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diff --git a/44935-8.txt b/44935-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a9b46ae..0000000 --- a/44935-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5830 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley -and the Great Lakes, by Various - -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: Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes - -Author: Various - -Editor: Katharine B. Judson - -Release Date: February 16, 2014 [EBook #44935] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYTHS AND LEGENDS *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE - MISSISSIPPI VALLEY - AND THE - GREAT LAKES - - - Selected and Edited by - KATHARINE B. JUDSON - - AUTHOR OF "MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF - CALIFORNIA AND THE OLD SOUTHWEST," - "MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE PACIFIC - NORTHWEST," ETC., ETC. - - - ILLUSTRATED - - [Illustration] - - - CHICAGO - A. C. McCLURG & CO. - 1914 - - - Copyright - A. C. McCLURG & CO. - 1914 - - Published August, 1914 - - W. F. Hall Printing Co., Chicago - - - - - _BY THE SAME AUTHOR_ - - MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE GREAT PLAINS. - _Illustrated. Small quarto._ - _$1.50 net._ - - MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF CALIFORNIA AND THE OLD SOUTHWEST. - _Over fifty full-page illustrations. Small quarto._ - _$1.50 net._ - - MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF ALASKA. - _Beautifully illustrated. Small quarto._ - _$1.50 net._ - - MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. - Especially of Washington and Oregon. - _With fifty full-page illustrations. Small quarto._ - _$1.50 net._ - - MONTANA: "The Land of Shining Mountains." - _Illustrated. Indexed. Square 8vo._ - _75 cents net._ - - WHEN THE FORESTS ARE ABLAZE. - _Illustrated. Crown 8vo._ - _$1.35 net._ - - A. C. McClurg & Co., Publishers - - - - - [Illustration: EARLY INDIAN DRAWING SHOWING A WRESTLING BOUT FOR - A TURKEY. - The Donor, a Hunter, is the Shrouded Figure on the Horse. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - - - - -PREFACE - - -Mystery, magic, and manitoes abound in the land of Hiawatha, in the -land of the Ojibwas, among the green islands, graceful and beautiful, -lying amidst the dancing blue waters when the sun shines over Gitche -Gomee, the Great Water.[1] Manitoes, great and mighty, lived in the -cool depths of the mighty forests, in the rivers and lakes, and even -in the snows of winter. And adventures there were in those early days -amongst these islands of the North, when manitoes directed the affairs -of men. - - [1] Gitche Gomee is Lake Superior. - -But the animal fathers lived upon the earth before there came the -"two-legged walkers." There were many animals. There were many -beavers. It was the beavers who made Gitche Gomee, the Great Water. -They made it by building two dams. The first they built at the Grand -Sault, and the second was five leagues below. When Great Hare came up -the river, he said, "This must not be so." Therefore he stepped upon -the first dam. But he was in haste. He did not break it down; -therefore there are now great falls and whirlpools at that place. But -at the second dam, Great Hare stepped upon it mightily; therefore -there are now few falls and only a little swirling water at that -place. Great Hare was very mighty. When he chased Beaver he stepped -across a bay eight leagues wide. - -Around Michilimackinack was the land of Great Hare. There, amongst the -green islets, under the cool shade of wide spreading trees, where fish -leaped above the rippling waters, he made the first fish net. He made -it after watching Spider weave a web for catching flies. - -It was Wenibojo,[2] who, in Ojibwa land, discovered the wild rice and -taught the Indians to use it. He first pointed out the low grassy -islands in the lakes, waving their bright green leaves and spikes of -yellowish-green blossoms. He showed them how to cut paths through the -wild rice beds before the grain was ripe, and later, to beat it into -their canoes. He told them always to gather the wild rice before a -storm, else the wind would blow it all into the water. Therefore the -Indians use wild rice in all their feasts. They even taught the white -men to use it. - - [2] Wenibojo is only a variation of the name also given as - Manabush. Both are identical with Hiawatha. - -When the snows of winter lay deep upon the forests of the North, when -ice covered lakes and rivers, then the story tellers of the Ojibwas, -as of all other Indian tribes, told the tales of the olden times, when -manitoes lived upon the earth, and when the animal fathers roamed -through the forest. But such stories are not told in summer. All the -woods and shores, all the bays and islands, are, in summer, the home -of keen-hearing spirits, who like not to have Indians talking about -them. But when the deep snows come, then the spirits are more drowsy. -Then the Indians, when North West rattles the flaps of the wigwams, -and wild animals hide in the shelter of the deep forest, tell their -tales. All winter they tell them, while the fires burn in the -wigwams--tell them until the frogs croak in the spring. - -Tales they tell of how Gitche Manito, the Good One, taught the Indians -how to plant the Indian corn, how to strip and bury Mondamin, and how -to gather the corn in the month of falling leaves, that there may be -food in the camps when the snows of winter come. Tales they tell of -Gitche Manedo, the Evil One, who brings only distress and -sickness--tales of the land of Hiawatha. Mystery and magic lay all -about them. - -It is a far cry from the stories of the North along the banks