, who spent half the year in northern +Greenland, had mentioned it, but the people of the Summer Land did not +understand him. They had never felt winds or seen ice or snow. + +"But there came a time when Ke-honk-a said, as he flew over, 'Winter is +coming, winter is coming.' But nobody understood and nobody cared. Why +should they care about winter when they did not know what it was? + +"Soon after this the people of the Summer Land noticed a change in the +weather. One half of the year was cooler than the other half. The first +time this happened they did not mind it at all. Indeed, they rather +liked it. It was pleasant to have a change. + +"The next year it was cooler and the next still cooler. And so it went +on for some years, each winter getting colder than that which had gone +before. + +"One day a dull, gray cloud came up out of the north and hid the face of +the sun. Out of its gray bosom there came floating to earth a whole +flock of big, white snowflakes. The people of the Summer Land were +amazed. + +"As the great flakes came wavering lazily down through the air, they +looked at them and thought that they must be some new kind of winged +creatures. 'What a lot of them,' thought they, 'there must be to make +that great cloud which hides the sun!' + +"In a short time the sun shone out from behind the gray cloud. In the +twinkling of an eye all the snowflakes were gone. 'Strange, strange!' +thought the people of the Summer Land. 'What has become of all those +white-winged creatures?' + +"The next winter so many snowflakes fell that they hid the brown earth +for many weeks. This happened again and again, and the people of the +Summer Land began to understand what winter was. The snow became so deep +for months at a time that they found it hard to get food. + +"After a while life became so hard for them that they felt that +something must be done. So they summoned a Great Council to consider the +matter. After much talk they decided to send a messenger to the Master +of Life, who lived far away among the western mountains, to beg him to +come and help them. For their messenger they chose the swallow, the +swiftest of all the birds. + +"The swallow flew for many days, until at last he reached the lodge of +the Master of Life, and told his story. + +"'Go back,' said the Master when he had heard it, 'and after four moons +I will come to visit you. Summon all the people of the Summer Land to a +Great Council and I will tell them what they must do.' + +"At the time appointed, the Master of Life came. When all the people of +the Summer Land had assembled, he spoke to them and said, 'I have heard +of your troubles and have thought of a plan to help you. + +"'Henceforth, so long as the world shall last, there shall be summer and +winter in this land. Half the year shall be summer and half the year +shall be winter. + +"'While summer reigns, this is a pleasant land, and you may live here +and find plenty of food. Before winter comes, you must leave this land +and journey far away to the south, to another country where summer +always reigns. But when the snow melts and winter returns to his home in +the distant north, summer shall come again to this land, and so it shall +be every year. + +"'When summer comes back, you may return with it and dwell in your own +home until it is time for the return of winter.' + +"When the people of the Summer Land heard this, some were glad, some +were sorry, and some were angry. + +"'What!' said the angry ones, 'shall we leave our pleasant homes on +account of winter? No, indeed; we will stay.' And so they did. + +"When summer was over and the cold winds began to blow, the Bob Lincoln +family, obeying the command of the Master of Life, set out for the +Southland. On and on they traveled for many days. + +"At last they came to the end of the land, and before them was the +great, salt sea. But far on to the southward, they could dimly see +islands rising out of the salt water. + +"So they flew bravely on across the great, salt sea, till they reached +the islands; and beyond these islands they saw others. On and on they +flew from island to island until they reached another great land like +the home they had left behind them. In it there were vast meadows and +forests, mountains and rivers. In that land it is always summer and food +is plenty all the year round. There in the pleasant meadows, the Bob +Lincolns stopped and there they lived happily for half a year. + +"When it was time for summer to revisit the Summer Land, the Bob +Lincolns returned also and this they did every year. + +"In those days all the Bob Lincolns wore black and white clothes +like mine. But, as you see, this black and white dress is very +con-spic'-u-ous. + +"Now it happened that in their journeyings to and fro, the Bob Lincolns +met many enemies, and these enemies wrought sad havoc in their ranks. +When they were flying in the air, the hawks and the eagles would swoop +upon them and kill them. If they sat upon the ground, the weazels and +the minks, the wildcats and other four-footed prowlers, would pounce +upon them and devour them. Even the Red Men, with their feathered +arrows, would shoot them. So many of them were killed that they began +to fear that soon none of their family would be left alive. + +"So they called a family council, to consider their sad state and +decide what it was best to do. When they were all assembled together, +they talked the matter over and decided to go and ask aid from the +Master of Life. + +"'I have heard your complaint,' said the Master of Life when they +had finished, 'and I am willing to assist you. But first you must +understand that the cause of all your trouble is your love of fine +clothes. Your black and white uniforms are very beautiful, but they +are too con-spic'-u-ous for your safety. By day your enemies can spy +you afar because you are black; by night they can see you because you +are white. + +"'Hereafter you shall wear different clothing. No longer shall your +feathers be black and white; they shall be black and brown and yellow. +When you sit upon the ground you shall look like the dry, brown grass, +and when you fly through the air your enemies shall not be able to mark +your flight from a distance. Thus it shall come to pass that, if you act +wisely, you shall live in peace and safety.' + +"When they heard this the Bob Lincolns were grieved at heart. They +loved their gay black and white uniforms and sorrowed at the thought of +parting with them. So they humbly begged the Master of Life to let them +keep their gay clothing and tell them some other way of escaping their +enemies. + +"'There is no other way,' said he. 'But tell me, when do you suffer +least from your enemies? Is it when you are dwelling in your old +northern home, or when you are dwelling in the sunny Southland?' +'When we are dwelling in our old homes,' answered the Bob Lincolns. + +"'Very well, then,' said the Master of Life, 'while you are dwelling in +your old home, all the male Bob Lincolns may wear their black and white +garments. Nevertheless they shall suffer for their vanity, for their +enemies shall find and slay many of them. + +"'But your wives and sisters must be content with a quieter dress. It is +they who have the most to do with tending your nests and rearing your +young ones. If they should wear your gay black and white garments, your +enemies would find and kill you all, and the Bob Lincoln family would +perish from the earth,' + +"That is the story," said Bob Lincoln, "that my grandfather told me +long ago in our distant winter home in the Southland. If you keep watch, +little boy, for a month or so, you will see me put off my black and +white suit for one just like Mrs. Bob Lincoln's. Then you will know that +we are getting ready for our journey to our distant winter home in the +sunny Southland, far away across the great, salt sea." + +"Now," said Bob Lincoln, when he had finished his story, "it's time for +me to be off to see how Mrs. Bob Lincoln is getting along." + +And off he flew before little Luke had time to thank him for his +pleasant story. The little boy sat quietly for a while under the old +apple tree. Then he got up and went slowly back to the house. + + + + +IV. BOB LINCOLN'S STORY OF HIS OWN LIFE + + +During the long summer days little Luke went often to visit the Bob +Lincolns. The more he watched them, the more he grew to love them. Bob +Lincoln himself was the merriest, jolliest fellow of all the little +boy's feathered friends. + +Little Luke saw the baby birds as soon as they had broken their shells. +He watched the anxious parents feed them. And how those young Bob +Lincolns could eat! How their busy parents had to work to support the +little family! Back and forth over the meadow the old birds flew hour +after hour, searching for food for their hungry babies. And they were +always hungry! Whenever they heard anyone coming, they would close their +eyes, stretch their long necks, and open wide their yellow mouths. + +The young birds grew larger and hungrier every day. And every day Bob +Lincoln became busier and quieter. Little Luke noticed that the jolly +little fellow did not sing so much and that his gay coat was becoming +rusty. One by one his bright feathers fell out and dull brown or yellow +ones took their place, until at last he looked just like his little +wife. + +"Well, little boy," said Bob Lincoln one morning, "we must be getting +ready to move. These youngsters can fly pretty well, and it is time for +us to go. I am sorry, for I love our meadow home, and a long and +dangerous journey is before us." + +"Tell me about it," said little Luke. + +"Well," said Bob Lincoln, "you must know that I was hatched in this very +meadow. There were five of us and I am the only one that is left. + +"When we young ones had learned to fly pretty well, we started south. +After a few days we reached a land where there were broad marshes +covered with reeds. There we stopped for a while. But the men of that +country hunted us with their fire-sticks. They called us reed birds arid +liked us to eat. They shot many of our friends, but for a few days our +family all escaped. But one morning we heard a sound like thunder and +our mother fell to the ground and we saw her no more. + +"This frightened us and we flew on to the southward for many days. Of +course wherever we found a good place, we stopped to rest and eat. But +we did not stop for long until we came to a land where there were great +fields of rice. There we found great flocks of our kindred, who had +grown fat by feeding upon the rice. + +"But here again were men with their fire-sticks and they killed two of +my brothers. All the time we stayed there, we lived in fear. So after +some days we left the rice land and went on toward the south. We crossed +the great, salt sea and at last found the winter home of our kindred. + +"In the spring we came back again to this meadow. And here I found Mrs. +Bob Lincoln. I courted her with my sweetest songs, and after a short +time we were married and set up house-keeping. + +"That autumn I led a family of my own on the long journey to our +southern home. Three times have I made the journey to and from this +meadow, and each time some of my family have fallen a prey to our many +enemies. But the men with their fire-sticks are the worst of all. Why +are they so cruel to us?" + +"Alas," said Bob Lincoln, after a pause, "I dread this journey. Not many +of my friends have escaped so long. I fear I shall never return. But it +cannot be helped, we must go. I think, little boy, we shall start this +morning. So I will say good-bye now." + +"Good-bye, Bob Lincoln," said little Luke, "I hope it will not be as you +fear. I shall look for you again next May." + +The Bob Lincoln family started on their long southern journey and little +Luke went sadly back to the house. Now that the Bob Lincolns were gone, +the meadow no longer seemed so pleasant to him. + + + + +V. LITTLE LUKE MAKES FRIENDS AMONG THE WILD FOLK + + +While little Luke spent a good deal of his time with the Bob Lincoln +family, he did not neglect his other friends among the wild folk. Almost +every day he had long talks with one or more of them. Thus it came to +pass that he soon became exceeding wise with the wisdom of the wild +kindreds; for his eyes were sharper and his ears keener than those of +any other of the house people. + +There was Sam, the hired man, who thought he knew a good deal about the +wild folk. And there was Old Bill, the hunter, who had done little +besides hunting and trapping all his long life; even these did not begin +to know the beasts and birds as little Luke knew them. Before the +Finding of the Magic Flower, he had thought them marvels of woodcraft +and fieldcraft. Now they seemed to him almost blind and deaf. + +As he went about with them, he found that for all their boasting (and +they often boasted) they really knew little about the wild folk. Many +times they would pass Wa-poose the Rabbit sitting unseen on his form +within a few feet of them. Mother Mit-chee the Ruffled Partridge made +her nest in plain sight on the ground beside the old trail and they +passed by a hundred times and never saw her. And so it was with many +others of the wild folk. Often they went quietly about their business +before the very eyes of the house people who did not see them. + +During that summer little Luke spent much time with Old John the lone +Indian, who lived at the foot of Black Mountain. For Old John, seeing +the little boy's love of woodcraft and his wonderful keenness of ear and +eye, and understanding, came to love him more than he had loved anyone +or anything for many years. + +He would make some excuse to come to the farmhouse. Then, when his +pretended business was finished, he would sit with the little boy on an +old bench on the lawn and tell him stories of the Red Men or of the wild +folk. + +Sometimes, too, the little boy would go up the trail and sit by the +spring where he had found the Magic Speech Flower and wait for the old +Indian. Or, when Old John started for home, he would go along with him +up into the woods and there they would sit on a fallen log and talk of +the old days when the Red Men dwelt in that land, or of the wood folk +they saw and heard about them. These were most enchanting tales, and +little Luke enjoyed them exceedingly. + +And he learned that in some matters Old John was very wise. But these +were mostly concerned with hunting and trapping. Little Luke did not +like the idea of killing any of his wild friends, even though he knew +that their flesh and fur were very useful. He knew, too, that the Law of +the Wild Kindred allowed everyone to kill to supply his need and so he +did not much mind the killing in Old John's stories, for he knew that +the old man never killed any creature needlessly. + +And he learned, too, that the old Indian had some strange notions about +the wild folk. He believed that long ago they had all been very much +like men. "In those days," he said, "the animals could talk and build +wigwams just as the Red Men did." He believed, too, that the forefathers +of some tribes of the Red Men had been animals, and that the forefathers +of some of the animal kindreds had been men. All this seemed queer to +the boy, but not half so queer as it would have seemed before the +Finding of the Magic Speech Flower and his talks with the wild folk. + +Now the tale of the Finding of the Magic Flower was told abroad among +all the tribes of the wild folk round about. For this reason, as time +went on, many of them came to see the wonderful Man Cub (as they often +called little Luke) who could speak and understand the language of the +wild kindreds. + +In that way little Luke came to know many of the wild folk that he had +never seen before. Some of them were furry folk, who lived in the woods +and fields and along the brooks, and some were beautiful feathered folk, +who came down from the tops of the tall pines and spruces and hemlocks. + +These were mostly bird folk who had once lived in the Summer Land and +had learned to travel southward before the return of Pe-boan the cruel +Winter King. They loved the upper spaces of the great forests, and there +they lived as some of the water folk live in the lower depths of the +great sea. + +These bird folk hated the open fields and even the lower air, in the +thick forests, seemed heavy and unpleasant to them. So they seldom came +down from their airy homes in the upper branches of the great trees. For +this reason little Luke did not see much of them, but when he did see +one of them, it was as if he had seen an angel. + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +VI. LITTLE LUKE AND KIT-CHEE THE GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER + + +Down in the far corner of the orchard stood an old apple tree. Some of +its limbs were dead and the rest of it was so covered with orchard moss +that it seemed gray with age. As little Luke was passing one day, he +noticed a round hole in one of its branches. "Now," thought he to +himself, "I'll climb up and take a peep into that hole." And so he did. + +As he looked into the dark cavity, there was a sudden explosion, which +sounded like the noise made by