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diff --git a/24978.txt b/24978.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..42304ef --- /dev/null +++ b/24978.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4536 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Thirty Indian Legends, by Margaret Bemister + +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: Thirty Indian Legends + +Author: Margaret Bemister + +Release Date: April 2, 2008 [EBook #24978] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THIRTY INDIAN LEGENDS *** + + + + +Produced by Al Haines + + + + + + + + + + +[Frontispiece: THE WINDMAKER] + + + + +_MACMILLAN'S LAKESIDE SERIES_ + + + +THIRTY INDIAN LEGENDS + + +BY + +MARGARET BEMISTER + + + + +TORONTO + +THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD. + +1917 + + + + +COPYRIGHT, CANADA, 1912, BY + +THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD. + + + + +PREFACE + +For the most part the legends here told are drawn from original +sources. Many of the stories are printed for the first time; others +have been adapted from well-known authorities. The author wishes to +acknowledge in this latter connection help received from the +collection, "The Indian in his Wigwam." Thanks are also due to Mr. G. +H. Dunn, St. Andrew's Locks, Manitoba, for the "Sleep Fairies"; to Mr. +C. Linklater, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, for the "Adventures of +Wesakchak"; to Mr. J. S. Logie, Summerland, British Columbia, for "The +Chief's Bride"; to the Okanagan chief, Antowyne, for the other Okanagan +legends; and to a paper read before the Royal Society of Canada by Mr. +G. M. Dawson, for "The Old Stump." + +The last story in the book, "A Battle with the Sioux," although not a +legend of the Indians, has been inserted as a true picture of Indian +life and customs, and an interesting account of their contact with and +relation to the white men. + +WINNIPEG, CANADA, + +September 15, 1912. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + THE GIANT BEAR + THE SUMMER MAKER + THE SLEEP FAIRIES + SHINGEBISS + THE QUEER LITTLE ANIMAL + THE DORMOUSE + THE WINDMAKER + MOOWIS + THE DAUGHTERS OF THE STAR + KOTO AND THE BIRD + THE HUMPBACKED MANITOU + THE TRIBE THAT GREW OUT OF A SHELL + THE STORY OF THE INDIAN CORN + THE MAGICIAN OF LAKE HURON + THE FAIRIES' CLIFF + THE STONE CANOE + THE WHITE FEATHER + THE LONE LIGHTNING + THE ENCHANTED MOCCASINS + THE FIVE WATER-SPIRITS + THE CANOE BREAKER + THE OLD STUMP + THE CLIFF OF SINIKIELT + THE STRANGE DREAM + BIG CHIEF'S CONQUEST + THE RED SWAN + THE WHISPERING GRASS + THE LEGEND OF MACKINAC ISLAND + + THE ADVENTURES OF WESAKCHAK + I. THE WONDERFUL BALL + II. A WONDERFUL JOURNEY + III. THE GRAY GOOSE + IV. LITTLE BROTHER RABBIT + V. THE BALD-HEADED EAGLES + + A BATTLE WITH THE SIOUX + + PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY + + + + +THIRTY INDIAN LEGENDS + + +THE GIANT BEAR + +In the far north there was a village where many warlike Indians lived. +In one family there were ten brothers, all brave and fearless. In the +spring of the year the youngest brother blackened his face and fasted +for several days. Then he sent for his nine brothers and said to them: + +"I have fasted and dreamed, and my dreams are good. Will you come on a +war journey with me?" + +"Yes," they all said readily. + +"Then tell no one, not even your wives, of our plan." They agreed to +meet on a certain night so that no one should see them go. One brother +was named Mudjekeewis, and he was very odd. He was the first to +promise that he would not tell. The next two days were spent in +preparations for the journey. Mudjekeewis told his wife many times to +get his moccasins for him. + +"And hurry." he said; "do hurry." + +"Why do you want them?" she asked. "You have a good pair on." + +"Well, if you must know, we are going on a war journey," he answered. + +When the night had come which the leader had named, they met at his +wigwam and set out on their long journey. The snow lay on the ground, +and the night was very dark. + +After they had travelled some miles, the leader gathered some snow and +made it into a ball. He threw it in the air and said, as it fell, "It +was thus I saw the snow fall in my dreams to cover our footmarks, so +that no one may follow us." + +The snow began to fall heavily and continued for two days. It was so +thick that they could scarcely see each other, though they walked very +closely together. + +The leader cheered his brothers by telling them they would win in their +battle. At this Mudjekeewis, who was walking behind, ran forward. He +swung his war-club in the air and uttered the war-cry. Then bringing +his war-club down, he struck a tree, and it fell as if hit by lightning. + +"See, brothers," he said, "this is the way I shall serve our enemy." + +"Hush, Mudjekeewis," said the leader. "He whom we are going to fight +cannot be treated so lightly." + +Then they travelled on for several days, until at last they reached the +borders of the White Plain, where the bones of men lay bleaching. + +"These are the bones of men who have gone before us. No one has ever +returned to tell of their sad fate." Mudjekeewis looked frightened at +this and thought, "I wonder who this terrible enemy is." + +"Be not afraid, my brothers," said the leader. Mudjekeewis then took +courage, again jumped forward, and uttering the war-cry, brought his +warclub down on a small rock, and split it into pieces. "See, I am not +afraid," he cried. "Thus shall I serve my enemy." But the leader +still pressed onward over the plain, until at last a small rise in the +ground brought them in sight of the enemy. Some distance away, on the +top of the mountain, a giant bear lay sleeping. + +"Look, brothers," said the leader. "There is the mighty enemy, for he +is a Manitou.[1] But come now, we need not fear, as he is asleep. +Around his neck he has the precious wampum,[2] which we must take from +him." + +They advanced slowly and quietly. The huge animal did not hear them. +Around his neck was a belt which contained the wampum. + +"Now we must take this off," said the youngest brother. One after the +other tried, but could not do it, until the next to the youngest tried. +He pulled it nearly over the bear's head. Then came the turn of the +youngest, and he pulled it the rest of the way. He put the belt +quickly on the back of the oldest brother. + +"Now we must run," said the leader, "for when he awakens, he will miss +his belt." + +They all hastened away. The wampum was very heavy, so they had to take +turns in carrying it. They kept looking back as they ran, and had +almost reached the edge of the plain before the bear awoke. He slowly +rose to his feet and stood for a moment before he noticed that the belt +was gone. Then he uttered a roar that reached to the skies. + +"Who has dared to steal my belt?" he roared. "Earth is not so large +but that I shall find him." + +Saying this, he jumped from the mountain, and the earth shook with his +weight. Then with powerful strides he rushed in pursuit of the +brothers. + +They had passed all the bones now and were becoming very tired. + +"Brothers," said the leader, "I dreamed that when we were hard pressed +and running for our lives, we saw a lodge where an old man lived, and +he helped us. I hope my dream will come true." + +Just then they saw, a short distance away, a lodge with smoke curling +from the top. They ran to it, and an old man opened the door. + +"Grandfather," they gasped, "will you save us? A Manitou is after us." + +"Who is a Manitou but I?" said he. "Come in and eat." They entered +the lodge and he gave them food. Then, opening the door, he looked out +and saw the bear coming with great strides. Shutting the door, he +said, "He is indeed a mighty Manitou and will take my life; but you +asked for my help and I shall give it. When he comes, you run out of +the back door." + +Going to a bag which hung from a tree, he took out two small, black, +dogs. He patted the sides of the dogs, and they began to swell until +they filled the doorway. The dogs had strong, white teeth and growled +fiercely. The bear had now reached the door, and with one bound the +first dog leaped out, followed by the second. The brothers ran out of +the back of the lodge. They could hear the howls of the animals as +they fought, and looking back, they saw first one dog killed, then the +other, and at last the shrieks of the old man came to them as the bear +tore him in pieces. They doubled their speed now, as they saw the bear +beginning to follow them again. The food they had eaten gave them new +strength, so they were able to run very swiftly for a time. But at +last they all felt their strength fail again, for the bear was close +behind them now. + +"Brothers, I had another dream," said the leader. "It was that an old +Manitou saved us. Perhaps his lodge is near us now." + +Even as he spoke, they came in sight of another lodge, and as they ran +up to the door an old man opened it. + +"Save us from the Manitou," they cried as they rushed in. + +"Manitou?" he said. "Who is a Manitou but I? Come in and eat," and he +closed the door. He brought food for them; then he looked out of the +door. The bear was only a few yards away now. Hastily closing the +door, he said, "This is indeed a mighty Manitou. You have brought +trouble to me, my children; but you run out the back way and I shall +fight him." + +He then went to his medicine sack and drew out two war-clubs of black +stone. As he handled them they grew to an immense size. He opened the +door, and as he did so, the brothers ran out the back way. They could +hear the blows like claps of thunder as he hit the bear on the head. +After that came two sharp cracks, and they knew the clubs were broken +with the force of the blows. Then came his shrieks, as he met the fate +of the first old man. They tried to run faster than ever now, for they +knew the bear must be after them again, but their strength was nearly +gone. + +"Oh, brother," they asked, "have you no other dream to help us?" + +"Yes, I dreamed, when we were running like this, that we came to a lake +and on the shore of it was a canoe with ten paddles in it waiting for +us. We jumped in and were saved." + +As he spoke, there appeared in front of them a lake just as he had +dreamed, and a canoe waiting. Getting in, they quickly paddled to the +middle of the lake, and waited to see what the bear would do. + +He came on with his slow, powerful strides until he reached the water's +edge. Then, rising on his hind legs, he took a look around. Dropping +down, he waded into the water, but slipped and nearly fell. He waded +out and began to walk around the lake. When he reached the spot he had +started from, he bent down his head and began to drink the waters of +the lake. He drank in such large mouthfuls that the brothers could see +the water sinking, and the current began to flow so swiftly towards his +mouth that they could not keep their canoe steady. It floated in the +current straight to him. + +"Now, Mudjekeewis," said the leader, "this is your chance to show us +how you would treat your enemy." + +"I shall show you and him," said Mudjekeewis. Then, as the canoe came +near the big mouth, he stood up and levelled his war-club. Just as the +boat touched the bear's teeth, Mudjekeewis uttered the war-cry and +dealt the animal a mighty blow on the head. This he repeated, and the +bear fell stunned. As the animal fell, he disgorged the water with +such force that it sent the canoe spinning to the other side of the +lake, where the brothers landed and ran ahead as fast as they could. +They had not gone far when they could hear the bear coming behind them. + +"Do not be afraid, brothers," said the leader, as he noticed how +frightened they all looked. "I have one more dream. If it fails us, +we are lost, but let us hope that it will come true. I dreamed we were +running, and we came to a lodge out of which came a young maiden. Her +brother was a Manitou and by his magic she saved us. Run on and fear +not, else your limbs will be fear-bound. Look for his lodge." + +And sure enough, behind a little clump of trees, stood a lodge. As +they ran to it a maiden came forth and invited them in. + +"Enter," she said, "and rest. I shall meet the bear, and when I need +you, I shall call you." + +Saying this, she took down a medicine-sack, which was hanging on the +wall near the door. They entered, and she walked out to meet the bear. +The animal came up with angry growls and swinging strides. The maiden +quickly opened the medicine-sack and took out some war feathers, paint, +and tufts of hair. + +As the bear came up, the girl tossed them up in the air, saying, +"Behold, these are the magic arrows of my dead brother. These are the +magic war paints of my dead brother. This is the eagle's feather of my +dead brother, and these are the tufts of hair of wild animals he has +killed." + +As she said these words and the things fell on the ground near the +animal, he tottered and fell. She called the brothers, and they rushed +out. + +"Cut him into pieces quickly," she said, "or he will come to life +again." + +They all set to work and cut the huge animal into small pieces, which +they tossed away. When they had finished, they saw, to their surprise, +that these pieces had turned into small, black bears, which had jumped +up and were running away in every direction. And it is from these +bears that the bears called the Makwas had their beginning. + + + +[1] A manitou is the spirit of an Indian who has been killed. Manitous +often take the forms of animals when they come back to life. + +[2] Wampum; long, narrow beads, sometimes made of shells. They were +usually blue and white and were often woven into a belt. They were +greatly treasured by the Indians. + + + + +THE SUMMER-MAKER + +Once in the far north there lived a Manitou whose name was Ojeeg, or +the fisher. He and his wife and one son lived on the shore of a lake +and were very happy together. + +In that country there was never any spring or summer, and the snow lay +deep on the ground all the year round. But this did not daunt the +fisher. + +He went forth every day and always brought back plenty of game. + +The son wished to be a great hunter like his father, so he often took +his bow and arrows and went out to kill birds. But he nearly always +returned with benumbed hands and crying with cold. + +One day, as he was returning, feeling very discouraged and ready to +cry, he noticed a red squirrel on the top of a tree. As he reached for +his arrows to shoot him, the squirrel spoke: + +"Put away your arrows and listen to me. I see you go forth each day +and always return nearly frozen and with never a bird. Now, if you +will do as I tell you, we shall have summer all the time instead of the +snow. Then I shall have plenty to eat, and you may kill all the birds +you wish. When you go home, you must cry and sob. When your mother +asks you what is the matter, do not answer, but throw away your bow and +arrow and cry harder than ever. Do not eat any supper, and when your +father comes home, he will ask your mother what is the matter with you. +She will say that she does not know, that you only sob and cry, and +will not speak. When he asks you to give the reason of your sorrow, +tell him that you want summer to come. Coax him to get it for you. He +will say it is a very hard thing to do, but will promise to try. Now +remember all this and do as I tell you." + +As the squirrel finished speaking, he disappeared, and the son returned +home. Everything happened as the little squirrel had said, and when +the son asked his father to get summer for him, Ojeeg replied, "My son, +this is a hard task you have given me. But I love you and so shall try +for your sake. It may cost me my life, but I shall do my best." + +Then he called together all his friends, and they had a feast. A bear +was killed and roasted, and they arranged to meet on Thursday to begin +their journey. + +When the day came, they all gathered; there was the otter, the beaver, +the lynx, and the wolverine. Ojeeg said good-bye to his wife and son, +and the party set out. For twenty days they travelled through the +snow, and at last came to the foot of a mountain. The animals were all +very tired by this time, all but Ojeeg. He was a nimble little animal +and used to long journeys. + +As they began to go up the mountain, they noticed footprints and marks +of blood, as if some hunter had gone before them with an animal he had +killed. + +"Let us follow these tracks," said the fisherman, "and see if we can +get something to eat." + +When they reached the top of the mountain, they noticed a small lodge. + +"Now be very careful and do not laugh at anything we see," said Ojeeg. + +They knocked at the door, and it was opened by a very strange man. He +had a huge head, big, strong teeth, and no arms. He invited them to +come in and eat. There was meat cooking in a wooden pot on the fire. +The man lifted it off when they were not looking, and gave them all +something to eat. They wondered how he could do this, and how he had +killed the animal, but they soon learned the secret. He was a Manitou! + +As they were eating, the otter began to laugh at the strange movements +of the Manitou, who, hearing a noise, turned quickly and threw himself +on the otter. He was going to smother him, as this was his way of +killing animals. But the otter managed to wriggle from under him, and +escaped out of the door. + +The rest remained there for the night. When they were going in the +morning, the Manitou told them what path to take and what to do when +they reached the right spot. They thanked him and started on again. + +For twenty more days they travelled, and then they reached another +mountain. They climbed to the top of this, and they knew by certain +signs it was the spot the Manitou had described. So they seated +themselves in a circle and filled their pipes. They pointed to the +sky, the four winds, and the earth; then they began to smoke. As they +looked up at the sky they were silent with awe, for they were on such a +high mountain that the sky seemed only a few yards off. They then +prepared themselves, and Ojeeg told the otter to have the first trial +at making a hole in the sky. With a grin the otter consented. He made +a spring, but fell down the side of the hill. The snow was moist, so +he slid all the way to the bottom. When he had picked himself up, he +said, "This is the last time I shall make such a jump; I am going +home," and away he went. The beaver had the next turn, but did no +better, The lynx had no better luck. Then came the turn of the +wolverine. + +"Now," said Ojeeg to him, "I am going to depend on you; you are brave +and will try again and again." + +So the wolverine took a jump, and the first time nearly reached the +sky; the second time he cracked it, and the third time he made a hole +and crawled in. Ojeeg nimbly followed, and they found themselves on a +beautiful, green plain. Lovely shade trees grew at some distance, and +among the trees were rivers and lakes. On the water floated all kinds +of water-fowl. Then they noticed long lodges. They were empty, except +for a great many cages filled with beautiful birds. The spirits who +lived in these lodges were wandering among the trees. As Ojeeg noticed +the birds, he remembered his son. He quickly opened the doors of the +cages, and the birds rushed out. They flew through the air and down +through the opening in the sky. + +The warm winds, that always blow in that heavenly place, followed the +birds down through the opening and began to melt the snows of the +north. Then the guardian spirits noticed what was happening, and ran +with great shouts to the spot where all were escaping. But Spring and +Summer had nearly gone. They struck a great blow and cut Summer in +two, so that only part of it reached the earth. The wolverine heard +the noise and raced for the hole, getting through before they could +close it. But the fisher was farther away and could not reach the hole +in time. The spirits closed up the opening and turned to catch him. +He ran over the plains to the north, going so fast that he gained the +trees before they could catch him. He quickly climbed the largest one, +and they began to shoot at him with their arrows. + +There was only one place in the fisher's body where he could be +hurt,--a spot near the tip of his tail; so the spirits kept shooting a +long time before an arrow struck that spot. At last one did, and he +fell to the ground. As it was now nearly night, the spirits went back +to their lodges and left him there alone. He stretched out his limbs +and said: + +"I have kept my promise to my son, though it has cost me my life. But +I shall always be remembered by the natives of the earth, and I am +happy to think of the good I have sent them. From now on they will +have different seasons, and eight to ten moons without snow." + +In the morning they found him lying dead with the arrow through his +tail, and to this day he may be seen in the northern sky. + + + + +THE SLEEP FAIRIES + +A hunter was once going through a forest with his dogs. After he had +gone some distance he missed them. He called and whistled, but they +did not come, so he turned back to find them. Going some distance +farther, he thought he saw one lying under some low bushes, and when he +reached the spot, he saw his three dogs lying there fast asleep. He +tried to waken them, but they would open their eyes only for a moment, +then fall asleep again. Soon he began to feel a strange, sleepy +feeling coming over him. He shook himself and tried to keep awake. +Just then he noticed a very large insect on a branch of a tree. It had +many wings on its back, which kept up a steady, droning noise. When it +noticed the hunter looking at it, the insect said, "I am Weeng, the +spirit of sleep. Your dogs came too near my home, and so they have +fallen under my spell. In a few minutes you will be asleep yourself." + +"Must I go to sleep?" said the hunter. "I would like to go back to my +lodge." + +"You are a brave chief and have always been kind to the forest insects, +so this time I am going to let you go. Take a leaf from yonder little +tree, chew it and swallow the juice." + +The hunter did as he was told and at once the sleepy feeling was gone. +Then the strangest thing happened. He saw all around him queer, little +fairies, each one with a tiny war-club. They peeped from out the bark +of the trees, from amidst the grass, and even from out his pouch. + +"What are these?" he asked Weeng. + +"They are my sleep fairies, and are called 'Weengs.' Now you may waken +your dogs and go." And before the hunter had time to reply the insect +had gone. + +He turned and roused the dogs, who followed him, still looking very +stupid. As he went he saw the Weengs all around the trees, and many +seemed to be coming with him. When he reached his lodge, he saw the +little creatures run to the men and climb up their foreheads; then with +their war-clubs they began to knock them on the head. Soon the Indians +began to yawn and rub their eyes, and in a little while they all lay +asleep. + +Then the hunter began to feel his own head grow heavy. He tried to +keep awake, but could not, so he stretched himself beside the fire and +went to sleep. When he awakened and looked around, there were no +fairies to be seen. + +The hunter determined to go into the forest and see if he could find +the little tree from which he had plucked the leaf. But before he +went, he carefully tied up his dogs, for he did not wish them to follow +him and again fall under the spell of Weeng. They whined when he left +them and pulled at their ropes, but he was soon lost to their sight +among the trees. Making his way slowly through the forest, he kept a +sharp lookout for the little tree with the magic leaves. But he could +see nothing that looked like it. For many hours he tramped on, and at +last he threw himself down on the ground to rest. + +As he lay there, he heard a droning noise above his head. He looked up +quickly, and there sat Weeng on the farthermost branch of the tree. + +"Good-morning, great hunter," said the insect. "You have been +searching for my little tree, have you not?" + +"Yes," replied the hunter. "How did you know?" + +"I know many things," said Weeng; "but listen, to me. Yonder is the +tree." As he spoke, he pointed to a little tree not two yards away. +"Pluck one of the leaves, but do not chew it until sunset. At that +hour I utter my sleep call, which bids all the insects fly home to +rest. When you hear the call, you may chew the leaf, for I want you to +see what happens then." + +"Is anything strange going to happen?" asked the hunter. + +"Great hunter," said Weeng, "if you will remain in this forest behind +that large oak tree, you may see it all. One hour before sunset, the +Red Squirrel and all his army are coming to attack me." + +"Why are they going to do that?" asked the hunter, in surprise. + +"Because the Red Squirrel wishes to have my branch for his home. He +ordered me to get down, and I refused. So, one hour before sunset, he +and his army are coming to drive me from my home." + +"What are you going to do?" asked the hunter. "Can I help you?" + +"I and my winged friends," said Weeng, "are going to fight them when +they come. Yes, great hunter, you can help us by remaining to see that +the battle is fair. The Red Squirrel knows that if he can once touch +me, I must fall. But my insects have sharp swords, and they can keep +the army back till sunset." + +"And what will happen then?" asked the hunter. + +"Then the insects must go to their homes. But, if you swallow the +juice of the leaf, you will see the end of the battle. Now go and hide +behind the oak tree. In a few minutes my army will be here." + +The hunter did as he was bidden and took his place behind the tree. +From here he could see Weeng quite plainly, but he was himself hidden. +In a few minutes the insects began to assemble. First came the wasps, +looking fierce and warlike. Then came the bees, buzzing along with +indignation. Then dozens of flies, bluebottles, sand-flies, and +bull-flies, all ready for the fight. Then followed the moths, +ladybugs, butterflies, and mosquitoes. + +Lastly, with a great noise, came a regiment of hornets and took their +places on the branch directly in