of the -Mississippi, from that land of long winters, through the country of -the mound builders, to the sunnier Southland; yet from north to south, -around the glimmering Indian fires, grouped eager men and women and -children, listening to the story tellers. - -But quite different are the tales of the Southland--of the Cherokees, -Biloxis, and Chitimachas. They are stories of wild turkeys, of -persimmons and raccoons, and of the spirits which dwell in the -mountain places where none dare go. Stories also are they of Brer -Rabbit and the tar wolf, which came from Indian slaves working in the -fields in early days, through the negro slaves working beside them, to -the children of the white men. - - * * * * * - -It is a loss to American literature that so much of the legendary -history of these Indian tribes has gone, beyond hope of recovery. -Exquisite in color, poetical in feeling, these legends of sun, moon, -and stars, of snow, ice, lightning, thunders, the winds, the life of -the forest birds and animals about them, and the longing to understand -the why and the how of life--all which we have only in fragments. -Longfellow's work shows the wonderful beauty of these northern -legends, nor has he done violence to any of them in making them -poetical. His picture of the departure of Hiawatha, the lone figure -standing stately and solemn, as the canoe drifted out towards the -glowing sunset, while from the shore, in the shadow of the forest, -came the low Indian chant, mingling with the sighing of the pine -trees, is truely Indian. For the mystical and poetical is strong in -the Indian nature. - -As in all the other volumes of this series, no effort has been made to -ornament or amplify these legends in the effort to make them -"literary," or give them "literary charm." They must speak for -themselves. What editing has been done has been in simplifying them, -and freeing them from the verbose setting in which many were found. -For in this section of the country, settled before it was realized -that there was an Indian literature, the original work of noting down -the myths was very imperfectly done. - -Thanks are due to the work of Albert E. Jenks, on the wild rice -Indians of the upper lakes; to James Mooney, for the myths of the -Cherokees; to George Catlin, for some of the upper Mississippi -legends; to the well-known but almost inaccessible work of -Schoolcraft, and to others. - - K. B. J. - - - - -TABLE OF CONTENTS - - - PAGE - The Earth-Maker _Winnebago_ 1 - - Creation _Chitimacha_ 5 - - The Creation _Wyandot_ 8 - - Creation of the Races _Biloxi_ 12 - - Story of the Creation _Ojibwa_ 14 - - Creation (a fragment) _Ojibwa_ 16 - - Creation of the Mandans _Mandan_ 17 - - The Flood _Chitimacha_ 19 - - The Great Flood (a fragment) _Mandan_ 20 - - The Great Flood _Menomini_ 21 - - Origin of Fire _Menomini_ 26 - - The Thunderers and the Origin of Fire _Menomini_ 28 - - The Origin of Fire _Chitimacha_ 31 - - The Gifts of the Sky God _Chitimacha_ 32 - - Mondamin _Ojibwa_ 34 - - Mondamin _Ottawa_ 37 - - The Corn Woman _Cherokee_ 40 - - Discovery of Wild Rice _Ojibwa_ 42 - - Origin of Wild Rice _Ojibwa_ 44 - - Origin of Winnebago _Menomini_ 45 - - The Origin of Tobacco _Menomini_ 49 - - Origin of Maple Sugar _Menomini_ 51 - - Manabush and the Moose _Menomini_ 53 - - Origin of Day and Night _Menomini_ 54 - - Origin of the Bear _Cherokee_ 56 - - Origin of the Word Chicago _Ojibwa_ 58 - - Origin of the Word Chicago _Menomini_ 60 - - The Coming of Manabush _Menomini_ 61 - - The Story of Manabush _Menomini_ 62 - - Manabozho and West _Ojibwa_ 65 - - Manabush and the Great Fish _Menomini_ 69 - - The Departure of Manabush _Menomini_ 72 - - The Return of Manabush _Menomini_ 74 - - The Request for Immortality _Menomini_ 75 - - Peboan and Seegwun _Ojibwa_ 77 - - The Grave Fires _Ojibwa_ 79 - - The Death Trail _Cherokee_ 82 - - The Duck and the North West Wind _Ojibwa_ 84 - - How the Hunter Destroyed Snow _Menomini_ 87 - - The Pipe of Peace _Ojibwa_ 90 - - The Thunder's Nest _Ojibwa_ 92 - - The Pipestone _Sioux_ 93 - - The Pipestone _Knisteneaux_ 94 - - Pau-puk-kee-wis _Ojibwa_ 95 - - Iagoo, the Boaster _Ojibwa_ 102 - - Ojeeg, the Summer-Maker _Ojibwa_ 104 - - Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting _Cherokee_ 109 - - Rabbit and the Tar Baby _Biloxi_ 111 - - Rabbit and Tar Wolf _Cherokee_ 114 - - Rabbit and Panther _Menomini_ 116 - - How Rabbit Stole Otter's Coat _Cherokee_ 118 - - Rabbit and Bear _Biloxi_ 122 - - Why Deer Never Eat Men _Menomini_ 125 - - How Rabbit Snared the Sun _Biloxi_ 128 - - When the Orphan Trapped the Sun _Ojibwa_ 130 - - The Hare and the Lynx _Ojibwa_ 134 - - Welcome to a Baby _Cherokee_ 137 - - Baby Song _Cherokee_ 139 - - Song to the Firefly _Ojibwa_ 140 - - Song of the Mother Bears _Cherokee_ 141 - - The Man in the Stump _Cherokee_ 143 - - The Ants and the Katydids _Biloxi_ 144 - - When the Owl Married _Cherokee_ 145 - - The Kite and the Eagle 147 - - The Linnet and the Eagle _Ojibwa_ 148 - - How Partridge got his Whistle _Cherokee_ 149 - - How Kingfisher got his Bill _Cherokee_ 151 - - Why the Blackbird Has Red Wings _Chitimacha_ 153 - - Ball Game of the Birds and Animals _Cherokee_ 155 - - Why the Birds Have Sharp Tails _Biloxi_ 158 - - The Wildcat and the Turkeys _Biloxi_ 159 - - The Brant and the Otter _Biloxi_ 161 - - The Tiny Frog and the Panther 163 - - The Frightener of Hunters _Choctaw_ (_Bayou Lacomb_) 166 - - The Hunter and the Alligator _Choctaw_ (_Bayou Lacomb_) 167 - - The Groundhog Dance _Cherokee_ 169 - - The Racoon _Menomini_ 171 - - Why the Opossum Plays Dead _Biloxi_ 172 - - Why the 'Possum's Tail is Bare _Cherokee_ 174 - - Why 'Possum Has a Large Mouth _Choctaw_ (_Bayou Lacomb_) 176 - - The Porcupine and the Two Sisters _Menomini_ 177 - - The Wolf and the Dog _Cherokee_ 179 - - The Catfish and the Moose _Menomini_ 180 - - Turtle _Menomini_ 181 - - The Worship of the Sun _Ojibwa_ 185 - - Tashka and Walo _Choctaw_ (_Bayou Lacomb_) 189 - - Sun and Moon _Menomini_ 192 - - The Moon Person _Biloxi_ 193 - - The Star Creatures _Cherokee_ 194 - - Meteors _Menomini_ 195 - - The Aurora Borealis _Menomini_ 196 - - The West Wind _Chitimacha_ 197 - - The Lone Lightning _Ojibwa_ 198 - - The Thunders _Cherokee_ 200 - - Months of the Year _Natchez_ 201 - - Why the Oaks and Sumachs Redden _Fox_ 202 - - The Man of Ice _Cherokee_ 205 - - The Nunnehi _Cherokee_ 207 - - The Little People _Cherokee_ 210 - - War Song _Ojibwa_ 212 - - The War Medicine _Cherokee_ 213 - - The Coming of the White Man _Wyandot_ 214 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - Early Indian drawing showing a wrestling bout _Frontispiece_ - - Early Indian pottery 20 - - Wild rice tied in bunches or sheaves 42 - - Wild rice kernels after threshing and winnowing 42 - - Birch-bark yoke, and sap buckets, used in maple sugar making 52 - - Picture writing. An Ojibwa Meda song 84 - - Permanent ash-bark wigwam of the wild rice gathering Ojibwa 104 - - Shell gorget showing eagle carving 128 - - Indian jar from the mounds of Arkansas 128 - - Spider gorgets 158 - - Shell pins made and used by Indians of the Mississippi Valley 176 - - Ojibwa dancer's beaded medicine bag 198 - - - - -MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND THE GREAT LAKES - - - - -THE EARTH-MAKER - -_Winnebago_ - - -When Earth-maker came to consciousness, he thought of the substance -upon which he was sitting. He saw nothing. There was nothing anywhere. -Therefore his tears flowed. He wept. But not long did he think of it. -He took some of the substance upon which he was sitting; so he made a -little piece of earth for our fathers. He cast this down from the high -place on which he sat. Then he looked at what he had made. It had -become something like our earth. Nothing grew upon it. Bare it was, -but not quiet. It kept turning. - -"How shall I make it become quiet?" thought Earth-maker. Then he took -some grass from the substance he was sitting upon and cast it down -upon the earth. Yet it was not quiet. - -Then he made a man. When he had finished him, he called him Tortoise. -At the end of all his thinking, after he came to consciousness, he -made the two-legged walkers. - -Then Earth-maker said to this man, "The evil spirits are abroad to -destroy all I have just created. Tortoise, I shall send you to bring -order into the world." Then Earth-maker gave him a knife. - -But when Tortoise came to earth, he began to make war. He did not look -after Earth-maker's creation. So Earth-maker took him back. - -Then he sent Hare down to earth to restore order. He said, "See, -Grandmother, I have done the work my father directed me to do. The -lives of my uncles and aunts, the two-legged walkers, will be endless -like mine." - -His grandmother said, "Grandson, how could you make the lives of your -uncles and aunts endless like yours? How could you do something in a -way Earth-maker had not intended it to be? Earth-maker could not make -them thus." - -Hare thought, "My grandmother must be related to some of the evil -spirits I have killed. She does not like what I have done, for she is -saying that I killed the evil spirits." - -Now grandmother heard him think. "No, Grandson, I am not thinking of -that. I am saying that our father made death so there should not be a -lack of food on earth. He made death to prevent overcrowding. He also -made a spirit world in which they should live after death." - -Hare did not like what she said. "Grandmother surely does not like -it," he thought. "She must be related to the evil spirits." - -"No, Grandson, it is not so. But to quiet you, your uncle and aunts -will live to be very old." Then she spoke again, "Now, Grandson, stand -up. The two-legged walkers shall follow me always. I shall follow you -always. Therefore try to do what I tell you. Remember you are a man. -Do not look back after you have started." - -Then they started to go around the earth. - -"Do not look back," she said. - -"I wonder why she says that," thought Hare. Then he turned his head -the least little bit to the left, and looked back to the place from -which they had started. Instantly everything caved in. - -"Oh, my! Oh, my!" exclaimed grandmother. "Grandson, a man you are; but -I thought you were a great man, so I greatly encouraged you. Now even -if I wished to, I could not prevent death." - -This she meant, so they say. - -Then they went around the earth, to the edge of the fire which -encircles the earth. That way they went, so they say. - - - - -CREATION - -_Chitimacha_ - - -There was a Creator of All Things. This Great Mystery understood all -things. He had no eyes, yet he could see. He had no ears, yet he could -hear. He had a body, but it could not be seen. - -When the earth was first made, the Creator of All Things placed it -under the water. The fish were first created. But when the Creator -wanted to make men, there was no dry land. Therefore Crawfish was sent -down to bring up a little earth. He brought up mud in his claws. -Immediately it spread out and the earth appeared above the waters. -Then the Great Mystery made men. He made the Chitimachas. It was at -Natchez that he first made them. - -He gave them laws but the people did not follow the laws. Therefore -many troubles came, so that the Creator could not rest. Therefore the -Creator made tobacco. Then men could become quiet and rest. Afterwards -he made women, but at first they were like wood. So he directed a -chief to teach them how to move, and how to cook, and to sew skins. - -Now