an angry cat. The little boy jumped back +so quickly that he almost fell to the ground. Just then he heard someone +in the branches of the tree above him. "Whee-ree, whee-ree," sounded a +mocking; voice, that made little Luke think that somebody was making fun +of him. He looked up and saw Kit-chee the Great Crested Flycatcher. + +"Ah-ha!" said Kit-chee; "so she scared you, did she?" + +The little boy moved his hand toward the hole. + +"Better not; better not," said Kit-chee; "that's Mother Kit-chee in +there. She doesn't like to be disturbed, and she has a temper of her +own, and a sharp bill to go with it." + +"Excuse me, Father Kit-chee," said the little boy; "I didn't know. I +only wanted to see what was in that hole." + +"All right," said Kit-chee. "We don't mind you. Perhaps, if you ask her +politely, she'll come out and let you take a peep." + +"Pray, Mother Kit-chee," said the little boy, "aren't you hungry? There +are some nice flies and bugs out here, and besides, if you will be kind +enough to allow me, I should like a peep at your nest and eggs." + +"Oh, very well," answered Mother Kit-chee, "I'll do anything to oblige +you, when you speak in that way." And out she came. + +Both Father Kit-chee and Mother Kit-chee were rather handsome, dignified +birds. They each wore a coat of butternut brown, mixed with olive green, +and a vest pearl gray toward the throat and yellow lower down. + +"Thank you," said the little boy to Mother Kit-chee as she came out, +"I'll not disturb anything. I'll be very careful." And so he was. He +looked down into the hole, where he saw five creamy-white eggs, streaked +lengthwise with brown. But the queerest thing he saw was a snake-skin +which formed part of the nest. + +"There's the skin of a snake," exclaimed the little boy. "How did that +come there? Did the snake try to steal your eggs, and did you kill him?" + +"Oh, no," replied Father Kit-chee, "I found that skin over yonder in the +pasture. You know that A-tos-sa the Snake sheds his skin when it grows +old and stiff, and grows a new one that fits him better. We just pick up +the cast-off skins and build them into our nests." + +"What on earth do you do it for?" asked the little boy. "I wouldn't want +such a thing around my bed. I don't like snakes, or even their skins." + +"I don't like snakes either," said Kit-chee, "but it's a custom in our +family to use their skins in nest-building. Wherever you find a home +of one of our tribe, there you will find a snake-skin. I've heard my +grandfather say that our kinfolk, who dwell far to the south beyond the +big seawater, have the same custom. There's a tradition about it, too." + +"Oh, please tell me about it," said the little boy. "I'm sure it will be +an interesting story." + +"Very well; anything to please you," said Kit-chee. + + + + +VII. WHY THE KIT-CHEE PEOPLE ALWAYS USE SNAKE-SKINS IN NEST-BUILDING + + +"Long, long ago," began he, "when the world was new, all the beasts and +birds were at peace with each other. In those days it was summer all the +year round. After a while a change came." + +"Oh, yes, I've heard about that," said the little boy. "Pe-boan the +cruel Winter King came down from the frozen North and drove off Ni-pon +the Queen of Summer. Then the animals and birds got hungry and began to +kill each other. I've heard about that several times." + +"Yes," said Kit-chee, "that was the way it was. The animals and birds +began to kill and rob each other. No nest was safe. Mee-ko the Red +Squirrel, A-tos-sa the Snake, Ka-ka-go the Crow, and many others learned +to rob our nests and eat our young ones. + +"Every one of the birds tried to hide her nest, but in spite of the +best that they could do, the robbers would often find them. The worst of +all our enemies was Kag-ax the Weasel. The Kit-chee families suffered +terribly. They built their nests as we do now in holes in trees. Kag-ax +is a good climber and has sharp eyes. It was almost impossible to hide +a nest from him. + +"After a while things got so bad that the Kit-chee family came together +in a council. They talked over their troubles and made up their minds to +go to the Master of Life and ask him to help them. And so they did. + +"'I am sorry for you,' said he, when he had heard their story, 'and will +tell you what to do. As you say, your worst enemy is Kag-ax the Weasel. +Now Kag-ax is more afraid of A-tos-sa the Snake than of any other +creature in the whole world. He cannot bear even the sight of a +snake-skin. You must weave a snake-skin into each one of your nests. +Then he will not dare to trouble you.' + +"'But how shall we get the snake-skins?' asked Grandfather Kit-chee, the +head of the family. + +"'That is easy,' answered the Master of Life. 'A-tos-sa, as you know, +sheds his skin. If you look sharp, you can find the cast-off skins +almost anywhere. Do as I have said, and you will be safe. Even Mee-ko +the Squirrel and others of your enemies will be afraid of the snake-skin +and let your nests alone.' + +"The Kit-chee family did as the Master of Life told them to do. From +that time to this they always have woven a snake-skin into their nests, +and their nests have seldom been robbed." + +"Thank you," said the little boy, "that was a good story. Now I must be +going home. There's Aunt Martha calling for dinner." And he slid down +out of the old apple tree and went across the orchard to the house. + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +VIII. LITTLE LUKE AND NICK-UTS THE YELLOWTHROAT + + +Among little Luke's bird friends was little Nick-uts the Yellowthroat. +He was a dainty little fellow, with an olive green back, a bright +yellow breast, and a black mask across his face that made him look +like a highwayman. Though he was lively and nervous, he had a gentle +disposition and a sweet voice. His home was in some low bushes in the +pasture. + +Whenever little Luke went up to see him, he would hop up on a branch and +call out, "Which way, sir? Which way, sir?" And when the little boy +started to go away, he would say, "Wait a minute. Wait a minute." + +Every time the little boy went for the cows he would stop and chat a +moment with Mr. and Mrs. Nick-uts. To be sure, Mrs. Nick-uts never had +much to say. She was a quiet little body, not so fidgety as Nick-uts, +and besides, she had to stay close at home and see to the eggs and +babies. + +One morning, as little Luke was going for the cows, he saw Nick-uts +bobbing around very excitedly. + +"Come here. Come here," called Nick-uts, when he saw the little boy; +"I want some help." And he hopped over by the nest. + +Little Luke went over to the nest and looked in. "Look there," said +Nick-uts, "see that big, ugly egg. Take it out, please." + +"Take it out?" said little Luke. "Why should I do that? Isn't it yours?" + +"No, indeed," said Nick-uts, "it's old Mother Mo-lo's. The nasty old +wretch laid it in there while we were away from home. She's always +sneaking around, the lazy old thing, to lay her eggs in some other +bird's nest. She's cowardly too. She always picks out the nest of one +smaller than herself. I wish I were big enough to give her a sound +thrashing. + +"Please take the egg out," he went on. "I can't do it myself, and if you +don't take it out, we shall have to leave the nest and our own eggs and +build a new one." + +Little Luke took the egg out of the nest and threw it on the ground. +"Why don't Mother Mo-lo build a nest of her own?" he asked. + +"Oh, she can't. She doesn't know enough," answered Nick-uts. "In the old +days she had a chance to learn the same as the rest of us. She wouldn't +learn then, and now she can't. I don't believe she ever tries. + +"She sneaks around and steals her eggs into the nests of other birds, +and some of them are so silly they don't know the difference. They hatch +the egg and bring up the young one as if it were their own. The young +Mo-los are greedy things and they eat up everything away from the other +little birds. Besides, they grow so fast that they crowd out the other +young ones, so that they fall to the ground and die. I've known old +Mother Mo-lo to fool O-loo-la the Wood Thrush that way. It's a shame +for a decent bird to be imposed upon like that. + +"She tried the trick twice on me last year. Once we managed to roll the +egg out, and once we built a second floor to the nest, but we lost two +of our own eggs by doing it." + +"You said that Mother Mo-lo had a chance to learn to build a nest," said +little Luke. "Tell me about it." + +"Well," said Nick-uts, "since you have been so kind as to help me, +I'll try. I haven't heard the story for a long while, perhaps I can't +remember it very well. But I'll do the best I can." + + + + +IX. WHY MOTHER MO-LO THE COWBIRD LAYS HER EGGS IN OTHER BIRDS' NESTS + + +"In the beginning," said he, "the Master of Life made the world. When +he had finished the land and the sea, the mountains and the meadows, +he made the fishes, and then the four-footed kindreds. Last of all, he +created the birds. But he didn't make them all at the same time. The +last ones were Father and Mother Mo-lo. + +"When Mother Mo-lo began to fly about, the other birds went to her and +offered to teach her how to build a nest. + +"'Come with me,' said the oven bird; 'I'll show you how to build a nest +on the ground where no one will find it. You must just push up some of +the dry leaves in the forest, and then put some grass and twigs under +them. It's very easy.' + +"'For my part,' said the woodpecker, 'I wouldn't build on the ground +anyway. I should be afraid that a deer or a bear or some other creature +would step on me. If you want a safe nest, I'll show you how to build +one. You just find a dead limb, not too dead, and bore a deep hole into +it. Put a little soft, rotten wood in the bottom, and there you are! + +"'That must be a close, stuffy kind of a nest; enough to smother one,' +said the oriole scornfully. Come with me and I will teach you to hang +your nest on the end of an elm branch. You just weave together some hair +and grass and moss and hang it on a slender, swinging branch, where +nothing can get to it. Then you'll be safe. The wind will rock your +babies to sleep for you and you'll have plenty of fresh air.' + +"'I wouldn't like that at all,' said the sand martin. 'I'd be seasick +the first half hour. A good hole in a sandbank suits me much better. To +be sure, the sand sometimes caves in. But that doesn't matter much. A +little hard work will clear your doorway.' + +"'What do you do when the high waters come?' asked the phoebe bird. +'For my part,' continued she, 'I like a rock ledge for a foundation with +another one above for a roof. The rock never caves in on you. A little +hair and grass, nicely laid down, with a little moss on the outside, and +you are comfortable and safe. You'll never be drowned out there.' + +"'I don't like rocks,' said the robin. 'A fork in a tree suits me much +better. Just lay down a few sticks for a foundation, then weave together +some twigs and grass and plaster the inside with some good thick mud, +and you have a serviceable nest, good enough for anyone. A few feathers +in the bottom will make it soft and comfortable. It may not be so +elegant as some others, but it suits me.' + +"And so it went on. Each one of the birds praised its own nest and +offered to show Mother Mo-lo how to build one like it. + +"But Mother Mo-lo cared little for what they said. She wasn't even +polite enough to pretend to pay attention. She was too conceited. +thought that she was handsome and knew about all there was to be known." + +"Handsome?" said little Luke; "the ugly old thing! It can't be that she +had ever looked at herself." + +"Oh, I don't know," said Nick-uts, "the sillier people are, the wiser +they think themselves. And it's always the ugly ones who think +themselves the most beautiful." + +"Well," said little Luke, "I've seen a good deal of her, but I never +thought her handsome in the least. You know she follows the cows about +so much that we house people call her the cowbird." + +"Well, at any rate," said Nick-uts, "she thought she knew a great deal +more than she really did. + +"So she said to the other birds, very haughtily, 'You are all very kind, +and I am very much obliged to you. But I think I can get along without +your help. I know how to build a nest that will suit me better than any +of yours.' + +"'Indeed, is that so?' cried the other birds. 'You must have learned +very quickly. Who was your teacher anyway?' + +"'Oh,' said Mother Mo-lo, 'nobody taught me, but I know how just the +same.' + +"'Very well,' said the other birds, 'we only wanted to be kind and help +you. But we won't bother you any more. Good-bye.' And they all flew away +to attend to their own affairs. + +"After a while Mother Mo-lo tried to build a nest. First she tried to +bore a hole in a dead branch, but she couldn't do it. Then she tried the +sandbank, but the sand caved in and got in her eyes and almost smothered +her. Then she tried the other kinds of nests. But every one was a +failure. At last she gave it up, and ever since then she has laid her +eggs in other birds' nests and let them rear her young ones for her." + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +X. THE STORY OF O-PEE-CHEE THE FIRST ROBIN + + +One day little Luke heard Old John the Indian speak of redbreast as +Little Brother O-pee-chee. He wanted to ask the old man about the name, +but did not get a chance. So the next morning he went down to the apple +tree in the meadow and asked Father Redbreast about it. + +"That," answered redbreast, "is an old tale which both the Red Men and +our people know. According to the story, the first redbreast was an +Indian boy, and that is why he calls us Little Brothers." + +"Tell me about it," said the little boy. + + * * * * * + +"Long, long ago," began Father Redbreast, "there was a tribe of Indians +which dwelt in the distant Northland. Their chief, who was a wise man +and a brave warrior, had an only child, a little son. The boy was a +bright little fellow, but not very strong. Somehow he was not so big and +hardy as the other Indian boys. But his father loved him more than +anything else in the world and wanted him to become the wisest man and +the greatest warrior of his tribe. + +"'My son,' said the old chief one day, 'you are about to become a +warrior. You know the custom of our tribe. You must go apart and fast +for a long time. The longer you fast, the greater and wiser you will +become. I want you to fast longer than any other Indian has ever fasted. +If you do this, the Good Man-i-to, the Master of Life, will come to you +in a dream and tell you what you must do to become wise in council and +brave, strong, and skillful in war.' + +"'Father,' said the boy, 'I will do whatever you bid me. But I fear that +I am not able to do what you wish.' + +"'Make your heart strong,' answered the father, 'and all will be well. +Most of the young men fast only four or five days. I want you to fast +for twelve days, then you will have strong dreams. Now I will go into +the forest and build your fasting lodge for you. Make yourself ready, +for to-morrow you must begin your fast.' + +"The little boy said no more and on the morrow his father took him to +the fasting lodge and left him there. The boy stretched himself upon a +mat, which his mother had made for him, and lay still. + +"Each day the old chief went and looked at his son and asked him about +his dreams. Each time the boy answered that the Man-i-to had not come. + +"Day by day the boy became weaker and weaker. On the eleventh day he +spoke to his father. + +"'Oh, my father,' said he, 'I am not strong enough to fast longer. I am +very weak. The Man-i-to has not come to me. Let me break my fast.' + +"'You are the son of a great warrior,' said the father sternly; 'make +your heart strong. Yet a little while and the Man-i-to will surely come +to you. Perhaps he will come to-night.' + +"The boy shook his head sadly and his father went back to his wigwam. + +"The next day when he drew near to the fasting lodge, he heard someone +talking within it. + +"'My father has asked too much,' said a voice which sounded like, and +yet unlike, the voice of his son. 