front of Weeng. The others had +gathered in a huge circle around him, and in the midst of the bodyguard +he sat, like a general ready for the attack of the enemy. He had not +long to wait, for somewhere in the forest the Red Squirrel had +assembled his army, and now he brought them forward in one body to the +foot of the tree. All the red squirrels were in front, next came the +gray squirrels, then the chipmunks. + +The Red Squirrel gave the command, and up the tree his army began to +climb. Out on the branch they came, where Weeng sat at the farthest +end. But the hornets were ready for them, and as they advanced the +sharp swords of the defenders pricked their noses, eyes, and bodies. +Backward they tumbled, some falling from the limb, others clinging +desperately to the under side. Then the gray squirrels pushed forward, +and in spite of many wounds, broke through the ranks of the hornets. +They had nearly reached Weeng when the bees, buzzing more indignantly +than ever, made one fierce dash at them. The gray squirrels fought +bravely, but at every turn they met terrible, stinging blows. At last +they could not see what they were doing, and, like the red squirrels, +many of them fell from the limb. + +While this part of the battle was going on, the chipmunks had been +waging a war of their own with the wasps, who had attacked them. The +battle had been a sharp one, and many soldiers of both armies lay dead +on the ground below the tree. But the chipmunks had won the victory, +and now made their way along the branches towards Weeng. Their leader, +a large, bold-looking chipmunk, made a fierce rush at Weeng, and almost +touched him. But just as he did so, with a noiseless swoop, down came +the mosquitoes upon him. They covered his head, until not a part of it +was to be seen. He slapped wildly at them, lost his hold on the +branch, and fell to the ground. With redoubled fury on rushed the +other chipmunks and the red squirrels, who had by this time recovered. +They were met by a solid wall of insects bristling with sharp swords, +for the wasps, the hornets, and flies had placed themselves across +their path. Then came the hottest part of the battle, and in one +confused mass they struggled and fought on the slender branch. In the +midst of this there sounded a soft, sweet call. It was the sleep call +of the fairy Weeng. At once all the insects sheathed their swords, and +turning, fluttered slowly home to bed. As each one departed, he +uttered a soft good-night to Weeng. + +The hunter, who was watching all this anxiously, wondered that although +the Red Squirrel's army was still fighting it was making no headway. +He wondered how this could be. Suddenly he remembered the leaf in his +pocket. At once he chewed it, and he then saw the reason for the +squirrels' defeat. At the call of Weeng his sleep fairies had come +forth, and now with their clubs were knocking their enemies on the +head. Blow after blow they struck. The squirrels resisted bravely, +but it was useless. In a few minutes they were driven back and off the +branch of the tree, and were glad to escape to their homes. As the +darkness gathered and the magic of the leaf began to wear away, the +hunter could just dimly see Weeng sitting in the midst of his sleep +fairies, like a great general who has won his battle. + + + + +SHINGEBISS + +Once there was a little duck, whose name was Shingebiss. He lived by +himself in a small lodge, and was very contented and happy. This lodge +was built on the shore of a lake. When the cold winter days came, and +the lake was frozen over, all the other ducks flew away to a warmer +land. But Shingebiss was not afraid of the cold. He gathered four +large logs and took them into his lodge. Each log was big enough to +burn for a month, and as there were only four cold months, there would +be enough to last him through the winter. + +Then each morning he would go to the lake, and hunt for places where +the rushes came through the ice. He would pull these out with his +strong beak, and catch fish through the openings. + +Kabibonokka, the north wind, saw him, and said to himself, "What a +strange person this is. He sings and is out on the coldest days. But +I shall stop his singing." + +So he blew a cold blast from the north-west, which froze the ice on the +lake much deeper. Still Shingebiss came out in the morning, caught his +fish, and went home singing. + +"How strange," said the north wind, "I cannot freeze him; I shall go +and visit his lodge. Perhaps I can put out his fire." + +So he went and knocked at the door of the lodge. Shingebiss was +within. He had cooked and eaten his fish, and now was lying on one +side in front of the fire, singing a song. He heard the north wind at +the door, but he pretended that he did not. He went on singing in +quite a loud voice: + + "Windy god, I know your plan, + You are but my fellow-man. + Blow you may your coldest breeze, + Shingebiss yon cannot freeze; + Sweep the strongest wind you can, + Shingebiss is still your man. + Heigh, for life--ho, for bliss, + Who so free as Shingebiss?" + + +The north wind heard him and was very angry. He blew his coldest blast +under the doorway, Shingebiss felt it, but still went on singing. Then +the north wind opened the door, and walked in. He took a seat beside +the fire, and Shingebiss pretended not to see him. He just went on +singing, and after a while took his poker and stirred the logs. This +made them blaze brightly, and in a few minutes tears began to run down +Kabibonokka's cheeks. He pushed his chair away from the fire and tried +to blow his icy breath on the blazing log. But the warm air pushed the +cold breeze back and wrapped Kabibonokka around like a cloak. The +tears were running in streams down his cheeks now, and the heavy frost +on his long beard and hair had melted and made pools of water on the +floor. He could stand it no longer. Rising, he hastily passed out the +door, saying to himself, "I cannot put out his fire, but I shall freeze +the lake so deep that he will not be able to catch any more fish." + +So that night he blew his coldest breath. Next morning the ice on the +lake was very thick. Brave little Shingebiss went from one place to +another trying to find a thin spot. At last a bunch of rushes came out +as he pulled, and, looking in the hole, he saw several fine fish. He +sang merrily as he caught them, and the north wind heard the song. +Looking out of his lodge, he saw what Shingebiss was doing. At first +he was very angry, then he began to feel afraid. + +"This duck must be helped by some Manitou," he said. "I shall leave +him in peace after this." + +Then Kabibonokka went in and closed his lodge door and Shingebiss never +saw him again. + + + + +THE QUEER LITTLE ANIMAL + +An Indian was once wandering across the prairie. He was tired and +hungry and very lonely, too, for he had not seen a human being for many +weeks. He lay down on the ground and fell asleep. While he was lying +there, he dreamed that a small voice said, "My grandson," to him. He +wakened with a start and again heard the voice. It came from the grass +near him, but he could see nothing. + +"Pick me up," said the voice, "and I shall be your friend forever. Put +me in your belt and never lay me aside, and you will always have +success." + +The Indian looked closely in the grass and saw a tiny creature. It was +about the size of a baby mouse, and had no hair on its skin excepting a +little bunch on the tip of its tail. He picked it up and sewed it in +his belt. Then he travelled on until he came to a village where a +tribe of Indians lived. A broad road ran through the centre of the +village, but the strange thing was, that the lodges on one side of the +road were empty, while those on the other side were filled with +Indians. He walked boldly into the village. The people ran out to +meet him, crying, "Here is the being of whom we have heard so much. +Welcome, Anishinaba." + +The chief's son was very kind to him and took him to his father's +lodge. The people of this tribe spent most of their time in games and +trials of strength. The trial they liked best was called The Freezing +Water Trial; that was, they had to lie down in icy, cold water and let +it freeze around them. The man who could stay the longest was +considered the bravest. The next night they asked Anishinaba to try +the test with them. He was quite willing and went with them to the +place where the test was to be made. He kept on his belt, and so felt +very comfortable, for the little animal made everything easy for him. +The water began to freeze and the Indians called out, "How are you +feeling?" He did not answer them. + +About midnight, he noticed they had stopped talking. He called out, +"How are you feeling now? I am very warm." They did not answer him, +so he arose and walked to where they were lying. They were frozen +stiff. He went back to the camp and told the other Indians. Everybody +declared that he was the bravest warrior, since he had not been frozen. +The chief was so pleased with him that he gave him his daughter. The +Indians went to fetch the bodies of the frozen men, but were surprised +to find them changed into buffaloes. These animals went to live in the +other side of the village; and after that, every one Anishinaba killed +was changed into some kind of an animal and went into that part of the +village to live. Very shortly the empty lodges were filled. + +One day Anishinaba lay down on the grass to have a sleep. He had taken +off his belt, and it lay in the long grass beside him. When he +wakened, he forgot about it. This was the first time he had ever gone +without the little animal since he came to the village. That night +some Indians who were unfriendly to him, asked him to try the freezing +trial again. He consented, for he was not at all afraid. But still he +did not think of his belt, and so the freezing water benumbed his body +and in a short time he was frozen stiff. His enemies then cut his body +into many pieces and scattered them over the village. His wife wept +bitterly for many days. Then suddenly she remembered his belt, and +went in search of it. She found it in the grass where he had slept. +As she picked it up, the tiny voice said, "Unpin me." She opened the +little seam where the animal lay and out he came. He began to shake +himself, and at each shake grew larger, until at last he was the size +of a small dog. + +The queer-looking animal ran away then as fast as he could go. All +around the village he went, gathering up the pieces of his master's +body. When he had them gathered, he laid them together in their right +places. Then he uttered a loud howl, and the pieces joined together. +He uttered another, and the body began to breathe. Then he uttered one +that reached to the skies, and his master arose and stood before him. +The animal then spoke. "You should not have parted with me," he said. +"That was why you lost your life. Now, I shall reveal myself to you." +He began shaking himself like a dog, and at each shake he grew larger, +until at last he was immense. Then a long snout grew from his head, +and two big, shining teeth from his mouth. His skin was still smooth, +without one hair excepting the bunch on the end of his tail. + +"I am going to give my gift to you," said the wild boar. "After this +you shall live on the meat of animals, instead of the animals eating +you. But you and all mankind must respect me and must not eat my flesh +nor that of any of my kind." + + + + +THE DORMOUSE + +Many years ago the animals ruled the earth. They had killed every one +but a brother and a sister. These two lived in a lodge far away in the +forest, where the animals could not find them. The boy was a tiny, +little fellow,--he had never grown any larger than a baby,--so the girl +had to do all the work. Each day she would go out into the bush and +gather wood for the lodge fire. She always took her brother with her, +for he was too small to leave alone. A big bird might fly away with +him. + +One day she gave him a little bow and arrows, and said, "You stay here +while I take the wood home. When the snow-birds come to get the worms +out of the wood, see if you can shoot one." So she went home and left +him. He did not come until nearly evening. He looked very sad and +tired, for he had been unable to shoot even one bird. + +"Never mind," said the sister, kindly. "Try again to-morrow." + +The next day he went again with her, and when he came back in the +evening, he said, "I shot this bird, and now, sister, strip the skin +off it, stretch, and cure it. Then when I have killed enough birds, I +shall have a coat made of the skins." At last when he had ten skins, +his sister made him a coat of them. He was so tiny that it fitted him +nicely. Of course he was very proud of it. + +One day he said, "Sister, is there no one living in this world except +ourselves?" + +"Yes," she answered. "Many miles from here live the animals we are +afraid of. But never go near their village, for they will kill you." + +"Oh, I am not afraid," he said; and in spite of all her coaxing he made +ready to go on his journey. + +One morning he set out, and by noon had walked quite a distance. He +felt very tired and threw himself down on a plot of grass where the sun +had melted the snow. He fell asleep, and while he was lying there the +hot sun dried the skins of his bird coat. When he awoke, he felt as +though he were buttoned up in a coat much too small for him. + +He was very angry at the sun, for he knew it had done this. "I shall +punish you," he cried up to it. "You think you are so high up there, +and I am so small, that you do not care, but I shall show you." + +Then he went home to his sister and showed her the coat, and told her +all about it. She begged him not to feel so angry. He would not +listen to her, but went and lay down on the bed. For ten days he +stayed there without eating a bite. Then he turned over on his other +side and lay for ten days more. + +At last he arose and said, "Sister, please make me a snare. I want to +catch the sun." She told him she had nothing with which to make the +snare. He nearly cried when she said this. Then she remembered some +bits of deer sinew that were in the lodge. She made a snare of this, +but he said, "That will not do," and began to cry again. Then she +asked him if her hair would do. + +"No, it will not," he said. + +"Well, I have nothing else," she told him, and went out of the lodge. +She thought and thought, and at last she said to herself, "I shall use +my hair, and perhaps he will never know." So she made a snare like the +one used to catch moose. When she took it in to him, and asked, "Will +this do?" he looked very pleased, and said, "Oh, yes, that is the very +thing." He took it, and drew the threads through his lips. They +changed at once into red, metal cords, which he wound around his waist. + +Then he made ready for his journey, and about midnight he set out. He +walked on for a long time, until he came to the spot where the sun came +up. He fixed the snare, and then hid behind some bushes. + +In a little while the sun began to rise, and was at once caught in the +snare. + +The animals, who ruled the earth, were greatly excited because the +morning did not come. They knew it was time for the sun to be up, so +they called a council. + +"What is to be done?" asked the bear. + +"Some one must go and see what has happened," replied the wolf. + +"Let the dormouse go," said the beaver, "as he is the largest of us +all." + +In those days the dormouse was very large. He looked like a mountain +when he stood up. + +"Yes," said the wolf, "let the dormouse go. He is proud of his size +and his strength. Let him show us what he can do when there is danger +before him." + +They all looked around for the dormouse, but there was no sign of him. + +"He thinks that we shall send him to find the sun," said the fox. "He +is afraid and has hidden himself." + +"Not so," returned the beaver. "The dormouse is not a coward. Let us +call him. He cannot be far away." + +With that, they all began to call the dormouse. In a moment there was +a crackling of branches and the sound of heavy footsteps, and a huge +figure loomed up in the darkness. + +"Brother dormouse," said the fox, "you are so brave that we have chosen +you to go in search of the sun. What is your answer?" + +"I am quite ready to go," replied the dormouse, "and if I cannot find +the sun and send it to you, I shall not return myself." + +At once the dormouse started towards the sun. As he came close to it, +the hot rays began to burn his back, but he kept on, and began to chew +the cords, which bound it. In a few minutes the top of his back was a +heap of ashes, and he felt himself shrivelling with the heat. He kept +on bravely, and at last the cords were sundered and the sun free. But +by this time the dormouse was a very small animal, and has remained so +ever since. + +All this time the brother, who was lying hidden, had been watching what +was happening. As the dormouse began to smoke, he grew a little +frightened, and when it began to shrivel he was terrified. All he +wished for was to escape from this glaring sun, which surely would +quickly consume him too. + +Lying flat on the ground, he wriggled through the bushes for a long +distance along the bank. Reaching the plain, he made a dash for home. +His face and arms were scratched and bleeding, and when he told his +sister what had happened, she was grieved to think that she had made +the snare which had brought so much sorrow to the innocent dormouse. + + + + +THE WINDMAKER + +Once there was a tribe of Indians who had always lived in the +mountains. Their village was built at the foot of a very large +mountain, and their lodges were made from branches of the pine-trees, +covered with the skins of animals. + +One day one of their hunters followed a bear's track for many miles. +By evening he found himself a great distance from the village. He +noticed that the hills around him were much smaller than those he had +left, so he made up his mind to continue in the direction he had been +going, which was eastwards, to see if the hills would grow smaller as +he went. He rested during the night, and when the sun rose next +morning, he continued walking towards the east. For several days he +travelled, and at last he found himself on the edge of a very large +plain. Miles and miles of green prairie lay before him, and he +wondered what was beyond, on the other side of this vast plain. + +He travelled back joyfully to the village and told the others of the +tribe what he had discovered. As they listened they became anxious to +see this great prairie and what lay beyond it. So they went to their +chief and begged him to let them all go and travel until they should +reach the other side of the prairie. The chief told them that this was +a wrong thing to ask, because they were mountain Indians and so would +never be happy away from the mountains. Still they begged and coaxed, +and at length he said: + +"I shall grant your request, my children, because my greatest wish is +to see you happy. To-morrow we shall all make ready for our journey to +this great prairie. I shall go with you, although it grieves me very +much to leave my mountains, but your wish shall be granted." + +By evening the next day the tribe was ready for the journey. They had +taken down their lodges, and the branches of the pine-trees and the +skins of the animals were packed on the mountain ponies. The chief +rode in front on a small, white pony. His face looked very sad as they +set out. + +For many days they travelled, and at length they reached the edge of +the prairie, as the hunter before them had done. They were all much +astonished to see the great plain of green grass, and they told their +chief that this land was much more beautiful than their mountains. He +did not make them any reply. For several days they travelled across +the prairie in the daytime and camped at night. Each morning they said +as they prepared to move forward, "To-day we shall surely reach the +other side of this prairie." + +Each night, however, found them with as many miles in front of them as +there were behind them. At last they grew weary, and began to wonder +how long they would have to travel before they could see what was +beyond this prairie. They had made their camp for the night on the +bank of a river. This river was too wide and deep for them to cross, +and they did not know what they would do. During the night a strange +thing happened. Their lodges were caught as if by unseen hands, lifted +high in the air, and tossed into the river. The little children clung +to their mothers in terror, while these unseen hands seemed trying to +pull them away and toss them after the lodges. The Indians, terrified, +gathered around their chief. + +"What is this?" they cried. "What is this awful thing that has such +strength and which we cannot see?" + +"It is the wind, my children," said the chief. "Far up on the mountain +lives the Windmaker. This is his message to us, to tell us that he is +angry, because we have left our mountain home. Let us all go back to +our home and be happy once more." + +But the Indians murmured at this. They did not wish to go back to the +mountains. They wished to see what was beyond the great prairie. The +chief sadly shook his head and said, "Well, my children, you must +suffer what the Windmaker sends us." + +Then up spoke a young warrior named Broken Arrow. He had long wished +for a chance to show the chief that he was brave, for he loved the +chief's daughter and knew he could not wed her until he had proven his +bravery. + +"Oh, chief," he said, "let me go to this Windmaker. Let me shoot my +sharpest arrows at him, so that I may kill this wicked one who is +causing so much sorrow." + +The chief smiled at the brave youth and said, "My son, you may go, but +it is a useless quest. This Windmaker cannot be killed." + +Broken Arrow replied proudly, "We shall see. My arrows carry far and +fly straight. This Windmaker shall feel their point." + +The women of the tribe put food in a bag and several pairs of +moccasins, and the young warrior set out on his journey. Day and night +he travelled, and at last, after his food was all gone and his last +pair of moccasins was nearly worn out, he reached the foot of the great +mountain where the Windmaker lived. Looking up, he saw the monster,--a +great, gray creature that seemed a part of the mountain itself. His +head was crowned with snow-white hair that lay around his shoulders +like drifts of snow. His huge ears stood out from the sides of his +head, and as he waved them, a breeze came down the mountain side that +almost took the warrior off his feet. Fitting an arrow into his bow, +he let it fly. It was aimed for the Windmaker's heart, and was going +straight there, when the monster moved one ear and the arrow flew to +one side. The same fate overtook the next arrow, and the next. Still +the warrior shot bravely on, but as each one came near the monster he +waved his ears and blew it aside. At last every arrow had been spent, +and the Windmaker was uninjured. There was nothing for the young +warrior to do but to go back and tell of his failure. Sadly he turned +away, and after many days' travelling he arrived at the camp, faint +with hunger, and with bare and bleeding feet. + +The chief smiled proudly as he saw him. "Welcome, my son," he said. +"Do not feel sad. You have done nobly, and have proven to me how great +a warrior you are. You shall be my son, and I am proud to call you +that." + +After the wedding feast that night, the chief told the Indians that on +the morrow he was going to the mountain to see if he could kill the +Windmaker. + +When they heard this, there was great weeping, and they begged him not +to go. But he was firm, so they said, "Then we shall go with you. +Where our chief goes, we go too, and we shall watch you fight this +wicked one." + +So, after many days' travelling, they all reached the foot of the great +mountain where the Windmaker lived. Looking up, they could see him +just as Broken Arrow had told them they would. The chief turned to +them and said, "My children, you must remain here at the foot of this +mountain, while I climb up to the top. There is no use in trying to +shoot this great monster, for he will but blow my arrows away, so I +must climb up and strike him with my tomahawk." + +Again they begged him not to go, but again he was firm, and they sadly +watched him begin to climb up the rocky side of the mountain. Little +by little, he ascended the steep, rough hill, until at last he was +almost at the feet of the Windmaker. All this time the monster had +been perfectly still. Then suddenly, just as the chief was within +reach of him, he waved both his ears, and a terrible gale tore down the +mountain side, carrying rocks and stones with it. It caught the chief, +lifted him off his feet and carried him down. When he reached the +bottom he lay as if insensible for a few moments. Then, recovering his +breath, he began to climb again. Once more the Windmaker let him +nearly reach his feet before he made a movement. This time he sent a +current of air against a large boulder resting on a narrow ledge. The +chief leaped just in time, for it fell with a terrible noise on the +very spot where he had stood. + +Angered by this, the chief grasped his tomahawk more firmly, and +dashing up a few paces, aimed a blow at the monster's feet. But before +it fell, the Windmaker waved both ears again. With a roar like thunder +the gale swept down, carrying the brave chief with it. It tossed him +in the air, turned him around two or three times, and hurled him into a +clump of fir-trees at the foot of the mountain. The Indians ran +frantically to the spot and picked him up, but he was quite dead. They +buried him sadly where he had fallen, at the foot of the tender firs. +Then they went quietly back to their village in the mountains and have +been content to live there ever since. + + + + +MOOWIS + +In a certain tribe in the far West there was a maiden who was very +beautiful. Many warriors loved her, but she would listen to none of +them. + +In the same tribe there was a young man who was called Beau-man, +because he was so beautifully dressed. He was very handsome too, and +so when he fell in love with the maiden, he felt sure she would