when the animals met the Chitimachas, they ridiculed them. For -these men had no fur, and no wool, and no feathers to protect them -from storms, or rain, or the hot sun. The Chitimachas were sad because -of this. - -Then the Creator gave them bows and arrows, and taught them how these -things should be used. He told them that the flesh of the animals was -good for food, and their skins for covering. Thus the animals were -punished. - -The Creator taught them also how to draw fire from two pieces of wood, -one flat and the other pointed; thus they learned to cook their food. -The Creator taught them also to honor the bones of their relatives; -and so long as they lived, to bring them food. - -Now in those days, the animals took part in the councils of men. They -gave advice to men, being wiser. Each animal took especial care of the -Chitimachas. Therefore the Indians respect the animals which gave good -advice to their ancestors, and this aids them even today in time of -need. - -The Creator also made the moon and the stars. Both were to give life -and light to all things on earth. Moon forgot the sacred bathing, -therefore he is pale and weak, giving but little light to man. But Sun -gives light to all things. Sun often stops on her trail to give more -time to the Indians when they are hunting, or fighting their enemies. -Moon does not, but always pursues his wife over the sky trail. Yet he -can never catch up with her. - -The mounds in the Chitimacha country are the camping places of the -spirit sent down by the Creator to visit the Indians. This spirit -taught the men how to cook their food and to cure their wounds. He is -still highly honored. - - - - -THE CREATION - -_Wyandot_ - - -There was, in olden days, something the matter with the earth. It has -changed. We think so. We think the Great Mystery made it and made men -also. He made them at a place called Mountains. It was eastward. When -he had made the earth and these mountains, he covered the earth over -with something. He did it with his hands. - -Under this, he put men. All the different tribes were there. One of -the young men climbed up and found his way to the surface. It was very -beautiful. Then a deer ran past, with an arrow in its side. He -followed it to where it fell and died. He looked back to see its -tracks, and he soon saw other tracks. They were the footprints of the -person who shot the deer. He soon came up. It was the Maker of Men. -Thus he taught the Indians what they must do when they came out of the -earth. The creator showed the Indian how to skin the deer, and prepare -it for food, and how to use the skin for dress. - -When everything was ready, he said, "Make a fire." - -The Indian said, "I do not know how." - -Therefore the creator made the fire. Then he said, "Put the meat on -the fire. Roast it." - -The Indian did this, but he did not turn the stick. Therefore it was -burned on one side and not roasted on the other. So the creator showed -him how to turn the stick. - -Then the Great Mystery called all the Indians up out of the earth. -They came out by tribes. To each tribe he gave a chief. Then he made a -head chief over all the tribes, who should teach them what they should -do. - -The Great Mystery also made Good and Evil. They were brothers. One -made pleasant things grow. The other spent all his time spoiling his -brother's work. He made stony places, and rocks, and made bad fruits -to grow. He made great trouble among men. He annoyed them very much. -Good had to go back and do his work over again. It kept him very busy. -Then Good decided to destroy Evil. - -Therefore Good proposed to run a race with Evil. When they met, Good -said, "Tell me first--what do you most fear?" - -"Bucks' horns," said Evil. "What do you most fear?" - -"Indian grass braided," said Good. - -Then Evil at once went to his grandmother, who braided Indian grass. -He got a great deal of it. He put the grass in the trail, and put it -in the limbs of the trees along the trail where Good was to run. Good -also filled the path, where his brother Evil was to run, with bucks' -horns. - -They said, "Who shall run first?" They argued about it. At last Good -said, "Well, I will, because I proposed the race." So he started off -and Evil followed him. When Good became tired, he pulled down a strand -of braided green grass and chewed it. Thus he ran rapidly. But Evil -became tired. Yet Good would not stop until he reached the end of the -trail. - -The next day Evil started on his trail. Everywhere he was stopped by -the branches of bucks' horns. They greatly annoyed him. He said to -Good, "Let me stop." Good said, "No, you must go on." At last, towards -evening, Evil fell in the trail. At once Good took bucks' horns and -killed him. - -Then Good returned to his grandmother. She was very angry. She loved -Evil. That night Good was awakened by a sound. The spirit of Evil was -talking with his grandmother. Then when Evil knew Good was awake, he -said, "Let me into the wigwam." But Good always said, "No." - -At last Evil said, "I go to the northwest land. You will never see me -more. Those who follow me will never come back. Death will keep them." - - - - -CREATION OF THE RACES[3] - -_Biloxi_ - - - [3] Obviously influenced by missionary teaching, but a most - curious myth. - -Kuti Mankdce, the One Above, made people. He made one person, an -Indian. While the Indian was sleeping, he made a woman. Then the One -Above went away to find food for the man and woman. - -After he left, something was standing there upright. It was a tree. A -person said, "Why do you not eat the fruit of this tree? I think he -made it for you to eat." - -So the woman pulled off some fruit and stewed it and she and the -Indian ate it. Shortly