'I am not strong enough. He should +have waited until I became older and stronger. Now I shall die.' + +"'It was not the will of the Man-i-to,' said another voice, 'that you +should become a great warrior. But you shall not die. From this time you +shall be a bird. You shall fly about in the free air. No longer shall +you suffer the pain and sorrow which fall to the lot of men.' + +"The old chief could wait no longer. He opened the door of the lodge and +looked within. No one was there, only a brown bird with a gray breast +flew out of the door and perched upon a branch above his head. + +"The old chief was very sad, but the bird spoke to him and said, 'Do not +mourn for me, my father, for I am free from pain and sorrow. It was not +the will of the Man-i-to that I should become the greatest warrior of +the tribe. But because I was obedient to you and did the best I could, +he has changed me into a bird. + +"'From this time, as long as the world shall last, I shall be the friend +of man. When the cold winds blow and ice covers the streams, I shall go +away to the warm land of the South. But in the spring, when the snows +begin to melt, I shall return. And when the children hear my voice, they +shall be happy, knowing that the long, cold winter is over. Do not mourn +for me, my father. Farewell!' + +"Ever since then, when the Indian children hear a robin singing, they +say, 'There is O-pee-chee, the bird that was once an Indian boy.' And no +Indian boy ever hurts a robin." + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +XI. HOW THE ROBIN'S BREAST BECAME RED + + +When the robin had finished his story, little Luke thought for a moment. +Then he said, "That's a very interesting story. But there is one thing +about it I don't understand." + +"What is that?" asked Father Redbreast. + +"Why," said the little boy, "you said that O-pee-chee's breast was gray. +How does it come that yours is red?" + +"That is another story," answered Father Redbreast. + +"I should like very much to hear it. Please tell me about it," said +little Luke. + + * * * * * + +"Once upon a time," said Father Redbreast, "long after the days of the +first robin, old Mah-to the great White Bear dwelt alone in the far +Northland. He was the king of all the bears and was very cunning and +cruel. He was so selfish that he did not like anybody else even to come +into his country. + +"If a hunter wandered into the region where he lived, he would lie in +wait for him and kill him. One stroke of his mighty paw and the man +would fall, to rise no more. He killed so many of them that the hunters +began to be afraid to go into that land. As for the beasts and birds, +they all feared him and kept as far away from him as they could. + +"After a time a brave hunter with his son wandered into the kingdom of +the great bear to hunt. Day after day old Mah-to followed the man and +boy. But the hunter was cautious as well as, brave, and the old bear was +afraid of his sharp arrows and did not dare to attack him openly. + +"When the snow began to fall, the hunter built a lodge and kindled a +fire. He cut down a great many trees and brought the wood close to the +door of the lodge. + +"'Now,' said he, to his son, 'we must keep the fire going day and night. +Then we shall not freeze.' + +"Old Mah-to, who was sneaking about the lodge, heard this and thought, +'I will watch and wait until they have gone away or are asleep, and then +I will put out the fire. Then they will have to go away or else freeze.' + +"But the hunter was very careful. When he went out to hunt, he left the +boy in the lodge to keep the fire burning. The old bear was afraid of +the fire, which he thought was some kind of magic, and so he did not +dare to touch the boy. At night the hunter and the boy watched the fire +by turns, and so kept it burning brightly. + +"The old bear watched for many days before his chance came. At last one +day when the hunter had gone away, the little boy fell asleep and +allowed the fire to burn low. + +"'Now,' thought the old bear, 'now is my chance.' So he walked into the +lodge and trampled the fire with his great, wet feet, until he thought +he had put it all out. He meant to kill the boy, but the fire scorched +his feet and scared him. So he went away again to the edge of the forest +and sat there licking his burnt paws, waiting to see what would happen. + +"Now O-pee-chee had followed the man and the boy into the Northland. He +watched the old bear and saw what he did. When he went away, the robin +flew down and scratched about among the ashes until he found a small, +live coal. Then he brought some splinters and dry moss and laid them +upon the coal and fanned it with his wings until the fire caught the +wood and burned up strong and bright. + +"The heat of the blazing splinters scorched his breast and made it red, +but the robin did not stop until the fire was blazing brightly. + +"Just then the hunter walked into the lodge and saw what the robin was +doing. He saw, too, the big footprints of the great bear and he knew +that the robin had saved his life and the life of his boy. + +"All that winter the good hunter fed the kind robin and sheltered it in +his lodge. When he went back again to his people, he told them the +story, and they grew to love the robin more than before. To this day +they are never tired of telling their children the story of O-pee-chee +the Robin and how his breast became red." + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +XII. HOW THE BEES GOT THEIR STINGS + + +Little Luke was fond of watching the bees. He was not afraid of them, +for he knew that if he did not disturb or annoy them, they would not +sting him. + +One morning the bees in one of Uncle Mark's hives seemed greatly +excited. They buzzed and buzzed about the hive, till there was a great +swarm of them in the air. All at once they started in a body and flew +down toward the orchard. + +The little boy followed them. They settled in a great bunch on the +branch of an apple tree. The little boy ran back and told Uncle Mark +that the bees had swarmed. Then Uncle Mark and Sam the hired man took a +beehive, a ladder, and a saw and went down to the orchard. Sam climbed +the ladder, sawed off the limb, and lowered the bees to the ground. +Uncle Mark set the hive over the swarm and left it awhile. He knew that +the bees would settle down in the hive and soon feel at home and begin +to gather honey. And so they did. But Sam the hired man was stung +several times. One of his eyes swelled shut and one of his cheeks looked +as if he had the toothache. + +"Why did your friends sting Sam?" asked little Luke the next day of his +friend Ah-mo the Honey Bee. + +"Oh," answered Ah-mo, "he was too rough. The bee people have sharp +tempers and ever since they got stings they are apt to use them when +they get angry." + +"Got stings!" exclaimed the little boy. "Didn't the bee people always +have stings?" + +"Oh, no," answered Ah-mo; "not always." + +"How did they get them?" asked little Luke. "Tell me about it." + + * * * * * + +"Long, long ago, when the world was new," said Ah-mo, "the bee folk had +no stings. They were just as busy workers as they are to-day. All day +long and all summer long they flew from flower to flower and gathered +wax and honey, which they stored against the winter, when there would +be no flowers and no honey. + +"But many of the other creatures liked honey as well as the bees. They +would watch the bees till they found out where their storehouses were. +Then they would break them open and steal all the honey. This was bad +for the bee people. For without their honey they would starve to death +during the long, cold winters. + +"At last matters got so bad with the bee people that they sent a +messenger to the Master of Life to ask him to come to their aid. When he +had heard about their trouble, he said to their messenger, 'Go back to +your people. In two moons I will come to visit you. By that time I shall +have thought out a way to help you.' + +"The bee people were very glad. They told their cousins, the hornets and +the wasps, that the Master of Life had promised to assist them against +their enemies. At the end of the two moons, the Master of Life came and +all the bees assembled to meet him. The wasps and the hornets came also. + +"'I have thought of a way to help you,' said the Master of Life to them. +'From this day you shall have stings. Hereafter, if anyone comes to +steal your honey, you will be able to defend yourselves.' + +"The bees were greatly pleased. They were no longer afraid of their +enemies and did not try to hide their storehouses as they had done +before. + +"Now the worst of all the enemies of the bee people was Moo-ween the +Black Bear. One day Mr. and Mrs. Moo-ween were walking by a hollow tree +where the bees had made their home. They looked up and saw many of the +bee folk going in and out of a hole in the tree. + +"'What lots of honey there must be in that tree,' said Moo-ween. 'How +good it would taste. Let us climb up and take it away from the bees.' +So the two bears began to climb the tree. + +"But the bees were not afraid of them. They did not fly away and leave +the bears to eat their honey, as they had always done before. Instead, +they flew down and began to sting the bears. The two bears could not +understand it. They had never been stung before and they groaned and +growled with pain. The bees settled upon their eyes, their ears, and +their noses, and stung them again and again, until they had to let go +of the tree, and fell to the ground. There they rolled over and over, +growling and groaning and snapping their teeth. The bees kept on +stinging them. The bears could not stand it. They got up and ran away as +fast as they could, Since that time the bee folk have had stings and the +courage to use them whenever any creature, little or big, attempts to +annoy or injure them." + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +XIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST SWALLOWS + + +In May little Luke had watched Mr. and Mrs. Lun-i-fro the Eave Swallows +while they had built their queer, pocket-shaped, mud hut beneath the +eaves of the big barn. He saw them on the muddy shores of the river, +rolling little pellets of mud, which they carried to the barn and built +into their nest, and wondered at their odd ways. + +"I wish," he often said to himself, "that they could talk. I would ask +them how they learned to do it." At that time he had no idea he would +ever be able to talk to them. + +After he had found the Magic Speech Flower he often talked to Father +and Mother Lun-i-fro. But their talks were always short, for the two +swallows were always too busy chasing gnats and flies through the air +to spend much time on anything else. + +Early in September the swallows began to gather in large flocks. +The young ones, who were now finishing their lessons in flying, were +introduced to the rest of the tribe and the little boy often saw them +training in squads. They would sit in a long row upon the peak of the +barn roof. Suddenly they would start off all together and fly about for +a while. Then they would come back and settle down upon the roof again. + +One day as little Luke was watching them, Father Lun-i-fro happened to +light upon a fence stake near him. "Father Lun-i-fro," said the little +boy, "what are you swallow folk doing these days?" + +"We are holding our councils and getting ready to go to the sunny +Southland for the winter," answered the old swallow. + +"Before you go," said the boy, "I wish you would tell me how you learned +to build your nests in such an odd way." + +"Well," said Father Lun-i-fro, "since you have been so nice to us this +summer, I'll tell you." + + * * * * * + +"Long, long ago," went on the old swallow, "there was an Indian village +upon the top of a high hill. + +"The grown-up people of the village were very good. But alas! the +children were naughty. They were so disobedient that they could never be +trusted to mind anything that their parents said to them. The old people +often talked to them and did their best to make them behave better, but +it did no good. As soon as their backs were turned, those naughty +children would begin to quarrel and fight and steal and run away. + +"The old people were much troubled. The woods were full of bears and +panthers and wolves, and they felt sure that some time the wicked +children would be eaten up by them. + +"They did everything they could think of to make it so pleasant for the +children that they would stay at home. They made bows and arrows for the +boys, and Indian dolls for the girls, and all sorts of playthings for +all of them, but it did no good. They would run away just the same. + +"At last the elders of the village held a council to see if they could +not think of some plan to make their children behave better. After much +talk it was thought best to call in all the children and have the +village chief talk to them. This was done, but it did no good. The next +day they ran away just the same. Their parents had to search far into +the night before they found them. This time the old folks were very +angry. + +"Another council was held. They talked the matter over a long time and +made up their minds to send for Gloos-cap the good and wise Magician, +who was yet upon the earth. And so they did. + +"When he came he found that, as usual, the children had run away from +home and could not be found. They had already been gone two or three +days. + +"Gloos-cap frowned and looked very stern. 'I will find them,' said he, +'and when I find them I will punish them as they deserve.' + +"By his magic power he was able to follow their trail, which their +parents had not been able to find. + +"At length he saw them. They were playing about on the muddy shore of +a small lake. Out of the mud they were making many different kinds of +objects, especially little wigwams. + +"He walked down to where they were. 'You naughty children,' said he, +'are you not ashamed of yourselves, to disobey your parents and make +them so much sorrow and trouble?' + +"'No, we are not,' spoke up one bold, saucy little fellow. 'We don't +care for what they say. We've been having a good time all by ourselves.' + +"'Very well,' said Gloos-cap, 'since you are not willing to obey your +parents, you shall never trouble them any more. You shall become birds. +Since you love to play in the mud, you shall always build your nests of +mud; and since you love to gad about so much, you shall wander about the +earth forever.' + +"And so it has been with the swallow folk since that time. + +"But," went on the old swallow, "our foreparents learned their lesson, +and since that time we always bring up our children to be very obedient. +No doubt you have noticed how very well they mind." + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +XIV. LITTLE LUKE AND A-BAL-KA THE CHIPMUNK + + +One of little Luke's best friends among the wild folk was A-bal-ka the +Chipmunk. He was a dainty little fellow about five inches long, with a +tail of the same length. His coat was of a yellowish-brown color, with +black stripes running down his back. This fine, striped coat made him +look much prettier than his cousin Mee-ko the Red Squirrel. + +He was a clean, jolly, little chap, and very fond of singing, though he +knew but two songs. One was a sharp chip, chip, chip, which he would +sometimes keep up for a long time. At a distance it sounded like the +call note of some bird. The other was a cuck, cuck, cuck, which sounded +much like the song of the Cuckoo. A curious thing about this song was +that one could scarcely tell where it came from. Little Luke was often +deceived by it. Sometimes when it sounded as if A-bal-ka was near by, he +was really a good way off, and when it sounded as if he were a good way +off, he was really close by. + +Beside these songs, A-bal-ka had an odd way of saying chip, +chur-r-r-r-r, when he was scared. This meant, "I am not afraid of you," +and he never said it till he was safe in some hole where no one could +get at him. + +A-bal-ka never harmed any one, nor did he scold and steal like Mee-ko +the Red Squirrel. Yet he had many foes. Ko-ko-ka the Owl, Ak-sip the +Hawk, Kee-wuk the Fox, Kag-ax the Weasel, Ko-sa the Mink, and A-tos-sa +the Snake were always ready to pounce upon him at sight and make a +meal of him. Even Mee-ko was not to be trusted. Sometimes he would +chase A-bal-ka and rob him of the nuts which he was carrying to his +storehouse. He would have robbed the storehouse, too, if he could have +got into it. But A-bal-ka's door was too small, and his hallways too +narrow for Mee-ko. + +Little Luke knew all about A-bal-ka's underground dwelling. The way he +found out was this: Uncle Mark and Sam the hired man were digging stones +on the hillside in the edge of the woods for the foundations of a new +barn. While at this work, they uncovered the home of one of A-bal-ka's +brothers. It was made up of a long, winding passageway, ending in a +sleeping chamber, near which was a storehouse, and in this storehouse +there was a large quantity of nuts. These nuts were all good ones. The +greater part of them were little, three-cornered beech nuts, which the +squirrels like better than anything else. In all there was as much as +half a bushel of nuts, enough to last a chipmunk all winter. The bedroom +was a neat, little, round chamber, nicely filled with leaves, grass, and +moss. In such a house as this, with its store of nuts, a chipmunk could +live snug and warm all winter long and come out sleek and fat in the +spring. + +Because of A-bal-ka's many enemies, he was very watchful. He seldom went +far from home, and when he did venture to go abroad, he nearly always +followed the same path. At first it ran along under the side of a fallen +log. From the end of this, a few quick leaps carried him to a brush +pile. A jump or two more brought him to a rock and yet a few more to a +stone fence. Once there, he felt safe. At the least alarm, he could run +into a hole too small for any of his foes except, perhaps, A-tos-sa, +whom he dreaded more than any of the others. + +All along the stone fence stood nut trees,--oaks, hazels, walnuts, +beeches, and others. And at one end was a cornfield. + +This made it very handy