love +him also; but when he came to see her, she would not listen, and when +he tried to make her hear, she made a motion with her hand which means +contempt. This made him feel very mean. All his friends laughed at +him, and this made him so very angry that he went away to his tent and +lay down. He remained without eating anything for many weeks. His +parents and friends all coaxed him to get up, but he would not. + +At length the time came for the tribe to move camp, as this was just a +hunting trip, and when the summer arrived they always went back to the +village. They asked Beau-man to come with them, but still he would not +move. So they lifted the tent, and left him lying there in his bed all +alone. + +The next day he got up, for he had thought of a splendid plan to have +revenge on the maiden. He knew a spirit who would help him when asked. + +He began to gather all the bits of colored cloth, old beads, and +feathers that were lying on the ground where the camp had been. Most +of them were very dirty, and some were wet with snow. But he put them +all in one pile, and then with the help of the spirit, he made them all +look clean. Then he made beaded moccasins from some of the scraps; +leggings and a coat from some others. At last a frontlet with feathers +sticking in it for the head. He gathered up snow and dirt, and filled +the moccasins and the rest of the suit with it. The spirit changed the +whole thing into a man,--a fine-looking warrior, to whom was given the +name Moowis. The Beau-man at once took him to the village where the +maiden lived. + +Moowis was kindly received by the chief, who invited him into his +lodge. He was finely dressed, and held himself so proudly that the +maiden fell in love with him. The chief asked him to sit near the +fire. But he could not sit there very long, as the heat began to melt +the snow, and soon he would have been a pile of rags. He put a boy +between himself and the fire, and kept moving away until he was near +the door. + +Then the chief came and asked him to sit in the bridegroom's chair. +This meant that he was married to the maiden. When it became evening, +Moowis said he must go now, as he had a long journey to make. The +maiden begged to go with him, but he told her she could not. Still she +coaxed so hard that he asked the Beau-man what he should do. "Let her +go with you," he answered; "it will serve her right." + +In a little while they set out. Moowis walked so fast that the maiden +had to run to keep up, and in a short time she was very tired. Still +he walked on so swiftly that he was soon far ahead. They walked all +night, and when the sun rose the bridegroom was almost out of sight. +As the day grew warm, his snow began to melt, and as it did so, his +fine clothes began to turn back into rags. Then they began to fall +off. First the maiden found his mittens, next his moccasins, then she +picked up his coat. She walked on calling, "Moowis, where are you?" +But all she could find was bits of rags, beads, and feathers scattered +over the fields. She wandered on from one village to another calling, +"Moowis, Moowis, oh, Moowis, where have you gone?" + +The village maidens turned her cry into a song, and used to chant it as +she passed. She never saw anything more of him, although she wandered +on for years, always calling, "Moowis." + + + + +THE DAUGHTERS OF THE STAR + +There once lived, in a deep forest, a hunter named Waupee, or the White +Hawk. Every day he returned from the chase with birds and animals +which he had killed, for he was very skilful. + +One day he walked through the forest till at last he reached the edge +of it, and there before him lay the wide prairie. The grass was so +soft and green, and there were so many flowers, that he wandered on for +a while. He could see that no one lived there, as no trace of +footsteps was to be seen. Suddenly he came to a circle on the prairie. +It looked as if people had run around in a ring until the grass was +trampled down. As he could see no marks of footsteps leading away from +the ring, he wondered very much whose feet could have marked out the +circle. Then he made up his mind to hide, so that he might see if any +one came. + +After awhile, he heard the sound of beautiful music. It seemed to come +from the sky. As he looked up he saw something coming down through the +air, and the music sounded like the singing of girls. As the object +came closer, he saw that it was a wicker basket, and in it were twelve +beautiful maidens. When the basket reached the ground, they all jumped +out and began to dance around the circle. They were all very +beautiful, but Waupee picked out the youngest as the one he liked best. +He watched them as long as he could, then ran out to clasp the youngest +in his arms. But as soon as the maidens saw the figure of a man, they +ran to the basket, jumped in, and were at once drawn up to the sky. + +Waupee was left alone on the prairie, and he felt very sad to think he +had frightened away the beautiful maidens. He went back slowly to his +lodge, but could not rest all night. The next day he came again to the +magic circle. + +This time he changed himself into an opossum. He had not waited long +when the wicker basket again floated down. The sisters jumped out and +began the same dance. Waupee crept towards them; but when they saw +him, they at once ran to the basket and climbed in. It began to +ascend, but stopped when a short distance up. + +"Perhaps," said the oldest sister, "he has come to show us the way the +mortals dance." + +"Oh, no!" said the youngest; "let us go up quickly." They all began to +sing their sweet song, and the basket rose out of sight. + +Again Waupee was sad, but he made up his mind that the next day he +would act more wisely. So, when he came back, he found the stump of a +tree where a family of mice lived. He moved the stump over near the +circle and changed himself into one of the mice. Again the sisters +came, and began their dance. + +"Look," said the youngest sister, "that stump was not there before." +But the other sisters laughed at her and ran over to it. Then out came +all the mice, Waupee among them. The sisters began to chase and kill +the mice, and at last only one was left alive. The youngest sister ran +after it, and was just about to hit it, when it changed into Waupee. +He clasped her in his arms, while the other sisters sprang for the +basket and were drawn up to the sky. + +The maiden wept at being left alone, but Waupee wiped away her tears +and took her home to his little lodge. He was very good to her and at +last she grew very happy. But a few years afterwards, when her little +son was able to walk, she took him to the magic ring. She felt very +lonely when she thought of her sisters and of her father, the Star. So +she made up her mind to go back to them. She made a basket of reeds, +and putting her little son in it, she seated herself and began to sing +the old chant. The basket at once rose in the air and floated out of +sight. + +When Waupee was coming home, he heard this sweet song. He knew it was +one the sisters used to sing, so he ran at once to the magic circle, +but the basket had almost disappeared. He called and called, but no +answer came down to him, and at last it was gone. + +He threw himself down on the ground and wept. Then, when night came, +he rose and went home to his empty lodge. + +As the years went on the maiden was very happy in her old home, but the +son wished to go and see his birthplace. The grandfather heard him, +and said to the maiden, "Go down to the earth and show your son his +birthplace, and when you are coming back, bring your husband with you. +But when he comes, tell him to bring a part of each kind of bird and +animal he has killed." + +This the maiden did. Waupee was delighted to have them return, and at +once set to work to hunt and kill one of every kind of bird and animal. +It took him many days to do this, but at last all were gathered. He +took a claw of some birds, a wing of others, a tail of some animals, +and the feet of others. Then they all stepped into the basket and it +took them up to the sky. + +The Star grandfather was so pleased with Waupee's gift, that he called +all his people to a feast. After it was over, he told them to choose +what they liked best from the earthly things. Some chose a wing, +others a paw, and so on, and as they did so they were at once changed +into an animal or bird like the one they had chosen. + +Waupee was pleased with this idea and chose the feather of a white +hawk. His wife and son chose the same, and all were changed into these +graceful birds. They slowly spread out their white wings and floated +away towards the earth. + +Passing through the clouds they found themselves above the snow-capped +mountains. They flew on, until at length they saw the green tops of +trees far below them. In great circles they began to descend, and in a +few minutes alighted in the topmost branches of a tall tree. + +Waupee then spoke: "We shall build our nest in this tree, and into it +we shall weave parts of our old lodge, where we lived so happily +together. Let us go now and gather these; then we shall begin our +nest." + + + + +KOTO AND THE BIRD + +Once there was a little Cree boy named Koto. His father was a chief +and a great hunter, and Koto always longed for the time when he would +be able to hunt like his father and bring back large game to the +wigwam. One summer day the chief and all the hunters were away on a +hunting trip. There was no one left in the camp but a few of the women +and some children. Koto wandered around, not knowing what to do, when +suddenly he thought of a very daring thing. One pony had been left +because it had been lame, and now Koto made up his mind that he would +get on its back and gallop over the prairie. He knew that the pony's +foot was nearly better, and he thought that one gallop could not hurt +it. + +So he jumped on the pony's back, waved his arms, and called out to it +to run, and away they went. Koto's long, dark hair and the pony's mane +blew in the wind, and they both were enjoying the gallop when something +terrible happened. The pony caught his foot in a badger hole and fell +heavily to the ground. Koto was tossed in the air, and then fell with +one foot pinned under him. + +For a long time the two sufferers lay there in the hot sun on the +prairie. At length Koto's mother, who had missed him, found them. She +carried Koto back to the wigwam and laid him on his bed of skins. She +told him that his leg was broken and that the pony's leg was broken +also, and that the hunters would have to kill it when they returned. +Poor Koto wept bitterly. He did not mind his own broken leg, but to +think that he had really killed the little pony nearly broke his heart. +For many days he lay on his bed, and at last he was able to get up and +move around with the help of a little crutch, which his father had made +from the branch of a tree. + +When winter came, the Indians moved their camp to the woods along the +bank of the Assiniboine River. Koto was not able to walk well, so +remained in his lodge until all the camp had been moved. Then his +father came to carry him to the camp that was protected from the cold +north wind. + +"My son," he said, as he walked along with Koto in his arms, "I have a +surprise for you. You shall not live in a wigwam this winter." + +"Why not?" asked Koto. "I like my wigwam. It is warm and keeps the +cold wind away." + +"Wait, and you shall see," said his father. "You will like your new +lodge much better." + +When they reached the camp, Koto saw what the chief had meant. During +the summer some white men had camped there and had built a log cabin +for themselves. Then they had gone away, leaving the little cabin +deserted, and now the chief had taken it for his lodge. Koto was very +much pleased with his new home, and the door which opened on hinges was +always a great surprise to him. He was not able to go out during that +long winter, but he was never lonely, for the first day they were in +the cabin a strange visitor came. It was a little, brown bird which +had been deserted by its mate, and it flew in to get away from the +cold. All winter it remained with Koto, feeding from his food at +mealtime, and hopping around him during the day as he was weaving his +baskets. At night it slept on a little board that was nailed to the +wall near Koto's bed of skins. + +When springtime came and the door was left open, Koto noticed that the +bird's mate had returned. It flew to the bushes near the house and +called to Koto's bird, but she would not go, and at last her mate came +to the doorway. Again he called, and this time she went out, but she +came back at mealtime and remained with Koto all night. Every day +after that she would fly out in the morning and come back three or four +times during the day, while her mate would never come past the doorway. +Then one day she did not come back. Koto watched and waited for her. +The long day passed and evening came, still there was no sign of the +bird. The next day went by, and the next, and little Koto began to +look very sad as he sat at the door watching for her. + +At last he hobbled out and sat very quietly under the trees. In a +little while he came back as quickly as he could, his face shining for +joy. When he entered the cabin, he looked around eagerly. Then his +face grew sad again. + +"She is not here," he said sadly. "My little bird is not here." + +"No, she is not here," said his mother, "Did you think she was?" + +"Yes, I saw her fly in, but she is not here." + +Koto went out again and seated himself under the trees once more, but +he saw no sign of his bird all the rest of that day. The next day he +went to the same place to watch, and not long after he came hobbling in +eagerly with his face shining for joy as before. He looked around the +cabin, and again he grew sad, for there was no bird to be seen. + +Each day after that the same thing happened. As he sat under the trees +he saw the little bird fly into the cabin, but when he entered there +was no bird to be seen. He grew sadder and looked so thin that the +chief became sad, too. + +"My son," he said, "you must not think of this bird. It has flown +away. It will not come back. This is a spirit bird that you see enter +the cabin. Try not to think of it and be happy." + +But the little Cree boy only shook his head and said, "I saw her go in +and she does not come out and she is not in the cabin. Where is she? +Where is my little bird?" + +So the chief made up his mind that he would watch and see if the little +bird really did fly into the cabin. The next day he watched with Koto +under the trees, and in a few minutes the little boy grasped his hand. + +"Look," he said, "look, there is my little bird." And there in a tree +near them were two brown birds, one of them Koto's pet. They flew away +together; then one, when it reached the side of the cabin, suddenly +disappeared. Quickly seizing his father's hand, Koto and the chief +reached the door of the little home. They looked eagerly around the +room, but there was not a bird to be seen. They searched every place, +for the chief was sure that he had seen it enter. There was no trace +of it any place. Going out, he looked at the side of the little house, +and there was a hole between the logs where the bird might easily +enter. Coming in, he looked for the hole on the inside, but could not +find it. Then he noticed that an old, gray jacket, which had been left +there by the white men, was hanging where the hole ought to be. + +He took down the jacket and Koto gave a cry of delight. For from a +pocket of the coat peaked the head of his little bird, and there was +the hole between the logs, where the coat had hung. The bird seemed +quite pleased that they had found her, and after a while flew off her +nest to peck from Koto's hand. After some days her eggs were hatched, +and then the father bird consented to enter the cabin and help feed the +young ones. When the little birds grew large enough, they flew away +with the father bird, but for the rest of the summer Koto's little +brown friend remained with him, watching him weave his baskets, and +seemed very pleased when at last he was able to walk a little. + +When fall came, she went away with the other birds, but this time Koto +was not sad, for he knew she was happy, and he was happy, too, because +he could now walk. + + + + +THE HUMPBACKED MANITOU + +Bokwewa and his brother lived in a lodge in the forest, far away from +the rest of the world. They were both Manitous and could do many +wonderful things. Bokwewa had the most gifts and knew all the secrets +of the woods, but his body was deformed. The brother was very +handsome. His body was very straight, and he could run and do many +things that Bokwewa could not do. But he was not as wise as the +humpbacked Manitou. Bokwewa used to tell his brother how to hunt and +shoot and fish. Then the brother would go and get the food, and bring +it back to the lodge. Bokwewa did not go out very much, of course. + +One day the brother said, "Bokwewa, I am tired of living so quietly. +Where are all the rest of the people? I am going away to find them and +to get a wife." + +Bokwewa tried to coax him not to go, but the brother was determined. +He made ready for his journey, and departed. In a few days he +returned, bringing a beautiful maiden with him. Bokwewa was very kind +to His brother's wife and she was good to him, so they became great +friends. One day the brother was away hunting. Bokwewa was sitting by +one side of the fire in the lodge; the wife was sitting on the other +side. Suddenly the door was opened, and a strong, tall man entered. +He seized the maiden and began to pull her to the door. She screamed, +and tried to get away from him; but he held her fast. Bokwewa pulled +and fought with all his strength. The tall man pushed him against the +door and hurt his back. Then he dashed out with the maiden, and took +her away with him. + +When the brother returned, he found Bokwewa weeping with sorrow; and +when he heard what had happened, he wept also. Bokwewa tried to +comfort him, but the brother only lay on the bed, refusing to eat +anything, and weeping bitterly. For several days he stayed there. At +length he arose and said, "Bokwewa, I am going to the village where +that mighty Manitou lives. He has stolen my wife." + +"Oh, do not go," said Bokwewa, "for that village is many miles to the +south. The people who live there are idle and know only of pleasure. +They have many snares set by the roadside to catch you. Do not try to +go amongst them, for you will become like them and think only of +pleasure." + +"I am not afraid of anything," said the brother. "I must go." + +"Well, then," said Bokwewa, "I shall tell you of two dangers that lie +in the path. When you first start, you will find a grape-vine across +your path. Do not eat any of its fruit, for it is poisonous. It will +make you become very careless. Then, farther on you will come across +something that looks like bear's fat. It is clear, like jelly. Do not +eat of it, for it is frogs' eggs and will make you forget your home." + +The brother promised to remember these warnings, and set out for the +village. + +He had not gone very far when he noticed a grape-vine lying across the +road. The grapes were beautiful and juicy, so he ate some. Some +distance on he came to a jellylike mass, and he ate it. This was the +frogs' eggs, and he at once forgot his home and brother, and even his +wife. He travelled on for two days, and towards evening came in sight +of the large village. The people in it seemed to be having a good +time. Some were dancing and singing, and many of the women were +beating corn in golden dishes. When they saw him coming, they ran out, +shouting, "Here comes Bokwewa's brother to visit us." + +They welcomed him with joy, and led him into the village. In a short +time he was beating corn with the women. That is the surest sign to +the Indians that a warrior has lost his bravery. + +Days and weeks went by, and still he did not try to find his wife, +although she was living in that same village. Bokwewa waited at home, +hoping each day that his brother would return. At length, when some +years had gone by, he set out to find him. As he travelled along the +same road, he passed the grape-vine and the frogs' eggs. But they held +no danger for him, as he did not taste them. When he came in sight of +the village, he felt sorry for the people, who were wasting their lives +in idle games and other pleasures. As he came closer, the people ran +out, shouting, "Oh, Bokwewa has come to visit us! The good Bokwewa of +whom we have heard so much! Welcome to our village!" + +Bokwewa entered with them and found his brother. He was still beating +corn with the women, and seemed very happy. Bokwewa coaxed him to come +home, but he would not listen. He seemed content to stay there and do +no work. This made Bokwewa very sorry, for he knew his brother was no +longer a brave warrior. When evening came Bokwewa went down to the +riverside. There he changed himself into one of those hair snakes +sometimes seen in running water. After a while, the wife came down +with a pitcher to get some water. + +"Pick me up," said the hair snake, "and leave me in your pitcher." + +The wife did as she was told, and took the pitcher to her lodge. + +That night the Manitou who had stolen her wanted a drink. In the dark +he did not see the hair snake in the water, so drank it. In a few +minutes he was dead. Then Bokwewa returned to his former shape. He +went again to his brother and tried to make him come home. But the +brother refused. Bokwewa told him that these pleasures would not last +forever, and his tears fell as he saw that his brother would not come. +So he said good-bye to him and disappeared. + +After Bokwewa had gone, the brother seemed to remember parts of his +past life. He looked around and saw his wife at a little distance. At +once he remembered everything, and going to her, he wept and begged her +to forgive him and his neglect. She kissed him fondly, and then hand +in hand they walked away from the treacherous land of pleasure, back to +the lodge where Bokwewa waited for them. + + + + +THE TRIBE THAT GREW OUT OF A SHELL + +Once, when the land along the Missouri River was uninhabited, save by +the beaver and other animals, a snail lay asleep on the bank of the +river. One day the waters began to rise, and soon came up to where he +lay. They swept him out, and he was carried some miles down by the +current. When the waves lowered, he found himself bedded deep in the +mud. He tried to free himself, but he could not. He was hungry and +tired, and at last became so discouraged that he would not try any more. + +Then a strange thing happened. He felt his shell crack, and his head +began to rise upright. His body and legs grew and lengthened, and at +last he felt arms stretching out from his sides. Then he stood +upright--a MAN. + +He felt very stupid at first, but after a while some thoughts came to +him. He knew he was hungry and wished he were a snail again; for he +knew how to get food as a snail, but not as a man. He saw plenty of +birds, but did not know how to kill them. He wandered on through the +forest, until he became so tired that he lay down to rest. + +He heard a gentle voice speaking to him, and looking up, he saw the +Great Spirit, who was seated on a snow-white horse. His eyes shone +like stars, and his hair like threads of gold. + +"Wasbashas, why are you trembling?" + +"I am frightened," replied the man, "because I stand before the One who +raised me from the ground. I am faint from hunger, for I have eaten +nothing since I left the shell in the bank of the river." + +"Look, Wasbashas," said the spirit, as he drew forth a beautiful bow +and arrow. Putting an arrow into the bow, he aimed at a bird in a tree +near by. He shot, and the bird fell. A deer passed just then, and the +spirit shot it, also. + +"Now, Wasbashas," said the spirit, "I shall show you how to skin this +deer, and show you how to make a blanket. Then you must learn to cook +the flesh. I shall give you the gift of fire. For now that you are a +man, you must not eat raw food. You shall be placed at the head of all +the animals and birds." + +After the spirit had shown him the things he had promised, both horse +and rider arose in the air and vanished. + +Wasbashas walked on down the river until he came to a place where a +beaver was lying. + +"Good-day," said the beaver. "Who are you?" + +"I am a man. The Great Spirit raised me from a shell, and now I am +head of all the animals. And who are you?" + +"I am a beaver. Will you come with me until I show you how we build +our lodges?" + +Wasbashas followed the beaver and watched him cut down a tree with his +teeth. Then the animal showed him how they dammed up the river, by +letting the trees fall across it and filling the spaces between with +mud and leaves. + +"Now will you come and visit my lodge?" said the beaver chief. He led +Wasbashas to his neat lodge made of clay and shaped like a cone. The +floor was carpeted with mats. The beaver's wife and daughter received +the stranger kindly. They busied themselves getting a meal ready, and +soon brought dishes of peeled poplar and alder bark. Wasbashas did not +like the taste of it, but managed to eat a few pieces. The beavers +seemed to enjoy the meal very much. + +Wasbashas had been watching the daughter, and he liked her nice, tidy +ways and the respect she showed her father. In the evening he asked +the chief if he would give the maiden to him for his bride. The chief +was very pleased at the idea, for he liked Wasbashas. + +The beaver invited all the animals to the feast, which was to be held +the next day. Early the following morning they began to arrive. First +came the beavers, each bringing a present of a lump of clay on his flat +tail. Next came the otters, each bringing a large fish in his mouth. +Later in the morning came the minks, the water-rats, and the weasels, +all very proud to accept the invitation of the great chief of the +beavers. + +When the animals had all assembled, the beavers held a council among +themselves. After talking for some time they invited the other animals +to follow them. And going a short distance down the river bank, they +stopped. Each beaver took the lump of clay he had brought with him and +placed it near the water's edge. Then they began to build a +dome-shaped lodge of small pieces of trees and the clay. After several +hours of steady work it was finished, and then they went to the chief's +lodge, where the feast was to be held. + +When the meal was over the snail man and the beaver maiden were led to +their lodge, which was the wedding-gift of the beavers. Here they +lived happy ever after. Many years later their descendants were called +the Osages tribe of Indians. + + + + +THE STORY OF THE INDIAN CORN + +Some years ago the Ottawa Indians inhabited the Manatoline Islands. +Their enemies were the Iroquois Indians, who lived on the lake shore +near the islands. One night they came and attacked the Ottawas. The +two tribes fought for a long time, but at last the Iroquois won, and +the Ottawas were driven away from their islands. They wandered off +towards the Mississippi River, where they settled near a small lake, +many miles away from their home. + +The Manatoline Islands were now uninhabited, except by an Indian +magician, whose name was Masswaweinini. He remained behind to act as +sentry for his tribe. He guarded the beautiful islands and kept a +close watch on their enemy, the Iroquois. Two young boys stayed with +him to paddle his canoe. In the daytime they used to paddle close to +the shore, so that the Iroquois could not see them, and at night they +slept in the deep woods. + +One morning Masswaweinini rose early and left the two boys asleep. He +walked a long distance through the woods, hunting for game. At last he +found himself on the edge of a wide prairie. He began to walk across +it, when a man suddenly appeared in front of him. He was very tiny and +had some red feathers in his hair. "Good-morning, Masswaweinini," he +said. "You are a very strong man, are you not?" + +"Yes," replied the magician. "I am as strong as any man, but no +stronger." + +The tiny man then pulled out his tobacco-pouch and pipe. + +"Come and smoke with me," he said, "and then we must have a wrestling +match. If you can throw me, you must say, 'I have thrown Wagemena.'" + +So they smoked together, but when the little man was ready to wrestle, +the magician did not like to do it, for he was afraid he might hurt the +tiny fellow. But the other insisted, and so they began to wrestle. +The magician soon found that the little man was very strong and quick, +and he felt himself growing weaker every moment. But at last he +succeeded in tripping the man with the red feathers, and he fell. Then +the magician said, "I have thrown you, Wagemena." At once the little +man vanished, and in his place lay an ear of corn, with a red tassel +where the feathers had been. As he stood staring at it, the corn +spoke. "Pick me up," it said, "and pull off my outer covering. Then +take off my kernels and scatter them over the ground. Break my cob +into three parts and throw them near the trees. Depart, but come back +after one moon, and see what has happened." + +The magician did exactly as the corn had told him, and went away. At +the end of the time he came back. To his surprise, he found green +blades of corn coming through the ground where the kernels had been +scattered. And near the trees pumpkin-vines were growing where the +cobs of the corn had been thrown. + +He had not told the young boys of his adventure with the tiny man, so +he did not tell them anything of the growing corn. All the rest of +that summer he busied himself in closely watching the Iroquois, who +were still prowling near the islands. Very often he killed a deer, and +the boys would cook the meat over their camp-fire. One day, when the +summer was nearly over, he paddled his canoe around the island till he +came near the wrestling ground. He stepped ashore, and left the two +boys to watch the canoe, while he walked to the field. To his great +astonishment, he found the corn in full ear, and the pumpkins of an +immense size. He pulled some ripened ears of corn and gathered some +pumpkins. Then a voice spoke to him from the corn. "You have +conquered me, Masswaweinini," it said. "If you had not done so, you +would have been killed yourself. But your strength made you win the +victory, and now you shall always have my body for food. It will be +nourishment for you and your tribe." + +Thus the Ottawa Indians were given the gift of the maize; and to this +day their descendants are noted for the care that they take of their +immense fields of corn. + + + + +THE MAGICIAN OF LAKE HURON + +The Manatoline, or Spirit, Islands were supposed to be a favorite abode +of the Manitous, or spirits. Perhaps that is why many strange things +happened there. One night, as Masswaweinini, the magician, was lying +asleep, a sound of voices wakened him. "This is Masswaweinini," said +the first voice; "we must have his heart." + +"How shall we get it?" said the second voice. + +"I shall put my hand into his mouth," said the first, "and pull it out +that way." + +The magician felt a hand being slipped between his teeth. He waited +until the fingers were all in his mouth, then he bit them hard and they +came off. He heard a cry, then the strangers disappeared. In the +morning he arose, but could find no trace of any one. But when he came +down to the water's edge, he saw a canoe with two people in it. They +were sitting at each end of the canoe, with their arms stretched out. +When he came close to them, he saw they were fairies, and that they had +been turned to stone. One of them had lost the fingers of one hand, so +he knew they were his enemies of the night before. The canoe was laden +with bags of all kinds of treasures, and it was the most beautiful boat +he had ever seen. He lifted out the stone figures and put them in the +woods. As he turned away, one of the figures spoke to him. + +"Masswaweinini," it said, "the canoes of the Ottawa Indians will, after +this, always be well laden like our canoe. Your tribe was driven from +their land by their cruel enemies, but they shall be rewarded for their +bravery. The Mighty Spirit will help them, and they shall be given +many treasures in their new home." + +The magician then went back to the boat and lifted out the bags. He +carried the boat and hid it among the trees. When he opened the bags, +he found meat and fish and many other things, and took them to his camp. + +As he rested in his lodge that night, he would have been very happy, if +he had not been so sorry for his old father and mother. He thought of +them many miles away with none of the comforts he had. "I shall go and +bring them," he said. He had only to think of going when at once he +could move like the wind. So before morning he found himself at the +poor, little camp of his parents. They were still asleep, so without +making any noise, he took them in his arms and carried them back to his +lodge. When they awakened in the morning, they were delighted to find +themselves with their son. All day long they wandered through the +fields and by the shore, and were as happy as children. As the days +and weeks went by, they seemed to grow happier still. But one night +the magician saw his old father look in his tobacco-pouch and then sigh. + +"I know what it is you want, my father, it is tobacco; you have not had +any for many moons. Now I shall get some." + +"How can you do that?" asked the father, in surprise. "You are +surrounded by enemies and cut off from all supplies." + +"I shall make my enemies give me some," said the magician. + +That night he set out on a long journey across the frozen lake. So +swiftly did he travel, that by morning he had reached the village of +his enemies. They were surprised to see him, but invited him into +their lodges. "I thank you," he said, "but I shall not go into any +lodge. I shall build a fire on the shore of the lake." + +He made himself a tent with the branches of trees, built a fire, and +sat beside it. + +"Why have you come to visit us?" asked the chief. + +"I want some tobacco for my father," replied the magician. + +"Is that all?" said the Indian. "You shall have it;" and he opened his +tobacco-pouch and gave some tobacco to Masswaweinini. The other +Indians did the same, so now the magician had a large supply to take +home. When it became dark, he lay down to sleep beside his fire. In +the middle of the night, the chief and some Indians rushed in, +shouting, "You are a dead man." + +"No, I am not," said the magician, "but you are." With his tomahawk he +hit left and right. In a few minutes six lay dead beside him. Then he +wrapped his blanket around him, gathered up his tobacco, and set off. +By evening he had reached his father's lodge, and spread out his gift +before him. The old man was delighted with the present, and thanked +him many times for his kindness. When spring came, the magician built +a beautiful lodge for his parents on the edge of the wrestling ground, +and all through the summer they watched the corn and pumpkins grow. + + + + +THE FAIRIES' CLIFF + +An Indian chief once had ten daughters. They were all very beautiful, +especially the youngest. When they grew to be women, nine of them +married handsome, young warriors. But the youngest maiden would not +listen to any of the young men who came to see her at her father's +lodge. After a while, she married an old man with gray hair, and so +feeble that he could hardly walk. Her father and sisters were very +angry, but she would not listen to them. She said only, "I am very +happy, and so nothing else matters." + +One evening, the father asked his ten daughters and their husbands to +come to his lodge for a feast. On the way there, the nine sisters kept +saying, as they looked at the youngest maiden and her husband: "Our +poor sister, is it not a pity she is married to such an old man? See, +he can hardly walk. Would it not be a good thing if he were to fall +and kill himself?" + +As they were saying this, they noticed that the old man kept looking up +at the Evening Star, and every once in a while he would utter a low +call. + +"See," said one of the sisters, "he thinks the Evening Star is his +father and is calling to him." + +Just then, they were passing a hollow log which lay by the roadside. +When the old man noticed it, he suddenly dropped on his hands and knees +and crawled in at one end. When he came out at the other end, he was +no longer an old man; he had been changed into a tall, handsome, young +chief. But his wife was no longer a beautiful maiden. She had been +changed into a bent, old woman, hobbling along with a stick. The young +husband was very kind to her and took good care of her all the rest of +the way to the father's lodge. He seemed very sorry that she had been +changed like this, but he loved her just the same as before. During +the feast the young husband heard a voice speak to him. It seemed to +come from the skies. Looking up, he saw the Evening Star shining in +through a crack in the roof. + +"My son," the Star said to him, "many years ago an evil spirit changed +you into an old man, but that spirit has now lost its power. You are +free, and may come home and live with me. Your wife shall be beautiful +once more, and you shall have everything you can wish for." + +The others had not heard this voice, so they were very much surprised +when they felt the lodge begin to rise in the air. As it floated +upwards, the bark changed into beautiful silver gauze. It was now a +lodge made of wings of insects. The young chief looked at his wife and +saw that she was a beautiful maiden once more. Her dress was changed +into one of shining, green silk, and her stick became a silver feather. +The sisters and their husbands had been changed into birds with +bright-colored feathers. Some were parrots, some blue jays, some +singing birds that flew around and sang their sweet songs. At the side +of the lodge was a large cage for the birds. Upwards, the lodge +floated till they found themselves in the Evening Star. Everything was +silvery white here and very peaceful. The Star was very glad to see +his son. + +"Hang up that cage of birds which you have brought with you by the +lodge door, and then come and sit down while we talk." + +The young chief did as he was told. He sat on one side of his father, +while his wife sat on the other, and the Star father told them many +stories. + +"You must be careful," he said, "not to let the beams of the next star +shine on you. That is the Evil Star which turned you into an old man. +If it shines on you again, you might once more be changed, so be very +careful." + +The young chief promised to remember his father's warnings, and he +always kept away from the Evil Star. They lived happily together for +several years. Then one day their young son wanted to learn to hunt. +He had heard that the people on the earth could shoot with bow and +arrows, and he wished to learn. The Evening Star did not like to +refuse his young grandson anything, so he made him a little bow and +arrows. He showed him how to use them; then said, "I shall open the +bird-cage and let out the birds. You may try to shoot them, if you +like." + +This delighted the young boy, and so for many days he tried to shoot a +bird. His arrows always fell to one side. But he kept on trying, and +one day the arrow sank deep in the breast of one of the birds. The boy +was very proud, but what was his surprise, when he went to pick up the +bird, to find that it had changed into a beautiful maiden with an arrow +sticking in her breast. It was one of his aunts, who had been changed +back into her earthly form. As her blood fell on the ground of this +pure and spotless planet, the spell was broken. + +The boy felt himself sinking down through the air. He fell slowly, as +if he had wings. At last his feet touched the ground, and he found +himself on a high, rocky island. He was delighted to see his aunts and +uncles all following him. They floated down through the air until at +last they too reached the rock. Then came the silvery lodge, with his +father and mother, with its bark looking like the shining wings of +insects. The lodge sank down until it reached the cliff, and there +they all made their home. They had been given back their earthly +bodies, but were only the size of fairies. + +The top of the cliff, which had been bare before, now grew soft with +green grass. In the grass, bright flowers blossomed, and tiny pools of +water glistened here and there. The fairies were all very happy to +have been given such a beautiful home, and, looking up, they thanked +the Evening Star. His soft beams fell on them and they heard his +gentle voice say, "Be happy, my children, until I call you again to +your home in the sky. I shall keep watch over you until then." So +from that time they have been very contented. + +On calm summer evenings, they always come out on top of the rock to +dance and sing. And when the moon is shining very brightly, you may +see the silver lodge on the very highest part of the cliff; you may +also, if you listen very hard, hear the voices of the happy little +dancers. + + + + +THE STONE CANOE + +Once a beautiful Chippewa maiden died on the day she was to have +married a brave, young warrior. He was very brave, but this sorrow was +almost too great for him to bear. He sat down at the door of his lodge +and would not go hunting with the other Indians. + +All that he could think of was the dead maiden, and he wished and +wished that he might go to the Land of Souls, where he knew she now +lived. But he did not know where this land was. All that the old +people could tell him was that it lay to the south. So, after +sorrowing for many days, he made up his mind to try to find it. He put +some food in a bag, gathered up his arrows and bow, and calling his dog +to him, started off. On he went for many days, and everything looked +the same as in the land he had left--forests, hills, and valleys, with +snow lying thick on the ground and matted in the trees. Then gradually +the snow began to vanish, and as he went on he saw trees with leaves +budding on them, and could hear the songs of birds. At the end of a +few more days, he had reached the southern land, where all is warm and +bright. There he saw a narrow path leading through a forest and up a +hill. + +He followed this path, and at the top of the hill found a lodge. At +the door of the lodge stood an Indian, dressed in a robe of bearskins. +He was a very old man, but his eyes were bright and soft. + +"Come in, my grandson," he said. "I have been expecting you. The +maiden whom you seek passed here a few days ago. You may follow her +and enter the Land of Souls, but you must leave your body behind with +me. My lodge is the gateway into that beautiful land, and you do not +need your body there, nor your arrows, nor your bow. Leave them with +me and I shall keep them safe for you. Look yonder! Do you see that +deep gorge and the beautiful plain beyond? That is the Land of Souls, +and the one you seek is already there." + +Suddenly the young man felt himself grow very light, and his feet began +to run as though they were winged. Everything looked the same to him, +only more beautiful, and the little animals did not seem afraid. They +seemed to know that he would not kill them. As he went on swiftly +through the forest, he noticed that the trees did not stop him. He +seemed to pass right through them, and he saw then that they were only +images of trees. + +At last he came to a beautiful lake, whose waters were clear and +sparkling. In the centre of this lake was an island, with green grass +and flowers and birds. Then, to his joy, he noticed a canoe tied to +the shore of the lake. It was made of shining, white stone and had +paddles that shone, also. He climbed in and pushed away from the +shore, and, to his surprise, he saw the maiden whom he loved, in a +canoe exactly like his, floating beside him. They kept close together +and began to cross the lake. Its waves seemed to be rising, and at a +distance looked ready to swallow them up. But when the huge waves drew +close, they passed by and left them unharmed, and the maiden and her +lover saw that they were only the shapes of waves. But another thing +frightened them. It was _the clearness of the water_, for as they +looked down, they could see the bodies of people who had been drowned. +And in the water all along, there were men and women of all ages +struggling and sinking in the waves. Only the canoes of the little +children floated on in safety. + +At last their canoes reached the shore of the island, and jumping out, +they roamed joyfully over the soft grass. They felt that the very air +was food, and thought only of great things. For there was nothing that +was sad here in this land, no cold winds, no hunger--only brightness +and joy. + +As the warrior, wandered by the maiden's side, he heard the voice of +the Master of Life speaking to him. "Go back," he said, "to the land +whence you came. Your work is not completed yet. Go back and be a +good man, and do all the work that I send to you. You must leave the +spirit whom you love, but she shall wait here for you, for she is +accepted, and shall always remain young and happy. When your work is +finished, I shall call you also from the land of hunger and tears, to +come to this beautiful Land of Souls." + +So the young man said farewell to the maiden, and getting into the +canoe, he was carried across the lake. In a few minutes, he was at the +lodge of the old man. The Indian smiled when he saw him. + +"Enter, my grandson," he said, "and you will find your body within." + +The young man obeyed, and when he came forth he felt as when he had +first arrived. But his heart was brave now. The Indian smiled again +at him. + +"I see how brave and strong you are," he said, "and my message to you +is: always remain cheerful and brighten every sad life that you see." + +The young man promised to obey the message, and, with one long look at +the Land of Souls, he turned and began his journey towards his home. + + + + +THE WHITE FEATHER + +An old man and his grandson once lived together on an island. The +little boy had no father, nor mother, nor brothers, nor sisters. They +had all been killed by six giants, who lived many miles away. The +little boy had never seen any person but his grandfather. They lived +very happily together. The old man loved the boy and was kind to him. +As the little fellow grew tall and strong, the old man taught him how +to hunt, so that by the time he was a young man he was a good hunter. + +One day when he was walking in the woods, he heard a voice calling to +him. He turned in surprise, for he had never heard any one but his +grandfather speak. He could see no one, but again he heard the voice. +It was saying, "You will some day be the wearer of the White Feather." + +He looked all around him, and then noticed something that he had taken +for a withered tree. It was a man who was made of wood from his breast +down to his feet. He seemed to be very old, and was fastened to the +ground. When he saw the young man was looking at him, he said, "Come +here, I wish to tell you something. There was an old belief in your +tribe that some day a boy would grow up to be a very great warrior. He +was to wear a white feather as a sign of his bravery and great skill. +You are that boy. When you go home, you will find there a white +feather, a pipe, and a tobacco-pouch. Put the white feather in your +hair. Then smoke the pipe, and you will find that the smoke will turn +into pigeons. This is another sign that you will be wise and good." + +The old man ceased speaking, and the young grandson returned home to +his lodge. He found the feather and the pipe both lying there. He did +as the old man told him, and when he smoked, blue and white pigeons +flew away from his pipe. His grandfather saw the pigeons fly out of +the lodge door, and he felt very sad. For he knew that his little +grandson was a young man now, and would soon be leaving him. Then he +went in, and they talked together for a long time. He told the young +man all about the six giants who had killed his brothers and sisters, +and White Feather said, "I shall go at once in search of them and kill +them, because they were so cruel to all our tribe." + +"No, do not go yet," said the old grandfather. "Wait awhile until you +grow a little more and are stronger." + +The young man promised to wait for a few months. + +One day he was again hunting in the woods, when he passed near the +wooden man. He heard him speak and say: + +"White Feather, listen to me. In a few days you must go in search of +the giants. They live in a high lodge in the centre of this wood. +When you reach there, you must ask them to race with you, one at a +time. Take this vine," handing him at the same time a thin, green +vine. "It is enchanted, so they will not be able to see it. When you +are running, throw it over their heads and they will trip and fall." +White Feather thanked the old man, and took it home and showed it to +his grandfather. + +A few days later he set out in search of the giants. He had not +journeyed far when he saw their lodge. When they saw him coming, they +called out, "Oh, here comes White Feather. Here is the little man who +is going to do such brave deeds." But when he came closer to them, +they pretended they liked him, and told him how brave he was. They did +that to make him think they were friends, but he did not believe them, +as he knew they were his enemies. He asked them if they would race +him, and they said, "Yes." + +"Begin with the smallest of us," said the biggest giant. So they +began. They had to run to a peel-tree and back again to the +starting-point. This point was marked by an iron club, and whoever won +the race was to take up the club and kill the other one with it. When +they had nearly reached the peel-tree, White Feather threw the vine +over the youngest giant's head. He tripped and fell. Then White +Feather ran up and seized the club and killed the giant. The next day +he raced the second youngest, and killed him in the same manner. Each +day he did this, until only the biggest giant was left. Now this giant +was the most dangerous of them all. He knew that, if he ran, White +Feather would kill him, too, so he made up his mind that he would not +race. White Feather said he was going home to see his grandfather +before he ran this last race. As he was passing through the woods, the +wooden man called to him. + +"Listen to me," he said. "That tall giant is going to play a trick on +you. When you are on your way back to his lodge, you will meet a most +beautiful maiden. Do not listen to her, but change yourself into an +elk. Remember this and obey me." The young man promised to remember. +He spent the day with his grandfather, then made his way back to the +giant's lodge. He had nearly reached it, when he saw the beautiful +maiden coming towards him. She called to him, but he did not listen. +He changed himself into an elk, and began eating the grass. Then she +told him how mean he was to change himself into an elk, just because +she was coming. He felt very sorry that she should think he was rude, +and he wished he were a man again. At once he became himself, and +began to talk to the maiden. Now she was really the big giant, who had +changed himself into this form. After a while White Feather grew tired +and lay down on the grass to sleep. When he was sound asleep, the +maiden drew forth an axe and broke his back. She then changed him into +a dog and herself back into the giant, who made the dog follow at his +heels. + +On the way to the giant's lodge, there was an Indian village where two +sisters lived. They had heard of White Feather, and both wished that +he would choose her for his wife. They looked out and saw the giant +coming with the white feather in his hair, for he had taken the feather +and put it in his own hair. They thought he was the brave warrior of +whom they had heard so much. The elder sister had made her lodge look +very gaudy, and had dressed herself in all her beads and quills. The +younger sister had left her tent just as it was, and was dressed +neatly. When the giant came along, he chose the elder sister. She +would have nothing to do with the dog, but the younger sister felt +sorry for it and let it come and live in her lodge. + +The giant used to go hunting each day, but he never