after, the One Above returned. Now he had gone -away to find food for them. When he found they had stewed this fruit, -he was very angry. He said, "Work for yourself. Find your own food, -else you shall be hungry." - -When the One Above had been a long time gone, he sent back a letter to -the Indians. But the Indians did not receive it, because the Americans -took it. That is why Americans know how to read and write. - -Now after the letter came, the people found a very clear stream of -water. The American found it first and lay down in it; therefore he is -very white all over. Next came the Frenchman, but the water was not so -clear. Then came the Indians; therefore Indians are not of light -complexion, because they did not find the water when it was clear. -Afterwards came the Spaniard, and he was not white, because the water -had become very muddy. - -Some time after the Negro was made. The One Above thought he should -attend to work, so he made the Negro's nose flat. And by this time the -water was very muddy, and the stream was very low. So the Negro washed -only the palms of his hands. Therefore Negroes are very black except -on the palms of their hands. - - - - -STORY OF THE CREATION - -_Ojibwa_ - - -When Gitche Manito, the Good Mystery, created the earth-plain, it was -bare, without trees or shrubs. Then he created two Indians, a man and -a woman. Now when there were ten persons on the earth-plain, death -happened. The first man lamented, and went back and forth over the -plain, complaining. - -He said, "Why did the Good Spirit send death so soon?" The Good -Mystery heard this. He called a great council. He said, "Man is not -happy. I have made him very frail, therefore death happens. What shall -we do?" - -The council lasted six days, and there was not a breath of air to -disturb the waters. The seventh was the _nageezhik_, the excellent -day. The sky was blue and there were no clouds. On that day Gitche -Manito sent down a messenger to earth. In his right hand was a piece -of white hare's skin, and in the left the head of a white-headed -eagle. On each was the blue stripe of peace. - -The messenger said, "Gitche Manito sent me. He has heard your words. -You must obey his commands." Then he gave to the Indians the hare's -skin, the eagle's head, and a white otter skin with the blue stripe of -peace. - -Thus Gitche Manito taught the Indians how to make magic and how to be -strong. - - - - -CREATION - -(A fragment) - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Long ago, Nokomis came down from Sky-land, but remained fluttering in -mid air. There was no place on which to rest her foot. - -The Fishes at once held a great council. Now Tortoise had a -shell-covered back, very broad. After the council, he rose to the -surface so that Nokomis might rest upon his back. Then the -drift-masses of the sea gathered about the Tortoise. Thus the land was -made. - -Then Nokomis found herself alone on the land. So she married a manido -from the Sky-land. Two sons had Nokomis--twin brothers. But the -brothers were not friends. One was a good huntsman; the other could -kill no game at all. So they disputed. Then one brother rose to the -Sky-land. He caused the Thunders to roar over his brother's head. - -Now the sister of these twin brothers was the ancestor of the Ojibwas. - - - - -CREATION OF THE MANDANS - -_Mandan_ - - -The Mandans were the People of the Pheasants. They were the first -people in the world. At first they lived in the earth. Now, in the -dark Earth-land, they had many vines. Then at last one vine grew up -through a hole in the Earth-plain, far above their heads. One of their -young men at once went up the vine until he came out on the -Earth-plain. He came out on the prairies, on the bank of a river, just -where the Mandan village now stands.[4] - - [4] 1834. - -He looked all about him. The Earth-plain was very beautiful. There -were many buffaloes there. He killed one with his bow and arrow, and -found it was good for food. - -Then the young man returned to his people under the ground. He told -them all he had seen. They held a council, and then they began to -climb up the vine to the Earth-plain. Some of the chiefs, and the -young warriors, and many of the women went up. Then came a very fat -woman. The chiefs said, "Do not go up." But she did, so the vine -broke. - -The Mandans were very sorry about this. Because no more could go up, -the tribe on the Earth-plain is not very large. And no one could -return to his village in the ground. Therefore the Mandans built their -village on the banks of the river. But the rest of the people remained -underground. - - - - -THE FLOOD - -_Chitimacha_ - - -Long, long ago, a great storm came. At once the people baked a great -earthen pot, and in this two of them saved themselves. The pot was -held up on the surface of the water. Now two rattlesnakes were also -saved in the earthen jar, because in the olden days rattlesnakes were -the friends of man. In those days, when an Indian left his lodge the -rattlesnake entered it and protected it until he returned. - -When all the land was flooded, the red-headed woodpecker hooked his -claws into the sky and so hung above the waters. But the flood rose so -high that part of his tail was wet. You can see the marks even to this -day. - -When the waters sank, he was sent to find land. He could find none. -Then a dove was sent and came back with a grain of sand. This sand was -placed on top of the great waters and immediately it stretched out. It -became dry land. Therefore the dove is called "Ground Watcher." - - - - -THE GREAT FLOOD - -(A fragment) - -_Mandan_ - - -The earth is a large tortoise. It moves very slowly and carries a -great deal of earth on its back. Long ago there was a tribe which is -now dead. They used to dig deep down in the earth for badgers. They -dug with knives. One day they stuck a knife far down into the earth. -It cut through the shell of Tortoise. - -Therefore Tortoise at once began to sink into the water. The water -rose through the knife cut until it covered all the ground. All the -people were drowned except one man. - -But some of the old people say it was this way. They say there were -four Tortoises, one in the East, one in the West, one in the South, -and another in the North. Each Tortoise made it rain for ten days. -Therefore the water covered the earth and all the people were drowned. - - [Illustration: EARLY INDIAN POTTERY. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - - - - -THE GREAT FLOOD - -_Menomini_ - - -Manabush[5] wanted to punish the evil manidoes, the Ana maqkiu who had -destroyed his brother Wolf. Therefore he invented the ball game. - - [5] The Manabozho of the Ojibwas. - -The place selected by Manabush for a ball ground was near a large sand -bar on a great lake near Mackinac. He asked the Thunderers to play -against the Ana maqkiu. These evil manidoes came out of the ground as -Bears. One chief was a silvery white bear, and the other a gray bear. -They played the ball game all day. Manabush watched the game from a -tree on a knoll. - -When night came, Manabush went to a spot between the places where the -Bear chiefs had played ball. He said, "I want to be a pine tree, cut -off halfway between the ground and the top, with two strong branches -reaching out over the places where the Bear chiefs lie down." At once -he became just such a tree. - -Now when the players came to the ball game the next morning, the Bear -chiefs at once said, "This tree was not standing there yesterday." - -The Thunderers at once said, "Oh, yes. It was there." Thus they -argued. At last one Bear chief said, "This tree is Manabush. Therefore -we will kill him." At once they sent for Grizzly Bear. They said, -"Climb this tree. Tear off the bark. Scratch it." Grizzly Bear did so. -He also bit the branches. - -Then the Bear chiefs called to Serpent. They said, "Ho, Serpent! Come -climb this tree. Bite it. Strangle it in your coils." Serpent at once -did so. It was very hard for Manabush; yet he said nothing at all. - -Then the Bear chiefs said, "No, it is not Manabush. Therefore we will -finish the game." - -Now when they were playing, someone carried the ball so far that the -Bear chiefs were left entirely alone. At once Manabush drew an arrow -from his quiver and shot the White Bear chief. Then he shot another -arrow at Gray Bear chief. He wounded both of them. Then Manabush -became a man again and ran for the sand bar. Soon the underground Ana -maqkiu came back. They saw the two Bear chiefs were wounded. They -immediately called for a flood from the earth to drown Manabush. It -came very quickly and followed that one. Then Badger came. He hid -Manabush in the earth. As he burrowed, he threw the earth behind him, -and that held the water back. So the Ana maqkiu could not find -Manabush. Therefore they gave up the search just as the water began to -fill Badger's burrow. So Manabush and Badger returned above ground. - -Now the underground people carried their chiefs to a wigwam. They said -to an old woman, "Take care of them." Then Manabush followed them. He -met the old woman. He took her skin and hid himself in it. So he went -into the wigwam. He killed both the Bear chiefs. Then he took the -skins of the bears. When he came out of the wigwam he shook a network -of basswood twigs, so that the Ana maqkiu might know he had been -there. - -At once they pursued him. Water poured out of the earth in many -places. A great flood came. - -Manabush at once ran to the top of the highest mountain. The waters -followed him closely. He climbed a great pine tree on the mountain -top, but the waters soon reached him. Manabush said to the pine, "Grow -twice as high." At once it did so. Yet the waters rose higher. -Manabush said again to the tree, "Grow twice as high." - -He said this four times, yet the waters kept rising until they -reached his arm pits. Then Manabush called to Kisha Manido for help. -The Good Mystery at once commanded the waters to stop. - -Manabush looked around. There were only a few animals in the water. He -called, "Ho, Otter! Come to me and be my brother. Dive down into the -water. Bring up some earth that I may make a new world." Otter dived -down into the water and was gone a long time. When he appeared again -on the surface, Manabush saw he was drowned. - -Then he called again, "Ho, Mink! Come to me and be my brother. Dive -down into the water. Bring me some earth." Then Mink dived into the -water. He was gone a long time. He also was drowned. - -Manabush looked about him again. He saw Muskrat. He called, "Ho, -Muskrat! Come to me and be my brother. Dive down into the water. Bring -me up earth from below." Muskrat immediately dived into the water. He -was gone a very long time. Then when he came up, Manabush went to him. -In his paw was a tiny bit of mud. Then Manabush held Muskrat up, and -blew on him, so he became alive again. - -Then Manabush took the earth. He rubbed it between the palms of his -hands and threw it out on the water. Thus a new world was made and -trees appeared on it. - -Manabush told Muskrat that his tribe should always be numerous, and -that wherever his people should live they should have enough to eat. - -Then Manabush found Badger. To him he gave the skin of the Gray Bear -chief. But he kept for himself the skin of the silvery White Bear -chief. - - - - -ORIGIN OF FIRE - -_Menomini_ - - -While Manabush was still a young man, he said to Nokomis, the Earth, -"Grandmother, it