for A-bal-ka. He could gather the nuts which +fell upon the stone fence, and when he went for corn, he could keep to +the fence and thus avoid his enemies. Early in the fall he began to fill +his storehouse. To and fro he went along the fence with his +cheek-pouches full of corn and nuts. + +Little Luke often amused himself by watching him. He would pick up the +nuts with his paws and put them into his cheek-pouches, and it was +amazing how many they would hold. When he started for home, his cheeks +sometimes looked as if he had a very severe case of the mumps. + +One day in the autumn little Luke found out a queer thing about +A-bal-ka. He was going up the trail with Old John. A-bal-ka started to +cross the trail, but seeing the old Indian he became scared and ran up a +tree. This was a thing which he seldom did; never unless he was obliged +to, to escape from his enemies. He is a ground squirrel, and no tree +climber, like his cousins the Red and the Gray Squirrels. + +"Now," said Old John, "I'll show you something." So he got a stout stick +and began to tap the tree. Tap, tap, tap, tap, as if he were beating +time to music. This tapping had a strange effect upon A-bal-ka. At first +he was greatly excited and tried to run farther up the tree. Soon he +gave this up, turned around, and began to come down head foremost. He +would lift his little feet and shake them as if something hurt them. +Lower and lower he came, until the old Indian could easily have killed +him with his club or caught him with his hand. He did neither. He just +laughed and threw away his stick. + +"There," said he, "that's the way to make a chipmunk come down out of a +tree. They'll always do it, if you tap long enough," + +"That's queer," said the little boy; "what makes them come down? Why +don't they run farther up?" + +"I don't know," said Old John, "perhaps they think you are trying to cut +down the tree, or maybe the jar hurts their feet. The Red Men used to +think that there was some kind of a magic charm about it." + +"I am glad you didn't hurt him," said the little boy, as they went on up +the trail. + +"Hurt him!" exclaimed the old Indian, "why, don't you know that no +Indian ever hurts a chipmunk?" + +"Why is that?" asked the little boy. + +"It's an old, old story," said Old John, "but come, let us sit down on +this log, and I'll tell it to you." + +So when they were both comfortably seated, the old Indian began the tale +which you will find in the next chapter. + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +XV. HOW A-BAL-KA GOT HIS BLACK STRIPES + + +"In the old days before winter had come into the land, the beasts and +the birds, the fishes, and even the insects, all had one language. They +could speak the speech of the Red Men and they all lived together in +peace and friendship. + +"In those days, there was no killing and no war. But after winter had +come upon the land, the Red Men learned to kill the wild folk and to use +their flesh for food and their skins for wigwams and for clothing. + +"At first this was bad enough, but after men had learned to use bows and +arrows, spears, knives, and hooks, it was still worse. They became more +and more cruel. They delighted to slaughter even creatures for which +they had no use. Out of heedlessness, they trod upon the worms and the +frogs, and killed them without caring for the pain and suffering which +they caused. At last the animals made up their minds to try to find out +some means to check the slaughter of the wild kindreds. + +"The bears were the first to meet in council. After much talk, they +decided to begin war at once against the human race. + +"'What weapons shall we use against them?' asked one of the bears. + +"'Why,' answered another, 'the same that they use; bows and arrows, of +course.' + +"'But how shall we make them?' asked one bear. + +"'Oh, that is easy,' said another. 'I'll show you how to do it. You know +I lived for a long time in one of their villages.' + +"So this bear got a piece of ashwood and a string, some straight reeds +and pieces of flint, and made a bow and some arrows. + +"The White Bear, who was chief of the council, stepped out to make a +trial of the bow. He pulled back the string and let the arrow fly, but +his long claws caught the string and spoiled the shot. + +[Illustration: THE TESTING OF THE BOW] + +"Seeing this, one of the bears proposed to cut off his own claws and +make another trial. This was done and the arrow went straight to the +mark. + +"Now all the bears were ready to cut off their claws that they might +practice with the bow and arrow. But their chief, the old White Bear, +was wise. + +"'No,' said he, 'let us not cut off our claws. If we do, we shall not be +able to climb trees or to tear our food to pieces, and we shall all +starve together. It is better to trust to the teeth and claws that the +Master of Life has given us. Man's weapons are not for us.' + +"All the bears agreed to this, and the council broke up without any plan +for dealing with their cruel enemies. + + * * * * * + +"The deer were the next to hold a council. Each one had some story to +tell about the cruelty of men. Each one had lost his father or his +mother, his wife or his children, his brother or his sister. + +"After much talk, their chief, Little Deer, spoke. 'It is a law,' said +he, 'among all the kindreds that each may kill to supply his needs. The +men folk need our flesh to eat and our skins for clothing. + +[Illustration] + +"'But there is another law. It is that no one shall kill cruelly or +needlessly. Upon such as do so, let us send pains and aches. Let us make +their joints swell and become stiff, so that they cannot follow us and +kill us. Besides, let us make another law, that when a hunter kills one +of the deer family, he must pray to the spirit of the deer for pardon. +If he has killed to supply his needs and without cruelty, he shall be +pardoned. If not, he shall become a helpless cripple.' + +"The deer people all agreed to this and sent word to the nearest Indian +village, to tell the hunters about the new law. + +"Since that time every Indian hunter is careful to pray to the spirit of +the deer which he has killed. + + * * * * * + +"Next the fishes and the snakes held a council. Each one had complaints +to make against the cruelty of men. After much talk, A-tos-sa the chief +of the snakes spoke. + +"'We of the snake kindred,' said he, 'will afflict men with diseases of +their nerves. They shall tremble and shake when there is nothing to be +afraid of. And when they draw the bow-strings, their arrows shall go +wide of the mark by reason of the unsteadiness of eye and hand. And we +will send upon them in their sleep evil dreams. The ghosts of the snakes +which they have needlessly killed shall twine about them, with fearful +fangs, ready to pierce their flesh, and the cold sweat of terror shall +ooze from their skin, and they shall awake with cries and tremblings.' + +"After him the chief of the fishes spoke. + +"'We,' said he, 'will afflict men with diseases of the stomach. In their +sleep, they shall dream of eating raw or decayed fish and their +appetites shall pass from them.' + +"These plans were agreed upon, and the council of the fishes and the +snakes broke up. + + * * * * * + +"After this, the smaller animals, the birds and the insects, gathered +themselves together in a common council. Here, too, all were bitter +against the useless cruelty of mankind. After all complaints had been +heard, Am-wee-soo the Wasp addressed the council. + +"'Each creature,' said he, 'has the right to live. Our cruel enemies +deprive us of our lives which they cannot restore. It is just that they +shall be punished. We, the wasps, the bees, and the flies, will send +upon men boils and wasting fevers, which shall sap their strength and +bring them to their graves.' + +"'And we,' said Da-hin-da the Bull Frog, 'will afflict men with colds +and coughs, which shall make them weak and short of breath.' + +"'We, the birds,' declared E-kes-ke the Blue Jay, 'will afflict them +with sores and diseases of the skin.' + +"And so it went on. Each of the tribes of the wild folk agreed to +afflict mankind with some sort of sickness. + +"A-bal-ka the Chipmunk alone spoke in favor of the men. But he had +hardly said ten words, before the others became so enraged that they +fell upon and drove him from the council. He barely escaped with his +life. + +"And as it was, Up-wee-kis the Lynx fastened his claws on A-bal-ka's +neck and tore four gashes the length of his back. You can see the marks +to this day. That is the way the chipmunk got his black stripes." + + + + +XVI. HOW A-BAL-KA THE CHIPMUNK HELPED MEN + + +"The wounded ground squirrel hid himself in his den beneath the roots of +a great oak, where his enemies could not get at him. There he remained +until the other creatures had departed and his wounds were somewhat +healed. + +"When he was well enough to get about again, he visited the villages +of the Red Men. Everywhere he went, he found sickness and death. The +kind-hearted chipmunk was sorry to see so much suffering and sorrow. +So he revealed the secret plans which had been formed in the councils +of the wild folk. + +"Men now knew what was the cause of their troubles. But this knowledge +did little good, since it did not heal their diseases or save them from +death. For a time, it seemed as if the human race would be entirely +destroyed. + +"In their despair, they appealed to their kind friend A-bal-ka the +little ground squirrel. 'What shall we do?' they wailed. 'Cannot you, +who are so kind of heart and so wise, help us?' + +"'I will do my best,' he replied, 'but I must take time to think about +it.' After turning the matter over in his mind carefully, he went about +among the plants and trees and told them what had been done by the wild +folk against their friends the men. + +"'Cannot you,' said he, 'do something to heal their diseases and save +the human race from destruction?' + +"After much coming and going on the part of A-bal-ka the ground +squirrel, and much talking and thinking on the part of the plants and +trees, it was resolved that they, too, should hold councils, to see +what they could do toward checking and overcoming the evils which had +befallen the human race. + + * * * * * + +"First the big trees of the forest and the shrubs held their council. +They talked over the matter and agreed that each should do all in its +power to furnish remedies to cure the diseases which the wild folk had +inflicted upon men. + +"'We,' said the pine, the spruce, and the balsam trees, 'will give our +gums and our balsam.' The slippery elm offered its bark; the sassafras +its roots; the cherry tree its bark and its berries. One after another, +the other trees and shrubs offered their berries, their bark, their +leaves, or their roots as medicine to heal the diseases of men. + + * * * * * + +"Next the plants held their council and resolved to come to the aid of +men in their distress. 'I,' said the ginseng plant, 'will give my roots +to make a healing drink. It shall be good for headaches and for cramps +and for many other kinds of pains and aches.' + +"'And I,' said the snake-root, 'will give my roots also for a healing +drink. It shall cure fevers and coughs and many other diseases.' + +"And so it went on. The silkweed, the skull-cap, catnip, boneset, the +peppermint, wild ginger, wintergreen, and scores of other plants, all +gladly offered their roots, their berries, or their leaves. + + * * * * * + +"Their number was so great that the little striped squirrel, who had +attended both councils, was scarcely able to remember them all. + +"After the councils were over, he went about among the villages of the +Red Men and told them what the trees and the plants had said. They at +once began to gather and prepare the medicines which they needed to cure +the different diseases from which they suffered. And from this time, on +account of the use of these medicines, they were sometimes able to heal +their diseases and save many of their people from death. + +"This is the story of how diseases came upon men and medicines to cure +them were found. + +"The Red Men were grateful to the little ground squirrel for the help he +had given them, and loved him more than any other of the wild folk, and +to this day no Indian boy will injure a chipmunk." + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +XVII. LITTLE LUKE AND MEE-KO THE RED SQUIRREL + + +One day as little Luke was sitting on a fallen log in the woods, Mee-ko +the Red Squirrel ran out on a branch over his head. There he sat up on +his hind legs and began to chatter and scold and cough. + +He remembered the day when the little boy had stoned him away from the +nest of O-pee-chee the Robin. Ever since that time he had never missed +a chance of saying bad words at him. But the little boy didn't mind +Mee-ko's scolding; he only laughed at him for his bad temper and +spitefulness. + +"Mee-ko," said he, "what makes you cough so? Tell me. I think there must +be a story about it." + +"Well, suppose there is?" snapped Mee-ko. "I wouldn't tell you anyway. +A Man Cub has no business to know the animal talk. I did my best to +keep you from touching the Magic Speech Flower. I hate you! I hate you! +I wish I were as big as my forefathers were, I'd drive you out of the +woods!" + +"Come, now, Mee-ko," replied the boy, "don't be so spiteful. I haven't +done you any harm. I stopped you from stealing Mother O-pee-chee's eggs, +but you had no business with the eggs anyway. How would you like to have +some one eat up your young ones? Let bygones be bygones and tell me +about your forefathers." + +"I'll not be friends with you on any terms," replied Mee-ko. "I wish +you'd stay about the farmhouse where you belong. You've no business +sneaking about in the woods, disturbing us wood folk, and spying on us +and tattling about us. Go away. You know too much now." + +"Yes, no doubt he knows too much about you. We all do," said a voice. +Little Luke looked up and there was old Ko-ko-ka the Big Owl, sitting in +a hole in a tree. "As for spying and tattling," Ko-ko-ka went on, "you +are the worst of all the wild folk. It runs in your blood. The Mee-ko +family have always been meddlers. It was the first of your tribe, as +all the wood folk know, who, with his tattling; tongue, set Mal-sum the +Wicked Wolf trying to kill Gloos-cap the Good. Your foreparents were +thieves and murderers too; and you take after them. + +"The Master of Life has formed some of us so that we must kill to live +and for us to kill is lawful. It is not so with you. You were made to +live on seeds and nuts, yet Kag-ax the Weasel, whom we all hate, is +scarcely more bloodthirsty than you are. And you are a coward to boot. +You haven't the courage to fight and you kill for pleasure and by +stealth." + +Mee-ko started to talk back at Ko-ko-ka, but the big owl snapped his +beak angrily and rustled his wings. Mee-ko saw and heard and he didn't +wait to finish his remarks. He scurried along the branch, took a flying +leap to the next tree, and disappeared. + +"Let him go. His room is better than his company," remarked Ko-ko-ka. + +"That's so," said little Luke, "I never did like him much anyway. But +tell me, what did he mean about his forefathers?" + +"Well," answered Ko-ko-ka, "I've had a good nap and haven't anything to +do till sundown. So, if you like, I'll tell you about it." + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +XVIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST RED SQUIRRELS + + +"Long, long ago," began the old owl, "when the world was new, there +dwelt upon the earth a wise and good man whose name was Gloos-cap. He +was a servant of the Master of Life, who had sent him to teach the men +and all the other creatures everything that was good for them to know. +So he went about from place to place, teaching the kindreds. + +"He taught the Red Men how to build their wigwams and to plant corn and +care for it. He taught the beavers how to build their lodges and the +birds how to build their nests and care for their little ones. To all +the kindreds he taught the things which each most needed to know. + +"At first all the creatures were good and heeded the teachings of +Gloos-cap. But after a time their hearts became evil. Gloos-cap often +spoke to them and did his best to turn them from their wicked ways, but +in vain. They grew more and more envious, spiteful, and quarrelsome. At +last they became so wicked that they began to fight and kill each other. +Worse than all else, the victors took to devouring the bodies of the +slain. + +"The good Gloos-cap was grieved and disgusted. He made up his mind to +invite them to a feast and try once more to turn them from their evil +ways. When they came, he set before each one of them food in abundance. +Although each had enough and more than enough for himself, some of them +were not satisfied. They began to quarrel and fight, each striving to +take from the other his portion. + +"Now Gloos-cap was a mighty magician. By his magic power, he caused the +food to turn to ashes in the mouths of the greedy ones. As soon as they +tasted the ashes, they tried to talk and scold, but they could scarcely +say two