succeeded in +killing very many animals. The dog used to go out also, and he always +brought back a beaver, a bear, or some other animal for food. This +made the giant and his wife jealous. So they made up their minds that +they would tell the chief that his younger daughter was treating a dog +with too much kindness. When they had gone, the dog made signs to the +maiden for her to sweat him the way the Indians do. She made a lodge +for him just big enough to hold him. Then she heated some stones until +they were very hot. She put these stones in the lodge beside him, and +poured water on them. In a minute the lodge was full of steam. She +closed the door and left him there. After a while he came forth, a +handsome, young man, but he could not speak. + +When the giant and his wife told the chief about the dog who was such a +great wonder, he felt sure there was some magic in it. So he gathered +a band of young men, and sent them to bring the daughter and the dog to +his lodge. What was their surprise to find a handsome, young man +instead of the dog. They all went together to the lodge of the chief, +who had gathered together all the other men of the village, the giant +among them. When the young man entered, he made a sign to put the +white feather in his hair. The chief took it from the giant's head, +and put it on the young man's. At once he was able to talk. He then +told them to smoke from his pipe. It went around the circle until it +reached him. When he began to smoke, blue and white pigeons flew from +the pipe. Then everybody knew that he was the great warrior, White +Feather. + +The chief asked him to tell them all about himself. He did so very +truthfully, and when the chief learned how wicked and cruel the giant +had been, he ordered that he should be changed into a dog and let loose +in the village, where the boys were to stone him to death. This order +was carried out. A few days afterwards, White Feather said good-bye to +the good old chief, and he and the kind maiden returned to his +grandfather. + +They found him waiting for them in the forest near the wooden man. The +grandfather wept for joy when he heard that the last giant was dead. +And the wooden man said, "Now my work is ended;" and with that he +changed into a gnarled oak-tree with withered branches, which seemed to +talk as the wind whistled through them. + + + + +THE LONE LIGHTNING + +There once lived a lonely little boy whose father and mother were dead. +His uncle took care of him, but did not treat him kindly. He made him +work very hard and gave him little to eat. The little fellow grew very +thin, and began to pine away. + +Then his uncle changed his way of treating him, and began to fatten +him. He pretended that he was doing this to make the boy grow strong. +But he really intended to kill him after a while. He told his wife to +give the boy lots of bear meat to eat. He made him eat a lot of the +fat as well. This is supposed to be the best part of the bear's meat. + +One day the boy did not want to eat the fat. His uncle pushed some +down his throat and nearly choked him. He managed to get away from his +uncle, and ran out of the lodge. He ran as fast as he could, and by +night he was many miles away. He found himself in a bush and was +afraid to lie down on the grass for fear the wild beasts would come and +eat him, so he climbed to the top of a tall pine-tree, and rested in +its branches. + +As he was sleeping he had a dream. He thought a spirit came from the +upper world and said, "My dear child, I have seen how cruel your uncle +has been to you, and how brave you are, so I have a deed I want you to +do; come with me." Then the boy wakened and followed the spirit. They +went high up in the sky and then the spirit said: + +"Over in the north there live many Manitous. They are bad spirits and +unfriendly to all that are good. Here are twelve magic arrows; shoot +them at these spirits, and see if you can kill them." + +He gave the arrows to the boy, and he at once began to shoot. + +His first arrow did not hit any one, and as it flew through the air a +long, single streak of lightning showed where it had gone. The next +arrow was the same, so he kept on till eleven arrows had been shot. By +this time the bad spirits were very angry. The chief of them called +out, "I shall punish you for daring to aim your arrows at us." Just +then the boy aimed the last arrow at the chief. As it came near, the +spirit changed himself into a rock, and the arrow sank deep into its +stony side. But at this instant the boy was changed into the lone +lightning which may be seen in the northern sky on autumn nights. + + + + +THE ENCHANTED MOCCASINS + +Once on Mackinac Island there lived a little Indian boy and his sister. +They saw only the birds and animals, for no human beings were there but +themselves. The little boy, instead of playing with his sister, used +to go into the forest and think. So she thought that he would grow up +to be a very wise man and do some wonderful deeds. She called him Onwe +Bahmondoong, which means, the boy that carries a ball on his back. + +As he grew up, he was very anxious to know where the people lived. His +sister told him that many miles away there was a village, where +hundreds of warriors and hunters lived. He asked her to make him six +pairs of moccasins, so that he could go and find the village. He then +put some food in a bag, took his war-club, and, when the moccasins were +finished, set out on his journey. As he was saying good-bye to his +sister, she told him that one pair of the moccasins was enchanted. + +On he went quickly, over miles of prairie, across little streams, and +through the bush. When he grew tired, he would lie down and sleep. +When he was rested, he would get up and go on. So he travelled many +days, and when one pair of moccasins wore out, he put on another pair. + +At last he came to a wigwam, in which sat an old woman. When she saw +him, she called, "Come in, my grandchild." + +He entered, and sat down at her feet. + +"Where are you going?" she asked him. + +"I am going to find the village of the hunters," he answered. + +"Oh, beware, my child," she cried. "Many a brave one of your tribe has +tried to find that village, and none has ever come back. Take care +they do not kill you, also." + +"I am not afraid," the boy replied, his eyes shining. + +"Well, listen to me," she said in a low voice. "I shall give you two +bones which the medicine men use. They will help you very much." Then +she told him many things which he was to do when the time came. When +she had finished, he thanked her, and went his way. + +He travelled for two days more, and at last came in sight of the +hunters' village. It looked as the old woman told him it would. In +the centre of the village stood a lodge, where the chief, lived. In +front of this lodge, a tall tree grew. This tree was stripped of its +bark and branches, and hanging from it, about halfway up, was a small +lodge, wherein lived the chief's two daughters. It was in this small +lodge that all the Indians had been killed, after they had found the +village. + +The boy remembered what the old woman had told him, so he changed +himself into a squirrel. He ran up the smooth side of the tree. But +when he had nearly reached the lodge, the tree shot quickly up into the +air, carrying the little house with it. The boy climbed up higher. +Again the tree shot up in the air. And the higher he climbed, the +higher the tree went, until at last it stopped. It could go no +farther, for it had reached the arch of heaven. + +When the boy saw this, he changed himself from the squirrel back into a +boy, and entered the lodge. The two sisters were squatted on the +floor. He asked them their names. The one on the left said hers was +Azhabee, which means, one who sits behind. The girl on the right said +hers was Negahnahbee, which means, one who sits before. When he spoke +to the girl on the left, the tree began to sink down. Then when he +spoke to the other sister, it began to shoot up into the air again. +When he noticed this, he continued talking to the girl on the left, and +the tree kept on sinking lower, until at last it was down as it had +been at first. Then the boy drew out his war-club. + +"I am going to kill you," he said to the sisters, "for you have been so +cruel to all my relatives." Swinging his club, he brought it down on +their heads and killed them both. Then he jumped from the lodge to the +ground. + +As he stood there, he remembered that these two sisters had a brother +and a father, who would be sure to kill him, when they found what he +had done. So he turned, and ran very quickly. He had not gone far, +when the father and brother returned. When they saw the dead girls, +they were very angry. The father told the brother to follow the boy. + +"It must be that boy who killed them," he said, "for he is the only +stranger here. Follow him, and do not eat until you have killed him. +If you eat, your power is gone." + +The brother started off, running even faster than the boy. When the +boy heard him coming, and knew that he would be caught, he climbed a +tree. Then he began to shoot magic arrows back at the brother. But +this did not seem to hurt him. So the boy got down from the tree, and +ran on again. Now he could tell that the brother was very close to +him. So he changed himself into a dead moose, and lay down on the +grass. He drew out the enchanted moccasins, and whispered to them, +"Travel on and on till you come to the end of the earth." Away they +went, because they were enchanted, leaving their marks behind them. + +When the brother came up he saw only a dead moose, with footmarks +leading away from him. He followed on, until he came to the end of the +earth. Then he saw that he had been fooled, that he had been following +only a pair of moccasins. He was so very angry that he did not know +what to do. And he felt tired and hungry. He thought surely he must +eat now. Then he remembered his dead sisters, and said, "No, I shall +find that boy yet, and kill him." So he turned back till he came to +the spot where the dead moose had been. To his surprise it was gone, +and footsteps led away in the opposite direction. + +He followed them until he came to a beautiful, old garden, with fruit +trees and flowers in it. In the garden stood an old house covered with +vines, where a very old man lived. He was so very old that his two +daughters did everything for him. Now this old man was really the boy, +who had changed himself this way. The daughters saw the brother coming. + +"Father," they said, "there is such a tired-looking traveller coming up +the road. May we ask him in?" + +"Yes, invite him to enter," answered the father, "and give him +something to eat." + +The daughters called to the brother, and invited him in. He was glad +to enter the cool, shady garden. They cooked him some hot food and +other nice things, and when he smelt the meal, he could not refuse to +eat, for he had been without food for such a long time, and had +travelled so many miles. He ate of the food, and as he did so, he +forgot all about his dead sisters, forgot even his home. A strange, +sleepy feeling came over him, and he fell into a sound sleep. + +When the old man saw this, he changed himself back into a boy, and the +garden, house, and daughters disappeared. Only the sleeping brother +lay there. The boy quickly drew the ball around from his back, which +turned out to be a magic war-club. With this he put an end to the +brother. As he journeyed homewards through the forest he heard the +sound of footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw nothing; but the sound +was coming nearer. In a moment a pair of moccasins appeared on the +path. It was the enchanted moccasins returning from the ends of the +earth. The boy quickly picked them up and put them in his bag. Then +he continued gladly on his way and soon reached the lodge, where his +sister came forth to meet him. She was very proud of his brave deed, +and she and the boy always treasured the enchanted moccasins. + + + + +THE FIVE WATER-SPIRITS + +Once upon a time a gray, old man lived on the top of a mountain, where +he could see glimpses of the sea. He had a lodge made of birch bark +that shone like silver in the sun. + +He had five beautiful daughters, whose names were Su, Mi, Hu, Sa, and +Er.[1] + +One day the youngest said, "My sisters, come and we will go and play +near the broad, blue sea, where the waves beat against the rocks." So +away they ran out of the lodge and down the mountain side. They were +all dressed in robes of snow-white foam, that fluttered far behind them +as they ran. Their sandals were of frozen water-drops, and their wings +of painted wind. On they scampered over valley and plain, until they +came to a tall, bare rock as high as a mountain. + +Then the youngest cried, "Sisters, here is a dreadful leap, but if we +are afraid, and go back, our father will laugh at us." So, like birds, +they all plunged with a merry skip down the side of the rock. Then +"Ha-ha," they cried, "let us try again." So up to the top they +climbed, laughing with joy, and down once more they went, nor ever +stopped, laughing like girls on a holiday. + +The day wore on till sunset, and still they laughed and played. The +round moon came up, and by its silvery light they sprang from the tall, +bare rock, and climbed joyously up its side again. + +Next morning, when the sun arose, the rock was no longer bare. Over +its stony side poured great sheets of foaming water, and in the foam +still played the five sisters. They never reached the sea, and there +they still play, giving to us the beautiful Niagara Falls. Sometimes, +if you look closely, their forms may be seen in the white foam, but +always in the sunny spray you may see their sandals and their wings. + + + +[1] Su, Superior; Mi, Michigan; Hu, Huron; Sa, St. Clair; Er, Erie. + + + + +THE CANOE BREAKER + +Once in a certain tribe there was a young man who had no name. For it +was the law in that tribe that every youth had to do some deed that +would give to him his name. This young man had tried in many ways to +do something that would make the chief tell him that he was a great +warrior. Several times he had tried to kill a bear, but had failed. +He had gone forth in battle, hoping to kill some powerful enemy, but no +one had fallen under his tomahawk. He had gone on long hunting trips, +hoping to bring home the skin of some wild animal, but had always +returned empty-handed. So his brave, young heart felt very sad, for +the young men of the tribe laughed at him for not having won a name for +himself. + +One summer day, the tribe left their camp on the lake shore and went +back among the hills on a hunting trip. After they had gone some +distance, the young man left the others and wandered off by himself, +hoping that this time he would kill some animal, and so be no longer +scorned by his companions. He tramped for many hours through the +forest and over the hills, without catching sight of anything. At +length, he climbed one hill which was higher than the others, and from +here he could see the small creek which flowed through the hills down +to the lake. As he was looking at it, he thought he saw some dark +objects along the shore of the creek. They seemed about the size of +canoes. He scanned the hills anxiously, and at length could see a band +of Indians making their way along the trail made by the hunters in the +morning. + +At once the young man knew there was great danger ahead, for these +Indians, the Shuswaps, were the enemies of his tribe and now were +following their trail, and when they found them, they would kill them. +Quickly the young man made his way down the hill, and through the +forest to the spot where the hunters had camped for their evening meal. +Running up to them, he cried, "Return at once to your lodges. Our +enemies are now on our trail. They are in the forest on the other side +of this hill. I shall return and delay them while you reach your +lodges in safety." + +Then, without waiting for a reply, he turned and ran back in the +direction from which he had come, By short cuts through the hills, he +made his way to the creek and found, as he expected, that the Indians +had left their canoes tied at its mouth. Seizing his tomahawk, he +began to break the canoes, and soon had a hole made in all of them +except one. Leaving the creek, he mounted the hill and from there +could see the Shuswaps. He began to wave his arms and call wildly to +attract their chief. At last they noticed him and began to make their +way towards him. The young man was delighted, for now he knew that his +tribe could escape in safety, while their enemies were returning +towards the creek. Soon the Shuswaps neared the top of the hill, and +he knew he must think of some plan to delay them here. Suddenly he +dropped to the ground and lay there as though insensible. With a run +the Shuswaps gained the summit and surrounded him. He lay face +downwards with his arms stretched out. They turned him over on his +back and peered into his face. Not a muscle moved; not even his +eyelids quivered. Then the chief bent over him and felt his heart. +"He has not gone to the Happy Hunting Ground," he said, "but the Great +Spirit has called his spirit to go on a long journey. It may not be +back for many moons. Let us place his body under the pine-trees, there +to await the return of the spirit." + +The Indians lifted the body of the young man, carried it to a clump of +pine-trees and laid it down. Then they walked some yards away and held +a council. + +As soon as they were a safe distance away, the young man jumped up. He +ran down the hill, and reaching the canoes, jumped into the unbroken +one and began to paddle down the creek. + +The Shuswaps turned and saw him. With fierce cries, they began to race +down the hillside, and when they arrived at the spot where they had +left their canoes, and saw what had happened, they filled the air with +their angry yells. The young man was now out on the lake in the canoe, +and they were unable to follow him, as all the other canoes were +wrecked. They ran angrily along the lake shore, thinking he would land +on their side, but instead, he made his way across the lake to the +other side. + +When the young man reached the shore, he again seized his tomahawk, and +this time broke the canoe with which he had saved his life. The +defeated Shuswaps, standing on the shore, saw him do this, and again +they filled the air with their angry yells. There was nothing for them +to do but to return to their camp, while the young man made his way +along the lake shore to the village of his tribe. When he reached +there, he found that he was no longer a man without a name. His brave +deed had won for him the name of Kasamoldin,--the canoe breaker,--and +ever afterwards in his tribe, and to others, he was known by this name. + + + + +THE OLD STUMP + +Long ago there was an old woman called Grizzly Bear. She had neither +husband nor children, and lived all alone in a lodge on the hillside. + +As the days went by, she became very lonely, and so she made up her +mind to find a daughter for herself. She took some pitch and fashioned +a girl out of it. Then she put this figure out beside the river, and +it began to move and speak. + +"You are my daughter now," Grizzly Bear said to the girl, "and you +shall live with me in my lodge. Every day you may bathe in the river, +but, when you have finished, you must come at once into the shade of +the lodge, instead of drying yourself in the sunshine." + +The girl promised to do this and for three days she obeyed her mother's +commands, but on the fourth day she thought she would see what would +happen to her, if she sat on the bank in the sunshine. So, when she +had finished bathing, she seated herself on a stone by the river. The +sun was very hot, and in a few minutes the young girl had melted and +disappeared. + +When Grizzly Bear learned what had happened, she felt very sorrowful, +but she was still determined to find another daughter for herself. + +This time she took some clay and fashioned a girl from it. When the +girl moved and spoke, she told her she might bathe in the river every +day and might seat herself in the sunshine to dry, but she must not rub +herself while in the water. This command the girl obeyed for three +days. On the fourth day, she thought she would see what would happen +to her if she rubbed herself while she was in the water. So, when she +went in to bathe, she began to rub herself and at once broke into +pieces and melted away. + +When Grizzly Bear saw what had happened, she again was very sorrowful, +and this time she made up her mind to make a daughter who could not +destroy herself. So, taking a block of wood, she fashioned a girl from +it. When the wood came to life, Grizzly Bear told her that she might +bathe every day in the river and bask in the sun if she liked. + +The daughter did this for three days, and on the fourth, as she was +standing by the riverside, she saw a large trout leap out the water. + +"What a beautiful trout," said the girl to herself. "How I wish I had +it." + +Three times the trout leaped out of the water, and the fourth time it +landed on the shore by her feet. At once it changed into a handsome, +young man. + +"Come with me," he said to the girl. "I have a beautiful home beneath +the water. Come with me and be my wife, and you shall live happy all +the rest of your days." + +The girl said she would go. Then he told her to get on his back and to +shut her eyes as he leaped into the water. She must keep them shut +until he told her to look. She promised to obey him, but, scarcely +were they beneath the water, when she opened her eyes to see where they +were. At once she found herself alone on the bank of the river. + +The next day the same thing happened. She opened her eyes before they +had reached the underwater world, and again she found herself alone on +the bank. This happened once more on the third day, but on the fourth +she succeeded in keeping her eyes closed until her husband told her to +open them. + +She found herself in a beautiful country, much like the one she had +come from. There were homes and gardens and children here, and she +knew she would be very happy. + +As the years went by, two children were born, a boy and a girl. One +day they came to their mother and told her that the other children had +taunted them with having no grandmother. + +"Yes, you have a grandmother," she replied. "She lives in a lodge near +the river. You may go above the water to-day and visit her home, but +you must make sure first that she is digging roots on the hillside, for +she must not see you." + +The children promised and went at once above the water. They saw the +lodge, and an old woman digging roots. Very quietly, they made their +way to the home of their grandmother. They found some food on the +table and helped themselves. Then they went back to tell their mother +all they had seen. + +Three days they did this, but Grizzly Bear had missed the food each +day, and knew that no one but grandchildren would enter her lodge this +way and take her food. So, the fourth day, she commanded an old stump +to look like an old woman digging roots, and to move as the children +passed. Going back to her lodge, she prepared some powerful medicine, +and then hid herself behind some deerskins. + +In a little while the children entered and began to eat the food. The +old woman quickly sprang out and threw the medicine over them. The boy +was completed covered with it, while only a few drops fell on the girl. +At once the boy changed into his proper form, and was a handsome young +Indian; while the girl was changed into a little black dog. + +Grizzly Bear told the boy that she was his grandmother, and that he +must live with her now, but she did not tell him that the dog was his +sister. She only said, "You must take great care of this little dog, +and never beat or ill use it." + +The boy promised, and every day he would go forth with his bow and +arrows to shoot birds, while the little dog ran beside him. One day he +was shooting red-headed woodpeckers. Three times he had killed a bird, +and the little dog ran ahead and ate it before he could reach her. The +boy became very angry at this, and, when she did it for the fourth +time, he struck her a hard blow with his arrow. + +At once the dog cried, "Why are you treating me thus, and I am your +sister?" As soon as she had said this, she ran away. The boy +followed, but before he could catch it, the dog had turned into a +chickadee and had flown away. The sorrowing boy returned to his +grandmother, and told her everything that had happened. + +"Why did you not tell me that the dog was my sister?" he asked. + +"If I had told you," she replied, "you would have been more sorrowful +than you are now." Then she added, "Listen to me, my grandson; when +you are shooting, if an arrow should lodge in a tree where it is too +high for you to reach, do not climb to get it." + +The boy promised to remember this command, and three times when an +arrow pierced a tree above his reach, he gave it up as lost, but the +fourth time he forgot the command. Seeing his arrow only a few inches +above his head in the bark of the tree, he began to climb for it. Just +as his hand touched it, the arrow moved farther up. He climbed higher +and, as he reached it, again it moved up. This went on until the arrow +and the boy were out of sight in the clouds. + +Neither the boy nor his sister was ever seen again, and Grizzly Bear, +who had been watching from the ground, was left there all alone. And +there she still stands, looking just like the stump of an old tree, but +the Indians know who it is, and as they pass by, they place an offering +on the withered stump. + + + + +THE CLIFF OF SINIKIELT + +Once long ago there was a chief of the Okanagan Indians called Tserman. +He was very brave and very daring, and he stopped at nothing when he +wanted to have his own way. The village of the Okanagans lay in a +beautiful valley; to the north-west lay the hunting grounds of the +Nicolas, who had been enemies of the Okanagans for years. Now the +chief of the Nicolas had a lovely daughter, Lalita, and Chief Tserman +fell in love with this beautiful maiden. He knew there was no use +asking her father to give him