is cold here and we have no fire. I shall go and get -some." - -Nokomis said, "Oh, no! It is too dangerous." - -But Manabush said, "Yes, we must have fire." - -At once Manabush made a canoe of birch bark. Then he became a rabbit. -So he started eastward, across the great water, to a land where lived -an old man who had fire. He guarded the fire carefully so that people -might not steal it. - -Now the old man had two daughters. One day they came out of the sacred -wigwam where the fire was kept. Behold! There was a little rabbit, wet -and cold and trembling. They took it up at once in their arms. They -carried it into the wigwam. They set it down near the fire. - -So Manabush sat by the fire while the two girls were busy. The old man -was asleep. Then Rabbit hopped nearer the fire. When he hopped, the -whole earth shook. The old man roused. He said, "My daughters, what -has happened?" - -The girls answered, "Nothing at all. We picked up a little wet rabbit -and are letting him dry by the fire." Then again the old man fell -asleep. The girls were busy. - -Suddenly Rabbit seized a stick of burning wood and ran out of the -wigwam. He ran with great speed towards his canoe. The old man and the -two girls followed him closely. But Rabbit reached his canoe and -paddled quickly away, to the wigwam of Nokomis. He paddled so quickly -that the fire stick burned fiercely. Sparks flew from it and burned -Rabbit. - -At once Rabbit and Nokomis gave fire to the Thunderers. They have had -the care of fire ever since. - - - - -THE THUNDERERS AND THE ORIGIN OF FIRE - -_Menomini_ - - -When the Great Mystery created the earth, he made also many manidos. -Those of animal form were People of the Underground, and evil. But the -bird manidos were Eagles and Hawks. They were the Thunderers. The -golden eagle was the Thunder-which-no-one-could-see. - -Now when Masha Manido, the Good Mystery, saw that Bear was still an -animal, he permitted him to change his form. Thus Bear became an -Indian, with light skin. All this happened near Menomini River, near -where it empties into Green Bay. At this place also Bear first came -out of the ground. - -Bear found himself alone, so he called to Eagle, "Ho, Eagle! come to -me and be my brother." So Eagle came down to earth and became an -Indian. - -While the Thunderers stood there, Beaver came near. Now as Beaver was -a woman, she became a younger brother of the Thunderers. Soon after, -as Bear and Eagle stood on a river bank, they saw a stranger, -Sturgeon. They called to him. Therefore Sturgeon became Bear's younger -brother and his servant. So also Elk was adopted by the Thunderers. He -became a younger brother and water carrier. - -At another time, Bear was going up Wisconsin River and sat down to -rest. Out from beneath a waterfall came Wolf. - -Wolf said, "What are you doing in this place?" - -Bear said, "I am traveling to the source of the river. I am resting." - -Just then Crane came flying by. Bear called, "Ho, Crane. Carry me to -my people at the head of the river. Then will I make you my younger -brother." - -Crane stopped and took Bear on his back. As he was flying off, Wolf -called, "Ho, Bear. Take me also as your younger brother. I am alone." - -Bear said, "I will take Wolf as my younger brother." - -This is how Wolf and Crane became younger brothers of Bear. Wolf -afterwards let Dog and Deer join him, having seats in the council. - -Now Big Thunder lived at Winnebago Lake, near Fond du Lac. The -Thunderers were all made by Masha Manido to be of benefit to the whole -world. When they return from the Southwest in the spring, they bring -with them the rains which make the earth green and the plants and -trees to grow. If it were not for the Thunderers, the earth would be -dry and all things would perish. - -Masha Manido gave to the Thunderers squaw corn, which grows on small -sticks and has ears of several colors. - -The Thunderers were also the Makers-of-Fire. Manabush first gave it to -them, but he had stolen it from an old man living on an island in the -middle of a great lake. - -Bear and Sturgeon owned rice, which grew abundantly in the waters near -Bear's village. One day the Thunderers visited Bear's village and -promised to give corn and fire, if Bear would give them rice. - -The Thunderers are the war chiefs and have charge of the lighting of -the fire. So Bear gave rice to them. Then he built a long tepee and a -fire was kindled in the center by the Thunderers. From this all the -people of the earth received fire. It was carried to them by the -Thunderers. When the people travel, the Thunderers go ahead to the -camping place and start the fire which is used by all. - - - - -THE ORIGIN OF FIRE - -_Chitimacha_ - - -Fire first came from the Great Being, Kutnakin. He gave it into the -care of an Indian so old that he was blind. - -Now the Indians all knew that fire was good, therefore they tried to -steal it. The old man could not see them when they came stealthily to -his wigwam, but he could feel the presence of anyone. Then he would -beat about him with his stick until he drove away the seekers for -fire. - -Now one day an Indian seized the fire suddenly. At once the Watcher of -the Fire began beating about him with his stick, until the thief -dropped the fire. But the old man did not know he had dropped it. He -still beat about him so fiercely with his stick that he pounded some -of the fire into a log. - -That is why fire is in wood. - - - - -THE GIFTS OF THE SKY GOD - -_Chitimacha_ - - -Long, long ago, many Indians started to reach the Sky-world. They -walked far to the north until they came to the edge of the sky, where -it is fitted down over the Earth-plain. When they came to this place, -they tried to slip through a crack