words on account of the ashes which got into their throats. + +"The angry Gloos-cap waved his hand over them, and by his magic power +the quarrelsome, envious, and greedy ones disappeared. In their place +there were a number of red squirrels, who chattered and scolded and +coughed as red squirrels always do even to this day. These were the +foreparents of all the red squirrels in the world. + +"'Now,' said Gloos-cap to the other creatures, 'take warning by the +fate of these who are now squirrels and cease from being quarrelsome, +envious, and greedy.'" + + + + +XIX. HOW THE RED SQUIRREL BECAME SMALL + + +"Now in those days Mee-ko the Red Squirrel was much larger than he is +to-day,--as large as Moo-ween the Bear; and his temper was even as his +size. He desired most earnestly to take revenge upon Gloos-cap the Good +for what he had done to him. So he sought out the brother of Gloos-cap, +even Mal-sum the Wicked Wolf, and tempted him to kill his brother. + +"'I would gladly slay him,' said Mal-sum, 'but I know not how it may be +done. On account of his magic power, there is only one thing in all the +world that can hurt him, and I know not what that is.' + +"'Go you,' said Mee-ko, 'and pretend to be friendly with him and find +out his secret. Then you may slay him.' + +"Mal-sum thought this good advice, and acted according to it. For many +days he behaved to his brother with pretended kindness, always watching +to find out his secret. + +"'My brother,' said he, one day when they were hunting together, 'you +know that there is but one thing in all the world that can hurt either +of us, one thing for you, and another for me. Tell me what it is with +which you may be slain?' + +"Now Gloos-cap the Good knew the wickedness and spite that lay hid in +the heart of his brother. So he said, 'Nay, but tell me first, what it +is with which you may be slain?' + +"And the wicked Mal-sum thought in his heart, 'What would it matter even +if he knew the truth? I shall slay him before he can harm me.' So he +answered truly, 'By the stroke of a fern-root only can I be slain. Now +what is your secret?' + +"But Gloos-cap, knowing his brother's wickedness, was unwilling to trust +him. So he answered falsely and craftily, 'By the stroke of an owl's +feather it is fated that I shall be some day slain.' + +"Now the wicked Mai-sum was greatly rejoiced in heart at hearing this. +So he left his brother, making some excuse, and went off into the woods +alone. There finding an owl, one of my foreparents, he shot him, and, +taking some of his feathers, returned home. + +"That night while Gloos-cap was sleeping, the wicked Mai-sum arose, and +taking the owl's feather, struck his brother upon the forehead. But +Gloos-cap, awakened by the blow, only laughed. 'It is not really a +feather,' said he, 'but a pine-root that shall end my life. I was but +joking with you this morning.' + +"But the wicked Mai-sum feigned that lie, too, had been only in sport, +and the two brothers lay down again and slept. + +"But the next night, while Gloos-cap was sleeping, Mai-sum again arose +and struck him upon the forehead with a pine-root. + +"This time Gloos-cap, seeing the wickedness of his brother's heart, and +that he was bound to take his life, arose and drove Mai-sum forth into +the woods. Then he went away and sat down by the brookside, considering +what he should do. + +"'Truly,' said he to himself, 'he will yet slay me. If he but knew that +a flowering rush is fated to be my bane, my life would not be safe for a +moment.' + +"Now it chanced that the beaver was hidden among the reeds in the brook +and heard what Gloos-cap had said. So he went off to Mal-sum, and told +him his brother's secret for a reward. + +"The reward was that Mal-sum by his magic power should grant whatever +the beaver might ask. So the beaver asked that he might have wings +like a wood dove. But Mal-sum only laughed at him. 'Wings for you!' he +chuckled; 'you, who have nothing to do but paddle about in the mud and +eat bark! what need have you of wings? Besides, how would you with that +flat tail of yours look with wings!' + +"Now you may be sure that the beaver was angry at being thus made sport +of. So he went straightway to Gloos-cap and told him that Mal-sum had +found out his secret. + +"'Now,' said Gloos-cap to himself, 'I must needs slay him. He does +naught but evil in the world, and I have not yet finished the good +work which the Master of Life sent me to do.' That night he arose and, +talking a fern-root, smote the wicked Mal-sum on the head so that he +died. + +"Now Gloos-cap knew that Mee-ko the Red Squirrel had tempted his brother +to try to slay him, and since Mee-ko was so large and of such an evil +temper, lie feared that he would do much harm. So meeting Mee-ko one day +in the woods, he said, 'Tell me, what would you do if you should see a +man?' + +"'If I should see a man,' answered Mee-ko, 'I would dig up the trees of +the forest, so that they would fall upon and slay him. Then I would +feast upon his dead body.' + +"'You are too large and too wicked,' said Gloos-cap. 'I fear I cannot +change your temper, but I can your size,' So he passed his hands over +the big red squirrel's back, and behold, he shrunk and shriveled until +he became small, even as small as he is at this day. But his temper +remained almost as bad as before. Even to-day, he can scarcely see +any creature without scolding and saying bad words." + + + + +XX. LITTLE LUKE AND MOTHER MIT-CHEE THE RUFFLED PARTRIDGE + + +Up in the woods on the side of the mountain Mother Mit-chee the Ruffled +Partridge built her nest, close beside the trail. It was nothing but a +little hollow in the ground, lined with leaves. + +It was in plain sight and you would have supposed that anyone going +along the trail would have seen it. But they didn't. Old John the Indian +and Sam the hired man passed it a dozen times and never noticed it. Even +Old Boze did not find it, although he followed Sam up and down the trail +many times. + +You see, Mother Mit-chee knew enough to sit perfectly still, and her +mottled feathers blended so exactly with the tree trunks and the dead +leaves about her that only the sharp eyes of the Finder of the Magic +Flower ever found her out. + +Little Luke saw her one day as he was walking up the trail beside Sam +the hired man, and with Old Boze following at his heels. But he went +right on by, as if he had not seen Mother Mit-chee at all. He did not +want Sam or Old Boze to see her, for he knew they could not be trusted. +They would be almost sure to try to kill Mother Mit-chee, or at the very +least, they would rob her nest. + +The next morning the little boy went up the trail alone, to pay Mother +Mit-chee a visit. "Good morning, Mother Mit-chee," said he, "I saw you +yesterday, but Sam and Old Boze didn't, and I wouldn't tell them." + +"I knew you saw me," replied Mother Mit-chee, "and I knew you wouldn't +tell. You are too kind-hearted for that, especially since you found the +Magic Flower and learned the animal talk. We all trust you. You may come +to see me as often as you like, but be careful not to leave any trail +near my nest. I don't want Old Boze nosing around here. And when you +come along with any of the house people, just go right by and don't look +this way. I am more afraid of Old John the Indian than of anyone else. +He looked right at me the other day and I was sure he saw me. I was +scared, I tell you. I was all ready to fly away. But he didn't see me. +If he had, I never should have seen my eggs again." + +"All right," said the little boy, "I'll do just as you say." And after +some more talk, he went on up the trail to visit some of his other +friends among the wild folk. + +Many times during the days that followed the little boy stopped and +talked with the Mother Partridge. "If you will come to-morrow," said +she, one day, "I'll show you as fine a brood of partridge chicks as +anyone could wish to see." + +"I'll be sure to come," answered the little boy, "for I want to see them +very much." + +As he came up the next day, Mother Mit-chee stepped off her nest. +"There," said she, "there they are. Now aren't they fine ones?" + +The little boy looked. In the nest there were a dozen of the daintiest, +downiest, little creatures he had ever seen. They were scarcely bigger +than an acorn. "They surely are a fine brood," said he. "Aren't you +afraid that something will catch them?" + +"Of course I am afraid. I'm always afraid." said Mother Mit-chee, "but +the creature that catches them will have to be pretty sharp. I know a +trick or two that will fool most of the wild folk, and the house people +as well. You come up to-morrow and I'll show you. They are pretty young +now, and I don't want to disturb them unless I have to." + +The next day the little boy found the nest empty. He looked carefully +about for Mother Mit-chee and her brood. Suddenly something rose almost +from under his feet, and whizzed off through the wood. There was a sound +like an explosion, followed by thunder, which scared the little boy so +that he jumped. But he saw that it was only Mother Mit-chee, and he had +seen her do that before. + +He knew that the chicks were near at hand, and looked around carefully +for them. + +Pretty soon Mother Mit-chee sailed around through the woods and dropped +to the ground but a little way from the boy. She seemed to have been +hurt, badly hurt. One wing dragged as if it was broken, and she limped +sadly. + +"Ha, ha," laughed the little boy, "you can't fool me with that trick. +You needn't keep it up any longer, I shan't follow you. I know that you +are not hurt at all. Old John told me all about it. He told me that he +saw you playing that very trick on Kee-wuks the Red Fox only the other +day." + +[Illustration] + +"Well, well!" said Mother Mit-chee. "Did Old John see that? I didn't +know he was anywhere about. Yes," she went on. "Kee-wuks thought he had +me that time. I let him get close up. Then he jumped for me; but when he +landed where I was, I wasn't there! If I hadn't made him believe he +could catch me he might have found my chicks." + +"Well," said Little Luke, "I heard Sam say that no one could find a +young partridge chick, but I'm going to try it. You know since I found +the Magic Flower my eyes are sharper than those of any of the other +house people." + +"All right," said Mother Mit-chee, "I'll call them out. I'm afraid if +you walk around there, you'll step on them; they're right around your +feet." And she began calling to the chicks. "Kreet, kreet, come out, +come out, right away," she called. + +Right before little Luke a dead leaf that was curled up seemed to come +to life, but it wasn't really the leaf. It was the partridge chick that +had squatted upon it that moved. Just before him, little Luke saw a tiny +bunch under the dead leaves. He reached down and seized it, but very +carefully. It was another one of the chicks. And the ground about him +seemed alive with the little ones as they came out at their mother's +call. + +"Well done," said Mother Mit-chee, "your eyes certainly are good. But +handle him carefully. Don't squeeze too tight. There now, you've hurt +him!" (The little one was peeping as if in pain.) + +Little Luke set him very carefully on the ground. "Don't worry," said +he, "he isn't hurt, he's only a little scared." + +"Well," said Mother Mit-chee, "I must take these babies of mine down +to the spring and teach them how to drink. They have never tasted +water yet." + +"Kreet, kreet, come along, come along," called Mother Mit-chee. + +"Peep, peep, we're coming, we're coming, mother," said the little ones. +And they all started down the mountainside toward the spring. + +It took a good while to get there, for the chicks were young, and their +little legs so short and so weak that Mother Mit-chee had to wait for +them a good many times. But it was a pretty sight. The yellow, downy, +little fellows marched along boldly behind their mother. Sometimes she +would go on a little way ahead. Then she would stop and call, "Kreet, +kreet, come along, children," and the little fellows would race to see +who could catch up first. + +Some of them were not so strong as others, and at times they would squat +upon the ground to rest. Mother Mit-chee would wait as long as she +thought proper, and then tell them to "come along." And away they would +go down the mountainside. + +At last they reached the spring. The little ones had never seen water +before, and did not know what to do. But Mother Mit-chee took a drop of +clear, cold water in her bill, and raised her head before she swallowed +it. Each chick copied her motion exactly. It was fun for the little boy +to watch them. Nearly the whole dozen would clip their little bills into +the water at once, and raise their heads to swallow it, as they had seen +their mother do. + +"Mother Mit-chee," said the little boy, after they had all finished +drinking, "what makes you raise your head before you swallow the water?" + +"Oh," said Mother Mit-chee, "that is our way of giving thanks to the +Master of Life for the cool, sweet water. Our family learned to do it a +long time ago, and we have always done it since." + +"That sounds as if there might be a story about it," said the little +boy, who was always on the watch for stories. + +"Well," said Mother Mit-chee, "there is a story about it." + + + + +XXI. WHY THE FEATHERED FOLK RAISE THEIR HEADS WHEN THEY DRINK + + +"A long time ago," she went on, "there came a summer when no rain fell +for many weeks. As you know, all the feathered folk can get along pretty +well if there are only dew-drops to drink. But after a time there was no +dew, and even the grass withered and died. + +"All the feathered tribes suffered terribly from thirst. At last they +gathered together in a great council, and asked the Master of Life to +take pity on them in their sad state. He heard their prayer, and sent +the angel who cares for the wild folk to speak to them. + +"'The Master of Life,' said he, 'has seen your sufferings and heard your +prayers. He is merciful and kind, and has given orders to the Angel of +the Rain Clouds to supply your needs. Look!' said he, pointing to the +west. All the feathered folk looked, and behold, in the distance, the +dark Rain Clouds were already flying toward them, driven by the breath +of the Angel of the Winds. + +"Soon the rain began to fall, the grass, the flowers, and the trees +revived, the springs were filled, and the sweet murmur of running water +was again heard in the brooks and rivers. The wild folk drank and were +refreshed. + +"Before the Angel of the Wild Folk departed, he said, 'From this time on +forever when you drink, you must raise your head as a token of +thankfulness to the Master of Life who has sent you the refreshing +rain.' + +"If you watch them, you will notice that all the feathered folk show +their gratitude to the Master of Life in the same way." + + + + +XXII. LITTLE LUKE AND FATHER MIT-CHEE + + +"Where is Father Mit-chee?" asked the little boy of the Mother +Partridge, one day. + +"I don't know," she answered; "I haven't seen him since I began to sit." + +"Well," said the little boy, "I think he's a mean, lazy scamp, to go off +and leave you to take care of the family alone." + +"Well," said Mother Mit-chee, "it would be rather nice to have some +help. I feel a bit lonesome sometimes, especially when I notice how kind +Father O-loo-la is to his wife and family. But it isn't the custom in +our family. The fathers leave the mothers to take care of the family. +They never come near us until their children are able to take care of +themselves. I've taught these youngsters of mine what to eat and where +to find it. They have learned to fly pretty well, and taken some lessons +in whirring, so that they can frighten their enemies. I wouldn't be +surprised to see Father Mit-chee any day. Why, there he is now! I can +tell his drumming any time." + +The little boy listened. Far off in the distance he heard +thump!--thump!--thump!--thump!