Lalita, so he made up his mind to steal +her. + +One dark night he saddled his black pony, which could run faster than +any other horse of the tribe, and, under cover of the darkness, he made +his way over the hills and down the valley until he came to the camp of +the Nicolas. All was very still in the camp, for it was late and the +Indians were all tired, for they had just returned from a long hunting +trip. Tserman could see the small, white lodge of Lalita close beside +that of her father. + +Leaving his horse standing beside a tall pine-tree, he crept cautiously +towards Lalita's wigwam. When he reached the opening, he remained very +still and listened. There was not a stir or sound of any one moving in +the camp. Throwing aside the curtain, he quickly entered the lodge, +snatched Lalita from her couch, and in an instant had her beside him on +his horse and was galloping rapidly back to the village of the +Okanagans. + +The Nicolas, roused by the sound of the horse's hoofs, jumped up +hastily. At once they knew what had happened, for the curtain of +Lalita's lodge was still thrown back. The chief ordered his warriors +to mount their ponies and quickly follow in pursuit. And soon, in the +darkness, the sound of their ponies could be heard as they raced wildly +after the flying chief. But Tserman's horse could run much faster than +any horse in the mountains, and before the Nicolas were halfway to the +village, he and Lalita were safe within his lodge. On came the +Nicolas, and at last only one hill lay between them and the village of +their enemies. To go around this hill would be many miles, so, leaving +their horses at the foot, they began to climb its slippery side. At +length they reached the top, but they did not know that this was a +sheer cliff they had climbed, and that at its foot, between them and +the Okanagan village, there flowed a deep river. + +One of their warriors, Sinikielt, wanted to go ahead and find out the +best way to reach the village and surround it. He crept forward in the +darkness, and with a wild cry fell over the steep cliff into the river +beneath. His cry rang out through the night and was heard by the +Okanagans on the other side of the river. Quickly the camp was +aroused, and going forth, the warriors encircled the hill. When the +morning came, the Okanagans began to climb the hill to attack their +enemies. The Nicolas saw them coming and knew there was nothing for +them but certain death. The Okanagans were many and strong and were +well armed. The Nicolas were only a few warriors, and if they remained +to fight, they were sure of being either killed or taken prisoners. +There was only one thing for them to do. Turning their backs on their +fast-approaching enemies, they made one running leap from the cliff to +the river below and sank forever in its waters. + +Many years after, when Tserman had gone to the happy hunting ground and +his son Lemichin was made chief in his stead, there came sad days to +Lalita. Lemichin was a great warrior and strong and handsome like his +father, but he cared nothing for the good of his tribe. His only +thought was his own pleasure. Little by little he gambled away all his +possessions, until nothing was left but his saddle-horse. Then one +night that was lost, too. Lalita begged him to turn from his evil +ways, but he made her no reply. Going forth from the lodge, he made +his way to the hills and remained there for one moon. At the end of +that time he returned to the tribe. Going to his mother, he said: + +"Lalita, when I was in the hills, I fasted and then I slept, and in my +dreams my father came to me. He told me what to do to make my evil +life turn into a good one. First, I must make peace with the Nicolas. +After that I must win my way back until I am a great chief, like my +father was before me." + +"My son," said Lalita, "this is indeed a happy thing you have told me, +and great indeed is the spirit of your father which has come to you and +told you what to do." + +The next day Lemichin sent a messenger of peace to the Nicolas. Their +old chief, Lalita's father, sent back word that there would be no more +fighting between the tribes, but that the Nicolas and the Okanagans +could never be friends. Lemichin made no answer when this message was +brought to him. Going forth, he began gambling again. Lalita followed +him and begged him to return with her, to forsake these evil ways. But +to her also he made no reply. Day after day he gambled, but now he was +not losing his possessions, but was winning them back again. At last +they were all won, and then Lemichin called a council of his wisest +warriors. He told them he wished to win the friendship of the Nicolas, +and that he and Lalita would go to their village and take with them a +large number of the herd as a gift. The next morning they set +out,--Lemichin and Lalita riding ahead and three herd-boys, driving the +greater part of the herd, followed behind. When they reached the +village of the Nicolas, Lemichin told his mother to wait with the +herd-boys, and dismounting from his pony, he went alone and on foot to +the lodge of the old chief. Kneeling before the old warrior, he gave +himself up to make reparation for the deed of his father Tserman. + +The old chief was very angry at first and called his warriors to bind +Lemichin and kill him. But Lemichin asked him to let him speak first. +Then he told him how sorry his father had been for what he had done. +How much he wished that the two tribes might become friends, and how +anxious Lalita was to win the love of her father again. Then he asked +him to accept the herd which he had brought with him. The old chief +felt his anger fade away when the young man talked, and now, when he +saw what a great gift he had brought with him, he felt that he could +not kill so generous and manly a warrior. So, taking Lemichin by the +hand, he walked with him to where Lalita sat on her pony. + +When she saw her father Lalita uttered a cry of joy. The old man +fondly embraced his daughter and said: + +"My daughter, many moons ago you left your father's lodge and joined +the tribe of our enemies. But this day your son has proven to me that +our enemies can be brave and generous. My heart has been lonely all +the summers and winters since you went away. Come now, you and your +brave son, and live with the old chief so that his heart and his lodge +shall no longer be empty." And weeping for joy, the old man led Lalita +and Lemichin to his lodge. Thus friendship between the Nicolas and the +Okanagans was established. + +That was many years ago, but yet in the night the wild cry of Sinikielt +answers the cry of the loon, and is echoed from the cliff far out +across the river. + + + + +THE STRANGE DREAM + +A warrior and his wife once had a beautiful boy, for whom they made +many plans. But when he grew up, and reached the right age, he would +not consent to the fast. They wished him to blacken his face with +charcoal, and not to eat anything for three days. But he threw away +the charcoal, and when they denied him food, he ate birds' eggs and the +heads of fish which had been cast away. + +At length one day he came home, and, taking some coals, blackened his +face. Then he went out of the lodge and lay down on the grass to +sleep. As he lay there, he had a wonderful dream. He thought a +beautiful maiden came to him, and said, "Onawataquto, come with me. +Step in my tracks." He arose and did so, and felt himself mounting up +over the tree-tops, until he reached the sky. + +The maiden entered through a small opening, and he followed her. +Looking around, he found himself on a beautiful, grassy plain. A tall +lodge stood in the distance. She led him to it, and he saw that it was +divided into two parts. In one end there were bows, arrows, clubs, and +spears, and other things that belong to a warrior. In the other end +were strings of colored beads, bright pieces of cloth, and fancy +moccasins, such as belong to a maiden. On a frame was a broad belt, +beautifully colored, that she was weaving. + +"My brother will soon be home," she said, "and I do not wish him to see +you, so come until I hide you." She put him in a corner and spread the +belt over him. + +In a short time the brother returned, and sat down in his end of the +lodge. He took down his pipe, and began to smoke. Then, in a little +while, he said, "Sister, when are you going to stop this practice? Do +you forget that the Greatest of the Spirits has forbidden you to take +the children of the earth? I know whom you have behind that belt. +Come forth, Onawataquto." + +When the young man came forth, he presented him with bows and arrows +and a pipe of red stone. Now this meant that he was married to the +maiden. + +After that the brother used to take him with him over the beautiful +plains, and he found everything very peaceful. Then he began to notice +that the brother left the lodge each morning, and did not return until +night. He asked him what he did when he was away. + +"Come with me, and I shall show you," said the brother. + +So they set off early next morning, and walked on for a long time. At +last Onawataquto began to feel hungry. + +"Wait a few minutes," said the brother, "and I shall show you how I get +food." + +When they reached a spot where they could see down to the earth below, +he said, "Now sit down and watch." And Onawataquto did so. + +When he looked down, he could see the earth quite plainly. In one +village he saw a war party getting ready. In another he saw them +dancing, and in another, a group of children playing beside a lodge. + +"Do you see that beautiful boy down there?" asked the brother. + +"Yes," he replied. Suddenly the brother darted something from his hand +at the child, and he fell senseless. + +The parents rushed out and carried him into the lodge, and made great +wailing. Then they saw people gather around the lodge, and the +medicine man arrived. He addressed himself to the spirit brother, and +asked him what sacrifice he desired. + +"I shall allow the boy to get better if you will make me the sacrifice +of a white dog," answered the brother, through the opening in the sky. + +They at once caught a white dog, and killed and roasted it. The meat +was then put on dishes, which at once floated up to the spirit brother. + +"Now eat," he said to Onawataquto. "This is the way I get all my +meals." + +After a while the young man grew tired of the quiet days, and desired +to go back to the earth. His wife was angry when she heard him say +this, and said she would not let him go. But after a while she +consented, and said, "You may go; but remember you are not to marry any +of the earth maidens, for at any time I can draw you back here." + +Next morning Onawataquto found himself lying on the grass by his +father's lodge, with his face still blackened. His father and mother +and all his friends were standing near him in glad surprise. They told +him he had been away a year. + +For some days he went around very quietly; then he began to forget his +dream. After a while he could hardly remember it at all. + +In a few months, he married one of the maidens of the tribe. That +night he went out of his father's lodge, and was never seen again. + +It is said that the spirit maiden had drawn him back to her home in the +sky. + + + + +BIG CHIEF'S CONQUEST + +Once in the long ago there lived a great warrior named Milkanops. He +lived in a land of high, rocky mountains, and to the far north there +lived a tribe of fierce, warlike Indians who were the enemies of his +tribe. Many battles were fought between the two tribes, but Milkanops +always won. At last, one autumn day, they fought from sunrise to +sunset, and although Milkanops won the victory once more, he received +his death wound. The poisoned arrow pierced his side just as the +battle was won. + +His warriors carried him to his lodge and laid him on his couch of +deerskins. + +"Send for my son," he told them. "Send for Aseelkwa." At once they +brought the young warrior to his father's side. + +"My boy," said the dying chief, "I have been called to the happy +hunting ground, and soon my spirit will be wandering with the happy +ones there. Before I go, I wish to ask one thing of you. Promise me +that you will not be a warrior as I have been, but will live to be a +great chief, for that is what your name means,--Aseelkwa, Big Chief. +Yonder to the north are enemies, and they will want you to go to war +with them, as I have done many times. Do not listen to their +challenges, but try to keep peace between the tribes and make your +tribe great and good, rather than strong and warlike." + +The young boy, weeping, promised his father to obey his commands, and +not long after, the spirit of Milkanops started on its journey to the +happy hunting ground. + +As the months went by the enemies of Aseelkwa made many attempts to +engage in war with him and his tribe, but to all of these challenges he +gave no reply. A few years went by, and now the young boy was a +full-grown warrior, but he did not call himself one. To all who spoke +of him as a warrior, he would make answer that he was a chief and would +not engage in battle. His enemies could not entice him, so they said +he was a coward, and taunted him and said he was afraid to fight them. + +One day one of the wise men came to Aseelkwa and said, "Oh, Big Chief, +Hahola, the Rattlesnake, is a traitor. He has told our enemies that +you are indeed a coward, as they say you are, and they have planned to +attack our camp when the moon has faded to a narrow band in the sky." + +"And Hahola, is he going to help them?" asked the chief, in a stern +voice. + +"Yes, O Great Chief. He will let them know when you are fast asleep in +your lodge. Then, in the darkness, they will surround it and take you +prisoner." + +"It is well you have told me," said the chief. "Now I must fast and +dream and see what I am to do." + +So for nine days he fasted and dreamed. Then, after that time, he +called his medicine men and said, "I have fasted and dreamed, and in my +dreams I saw the spirit of my father Milkanops. He told me that I must +not fight these enemies, but that I and my tribe must journey to the +far south and there find a new hunting ground." + +Early the next morning Aseelkwa and the tribe set out on their journey. +For many days and many nights they travelled. They crossed rivers and +climbed steep hills, and at length they reached a land where the hills +were lower and greener than their rocky mountains had been. In front +of them lay a very long, narrow valley with low hills on either side, +and, just behind these, there rose one larger than the others, a tall, +rocky mountain. + +"In my dreams," said Aseelkwa, "I saw this long, narrow valley and that +tall hill, and the spirit of my father told me that here we must make +our new camp and hunt in these green hills." + +The Indians were glad to know they had reached the end of their +journey, for they were footsore and weary. Quickly they built their +lodges on the hillside and went forth in search of food. + +That night Aseelkwa called his medicine men to go with him to the top +of the high hill, and there hold a council. He knew that Hahola, the +Rattlesnake, would have told of their departure, and by this time the +northern Indians would be well on their way in pursuit. Aseelkwa +seated himself at the foot of a tall pine-tree, and the medicine men +placed themselves in a circle around him. The night was dark, for the +moon was only a narrow band in the sky. They had made no fire, for +fear their enemies might see it. Scarcely had Aseelkwa begun to speak +when a slight noise was heard. It sounded like some loosened stones +falling down the mountain side. At once every warrior was on his feet +and peering through the darkness. + +"Look," said Aseelkwa. "There at the foot of the hill creeps away +Hahola, the Rattlesnake. Our enemies are in hiding. Let us go down to +them." + +Down the hill they came, but before they reached the bottom, from +behind every pine-tree and every stone there leaped a warrior, with +fiendish yells. Out rang the war-whoop of Aseelkwa, and from every +lodge there sprang forth the warriors who had fought for Milkanops, his +father. Then, in the darkness, there followed a terrible battle. Many +warriors fell on both sides, struck down with tomahawks. For some time +it seemed as if the enemy must win. Then, little by little, Aseelkwa's +army began to drive them back. At last they had them at the entrance +to the narrow valley, and there was fought the fiercest part of the +battle. But at last the enemy were forced out of the valley, and once +in the open, they turned and vanished in the darkness. During this +last fight Aseelkwa had been missing, and now his warriors began to +search for him among the wounded. At last they found him, and there at +his side lay Hahola, dead. + +"Lift me up," said Aseelkwa, "and carry me to the high hill, and there +lay me under the pine-tree." They did as he commanded, and after they +laid him down he turned to them and spoke in a very weak voice. + +"My warriors," he said, "in a few moments my spirit shall have gone to +join that of my fathers in the happy hunting grounds. I dreamed of +this battle, and everything has been just as I dreamed. Our enemies +are defeated, and Hahola, the traitor, is dead. Bury him where he fell +in the valley. By morning you will find that the Great Spirit has +placed a barrier between you and your enemies, over which they can +never cross. And remember, my brave warriors, that although I am not +with you, that always shall the spirit of Aseelkwa watch over his +tribe. You shall fight no more battles, but instead shall cultivate +and make fruitful these hills." + +Then he sank back upon the grass, and his spirit passed to the happy +hunting grounds. + +The warriors buried him where he lay, and then, as he had commanded +them, buried Hahola in the narrow valley. When the sun rose next +morning, they knew what Aseelkwa had meant, for where the valley had +been the night before, there now was a long, narrow lake, whose still, +blue waters told nothing of its great depth, for in the centre of this +lake, just where Hahola was buried, there is no bottom to be found. +Then the warriors looked up on the high hill, and again they knew what +Aseelkwa had meant. For, from the topmost point of the high rock, +Aseelkwa's face, carved in stone, looked down over the lake and valley. +There, calm and serene and peaceful, it still watches over the hills +that have been made fruitful, over the tribe that is always at peace, +and over the lake whose deep, blue waters are always ready to frown on +the canoes of their enemies. + + + + +THE RED SWAN + +Three brothers, who were hunters, once lived together in a forest. +They were very skilful and always returned well laden from the chase. +One day they all agreed to go hunting. They were each to kill the +animals that they usually killed, and then see who could get back to +the lodge first and have the game cooked. So they took their finest +arrows, and off they went. + +The youngest brother, whose name was Odjibaa, had not gone far when he +saw a bear. Now this was one animal that he was not supposed to kill, +but he forgot his bargain and shot it. Then everything seemed to grow +red, and he heard a queer noise. He followed it, and as he tramped on, +the noise seemed closer. At last he came to the edge of the lake and +there, floating on the water, was a beautiful Red Swan. Every once in +a while it uttered the queer noise he had been hearing. He shot an +arrow at the bird, but it flew past her. He shot another and another. +They all fell near her, but she was quite unharmed. She swam around in +the water, bending her head and arching her neck and not even noticing +Odjibaa. This made him want her more than ever, so he shot the rest of +his arrows. Still she was untouched. + +Then he remembered that, in his dead father's medicine sack, there were +three magic arrows, so he ran back at once to the lodge and took them. +When he again reached the shore of the lake, he put one in his bow. He +took good aim and shot. It came close to the bird. The second arrow +came closer, and the third went through her neck. She did not fall +into the water, but rose slowly into the air, and flew away towards the +setting sun, with the arrow still in her neck. + +Odjibaa waded into the lake and picked up the two magic arrows which +were floating on the water. When he reached the shore again, he set +out to follow the Red Swan. He was a great runner, for when he shot an +arrow ahead of him, he could run so fast that it fell behind him. + +So now he ran at his greatest speed. But the Red Swan was already out +of sight. On he went through the forest, across streams, and over the +prairie. At nightfall he reached a town where many Indians lived. The +chief made him welcome and let him stay the night. In the morning, he +set out once more, and by night he had reached a second town. He +stayed there till morning and then continued his race. + +By the next night, he had reached a lodge where a magician lived. The +old man treated him very kindly. He made him sit down by the fire. +Then he spoke a few words, and a metal pot with legs walked out and +stood by the fire. He spoke a few more words and put one grain of corn +and one berry into the pot. At once it became full of porridge. He +told Odjibaa to eat this, and when he had done so, the pot became full +again. It continued to do this until Odjibaa had eaten all he could. +Then the magician told the hunter to lie down and rest, and in the +morning he said to him: + +"My grandchild, you are in search of the Red Swan. Be brave and travel +on, and at last you will be successful. When you near the end, you +will come to a lodge of another magician, and he will tell you what to +do." + +Odjibaa thanked the old man, and went once more on his way. + +When he had gone some distance, he shot an arrow ahead of him and it +fell behind him, so he knew that he was still going his best. He went +on for some days and at last saw the lodge of the magician. This +second old man was as kind as the first and treated him in much the +same way. He gave him food from a magic kettle exactly like the first, +and then bade him stay the night. Then in the morning he said to him: + +"My grandchild, you are following the Red Swan. Many a hunter has done +the same and has never returned. For she is the sister of a great +chief. He once had a wampum cap which was fastened to his scalp. One +day some warriors came and told him that the daughter of their chief +was very sick. She said the only thing that would cure her was this +cap of wampum and that the sight of it would make her better at once. +The chief did not like to lend his cap, for if he took it off, his head +would be bare and bloody. But he thought again of the sick girl and at +last gave it to the warriors. + +"That is many years ago, but they have not returned the cap yet. They +were cheats and are keeping it to make fun of it. They carry it from +one village to another to dance around it, and at every mean thing they +say, the old man groans with pain. Many young men have tried to get it +for him, but all have failed. He has offered many gifts to the one who +gets it, and even the Red Swan will belong to the successful one. She +is a very beautiful maiden, and for her many young men have risked +their lives. You are very brave and will face great dangers. Go as +you have come, and you will be the one to win the precious wampum." + +So Odjibaa travelled for several more days. At last he saw a lodge, +but before he came up to it he could hear the groans of some one +inside. Coming up to the door, he knocked, and a voice bade him come +in. On entering he saw a very old man seated in one corner. His face +was withered and his head bare and bloody. He seemed to be in great +pain. + +The young man spoke kindly to him and asked him how he lost his scalp. +Then the old man told his story: how the young men had cheated him, and +how they were abusing the scalp now. Odjibaa looked very sorry, and +when the old man saw this, he began to coax him to try and get it back. +He promised him blankets and many other things that make an Indian +rich. But he did not mention the Red Swan. Odjibaa noticed that a +wall divided the lodge into two parts. He guessed that the Red Swan +was behind the wall, for he thought he heard her dress rustle. After +he had talked with the old man, and had learned many things about the +unfriendly Indians, he said: + +"I shall go in search of the cap. When you hear the noise of a hawk, +put your head out of the door, so I may put the scalp on you quickly." + +Early next morning he set out, and before the day was over had come +near the Indian village. As he drew near he could hear the sound of +much shouting, and in a few minutes could see hundreds of warriors +dancing and yelling around a pole. On the top of this pole was the +scalp. He changed himself into a humming-bird and flew by their heads. +When they heard the soft, humming noise, they said, "What is that?" He +flew on, until he came near the pole. Then he changed himself into a +blue butterfly and fluttered up to it. He took the scalp in his mouth +and lifted it from the pole. A mighty shout went up from the Indians +when they saw what was happening. But they could not reach the +butterfly, as it was so high up in the air. It began to float slowly +away with the scalp. This was hard work, and the load was almost too +heavy for Odjibaa, but he hung on until he was safe outside the +village. Then he changed himself into a hawk and flew rapidly away. +When he came near the lodge of the old man, he uttered the cry of the +hawk. The old man put his head out, and with a great blow Odjibaa +clapped his scalp on. The old man fell senseless and lay very still +for a long time. + +Odjibaa entered the lodge and sat down to wait. At length the old man +opened his eyes and arose. But he was no longer an old man. Instead +there stood a handsome, young warrior. He reached out his hand to +Odjibaa and said: + +"I can never thank you for all you have done for me. See, you have +given me back my youth and strength. Now I shall never grow old. You +must stay and live with me and I shall make you a great chief." +Odjibaa replied: + +"No, I must go back to my