--thr-r-r-r-r-r! + +"Let's go and meet him," said Mother Mit-chee. "He doesn't know you, so +I'll go ahead. Then he won't be frightened." + +So they went through the woods, Mother Mit-chee in the lead, till they +came in sight of the Father Partridge. He was standing on a fallen log +and drumming. Just how he did it the little boy could not tell. He +flapped his wings like a rooster, and seemed to beat the log or his own +sides. As the little boy watched him, he thought that perhaps the sound +was made by Father Mit-chee's wings striking together over his back. +When he saw Mother Mit-chee coming, he walked up and down the log very +proudly. Then he stopped and drummed louder than ever. + +"Well," said Mother Mit-chee, "so you've come back at last, have you? +Here are your children. Don't they look as if I had taken good care of +them?" + +"Why, yes," replied Father Mit-chee, "they're looking pretty well. I've +heard of you several times, and knew that you were getting along all +right. But who's that over yonder?" he asked, as he caught sight of +Little Luke. + +"Oh," answered Mother Mit-chee, "you've heard of him before. He's the +boy who found the Magic Flower, and learned the animal talk." + +That was the way little Luke came to know Father Mit-chee. + + + + +XXIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST PARTRIDGE + + +"Father Mit-Chee," said little Luke one day as the two were sitting +together on the drumming log, "can't you tell me a story?" + +"Why, yes," said Father Mit-chee, "I suppose I might, I might tell you +the story of the first partridge." + +Long, long ago an Indian was hunting in the woods. As he went along, he +heard a noise as of people jumping and dancing on hard ground. "That is +queer," said he to himself. "I will go and see what is going on." + +So he turned his steps in the direction of the sound, and went on +through the forest swiftly but silently. Though at the first the noise +had seemed to come from a place near at hand, it was a long time before +he came in sight of the dancers. They were a man and a woman, and they +were jumping and dancing about a tree, in the top of which was Hes-puns +the Raccoon. + +Now all three of them, the raccoon as well as the man and woman, were +magicians. The man and the woman were enemies to the other, and as their +magic was stronger than his, he had turned himself into a raccoon to +escape them. + +[Illustration] + +The hunter did not know this. He went toward them, and as he drew near, +he saw that the dancers had worn a ditch waist-deep about the tree. + +He went up to them and asked them why they did this strange thing. + +Now the man and the woman did not want the hunter to know the truth of +the matter. So they said, "We are trying to wear away the earth from the +root of this tree, so that we can get it down and catch Hes-puns, We are +hungry and we have no tomahawk." + +"Well," said the hunter, "I have a good tomahawk and I will cut down the +tree for you. But you must give me the skin of Hes-puns." + +They agreed to this, and the hunter soon brought the tree to the ground. +They caught the raccoon and killed and skinned him. Then they gave the +skin to the hunter, who went home. + +A few days after this, the hunter saw a stranger coming toward his +lodge. On his head he wore a strange kind of cap which looked like a +small wigwam. When the hunter went out to meet him, the stranger took +off his cap and set it upon the ground. At once it grew larger and +larger until it became a beautiful lodge with several fine rooms in it. + +The hunter was greatly amazed, but invited the stranger into his own +lodge and set food before him. While eating, the visitor chanced to see +the pelt of Hes-puns hanging on one of the lodge poles. + +Now he was a magician and the brother of the one who had turned himself +into a raccoon. As soon as he saw the skin, he knew it by certain marks +to be the skin of his brother, and supposed that the hunter had killed +him. So he thought, how he might be revenged upon him. + +"That is a fine pelt you have there," said he to the hunter. "I should +like to buy it." + +"Yes," replied the hunter, "it is a fine one, but I do not care to sell +it." + +"I will give you more than it is worth," said the magician. And he +offered everything that he had except his magic wigwam. + +"No, I do not care to sell it," answered the hunter to each new offer. +But finally, he said, "If you will give me that fine lodge of yours, you +may have the skin." + +"It's a bargain," said the magician; "the lodge is yours. But you must +keep me overnight. We will sleep in your new lodge, which is much finer +and better furnished than this." + +"Very well," replied the hunter, "but you must show me how to carry my +new lodge upon my head as you did." + +"Oh, that is easy," returned the magician, "you just pick it up and put +it on your head. Come out and try it now." + +The hunter went out and picked up the lodge and put it upon his head. He +found he could carry it easily, for it was as light as a wicker basket. + +When he put it upon the ground, it at once grew as large as before. So +the hunter and his wife and the stranger went into the lodge. Its new +owner was greatly pleased with it. It contained several large rooms, in +one of which was a very fine bed covered with a white bear skin. On that +bed the hunter and his wife lay down to sleep, while the stranger found +a bed in another room. + +In the morning when the hunter and his wife awoke, they were more +delighted than ever with their new lodge. It seemed large and airy, and +from the beams high above their heads hung all kinds of things good to +eat. There were ducks and geese, rabbits and venison, ears of corn, and +bags of maple sugar. + +In their joy, the man and his wife sprang out of bed and made a jump +toward the dainties. At once the white bear skin melted and ran away, +for it was nothing but the snow of winter. At the same time, their arms +spread out into wings, and they flew up to the food, which was only the +early buds of the birch tree on which they hung. For the magician had +cast a spell upon the man and the woman and they had become partridges +and had been sheltering themselves from the storms of winter under a +snowdrift, after the manner of their kind, and now came forth to greet +the pleasant spring. + +And these two were the first partridges, the foreparents of all the +partridges that are now in the world. + +"That is a strange story," said the little boy. "I thank you for telling +it. But now I must go home. Good-bye for to-day." + + + + +XXIV. WHY PARTRIDGES DRUM + + +A few days later little Luke went up into the woods again. As he walked +along the trail, he heard Father Mit-chee drumming. He knew where the +drumming log was, so he went over to it and sat down on one end. + +"Father Mit-chee," said he, when the old partridge had finished, "I +noticed a queer thing about your drumming. One day I heard Old John +pounding on a canoe he was building. At a distance your drumming sounded +just like his pounding. Why was that?" + +"Well," said Father Mit-chee, "I suppose it was because Grandfather +Mit-chee, the first partridge, was a canoe builder. When he stopped +building canoes he kept up his drumming." + +"Tell me about it, please," said the little boy. + +"All right,' said Father Mit-chee, and he began this story. + + * * * * * + +"In the olden days, Mit-chee the Partridge was the canoe builder for all +the birds. Once upon a time they all came together on the bank of the +river, and each one got into his own bark. Truly that was a fine sight +to see! + +[Illustration] + +"Kit-chee the Great Eagle paddled off first, using the ends of his broad +wings. After him went Ko-ko-ka the Owl; Kusk the Crane; Wee-so-wee the +Bluebird; and Chip-sis the Blackbird. Even tiny A-la-moo the Humming +Bird had a neat little boat. But his wings were so small that Mit-chee +had made for him a dainty little paddle. Some of the birds thought it +rather too large, for it was almost an inch long. So the fleet of canoes +stood bravely out to sea, and after a pleasant voyage returned safely to +land. + +"Now the partridge had not taken part in the voyage, for he had built no +canoe for himself. 'It's great sport,' said the other birds, on their +return. 'Why didn't you build a canoe for yourself?' But Mit-chee only +looked wise and drummed upon the log on which he was sitting, and the +sound was the sound of one making a canoe.' + +"But the birds kept asking him to build a canoe for himself and join +them. At last he remarked that he was about to do so, and that when he +had finished it, it would be a wonder, something new such as no eye had +ever before beheld. + +"Then he went off into the woods by himself and was seen no more for +several days. When he came back, he invited all the birds to come and +see his wonderful canoe,--one he had built for himself on an entirely +new plan. + +"Now Mit-chee had reasoned that if a boat having two ends could be rowed +in two ways, one which was all ends (that is, round) could be rowed in +every direction. So he had made a canoe exactly like a nest, perfectly +round. When the honest feathered folk saw this, they were greatly amazed +and wondered that so simple a thing had not occurred to all of them. + +"But when Mit-chee got into his new canoe and began to paddle, their +wonder turned into amusement, for he made no headway at all. However +hard he worked, the canoe simply turned round and round. + +"After wearying himself, and all in vain, he went ashore, and flew off +far inland. There he hid himself for shame under the low bushes in the +woods, and there he has lived ever since. But at certain seasons, when +he thought no one was looking, he would get upon a dead log and drum +with his wings, and the sound was like the sound which he used to make +when he was building canoes. + +"And so his children have always done since that day." + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +XXV. MOTHER WA-POOSE AND OLD BOZE THE HOUND + + +Up at the edge of the woods the wood-cutters had felled a tree into the +open pasture. As they trimmed the trunk, they threw the smaller branches +into a big pile. Uncle Mark intended to burn them when they became dry +enough, but forgot all about it. There they had lain for years, till +they were dead and covered with moss. Over the heap of half-rotted +brushwood a tangle of wild vines had spread, and up through them a +thicket of blackberry bushes had grown. + +This was just the place for a rabbit nest. Mother Wa-poose could squat +anywhere in the pile and her brown coat would blend with the dead brush +so perfectly that only the keenest eye could see her. No hawk or owl +could swoop through such a tangle of vines and brush, and no fox or dog +could creep through the close-set hedge of thorny blackberry bushes +without losing a good deal of his hide. + +Through the thicket Mother Wa-poose cut two or three paths just wide +enough for herself, but not big enough for a dog or a fox. In the middle +of the brush pile, she dug a little round hollow about a foot across and +lined it with coarse grass. On the top of this she placed another lining +of finer grass. Then she filled the hollow quite full of soft fur from +her own coat. No bird's nest could be cosier or safer. To be sure, it +was on the ground, but the land sloped and no water could settle into +it. + +One day as little Luke was passing by the brush pile, his keen eye saw +Mother Wa-poose. "There," said he to himself, "is just the place for a +rabbit's nest. I'll take a look at Mother Wa-poose's babies." + +So he got down on his hands and knees, pulled the bushes apart, and +crept into the thicket. He saw the nest, but could not get quite to it +because of the sharp thorns on the blackberry bushes. + +"Good morning, Man-cub," said Mother Wa-poose. + +"Good morning, Mother Wa-poose," said little Luke; "don't be afraid, +I only want to take a look at your babies." + +"Oh, I'm not afraid," said Mother Wa-poose. "None of us are afraid of +you any more. Look all you want to. But don't come any nearer. I am +afraid you will open a path for Kee-wuk the Red Fox, or for Old Boze the +Hound. Both of them have been around here several times. They know that +I and my babies are here, but they can't get in. Old Boze tried it the +other day, but went back to the house with a pair of bloody ears for +his pains." + +"Yes, I noticed his ears," said little Luke, "and wondered what he had +been up to." + +The little boy sat down as comfortably as he could and looked at Mother +Wa-poose and her babies. + +"Mother Wa-poose," said he after a while, "what makes you wriggle your +nose so?" + +"Oh," said Mother Wa-poose, "I do that to keep my smeller clear. You see +we have so many enemies that we have to be on the watch all the time, +and I can smell a fox or a dog almost as far as I can see them. You +see I always sit with my nose to the wind, and my ears in the other +direction. My nose tells me who is coming in front; my ears tell me who +is coming from behind; and my eyes keep watch on both sides. I sleep +most of the day, but my eyes, my ears, and my nose are always awake. +Why, I knew you were coming almost half an hour ago. My nose told me. +It is only in such a place as this that my three sentinels ever get +any rest. + +"When I haven't any babies to care for, I like to sit in a more open +place in the sun. So long as I have a chance to run each way, I am not +much afraid of anybody. And if it wasn't for the men with their dreadful +fire-sticks, we of the Wa-poose family would have a pretty safe and easy +time of it." + +Just then the deep bay of a hound was heard. "There," said Mother +Wa-poose, "there's Old Boze now. Would you like to see how I can fool +him?" + +"I would indeed," said little Luke, "if you are not afraid. Old Boze is +a wise, old hound, and he may catch you." + +"Oh, I'm not afraid of that," said Mother Wa-poose. "You just sit here +where you can see, and I'll go down there and give Old Boze the time of +his life. I think he must be trailing me now by the sound. I was down in +the garden last night after a meal of cabbage leaves, and I suppose he +has found my track." + +Mother Wa-poose sprang out of her hiding place and went down the slope +ten feet at a bound. She crossed her old track near the pasture bars and +hopped slowly on to the edge of the blackberry patch. There she sat till +she was sure that Old Boze had found her new trail. Then she skipped +here and there through the briar patch till she came out on the other +side. With a great leap she cleared the fence and ran on down through +the cornfield. When she was clear of that, she ran along beside the +stone wall till she came to the creek. Over the creek she went at one +leap; then down through the alder bushes till she came back again into +the pasture. Two or three times she crossed the brook. Then she came +around up through the woods to the brush pile, where little Luke was +sitting. From its lower edge there was a good view all down through the +pasture. There Mother Wa-poose sat up and watched the old hound, her +big, round eyes shining with glee. + +Old Boze followed her trail into the blackberry thicket. Round and round +he followed the scent, pushing his way through the stout bushes. Every +bush was armed with a thousand sharp hooks, and every hook clung to the +old hound's skin. He fairly whimpered with pain. Now and then he gave +tongue, until at last he came out on the other side. But his ears were +in tatters and blood drops oozed from his skin in a thousand places. + +At the fence he was balked. Up and down beside the fence he ran several +times, nosing the ground for the scent. + +"Look at him! Look at him," said Mother Wa-poose, fairly shaking her +sides with laughter. "Isn't he a sight? But that won't teach him +anything. He'll do it the next time. Rabbit chasing must be lots of fun +for him." + +"I really do think he enjoys it," said little Luke. + +Old Boze jumped over the fence and found the trail again. He followed +it until he came to the creek. There he was puzzled. But he crossed the +brook and found the trail at last. Over in the pasture he lost it again. +Mother Wa-poose had been too cunning for him this time. After nosing the +ground in all directions for a long time in vain, the old hound gave it +up, and went back to the house. + +"You see," said Mother Wa-poose, "if it wasn't for the fire-sticks, the +hounds would not bother us much. Why will the house people be so cruel +to us? We never harm them. Last fall the fire-sticks killed six of my +children." And Mother Wa-poose's eyes filled with tears at the thought. + +"It is too bad," said little Luke, "but Uncle Mark says that if some of +the rabbits weren't killed off every year, they'd soon eat all the grass +from the sheep and cows, and we wouldn't be able to raise any cabbages +or turnips at all. Besides, you know, the house people like rabbit's +flesh to eat. I used to eat it myself, but I'll never do it any more." + +"How dreadful!" said Mother Wa-poose. "I don't see how anybody can eat +flesh. Clover, or a nice, tender cabbage leaf is a good deal better." + + + + +XXVI. MOTHER WA-POOSE AND OLD KLAWS THE HOUSE CAT + + +A few days after little Luke saw something that gave him a new feeling +of respect for Mother Wa-poose. + +He was going up to make her another visit. As he came near the brush +pile, he heard a thump! thump! thump! "That's Mother Wa-poose," said he +to himself, "and she's angry about something. I wonder what can be the +matter." + +He went around to the other side of the brush pile and then he knew. +There was Old Klaws the House Cat, his tail twitching and his round eyes +shining hungrily. + +Just as the boy caught sight of the old cat, Mother Wa-poose sprang out +of the thicket. She sprang straight at Old Klaws. The cat snarled and +shrank to one side. But Mother Wa-poose was too quick for him. As she +went over, she struck him a sounding thwack with her hind feet. It +fairly made the old cat's ribs crack, and he rolled over and over down +the slope. In a second he sprang up, snarling and spitting. Again Mother +Wa-poose sprang at him. This time she hit him squarely on the side of +the head. Old Klaws went down, rolling over several times before he +could right himself. The last thwack took all the fight out of him. He +scrambled to his feet and went flying down the hillside at his best +speed. + +[Illustration] + +"There," said old Mother Wa-poose, "I guess he'll know enough to keep +away from here after this." + +"Why, Mother Wa-poose," said the little boy, "I didn't know that you +were such a fighter." + +"Well," said Mother Wa-poose, "we of the Wa-poose family never fight if +we can help it. We'd rather run. But we aren't really afraid of anything +our size. And this time I couldn't run. If I had, Old Klaws would surely +have carried off one of my babies. He got one of them this spring. You +remember the one you took away from him. He is grown up and has gone out +into the world for himself now. You know we Wa-pooses have three or four +families each year." + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +XXVII. THE RABBIT DANCE + + +"Would you like to see a rabbit dance?" asked Father Wa-poose one day in +September. + +"Indeed, I should," replied little Luke. + +"Come out to-night then," said Wa-poose, "and sit down in the shadow of +the stone wall in the corner of the clover field. There you will see +something you have never seen before." + +"I'll be there," said the boy. + +That night little Luke went up to his room early. He took off his shoes +and threw them heavily upon the floor, and blew out the light. Then he +jumped upon his bed, so that it creaked loudly. Without taking off his +clothes, he got under the blankets, and when Aunt Martha looked in, he +seemed to be sound asleep. She did not look into the closet to see +whether his clothes were hanging up there or not. + +When he thought Aunt Martha had gone to bed, the little boy got up +quietly, took his shoes in his hand, and slipped softly down the back +stairs. Silently he unlocked and opened the kitchen door, and went out +into the moonlight. + +He did not feel that he was doing quite right, but he was afraid to ask +Aunt Martha. You see he was afraid that she might ask questions, which +he could not answer without telling about the Magic Flower and his wild +friends. + +He went over to the clover field and sat down in the corner of the stone +fence where some bushes hid him from view. + +For some time nothing happened. Pretty soon he heard a queer thump! +thump! thump! He looked up and there was old Father Wa-poose close +beside him. He had come into the field so quietly that little Luke had +not heard a sound. + +"Hi! hi! there you are, Man-cub," said the old rabbit. "Now you sit +very still, and you'll see something worth seeing. Of course we are not +really afraid of you, but if some of the young folks should see you, +they might get nervous. I'll just go out and get my supper, and when the +fun begins I'll come back and keep you company. I don't care much for +dancing. I leave that mostly to the young people." + +Soon from all sides, rabbits came leaping over the fence into the field. +There were young rabbits and old rabbits, big rabbits and little +rabbits. + +Sometimes one of them would stop and thump the ground with his hind +feet. This seemed to be a signal; for when one thumped, another would +come hopping toward him. The two would touch noses and then turn to on +the sweet, young clover, that had grown up since the July mowing. + +Their feast lasted for an hour or more. Then the fun began. Several +of them would hop close together in the centre of the field. Then they +would skip slowly about in a sort of stately dance. Little by little the +movement became faster and faster until they were spinning around like +a pinwheel in a brisk breeze. Round and round they went until it made +little Luke's head dizzy to watch them. + +Suddenly a rabbit stamped with his hind feet,--thump! thump! thump! +Instantly every rabbit squatted motionless. It was a danger signal, but +a false one. Nothing happened. + +Soon the fun began again. Several of the rabbits had a game of tag. +Round and round they went, leaping ten feet or more at each bound. +Sometimes in the midst of their race, one of them would take a sky-hop. +Up straight into the air he would go as if he were trying to reach the +moon. + +"Why do they do that?" asked little Luke of Father Wa-poose, who had +come back and was sitting quietly beside him. + +"They do that," answered the old rabbit, "to get a clear look all +around them. You know we always have to be on the lookout for our foes." + +Not far from little Luke two rabbits were having a boxing match. They +stood up to each other just like men. Little Luke could hear a soft +spat, spat, spat, as the blows went home. Their paws were so soft that +the blows did not hurt and it was great fun. + +Suddenly thump! thump! thump! sounded the danger signal again. Not for +nothing this time! Ko-ko-ka the Great Owl came sailing over the clover +field as silently as a ghost. But for all his great eyes, the old owl +could not see a single rabbit. Neither could little Luke. + +"Where have they all gone to?" he asked Father Wa-poose. + +"Oh," said he, "they're all there. So long as they sit perfectly still +old Ko-ko-ka can't see them." + +"Why didn't they run away?" asked little Luke. + +[Illustration] + +"What's the use?" replied the old rabbit; "so long as we know he is +coming, we aren't afraid of Ko-ko-ka. If he should swoop at one of them, +he'd just give a bound and get out of danger. Old Ko-ko-ka can't catch +a rabbit who knows he's coming. It's the way he comes that makes us fear +him. His wings are covered with down and do not make a sound. That's the +reason we all dread him so. Ugh! I fairly shiver when I think of him. He +nearly got me once. His sharp claws scratched my ears." + +Ko-ko-ka was very hungry. He knew the rabbits were in that meadow, and +hated to go off without one. While Wa-poose had been talking, he had +been sailing slowly round the field. Now he was coming back again. + +As he flew over little Luke's head he looked down. Perhaps he saw a +slight movement as little Luke tried to look up at him. Instantly he +swooped and his sharp claws struck the little boy's hat. + +"Hi, there!" said little Luke in astonishment. It was Ko-ko-ka's turn to +be astonished now. He dropped the hat, flapped his great wings, and +floated off towards the woods. + +Little Luke left his hat where it fell and waited to see what the +rabbits would do. After a short time the fun began again. There were two +young ones that little Luke noticed in particular. They began their race +in the middle of the field. Round and round they went and each time +round their circles became larger. + +Now on the other side of the clover field there was an open gap in the +fence. All at once the danger signal sounded again. Thump! thump! thump! +Again every rabbit squatted, with ears and eyes alert to catch sound or +sight of an enemy. + +It was too late. Through the gate bounded a ball of reddish, yellow fur. +Snap! And the teeth of Kee-wuk the Red Fox had seized one of the young +rabbits by the neck. Swinging the limp body over his shoulders, he +trotted quietly off through the gap. + +That ended the fun. As they saw the Red Fox every rabbit sprang to his +feet, and with a hop, skip, and jump went over the fence and out of the +clover field. And little Luke saw them no more that night. + + + + +XXVIII. WHY THE WILD FOLK NO LONGER TALK THE MAN-TALK + + +Now in his talks with his wild friends little Luke noticed that they +used many Indian words such as he had learned from Old John the Indian. + +"Why is it," said he, one day to Wa-poose, "that you wild folk use so +many of the Red Men's words?" + +"Well," said the old rabbit, "that is a long story. But if you will sit +down here beside me, I will tell you about it." + + * * * * * + +"In the first days," said Wa-poose, "when the world was new, the men and +the wild folk were much alike. They all spoke one language. + +"In those days it was always summer. All the year round the grass was +green and the flowers bloomed. Twelve times a year the vines and bushes +and trees bore fresh blossoms, and twelve times a year they were loaded +with ripe berries, fruits, and nuts. + +"In those times there was no hunting and no killing. All the wild +kindreds lived in peace with each other and with the Red Men, who then +dwelt in this land. You see there was plenty to eat and the weather was +so warm and pleasant that the Red Men did not need the skins of their +wild brothers to keep them from the cold. + +"But after a while a change came. Pe-boan the dreadful Winter King came +down from the North and made war upon Ni-pon the Queen of Summer. After +many battles peace was made and the year was divided; half the year was +ruled by the Queen of Summer, and half by the Winter King. + +"Now it came to pass that after the war was over the vines and bushes +and trees put forth their buds and blossomed and bore fruit but once a +year. The Red Men and the wild kindreds suffered dreadfully from hunger, +and their hearts became hard and cruel. Then the hunting and the killing +began. The Red Men hunted many of the wild kindreds for their flesh and +their fur, and the wild kindreds began to kill and devour each other. +And so it has been since that day. + +"In those times the Wa-poose folk were much larger than they are now, +even as large as Mo-ween the Bear. But they refused to take part in the +killing and flesh eating, and so they suffered more from hunger than +some of the wild kindreds. Year by year, on account of the scarcity of +food, the Wa-poose folk became smaller until they were as you see them +now. + +"In the beginning, as I have said, the Red Men and the wild kindreds +spoke one language. Even to this day, the Red hunters have kept many of +the watchwords of the wild folk, and by means of them are able to +deceive and kill them. + +"Now by reason of the great slaughter that was made by the Red Men, the +wild kindreds gathered themselves together in a great council to discuss +their condition. After much talk they decided to ask help of the Master +of Life. + +"'There is but one way,' said he, when he had heard their story, 'you +must change your speech. Then the Red Men will no longer be able to +deceive you so easily and slay so many of you.' + +"The wild folk did as the Master of Life told them to do. They changed +their language, and refused to speak any longer with the Red Men. But +some of the Red Men's words they have kept to this day, and that is why +you hear us use them." + + + + +XXIX. THE TALE OF SUN-KA THE WISE DOG + + +One day Old John the Indian came down the trail to the farmhouse. He was +on his way to town to sell some baskets. As Uncle Mark was going to town +with the team, he invited him to ride. Since the town was several miles +away, the old Indian gladly accepted the invitation, leaving Ke-ha-ga +his old hound at the farmhouse. + +In the afternoon little Luke was sitting on the fence when old Ke-ha-ga +came over to him. Putting his front paws on top of the fence, he licked +the little boy's hand. + +"Hello, Ke-ha-ga," said little Luke, "so you have come out to see me, +have you? Can't you tell me a story?" he added as he gently patted the +old hound's head. + +"What kind of a story do you want?" asked the old dog. + +"Oh, most any kind will do," said the boy. "Tell me a story about some +dog of the olden, days,--the days before the white men came to this +country." + +"Very well," said Ke-ha-ga, "I'll tell you a legend that my grandfather +told to me when I was a puppy." And he began the following tale. + +[Illustration] + +"Many winters ago there was a wise dog whose name was Sun-ka. He lived +with an old Indian woman. Now Sun-ka was a good hunter, and often +brought home to the lodge rabbits and other small animals which he had +hunted and caught by himself. + +"But his mistress was a bad, greedy old woman. She took all the game +which he brought, and used it for herself. What she could not eat at +once, she dried and put away for another time. To Sun-ka she gave only +the bones and other poor scraps, so that most of the time he was half +starved. + +"At last there came a season when game was very scarce. The old woman, +it is true, had plenty of dried meat in her wigwam, but she gave none of +it to Sun-ka. He almost died of starvation. + +"At last he said to himself, 'Why should that old woman have plenty to +eat, and I scarcely anything at all? Most of the meat which she has +hidden in her lodge, I caught for her myself. It is as much mine as it +is hers. Since she will not give me my share of it, I'll just take it +without asking her.' + +"But the old woman was very watchful. When Sun-ka tried to get the meat, +she beat him over the head with a club until he ran away yelping with +pain. + +"The next morning one of his dog friends came to visit him. 'Good +morning, Sun-ka,' said he, but Sun-ka made no reply. Indeed, his head +was so swelled from the blows he had received, that he could hardly open +his mouth. + +"'Well, well,' said his friend, after looking him over carefully, 'you +seem to be in a sad case. What has happened to you?' + +"'Oh,' replied Sun-ka, speaking with difficulty, 'I tried to get my +share of the meat, which my mistress has in her lodge, and she beat me +for it. She beat me till I am stiff and sore, and can scarcely move.' + +"'Well,' said his friend, 'I wouldn't stand it if I were you. The meat +is just as much yours as it is hers. You caught most of it yourself and +you helped her to catch the rest of it, I'll tell you what we'll do; +well pay her off for it. I'll go and call our friends; I'll call +Rainmaker, Stillbiter, Strongneck, and Sharptooth.' And so he did. + +"Rainmaker caused it to rain, and it rained all the day through until +dark, and when it was dark it was very dark. Then Stillbiter crept up +softly to the lodge and bit off all the thongs which fastened the +covering to the lodge poles. + +"When this was done, Strongneck crept in and seized the meat and carried +it away. Then Sharptooth ripped open the bag which held the meat, and +before morning the six dogs ate it all up. + +"When the meat was all gone, Sun-ka ran away and became a wild dog. What +became of the old Indian woman I do not know." + +"Served her right," said the little boy. "If she hadn't been so stingy +with her meat, she wouldn't have lost it. And Sun-ka would have stayed +with her to help catch more." + + + + +XXX. HOW THE DOG'S TONGUE BECAME LONG + + +It was hot. Little Luke sat on the doorstep in the shade. Over in the +pasture Old Boze the Hound gave tongue. He was at his favorite sport of +trailing rabbits all by himself. He really didn't have any spite against +the rabbits, but when he struck a fresh trail, he felt that he just must +follow it. And when he had puzzled out a balk or break in the trait, he +couldn't for the life of him keep still. + +But it was really too hot for trailing, especially when there was +nothing in it but fun. The old hound would have stuck to it longer if +Sam the hired man had been around somewhere, hiding behind the bushes +with his thundering fire-stick. Old Boze wasn't afraid of the +fire-stick. He liked to hear it roar, and see the poor rabbits fall +before its deadly breath. + +Well, after a while he gave it up and came back to the house. Going +around to the doorstep, he lay down on the cool porch with his head +close to the little boy's shoulder. He was tired, and his dripping +tongue hung far out from his open mouth. The little boy looked at it. + +"Old Boze," said he, "what a long tongue you have. Why is it that dogs +have such long tongues?" + +Old Boze shifted his eves uneasily and looked the other way, but said +nothing. + +"Come, now," said the little boy, "I am sure there is a story about that +long, red tongue of yours." + +"To be sure there is," said a voice that came from just behind the boy's +ear. He looked around and there was Old Klaws the House Cat. + +"What do you know about it?" asked the little boy. + +"Oh, I know all about it," answered the old cat. "But ask Old Boze," he +went on with a grin, "perhaps he'll tell you." + +Old Boze got up slowly and with dignity. "I am too tired to tell +stories," said he, "but I'm not too tired to shake the foolishness out +of a cat." + +"Here now," said the little boy, "no quarreling and fighting. I won't +have it. And Klaws shall tell me that story about your long, red tongue, +if he will." + +"To be sure I will," said Old Klaws, delighted to be able to tease Old +Boze safely. Of course there was another time coming when little Luke +might not be at hand, but then the old cat trusted to speed and sharp +claws to put himself up a tree and out of the reach of the old hound. + +"All right," said Old Boze, "if you're fond of the company of a +sneaking, mouse-eating, old tabby. I'm not. I'll take myself off. But +my memory is good," he added, glancing at Old Klaws with a snarl that +showed all his sharp, white teeth. + +"Well, now for the story," said the little boy, when Old Boze was out of +sight around the corner. + +"Long, long ago," began Old Klaws, "when all the animal kindreds could +talk the man-talk, the dogs were the greatest telltales in the world. +They told everything they knew, and sometimes a great deal more. Their +masters often flogged them for tattling, but it did little or no good. + +"In those days there was a great hunter whose name was Man-e-do. He +wanted a dog to help him hunt, but he did not want a tattletale. So he +took a fine, young pup, and tried to bring him up to be a good hunter +and to keep his tongue. He took good care of him. He often told him how +foolish it was to tell everything he knew. The pup would promise not to +tattle, but he was only a dog, and blood will tell after all. + +"When the pup was big enough, his master took him with him when he went +hunting for small game. The dog was a good trailer by this time, and +together they killed many rabbits and other small animals. + +"But when they went home, the dog couldn't hold his tongue. He would +brag to the other dogs, and tell them what a great hunter he was, and +how at such and such a place he had caught the biggest rabbits that ever +were seen. Then the other dogs would lead their masters to those places +and clear them of game. Whenever Man-e-do went to a place a second time, +he found no game there. + +"Besides, if they were hunting near the village and made a kill, the dog +would pretend to go off after more game. But when he was out of sight of +his master, he would run home and tell some of his chums about his kill. +Then the other dogs and their masters would come out and kill or scare +away all the game there was in that place. Many times Man-e-do caught +the dog tattling, and scolded and beat him for it, but it did no good. +He just couldn't keep anything to himself. + +"One time Man-e-do went off on a long hunt. He took three horses and +traveled several days before making his camp. He thought he would get so +far away that the dog could not go back to the village and tattle. + +"While hunting in the mountains near his camp, he found a valley which +was full of game. There he made many kills, and soon had all the meat +his three horses could possibly carry. + +"'To-morrow,' said he to his dog, 'we will start for home. When we get +there, you must keep your tongue in your mouth. You must not tell where +we have been. If the other hunters do not find our valley, we can come +back at any time and get all the meat we want.' + +"'All right,' said the dog, 'I'll keep the secret.' + +"'See that you do,' added his master; 'for if you don't, I'll make you +sorry for it.' + +"The next morning they started for home. That night they camped beside a +brook. At daybreak Man-e-do arose and made ready to start, but the dog +was nowhere to be seen. + +"'Where can he be?' said he to himself. 'Surely he has not gone home to +the village.' You see, he thought that at last he had broken the dog of +his tattling. Why then should he go on ahead? + +"So he turned about and went back to his camp near the valley. The dog +was not there. 'Perhaps,' thought he, 'a bear or a panther has killed +him.' + +"So he turned about and went home to his wigwam alone. There he found +the dog as well as ever. He had been home a long time, and told all he +knew about the valley of game and more too. According to his stories, he +and his master had killed more game than had ever been seen before, and +there was plenty more in the valley yet. All the hunters in the village +were getting ready to go there to hunt. + +"Man-e-do was very angry. He caught the dog, and gave him the worst +whipping any dog ever had. 'I'll stop your tattling,' said he. And he +caught the dog by the tongue and pulled it nearly out of his mouth. Then +he shoved a round stick back into his mouth and tied his mouth shut over +it. + +"He left the stick there for a long time. When he took it out, the dog's +mouth was larger, and his tongue longer than any dog's mouth and tongue +had ever been before. + +"Since that time, all dogs have had big mouths and long tongues. + +"But," added Old Klaws, "they don't tattle as much as they did before." + +While Old Klaws had been telling this story, Old Boze had been lying in +the shade and resting. After a while, he thought to himself, "I'll give +that old mouser a scare and I'll do it before little Luke can hinder +me." + +So he got up and walked silently around to the corner of the porch. With +one foot raised, he stopped scarcely three feet from Old Klaws, who was +sitting on the end of the top step. + +Just as the old cat finished his story, Old Boze sprang toward him +with a loud, "Bow-wow-wow." The old cat bounded as if he were made of +India-rubber of the best quality. Such a cat-jump the little boy had +never seen before. The first leap carried Old Klaws far out on the +garden walk, and in the twinkling of an eye he was among the topmost +branches of the old pear tree. When he felt himself safe, he turned +round and began to spit and snarl and say bad words at Old Boze, who was +looking at him with his long tongue hanging out of his mouth, and his +face all wrinkled up into a broad grin. + +Little Luke had jumped almost as lively as Old Klaws, but when he saw +who it was and took in the old cat's language, and the old dog's funny +looking face, he lay down on the porch and laughed till the tears came. + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +XXXI. THE STORY OF THE FAITHFUL DOG + + +"Dear Old Boze," said the little boy, after the fun was over, "can't you +tell me a story of the old days?" + +"Yes," replied the old hound, "I can. And since Old Klaws has told you +about one dog, I'll tell you about another." + +"Once upon a time," went on the old hound, "there was an Indian hunter +who had a dog that he loved very dearly. And the dog on his part loved +his master more than his own life. + +"For many years, master and dog hunted together. When night came they +ate of the same food, and shared the same bed. Many and many a time, +each saved the life of the other. At last both began to grow old. + +"One morning in winter a stranger entered their lodge. 'I am the +Man-i-tou of Death,' said he to the hunter. 'The Master of Life has sent +me to summon you to the Happy Hunting Ground. Make ready at once, for +when the sun rises for the third time, you must set forth.' + +"'It is well,' replied the hunter, 'the summons shall be obeyed.' + +"At once he began to make ready. He danced the death dance and sang the +death song. His wife and his two sons mourned and wept, and the dog +joined in the death chant. + +"On the third morning, the hunter was ready to depart on the long +journey from which he could never return. + +"'Alas, my husband,' said his wife, 'I cannot live without you. I will +go with you. Where you are, there will I be also.' And so also said his +two sons. + +"The hunter tried to comfort them, and to persuade them to remain until +they too should be summoned by the Master of Life. But they refused to +be comforted, and at last they all set forth. + +"Meanwhile the dog had said nothing. But when they started, he was close +at the heels of his master. + +"Day after day they traveled toward the south-west. Alter a time, they +entered a desert land, where water was scarce and there was no game. +Soon they began to be hungry as well as weary. + +"The younger boy's strength and courage gave out, and he turned and +followed the trail back to the wigwam. + +"A little farther, and the older son said, 'Alas, my father, I am +famished, and my strength has gone from me. I will return and seek my +younger brother. When I have found him and we have rested and eaten, we +will come and overtake you.' So he turned back, and that was the last +that was seen of him. + +"Seeing that her children had turned back, the wife said, 'Be of good +courage. I am still with you, I am strong and we shall yet enter the +gate of the Happy Hunting Grounds together.' + +"The dog said nothing, but though he was hungry, footsore, and weary, +he still followed close at his master's heels. + +"Now the trail entered a region of desolate mountains. The way became +rough and rocky. Their moccasins were worn from their feet, and there +was no food to be found. + +"'At last the wife cried, 'Oh, my husband, I am faint and weary. I can +go no further. Let us rest here.' And she sat down beside the trail. + +"'Nay,' said the hunter, 'I may not stop. The Master of Life must be +obeyed. The summons was not to you, but to me. Rest here beside the +trail, and when your strength has returned, go back to the wigwam and +dwell with our two sons until the Death Man-i-tou comes for you.' + +"Then he went on, up the steep trail. He had not noticed the dog, who, +footsore and famished, now limped painfully at his heels, and when he +camped for the night, came silently and lay down at his feet. + +"The next morning, they arose and continued their journey. After many +days, they saw far before them a narrow gap between two tall snow-capped +mountains. Through this the trail went, and at the further end they +found the gateway to the Happy Hunting Ground. Beside the gateway stood +the lodge of the keeper of the gate. + +"Before the lodge the hunter stopped and lifted up his voice, and cried, +'The Master of Life called. Here am I.' + +"Hearing his cry, the keeper of the gate came from his lodge. + +"'You are welcome,' said he to the hunter, 'but where are those who set +out upon the long trail with you?' + +"'They are not here,' returned the hunter, 'the way was long and +toilsome, and their feet grew weary,' + +"'Who is that,' again asked the keeper of the gate, 'who stands beside +you, and looks upon you with eyes of love?' + +"'That is he,' said the hunter, 'who loved me best of all.' + +"'His great love and his faithfulness have made him worthy,' said the +keeper of the gate. 'He shall enter with you,' and he opened the gate. + +"With a bark of joy the dog sprang forward and entered the Happy Hunting +Ground beside the master whom he had loved more than his own life." + + * * * * * + + + + +THE HORACE MANN READERS + + +By Walter L. Hervey, Ph.D., Member of Board of Examiners, New York City; +formerly President of Teachers College; and Melvin Hix, B.S., Principal +of Public School No. 9, Long Island City, New York City. + +A new series of basal readers shaped by these controlling ideas: +personal interest on the part of children in the doings of children +of their own age; personal hunger for stories having continuity, +development and variety; and the development of a personal power of +satisfying the literary appetite. The stories, dialogues, poems, and +other selections, are almost entirely of new material. + +This material is _varied_; and was selected because of its +_intrinsic interest_--action, appeal to self-activity. The lessons +are not mere collections of words and sentences, but have _continuity +of thought_. The pictures, _being adapted to the text_, are +distinct aids in teaching children to read. The _helps to teachers_ +are varied, time-saving, practical. The _method_ is simple, +effective, original. + +Each book is fully illustrated with black and white pictures and several +colored illustrations. + + ============================================ ==== + Primer $.30 + First Reader .32 + Second Reader .40 + Third Reader .48 + Fourth Reader .55 + Fifth Reader (Preparing) + Sixth Reader (Preparing) + Manual for Teachers (Daily Lesson Plans) $.75 + Phonogram Cards--Primer Set, 26 cards .25 + Word Cards--Primer Set, 130 cards 1.25 + Phonogram Cards--First Reader Set, 115 Cards 1.00 + ============================================ ==== + +_Daily Lesson Plans_ is the teacher's manual for the first year's +work with _The Horace Mann Readers_. Every step of each day's +lesson is planned and explained. The directions given are intended to be +so definite, so complete and so practical, that comparatively +inexperienced teachers may be able to follow them with excellent +results; while in the hands of the experienced teacher it is hoped that +it will be of much accommodation in following the progress of the work. + +_The manual for the remainder of the series is in preparation_. + +LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO., PUBLISHERS + +FOURTH AVENUE AND THIRTIETH ST., NEW YORK + + * * * * * + + + + +FEATURES OF THE HORACE MANN READERS + + +_The Horace Mann Readers_ are highly organized--words being +developed into independent yet mutually related parts; different stories +being related to other stories; the vocabulary of one lesson being +related to the vocabulary of the lessons preceding and the lessons +following; a system of phonics complete in itself and yet organically +related to the reading matter. + +The principle of self-activity is carefully developed, + +The action rhymes given impress the children and give variety to the +reading lesson. But since reading isn't all poetry, all other phases of +sound methods of teaching are employed. Especial attention is called to +the system of phonics developed. It is rational and wonderfully +effective. + +The Theory of Multiple Sense Appeal is carefully applied. Every avenue +of approach has been taken--the eye, the hand, the ear--all are used to +make the appeal broader and more interesting. No sound psychological +precept has been omitted. + +_The Horace Mann Readers_ have successfully combined all the +approved methods of teaching reading. + +The material is new and varied. The books contain clear and vivid +images, whole situations and self activity, which appeals to the child. +They also afford the teacher every possible suggestion and convenience +in respect to method. + +_Daily Lesson Plans_, the teacher's manual for these readers, gives +minute directions for each day's lesson. + +LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO., PUBLISHERS + +FOURTH AVENUE AND THIRTIETH ST., NEW YORK + + * * * * * + + + + +APPRECIATIVE LETTERS ABOUT THE HORACE MANN READERS + + +"I like particularly the long story element. I never did like 'hash' in +a reading book. I like also the narratives relative to our own great +men, Lincoln, Webster, etc. I like also the idea of developing related +words from the same root, as you do in the last few pages. This will +tend to enable the child to increase his vocabulary independently of +teacher."--E.M. SHERRY, _County Supt., Rolla, N.D._ + +"These readers deal with nature and subjects very near the hearts of +children. They are delighted with them. The dramatic form also helps +with the expression. The illustrations are fine for language as well as +reading."--Miss CARRIE J. RICHARDSON, _Sheppard School, Philadelphia, +Pa._ + +"An excellent set of books. They are mechanically well made. The +material is well selected and very well arranged and graded. They will +certainly meet the approval of any who give them a careful +examination."--A.R. CHAPMAN, _State Normal School, Terre Haute, +Ind._ + +"I liked the Second Reader so much that I at once ordered copies for use +in the Second Reader Class. What I especially like is the fact that the +little stories and poems are exactly adapted to the literary development +of the children in the class. They recite the poems and tell the +stories, and altogether we are having a very good time."--Miss WINIFRED +G. JONES, _The Greenwich Academy, Greenwich, Conn._ + +"It is a pleasure to recommend the _Horace Mann Readers._ The books +are full of interest, in keeping with the best results for teachers and +pupils. We enjoy them in our school, Troy's largest Grammar +School."--Miss ANNIE A. GREEN, _Grammar School No. 14, Troy, N.Y._ + +"The Primer is a favorite with teacher and pupils. The literary merit of +the stories used is high. The vocabulary is such as will open many books +to the child, and the frequent repetition of words I consider +excellent."--Miss ALICE M. JOHNSTON, _Calhoun School, Minneapolis, +Minn._ + +LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO., PUBLISHERS + +FOURTH AVENUE AND THIRTIETH ST., NEW YORK + + * * * * * + + + + +PHONOGRAM CARDS FOR USE WITH THE HORACE MANN READERS + + +Designed for Rapid Phonic Drills and for Rapid Word Building + +_The object of these drills is to train pupils so that the sight of +the phonogram will cause an immediate, correct, and automatic vocal +response; while the word building will develop skill in uniting or +"blending" readily and correctly the different phonic elements of which +words are composed._ + +=THE PRIMER SET= + +26 CARDS IN A STOUT MANILA ENVELOPE ... 25 CENTS + +=THE FIRST READER SET= + +115 CARDS IN PASTEBOARD CASE ... $1.00 + + * * * * * + + + + + +WORD-CARDS FOR USE WITH THE HORACE MANN PRIMER + + +Designed for Rapid Word-Drill or Flash Reading, and for Rapid Sentence +Drills + +_The object of these word-drills is to secure instantaneous automatic +word recognition with rapidity and promptness as the foundations of +success; while the sentence drills, if properly conducted, will train +pupils to grasp instantly the total meaning of groups of related +words._ + +130 CARDS IN PASTEBOARD CASE ... $1.25 + + * * * * * + +LONGMANS, GREEN, & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS + +FOURTH AVENUE & 30TH STREET, NEW YORK + + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Magic Speech Flower, by Melvin Hix + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER *** + +***** This file should be named 15367.txt or 15367.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/3/6/15367/ + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Garcia and the PG Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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