brothers. I shall leave early to-morrow +morning." Then the magician began to get ready a bundle for Odjibaa. +He put blankets, beads, feathers, and paints in it, but he said no word +about the Red Swan, and Odjibaa did not like to ask him. The next +morning the hunter said good-bye to the magician and prepared to go. + +"Wait, my friend," he said, as he opened the door in the wall. A +beautiful maiden stepped forth. "This is my sister, Red Swan. She is +to be yours, as you saved my scalp." + +Odjibaa was overjoyed at this. He thanked the magician again; then +taking the maiden by the hand, they set out for his home. + + + + +THE WHISPERING GRASS + +Once, many long years ago, there was a green hill covered with long +grass, which whispered and talked as the wind blew through it. It was +the great friend of all the animals, especially the wild deer, the gray +wolf, and the fox. + +One summer day the whispering grass was very excited. The south wind +had brought strange news to it, and now, as the sun rose up to noonday, +they could see this strange thing for themselves. It meant great +danger to their friends the animals, and they must send a message to +warn them. So the grass called to the butterflies, and told them to go +at once to the deer, the wolf, and the fox, and tell them to come to +the green hill. Away flew the butterflies, and soon the animals had +gathered to hear what this message might mean. + +"Listen, my brothers," said the whispering grass. "There is great +danger for you this day, for across the prairie there comes a band of +hunters to take your lives." + +"Hunters? What are they?" asked the animals. "We have never heard of +such things." + +"They are Indians," returned the grass, "with bows and arrows--deadly +arrows that will pierce your hearts. These hunters are very near, and +once they see you they will shoot their arrows at you, and that is your +end." + +"What must we do?" asked the animals. "You are wise, whispering grass; +tell us what we may do to save ourselves." + +"Go to your homes," answered the grass, "and remain there until sundown +to-morrow. If all is safe, I shall send my messengers, the +butterflies, to you at that hour to tell you to come to me." + +The animals did as they were commanded, and by the time the hunters +reached the foot of the hill, there was nothing living to be seen but +some dainty butterflies that hovered above the grass. The remainder of +that day and all the next the hunters searched for game in the hills, +but not a deer could they see, not a wolf, not a fox. In the late +afternoon they returned to their camp at the foot of the hill. They +were tired and very hungry, for they had not brought food with them, as +they expected to find game. + +"Let us return," said one hunter. "There is no game in this land, and +I am hungry. Let us go back to our village." + +"Not so," said the second hunter. "Let us wait until to-morrow. +Perhaps to-morrow we shall see game." + +"Yes, let us wait until to-morrow," said a third hunter, "and to-night +we shall eat grass. See, yonder is a hill well covered with grass. If +the animals eat it, why can not we?" + +"But it is whispering grass," said the first hunter, in a low voice. +"And he who eats of whispering grass can no longer kill anything with +his arrows." + +"Not so, brother," said the second hunter. "It is not whispering +grass. Listen; there is a west wind blowing through it, and yet we can +hear no sound of whispering." + +They all listened intently, and as the second hunter had said, there +was no sound of whispering. The wind was waving the grass blades and +bending them low, and not a sound came from them. + +"You are right. It is not whispering grass," said the first hunter, +"and I am hungry; let us eat." + +So they all gathered many handfuls of the green grass, and putting it +into a pot, they boiled it, then gathering around the pot, they ate the +grass with much relish. Then, rolling themselves in their deerskins, +they fell asleep. + +It was now the sunset hour; so, calling the butterflies to it, the +whispering grass gave them a message for the animals. + +"Go to your brothers," it said, "and tell them all is safe now; that at +sunrise to-morrow morning they may come forth from their homes and +wander as usual among the hills. Their enemies, the hunters, will try +to shoot them with their arrows, but they must not be afraid, for now +these arrows can never touch them." + +The butterflies flew away quickly and gave the message to the deer, the +wolf, and the fox. + +At sunrise the next morning the animals came forth gladly, and they had +not gone far, when they saw the hunters coming towards them. +Remembering the message of their friend, the grass, they did not fear +to remain, and soon saw that the grass had been right. The hunters +aimed their arrows at them and shot, but every arrow flew through the +air and fell harmlessly at their feet. All day this strange thing +happened, and at last the hunters, tired and discouraged, went back to +their camp at the foot of the hill. + +"My brothers," said the first hunter, "that was indeed whispering grass +which we ate last night. For see, all day our arrows have failed to +hit their mark, though the game has been many." + +"Why did the grass not whisper, then?" asked the second hunter. "It +deceived us." + +"Yes, it deceived us," said the third hunter. "It kept silence while +we listened, so that we might be tempted to eat of it. Now we have +lost our power of hunting and shall be laughed at by the other hunters." + +"We must fight this whispering grass," said the first hunter. "Let us +go and pull it up by the roots, so that never again it may be able to +deceive any hunter." + +"Let us wait until the moon rises high in the sky," said the second +hunter. "Then, indeed, we shall uproot the whispering grass and leave +the green hill bare and naked." + +The butterflies, who had been hovering near, heard what the Indians +were saying, and now they flew with all speed to the animals and told +them what was going to happen to the whispering grass. + +"Oh, my brothers," said the butterflies, "your enemies, the hunters, +have planned to kill the whispering grass to-night. Can you not save +it?" + +"We must save it," said the deer. "The whispering grass is our friend. +It saved our lives, and now we must save it." Turning to the fox, the +deer said, "Oh, brother, you are wise and great. Can you not think of +a plan to save the grass?" + +"I am not wise enough for that," said the fox, "but I know one who is +wise. You, my brothers, remain here, while I run with all speed to the +Dark Hills where the Manitou of the Bright Fire lives. He is wise and +great, and he will help us." + +Saying this, the fox ran at full speed in the direction of a long line +of hills, and it was not long before he reached a small opening which +led down under them. Entering this, he found himself in a long +passage, at the end of which a red light could be seen. When he +reached the end of the passage, he found himself in a large, low cave. +In the centre of this cave a bright red fire glowed, and by its light +he could see a dark figure seated on the floor near the fire. It +turned its face as the fox entered, and he saw the kind face of the +Manitou of the Bright Fire. + +"You have come to me for help," said the Manitou, in a deep, soft +voice. "What is wrong, my brother?" + +"Our friend, the whispering grass, is going to be uprooted to-night by +the hunters," said the fox. "Can you tell us how to save the grass, +for it has been kind and has saved us from these same hunters?" + +"My brother," said the Manitou, "do you see these things which look +like dark stones?" As he said this, he pointed to where a heap of +black objects resembling stones was lying on the floor of the cave. "I +have gathered these from the bowels of the earth. Many years ago +Gitche Manitou, the Mighty Spirit, put them there. He took pieces of +the midnight sky and mixed with each piece a million sunbeams. Then He +hid these deep in the earth, where man would find them when he needed +light and heat. I shall place some of these dark stones in my fire, +while you return to your brothers, the wolf and the deer. Bid them +return with you, and when you again reach my cave these stones shall be +ready for you. Now go, and waste no time, for you must have everything +ready before the hunters awaken." + +The fox needed no second bidding. Away he went like the wind. When he +reached the deer and the wolf, he found them anxiously waiting for him. +Quickly giving them the Manitou's message, they all ran back to the +cave. When they reached it, they found that the Manitou had placed a +number of the dark stones in his fire, and that now they were no longer +dark stones but bright red ones. + +"My children," said the Manitou, "take these burning coals and place +them in a circle on the hillside among the whispering grass. They will +not harm the grass and their heat will not burn you as you journey +back. But after this, always beware of a glowing fire, for I can give +you my protection this time only." + +The animals at once seized as many of the burning coals as they could +carry and raced back to the hill. The night was dark, as the moon had +not yet risen, and when at length they gained the hillside, they saw +that the hunters still slept. Obeying the Manitou, they placed the +coals in a circle on the side of the hill, and then hid behind some +trees. + +Scarcely had they done this, when the hunters awakened. At once they +noticed the strange, glowing circle on the hillside. They rubbed their +eyes and looked again; it was still there, burning and yet having no +flame. Terrified, they gazed at it, not daring to climb the hillside. +At last one said: + +"My brothers, let us return at once to our village. This whispering +grass must be a great friend of Gitche Manitou, and we have done wrong +to eat of it. Let us return and warn our brothers." + +"You are right, my brother," said the other hunter. "We will return +and tell of this strange, terrible warning which Gitche Manitou has +sent to us." + +So saying, they turned and disappeared rapidly in the darkness, while +the circle on the hillside glowed brightly until the sun rose. When +daylight came there was nothing to be seen of the coals, but on the +hillside where they had been there was a large, brown circle, which +could be seen quite plainly from the valley. And there it can be seen +to this day. + +On climbing the hill, the circle vanishes, and not a spot of burnt +grass is to be found, but always from the valley below the brown circle +can be seen. And the animals from that night have been afraid of +glowing fire, for they know the Manitou cannot give his protection +another time. + +But he has been their greatest friend ever since that night. When they +are in any trouble they go at once to the Dark Hills, and, creeping +through the long passage, reach the cave where the bright fire glows. +There they tell the kind Manitou all that makes them sad, and he +comforts them. In the autumn he tells the deer where to hide in the +hills, so that the hunters cannot kill them. In the long, cold winter +he tells the hungry gray wolf where to find food, and in the summer he +shows the red fox how to double on his trail so that none may catch +him. And to all of them he has taught the secret of the glowing fire, +that its brightness means danger, save when they rest beside it in his +cave under the Dark Hills. + + + + +THE LEGEND OF MACKINAC ISLAND + +Many years ago, a party of wild Ojibwa Indians were resting on the +shore of Lake Huron. The story-tellers of the tribe were telling many +of their magic tales. One of them spoke, and said, "A wigwam stands in +the deep. At the bottom of the lake a big turtle lies asleep in this +wigwam. Around him swim white fish and trout, and the slow-worm goes +creeping by. The scream of the sea gull and the shouts of the rovers +do not waken him. Nothing can disturb his slumber but the magic song." + +Then one of the Indians spoke, "Let us sing the magic song. Let us +waken this big turtle from his long sleep." + +So they all began to sing a strange, wild song. The sound floated out +over the quiet waters of the lake. Suddenly the waves began to rise +and roll to the shore, although there was no wind blowing. The centre +of the lake seemed to rise higher; then slowly there appeared above the +waters the curved back of the big turtle called Mishini-Makinak, +toiling up to answer their call. Then the dragging tail appeared like +a fleshy cape, and the jowl like a headland of dark rock. The Indians +stood along the shore, staring in frightened surprise, as the monster +arose like an island in the midst of the waves. + +As the days went by, the turtle called his children from their silent +homes to come and play around him. Up the lake and down over the falls +came the dappled trout and the white fish, to play in the silvery tide, +and by night the fairies danced on the rocky cliffs. For many days the +red men watched eagerly, afraid to go to the magic island, but at last +they paddled their birch-bark canoes across the waves to the pebbly +beach. From that time Mishini-Makinak was their home. + + + + +THE ADVENTURES OF WESAKCHAK + +I. THE WONDERFUL BALL + +Wesakchak was once the only person living. He found himself floating +all alone on the water. Above him was the sky, and all around and +about stretched water. He called aloud, but no one answered. Then he +noticed a little, dark object floating near him. It was a rat. + +"My little brother," said Wesakchak, "we are all alone in this world of +sky and water." + +"Yes," said the rat. "But I am not afraid, for you are with me. Are +you afraid?" + +"No," said Wesakchak, "for the Mighty One will take care of us both. +Do you go below and see if you can find any land." + +The rat quickly obeyed Wesakchak and sank down through the water in +search of dry land. He was gone a long time, and Wesakchak began to +wonder if he were ever coming back. At last he floated up, but he was +dead, and in his paws there was a little bit of clay. Wesakchak was +very sorry when he saw that his little comrade was dead. He took the +clay from the rat's paws and breathed upon it. Now Wesakchak was +greater than a human being; he was really a spirit. So when he +breathed upon the clay, it formed itself into a ball and began to grow. +He rolled the ball in his hands, and when it grew a little larger, he +said a few words over it. At once there came forth a little mouse, who +began running around the ball. The mouse was just the color of the +earth. Wesakchak said to it, "Your name shall be The Mouse and you +shall always live amid the people, and your color shall be the color of +the earth." So to this day we find the mouse in the homes of people, +and it always is the same dark gray color. + +As the mouse continued running, the ball kept growing. In a few +minutes Wesakchak said some more words and out ran a little chipmunk. +He began chasing around the ball too, but he could not stay on as well +as the mouse. He slipped and nearly fell off several times. Wesakchak +caught him and put him safely on again, but in doing so left the marks +of his fingers on the chipmunk's back. And there they have remained +ever since, and look like dark brown stripes. + +The two little animals kept on running and Wesakchak now brought forth +a red squirrel. There was a strong wind blowing, and the squirrel +seemed timid. He would run for a little distance and then sit down. +The wind would catch his bushy tail and blow it up over his head as he +sat there, and so ever afterwards the squirrel curled his tail up when +he sat down. + +The ball kept growing larger and larger, and Wesakchak brought forth +one animal after another. The rabbit, the fox, the wolf, the bear, and +all the rest of them came out as they were called, until at last the +ball was as big as the earth. Then he called forth the moose, and when +it came and saw miles and miles of prairie, it ran for five miles +without stopping. To this day the moose, when chased, always runs five +miles before it stops. + +When Wesakchak had all the animals on the earth, he gave them all their +homes. Some were to live in the forests, some among the mountains, and +others were to live on the prairies. He made little creeks to flow to +divide their feeding-grounds, and they were told not to cross these +water lines. The water in the creeks was not clean. It had green +slime floating on the top, and reeds and rushes grew thickly amongst +it. He made the water this way because he did not wish the animals to +drink it. Then he made beautiful, clear rivers flow through the land +to be their drinking water. In the rivers he made fish swim, and +called all the animals who lived on fish to come and live near the +banks of the rivers. In the trees he told the birds to build their +nests, and soon all the animals and birds were happy and contented in +their homes. + +They all loved Wesakchak, for he was so wise and good. He was kind to +them all and called them his brothers. He knew the secrets of the +animals: why the moose is ungainly and has no flesh on his bones, why +the rabbit's ears are long and have each a little roll of flesh behind +it, and why the rat has no hair upon its tail. He understood all the +languages of the animals, and each came to him when it was in trouble. + +There was one animal who was very smart and clever. He was about the +size of the wolf and was called the wolverine. He had beautiful, soft +fur, long, straight legs, and firm feet. But he was not liked by the +other animals, for he was very conceited. He was always talking about +his beautiful fur and his long legs. He would ask the other animals to +race with him, because he knew he could always win. Then he would +laugh at them for not being able to run as fast as he could. He was +always getting into mischief, too, and never seemed happy unless he was +playing a trick on some other animal. The other animals often came and +told Wesakchak how mean the wolverine was to them. He would tell them +to try to be patient, and then he would scold the wolverine for being +so unkind. The wolverine would pretend he was very sorry, but the very +next day he would do some more mean tricks. + +One day he came past the wigwam of Wesakchak. Looking in, he saw that +it was empty, and that the Fire Bag, where Wesakchak always kept his +steel and flint and his pipe and tobacco-pouch, was hanging on the +wall. The wolverine looked around and saw that no one was near, so he +sneaked in and grabbed the bag. He ran away through the bush with it +until he came to a tall tamarac tree. He climbed the tree and hung the +bag on one of the branches. Then he jumped down and ran away, laughing +to himself at the trick he had played on Wesakchak. + +When Wesakchak returned home, it was nearly evening, and he was tired +and hungry. He looked around for his Fire Bag, for he wished to make a +fire. The way they got a spark in those days was to strike the steel +and flint together; a spark would fly forth and set the dry bark on +fire. But Wesakchak could not find his bag. He looked all over the +wigwam, still he could not find it. Then he noticed footmarks on the +ground near the door. Looking closely, he saw whose they were. "It is +that mischief-maker, the wolverine, who has taken my bag," he said. "I +shall go in search of it. And if I meet him, I shall punish him well +for all his mischief-making." He set forth in search of the precious +bag. All night he wandered through the forest, but could not find it. +When the morning came, he went back to his wigwam and sat down to think +what he was to do. "If I had my pipe," he said to himself, "I would +not feel so sad." + +As he sat there, he thought he heard a noise like the wolverine behind +his lodge. Going out quickly, he saw the scamp among the trees. +Wesakchak followed, but could see nothing more of the animal. He +tramped on until he was tired, then turned homewards again. + +As he was passing near a tall tree, he looked up, and there was his +Fire Bag hanging from one of the highest branches. The tree was smooth +and tall, and as Wesakchak began to climb he found himself slipping +down very often. Then he would catch hold quickly with his feet and +hands. After very hard work he succeeded at last in reaching the bag. +Then he slid quickly down the tree. But when he looked up at it, he +saw that its bark was hanging in torn pieces where he had caught it +with his feet and hands. So, to this day, the tamarac bark hangs in +tattered shreds to show that Wesakchak once climbed it. + +On the way home he heard the wolverine, who was just trying to sneak +away among the bushes. + +"Come forth here, brother wolverine," called Wesakchak. "I want to +talk to you." + +The wolverine came out and stood in front of him. He did not look a +bit sorry for what he had done. + +"You are always getting into mischief," said Wesakchak. "Now, I am +going to punish you for playing so many mean tricks. After this your +legs will be very short and crooked, and you will not be able to run as +fast as you did before." + +As he said this, the wolverine's legs grew short and bent, and with an +angry growl the animal disappeared among the trees. + + + +II. A WONDERFUL JOURNEY + +One day Wesakchak decided to go on a long journey. He knew that +somewhere, many miles away, there was a village where people lived, and +he made up his mind to go and see them. + +The birds all loved Wesakchak, so a great many of them had given him +their feathers to make into a suit. When it was finished, it was very +beautiful. The vest was of snow-white feathers from the pigeons' +breasts, the coat, of shining blue ones, given by the bluebirds. The +leggings were made of black and brown feathers, which the blackbirds +and thrushes had gladly sent to him. Around his neck and wrists he put +bright yellow feathers, the gift of the canaries. In his hair he wore +the eagle's feathers, for he was a great chief. + +He set off early one morning, and as he travelled on, the birds and +animals whom he passed all spoke to him. By and by he met a +prairie-chicken. In those days the prairie-chicken was a pale gray +color. + +"Good-morning, brother prairie-chicken," said Wesakchak. "I have been +hearing strange tales about you. The animals tell me that you are very +proud of the way that you can startle them." + +"But I only remain still in the grass until they come close to me and +then fly up suddenly," replied the prairie-chicken. "I do not mean to +frighten them, but it is great fun to see them jump." + +"That may be so," said Wesakchak. "But it is not kind of you to fly up +in their faces. Then I hear that you are so proud of this, that you +call yourself 'Kee-koo,' or the Startsome Bird." + +The prairie-chicken did not reply to this, but remained still in the +grass. + +"Why do you not fly up in front of me?" asked Wesakchak. Still the +prairie-chicken did not move or speak. Suddenly Wesakchak leaned down +and gathered a handful of little stones. + +"Start now," he said, as he threw them at the chicken. The small +pebbles lit on its back and it flew up suddenly. The stones rolled +off, but their marks remained, and so after that the prairie-chicken +was always speckled. + +Wesakchak continued his journey, and late in the afternoon he came to a +creek. The water of the little stream was not clean enough to wade +through, for green slime floated on the top and reeds grew in its boggy +mud. It was rather too wide to jump, but Wesakchak decided to make a +running jump and see if he could get across. He ran back a pace on +the prairie, then forward to the bank, but the prairie-grass was so +long that his feet became entangled, so he went back to start again. +He did this two or three times, and at last had the grass packed down +enough so that he could make a good run. Then he came forward at a +great speed and made a leap. But just as he did so, the +prairie-chicken flew up at his feet, and he fell face downwards in the +swampy water. + +Wesakchak was very vexed, and he called out to the prairie-chicken, +"This is a mean trick you have played on me, and in punishment you +shall not be able to fly very well after this." The prairie-chicken +heard him and began to fly towards the forest, but its wings seemed +shorter than they used to be and it fluttered away amid the tall grass. + +As Wesakchak waded out through the reeds, each bent before him, making +a path that has remained there ever since. When he reached the shore, +it look him a long time to clean his beautiful suit, and by the time he +was ready to go on, it was nearly evening. He was anxious to reach the +village before nightfall, so he hurried on, wishing he could find some +one to take him the rest of the way, for he was feeling tired. + +After a time he came in sight of a little lake, and there saw two swans +floating on the water. He called to them, but they did not seem to +hear, so he jumped into the water and dove down to the bottom. Then he +came up under the swans and caught each one by the legs. They flew up +with him hanging to their feet. + +"Take me to the village that is built on the river bank," Wesakchak +said to them. They did not answer, but flew rapidly through the air. + +After they had gone some miles, he noticed they were not taking the +right direction. He called to them and told them to turn to the east, +but they did not reply. When he saw they were not going to obey, he +hung on tightly by one hand, and reaching up, he caught one swan by the +neck. He tried to pull its head down so that he could talk to it, but +the harder he pulled, the firmer it held its head up, until at last its +neck was turned into a curve. He then tried the other swan, but with +no more success, so now both birds had their beautiful, white necks +curved like the letter S. When Wesakchak saw they would not listen to +him, and that they were taking him in the wrong direction, he let go +his hold of their feet and dropped like a stone through the air. He +landed on a hollow stump, and with such force that he sank deep into +the soft wood. Not a sign of him could be seen; he had disappeared +entirely. After some time two squaws came to get the soft, yellow wood +from the stump. They use this wood to smoke their buckskins, because +it gives the skin a nice color. They had brought axes with them to +chop down the stump. As they began chopping, they heard a noise like +groans coming from within the stump. They were very frightened and +thought it was a bear. Just as they were turning to run away Wesakchak +called to them. + +"It is no bear," said the first woman. "It is the wise man, Wesakchak, +who is coming to visit us." + +"It is, indeed, he," said the second woman. "We must chop him out." + +So they set to work with their axes, and in a little while had chopped +open the stump and set him free. They were overjoyed when they saw it +was really Wesakchak whom they had freed, and they took him with them +to the village, where all came forth to welcome him. + + + +III. THE GRAY GOOSE + +Many years ago, when Wesakchak was the only man upon the earth, there +was a being, the Evil Spirit, who did not love him. This spirit was +very wicked, and when he saw how much the animals loved Wesakchak, he +made up his mind to carry out a cunning scheme, for he wanted to become +the master of the animals himself, and it made him very jealous to see +how they obeyed Wesakchak. + +But the North Wind, when it was passing by his wigwam, heard the Evil +Spirit say what he was going to do. The wind passed on, and when it +came to the birch-tree, it told her. She told it to her leaves, and +they rustled in the wind, as they listened to the terrible plan. "Oh, +North Wind," said the birch-tree, "will you carry my leaves to the +wigwam of Wesakchak, and they will tell him of his danger?" So the +North Wind took the dried leaves of the birch-tree and carried them +many miles, until they reached the wigwam of Wesakchak. There it +dropped them at his door. + +Wesakchak was sitting by the fire, and he heard the rustling leaves. +"Listen!" they said to him, "We have a message for you." Then they +told him of the terrible plan the North Wind had overheard. It was in +the spring the Evil Spirit was going to carry out his purpose. + +Wesakchak hunted all winter in the forest. When spring came, he was +near the edge of the woods one day, and as he stepped out into the +prairie, he heard a little rustle at his feet. He looked down and saw +some leaves of the birch-tree. "Remember the message we carried to +you, O Master," they said. Wesakchak answered, "Yes, I remember. It +is now spring, and I shall go back to my wigwam for my bow and arrows. +Then I shall go in search of the Evil Spirit, my enemy." + +The next day Wesakchak left his lodge and travelled over the prairie. +Towards nightfall he reached a low valley. He saw that the snow was +melting and that some feet of water lay in the valley. But he did not +stop for this. He walked on through the water, never resting even when +the darkness descended. But when the sun rose next morning, he saw +that the plan of the Evil Spirit was being carried out, for all around +him lay water. The Evil Spirit had melted the snow during the night, +and now every little stream was swollen as big as a river, and the +valley was full of water to the brim. + +Wesakchak had to swim, and after he had gone some miles, he began to +feel very tired. Then the jackfish swam up to him and said, "My +Master, get on my back and I shall take you safely to the land." +Wesakchak at once did as he was told, and the jackfish, who was strong +and a swift swimmer, soon brought him safely to the dry land. + +Then Wesakchak went home to his lodge. It was not far away, and he +could see it rising out of the water like an island, for the land on +which it was built was a tiny hill. He was very glad to be inside his +wigwam and to sit down beside the fire; but as he looked out through +the open door, he saw the water rising steadily, and knew that by +morning it would be in his lodge, and that he, if no help came, would +be drowned. + +Wesakchak was very tired, and as he sat there thinking, he fell asleep, +and he had a strange dream. He thought Nihka, the wild goose, flew +into the wigwam and around and around near the top, napping her wings +and crying. She seemed to say, "Give me a message! Give me a message! +And I shall save you." Around and around she flew, and at last lighted +in the ashes of the smouldering fire and disappeared. + +Then Wesakchak wakened, and as he looked around the wigwam, he knew +that Nihka must have been there, for everything had fallen on the floor +as if struck by her wings, and the floor of the lodge was covered with +ashes. The fire was out, and in the centre of it lay the quill of a +goose. Wesakchak picked it up, and saw that a little piece of birch +bark was rolled inside. He pulled it out, and as he did so, he heard +the honk-honk of a wild goose, and Nihka flew in at the door. + +"Write on the birch bark," she said, "and I shall take it to your +friend the beaver." + +Wesakchak did as she told him. He wrote a message on the birch bark +and slipped it in the hollow end of the quill. As he gave it to Nihka, +he saw that she was no longer white as she had been, but was gray with +the ashes of the fire, and marked with black specks where the cinders +had touched her. Her breast was still white, and a small patch under +her wings. + +Nihka took the quill and flew off at once. It was not long before +Wesakchak saw the beaver coming to him through the water. When he came +close, Wesakchak saw that he carried mud in his paws and on his broad, +flat tail. When he reached the door of the lodge, he put the mud down +and patted it smooth and hard with his tail. Then he swam away and +brought back more, and this he did until he had made a path across the +water. Wesakchak had stood watching the beaver as he worked, and now +as it was finished, he said: + +"Brother Beaver, this is a wonderful bridge you have made for me. How +did you learn to do it? Surely the Great Spirit has taught you this, +to make a path of land in the midst of the water." + +"Yes, Master," answered the beaver, "the Great Spirit has taught me how +to do this, that you might escape the wicked snares of your enemy. If +you cross to the other side, you will be safe." + +"Thank you, Brother Beaver," said Wesakchak, "I shall do as you say," +and stepping out on the mud bridge, he walked safely to dry land. + +Then, in memory of this kindness, Wesakchak told the beaver that from +that time he might always build a path across the water to remind his +children of what he had done. Then, turning to the goose, he told her +that he wished her to wear always her dress of gray and black, so that +the world might not forget her loving service. + +Each spring, the Evil Spirit, who is the spring flood, grows wild with +rage, as he remembers how his plan was spoiled, and he tries to waste +the lands of Wesakchak and his children. But this is always in vain, +for the Evil One can never win. + + + +IV. LITTLE BROTHER RABBIT + +One autumn Wesakchak felt very sad. All through the summer there had +been no rain. The prairie grass was burnt brown and dry. The little +streams had grown smaller and narrower, until at last not a drop of +water was left. The animals, finding no grass to eat and no water to +drink, had all gone to the far north-west, where the Great River came +down from the mountains. For they knew that along its banks they would +find grass to eat. Wesakchak wondered if the Great Spirit were angry +with the people of the plains when He sent them these long, hot days +and nights. Why did He let the animals go away from them, leaving the +hunters no game to kill? The little children were crying for food, and +the warriors had grown thin and sad during this summer. And now the +fever had come, and in the lodges many sick were lying. + +Wesakchak felt that he must do something for his people, so he asked +the Great Spirit to show him where the animals lived, so that he might +tell his hunters and save the lives of all in the tribe. Then +Wesakchak took his canoe and carried it until he came to the Great +River. Getting in, he paddled for many days and many nights. He +watched all the time, to see if any game came near the banks, but he +saw no sign of any. + +At last, after he had gone many hundreds of miles, he felt so tired +that he knew he must rest. He drew his canoe up to the side of the +river and made a lodge from the branches of trees. Here he slept +during the night, and when morning came, he arose quite rested. Before +he had gone to sleep that night he had noticed that the clouds hung +low, and he had wondered if there would be snow in the morning. Now, +when he came forth from his lodge, he saw that all the land was white. +During the night a heavy fall of soft snow had come, and all the trees +and the prairie were covered with it. + +Wesakchak was greatly pleased, for this was just what he had hoped for. +Now he would be able to see the marks of the animals and trace them to +their homes. Going down to the river, he was delighted to find the +trail of deer, who had been down for a drink. There were also the +marks of the other animals, and now Wesakchak made up his mind to +follow these trails and find where the animals were living. He set +out, and tramped for many miles. The sun arose and shone on the snow, +making everything a dazzling white. But Wesakchak did not mind, and +tramped on. At length he knew he was near the place where the animals +were living. He took a good look at the trees, so that he could tell +the hunters where to find them. Then he turned to hurry back, for he +wished to let them know as soon as possible. He tramped on again for a +long time, but he did not seem to be getting any nearer to the river. +He stopped and looked around. Everything was glistening white, and +nowhere could he see a river or a tree. He wondered if he were lost +and what he would do, for he knew that if the sick people did not get +food soon, they would die. He turned in another direction and +travelled for some time. Then stopping, he looked around once more. +Again all was glistening white, dazzling his eyes so much that he could +see nothing. He knew now that he was snowblind, and felt very sad +indeed, for how could he get the news to the hunters in time to save +the sick ones, when he could not find the river and his canoe? If only +there was something to guide him,--some dark object that he could see; +but everything was a dazzling whiteness. + +Just then he noticed a little, brown object in front of him. As he +looked at it, it hopped a few steps ahead and then stopped. + +"Oh, Brother Rabbit," called Wesakchak, "I am so glad to see you. I +cannot find the river and I want to get back and tell the hunters where +the game is living." + +"Let me guide you," said the rabbit. "Keep watching me, and you can +see my dark fur against the white snow." + +As he said this he hopped away, and Wesakchak, looking only at the +little, dark body, was able to follow, till at last they reached the +bank of the river. The canoe was there, and Wesakchak stepped in at +once, glad that he would now be able to carry the good news to the +warriors and hunters. Before he paddled away he turned to the rabbit +and said: + +"My little Brother Rabbit, you have been very kind to me, indeed, and +through your kindness the lives of our tribe will be saved. In return +for this your brown fur shall become white as the first snowfall, so +that no one will be able to see your body against the snow. In this +way you may protect yourself, and people will know how kind the rabbit +was to Wesakchak." + +As he spoke, the rabbit's fur suddenly became pure white, and it looked +like a little ball of snow near the bushes. Wesakchak smiled when he +saw this and said: + +"Your enemies will need to have sharp eyes now, little Brother Rabbit, +for you will give them many a long chase over the winter prairies." + + + +V. THE BALD-HEADED EAGLES + +One day Wesakchak was seated at the door of his lodge, when he noticed +two eagles circling high in the air above him. + +"Come down, my brothers," he called. "I wish to speak to you." + +The eagles slowly descended, and Wesakchak said, "I wish you to take me +on your backs for a ride. This is a very warm day and I know it must +be cool high up in the air where you fly." + +"But we are going home to our nests," replied the eagles. "It is on a +very high cliff many miles from here, and you will not care to go +there." + +"Yes, I shall," replied Wesakchak. "I should like to see your nest and +your young eaglets. Take me on your backs with you." + +The eagles did not seem very eager to take him, but Wesakchak, without +waiting for any more words, jumped on their backs, and they began to +mount in the air. Up and up they went, until at last they were as high +as the clouds. Wesakchak now began to feel rather cold and asked them +to fly lower, but they gave him no answer. On and on they went, and +Wesakchak clung tightly to their backs, for he felt very dizzy, being +up so high in the air. At last he began to wonder where their nest +could be, for he could see no sign of rocks or cliffs of any kind. +After what seemed to be hours to him, the eagles began to descend, and +in a few minutes they alighted on the top of a very high crag. +Wesakchak slipped from their backs and looked around, him. Near him +was the nest of the eagles, and in it were the young, crying loudly for +food. + +Below, Wesakchak could see the ground, which seemed miles away; above +him the clouds, which looked low and stormy. The eagles fed their +young, and after Wesakchak had waited awhile he said, "Now, my +brothers, please take me to my home." + +"You are tired of our cliff?" asked the eagles. "Well, you must go +home yourself, for we are not going away for some hours." + +"Oh, I cannot stay here that long," said Wesakchak. "Besides, I am +tired and very hungry, and there is nothing here but bare rock. You +must take me home." + +The eagles did not dare to disobey Wesakchak, so they let him mount on +their backs. Then they began to fly slowly away. After a while it +seemed to him that they were going in the wrong direction. He could +see snow-capped mountains, and, as his lodge was built on the prairies, +he said: + +"My brothers, you are not taking me to my lodge. You are going in the +wrong direction. Turn and fly the other way." But the eagles, instead +of answering, only flew more rapidly towards the mountains. Again +Wesakchak called to them and again they did not reply. He now saw that +they did not intend to take him home, and he began to wonder what he +could do. + +In a few moments the eagles slowly circled around the top of a mountain +from whose summit a large piece of ice was just ready to slip. When +the eagles were directly above the ice, they suddenly turned with a +jerk and hurled Wesakchak from their backs. Down, down he fell, +alighting on the ice, which at once slipped from its place and began to +descend the mountain side with terrible rapidity. Wesakchak clung +desperately to the icy block, and felt himself going with it and the +loose pieces of rock and the small trees which it uprooted on its way. +As they came down, the speed became greater, until at last they were +bounding over huge stones and across chasms, and with one terrible leap +Wesakchak flew through the air and alighted on the ground at the foot +of the mountain. Behind them their pathway down the mountain side was +marked by a deep ravine cut in the rocky sides of the hill. And around +Wesakchak lay ice and stones and uprooted trees. + +He lay perfectly still, for he was rendered insensible with the +terrible force with which he had fallen. After several hours he opened +his eyes, but was too weak to move. He could hear the voices of two +wolves near him. One was saying, "He is dead. Let us go and eat him, +for I am very hungry." Then the other wolf answered, "No, he is not +dead, and I think he is Wesakchak, for look, see his suit made of the +feathers of birds. It is only Wesakchak who has a suit like that." + +Wesakchak heard all this, but he could not move or speak. + +As he lay there with his eyes open, he noticed two eagles circling high +in the air above him. This aroused him, and he called to the wolves in +a faint voice, "My brothers, come near to me." The wolves seemed +surprised, but they came slowly to his side. + +"You were arguing a moment ago as to whether I was dead," said +Wesakchak to them. "Now you can see I am not dead, but I wish you to +pretend to be eating me, for I want those eagles to come down, and if +they think I am dead, they will come so that they can make a meal off +me, too." + +The wolves did as he asked them and pretended to be eating him. When +the eagles saw this, they hovered lower for a moment or two, then +darted down. Wesakchak was lying with his two arms stretched out at +full length, and now the eagles began to peck at the palms of his +hands. At once he grabbed them by the feathers on their heads. + +"Now I have you," he said. "You shall be punished for playing such a +trick as this on me." + +The eagles pulled desperately to try and get away, and Wesakchak clung +just as desperately to their heads. At last, with one mighty jerk, +they pulled their heads free, but Wesakchak still held the feathers in +his hands and their heads were bald. + +"This shall be your punishment, then," said Wesakchak, very sternly. +"From this day you and all your race shall have no feathers on your +heads, so that every one may know how unkind you have been to +Wesakchak." + +And so it has been. From that day the two eagles and all their +children have been bald-headed. + + + + +A BATTLE WITH THE SIOUX + +Less than sixty years ago, the vast tracts of land which are now large +cities and cultivated farms were prairie and forest. Numerous tribes +of Indians camped on these prairies in summer-time, and when the cold +winter came, they sought the shelter of the forest. Most of these +tribes were very warlike and fought with one another, but sometimes the +white people were attacked by the savages. The most warlike tribe was +the Sioux, and the white settlers, who were very few in number, were +always on the alert against their attacks. + +In June, 1851, a party of three hundred hunters set out on their annual +buffalo hunt. With them went the grave, kindly-faced missionary, who +had given up his life to work in the western wilds. They travelled to +the westward, keeping a sharp lookout for Indian tribes, as their route +now lay through the Sioux territory. After about three weeks' journey +over the prairies, they decided to separate into two bands, as this is +the usual way in buffalo hunting. But the older men thought this was +not safe, because they would need all their numbers if attacked by the +Indians. They talked it over for some time, and finally sixty-five +hunters with their wives and children separated from the larger party +and decided to go in a different direction. Each party was to take the +direction of the Big Hill. + +After some time, two scouts came riding back from the larger party to +tell the others that a tribe of Sioux had been seen by them, and to be +very watchful. The hunters kept a watch, but saw nothing of the +Indians, and at last, after about six days' journey, reached the Big +Hill. Their chief sent five of the officers to have a look around and +find out the best place to pitch their camp, and also to see if there +were Indians in the neighborhood. The five men rode to the top of the +small ridge, and from there could see a camp in the distance. They +could not tell whether it was their friends or the Indians, so they +rode on, and on reaching the top of the higher ridge saw it was a camp +of Sioux Indians. Instead of going back to warn the hunters, they rode +on, and the Indians, who had sighted them at once, came forward to meet +them. The Indians appeared very friendly, but while talking to the +officers they closed in, and the men saw that they were prisoners. Two +of them at once put spurs to their horses and made a dash for liberty. +Before the Indians could stop them, they had escaped, and had ridden +back to the party. + +When the missionary and the hunters heard what had happened, they at +once pitched camp and began to fortify it. They knew they could not +save the prisoners, and decided that it was better to defend themselves +than for all to lose their lives. + +They had scarcely begun these preparations when two Sioux Indians rode +up. They said they had been sent to tell the hunters not to worry +about their companions. The Indians would not harm them and would +bring them back in safety the next day. After delivering this message, +the Sioux rode away. The hunters were not at all reassured, for they +knew the Indians did not speak the truth, and had merely come as spies +to find out how large their camp was. + +During the night the hunters continued their preparations. They +arranged their carts in a circle, putting the shafts of one into the +wheels of the next, so fastening them together. Then they dug a hole +in the centre of this fortification and in it put the women and +children. They threw the earth in little mounds, behind which they +could crouch and shoot. By morning the fortification was complete. +The sentries, who had been watching all night, now gave warning that a +band of Indians was approaching. Thirty of the hunters mounted and +rode forward to meet them. Some of the Indians were in advance and +halted when the hunters reached them. Suddenly a man on horseback came +dashing past. It was one of the officers who had been made prisoner. + +"There is nothing but death for us all," he shouted. "They are two +thousand strong and intend to massacre every one of us." But the +hunters did not let this daunt them; they rode up to the chief and +pretended they thought the Indians were friendly. They gave them a few +presents and asked them to journey back. But the Indians, who now saw +what an easy victory they could have, would not listen to this. The +hunters, seeing they meant to fight, turned their horses and galloped +back to the camp. Scarcely were they within the fortification when the +Indians dashed up. They had not waited for the main band to overtake +them, but with one fierce yell came on, expecting to overturn the +carts. But the hunters, crouching behind the little mounds of earth, +aimed and fired. Every shot was true, and the foremost warriors fell +from their ponies. The men reloaded and fired, and again the Indians +bit the dust. Those in the rear now withdrew to the top of the ridge +to wait for the remainder of the band. Another horseman came dashing +up then, his horse all covered with foam. It was the fourth prisoner. +His guard had been among the whites, and had allowed him to escape, +firing in the air as the prisoner escaped from the rear of the war +party. The savages now came in sight, an immense number, confident of +victory because they were so strong. The missionary said, "My +children, the Indians are very strong and great in number. But fight +bravely. You have a Father above who sees this battle. Trust in Him. +Die if you must, but die bravely." + +With fierce yells the savages surrounded the little camp. They did not +dream that a handful of men behind a barricade of wooden carts could +cause them to retreat after killing the bravest of their warriors. For +five hours bullets whistled back and forth over the heads of the men +kneeling in the shelter of the carts. The Indians had begun the battle +confident of victory, but as the time went on and warrior after warrior +was killed, their courage grew faint. Late in the afternoon they said, +"Let us go back; it is of no use to fight them. They have a Manitou +with them." + +They began to retreat, and by evening all was peaceful where the battle +had been. But the hunters knew that on the morrow the attack would be +renewed, and so did not let this deceive them. All through the night +they could hear the hideous yells of the savages. They decided to +start back in the morning, hoping to meet their friends, for they had +sent two scouts, when the firing began, to tell them of the attack. + +They arranged the carts in four rows and divided the hunters into four +parties. One party was to ride in front of the carts, another at the +back, and the other two on the sides. Then, if they sighted the +Indians, they were to give the warning by two horsemen riding past each +other on the top of the ridge. + +They set out by daylight, and had not gone many miles when they saw two +horsemen ride past each other in their rear. This was the signal of a +fresh attack. At once the party was halted; two rows of carts went to +one side, two to the other. Then the ends were filled in, and the +circle was complete. They began to dig a hole in the centre and throw +up the mounds of dirt. The women and children were hidden, and the +hunters with loaded guns went behind their ramparts. The large band of +Indians advanced. They were not so numerous as the day previous, but +were quite fierce for the fight. + +For five hours the two fought. At the end of that time the Indian +chief advanced and signalled that the battle was over. The hunters did +not believe him at first, but suddenly the tribe of Indians with their +horses at full gallop came dashing close to the camp. They were +yelling fiercely, and discharged their guns into the air as they rode +by. The noise was most hideous since the battle had begun, and for a +second the hunters were fear-bound. Then, as they realized that this +was really the end of the fight, their shouts of joy rang out in answer +to the Indians' yells. The Indians now retreated, and hardly had they +disappeared when the big party of hunters galloped up. They were +accompanied by two hundred Saultaux who had joined them to help to +drive back the Sioux. At first they were all going to follow, but +finally they decided they had had enough of fighting and would go on in +search of the buffalo. + + + + +[Illustration: Pronouncing Vocabulary - first page] + +[Illustration: Pronouncing Vocabulary - second page] + + + + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Thirty Indian Legends, by Margaret Bemister + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THIRTY INDIAN LEGENDS *** + +***** This file should be named 24978.txt or 24978.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/9/7/24978/ + +Produced by Al Haines + +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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