under the edge, but the Sky-cover -came down very tightly and quickly, and crushed all but six. These six -had slipped through into the Sky-land. - -Then these men began to climb up, walking far over the sky floor. At -last they came to the lodge of Kutnakin. They stayed with him as his -guests. At last they wished to go back to their own lodges on the -Earth-plain. - -Kutnakin said, "How will you go down to the Earth-plain?" - -One said, "I will go down as a squirrel." So he started to spring down -from the Sky-land. He was dashed to pieces. - -Kutnakin said to the next, "How will you go down to the Earth-plain?" - -And this man also went as an animal. And so the next one also. They -were dashed to pieces. Then the others saw that they were crushed by -their fall. - -Therefore the fourth said, "I will go down as a spider." And he spun a -long line down which he climbed safely to earth. - -The fifth said, "I will go down as an eagle," and he spread his wings -and circled through the air until he alighted on a tree branch. - -The last one said, "I will go down as a pigeon," and so he came softly -to earth. - -Now each one brought back a gift from Kutnakin. The one who came back -as a spider had learned how to howl and sing and dance when people -were sick. He was the first medicine man. But one Indian had died -while these six men were up in the Sky-land. He died before the shaman -came down to earth as a spider. Therefore death came among the -Indians. Had the shaman come back to earth in time to heal this -Indian, there would have been no death. - -The one who came back as an eagle taught men how to fish. And the -pigeon taught the Indians the use of wild maize. - - - - -MONDAMIN - -_Ojibwa_ - - -When the springtime came, long, long ago, an Indian boy began his -fast, according to the customs of his tribe. His father was a very -good man but he was not a good hunter, and often there was no food in -the wigwam. - -So, as the boy wandered from his small tepee in the forest, he thought -about these things. He looked at the plants and shrubs and wondered -about their uses, and whether they were good for food. He thought, "I -must find out about these things in my vision." - -One day, as he lay stretched upon his bed of robes in the solitary -wigwam, a handsome Indian youth came down from Sky-land. He was gaily -dressed in robes of green and yellow, with a plume of waving feathers -in his hands. - -"I am sent to you," said the stranger, "by the Great Mystery. He will -teach you what you would know." Then he told the boy to rise and -wrestle with him. The boy at once did so. At last the visitor said, -"That is enough. I will come tomorrow." - -The next day the beautiful stranger came again from the Sky-land. -Again the two wrestled until the stranger said, "That is enough. I -will come tomorrow." - -The third day he came again. Again the fasting youth found his -strength increase as he wrestled with the visitor. Then that one said, -"It is enough. You have conquered." He sat himself down in the wigwam. -"The Great Mystery has granted your wish," he said. "Tomorrow when I -come, after we have wrestled and you have thrown me down, you must -strip off my garments. Clear the earth of roots and weeds and bury my -body. Then leave this place; but come often and keep the earth soft, -and pull up the weeds. Let no grass or weeds grow on my grave." Then -he went away, but first he said, "Touch no food until after we wrestle -tomorrow." - -The next morning the father brought food to his son; it was the -seventh day of fasting. But the boy refused until the evening should -come. - -Again came the handsome youth from the Sky-land. They wrestled long, -until he fell to the earth. Then the Indian boy took off the green and -yellow robes, and buried his friend in soft, fresh earth. Thus the -vision had come to him. - -Then the boy returned to his father's lodge, for his fasting was -ended. Yet he remembered the commands of the Sky-land stranger. Often -he visited the grave, keeping it soft and fresh, pulling up weeds and -grass. And when people were saying that the Summer-maker would soon go -away and the Winter-maker come, the boy went with his father to the -place where his wigwam had stood in the forest while he fasted. There -they found a tall and graceful plant, with bright silky hair, and -green and yellow robes. - -"It is Mondamin," said the boy. "It is Mondamin, the corn."[6] - - [6] Then Nokomis, the old woman, - Spake, and said to Minnehaha: - "'Tis the Moon when leaves are falling; - All the wild rice has been gathered, - And the maize is ripe and ready; - Let us gather in the harvest, - Let us wrestle with Mondamin, - Strip him of his plumes and tassels, - Of his garments green and yellow." - --_Hiawatha_ - - - - -MONDAMIN - -_Ottawa_ - - -When the Ottawas lived on the Manatoline Islands, in Lake Huron, they -had a very strong medicine man. His name was Mass-wa-wei-nini, Living -Statue. Then the Iroquois came and drove the Ottawas away. They fled -to Lac Court Oreilles, between Lake Superior and the Mississippi -River. But Living Statue remained in the land of his people. He -remained to watch the Iroquois, so that his people might know of their -plans. His two sons stayed with him. - -At night, the medicine man paddled softly around the island, in his -canoe. He paddled through the water around the beautiful green island -of his people. One morning he rose early to go hunting. His two boys -were asleep. So Living Statue followed the game trail through the -forest; then he came to a wide green plain. He watched keenly for the -enemy of his people. Then he began to cross the plain. - -When Living Statue was in the middle of the plain, he saw a small man -coming towards him. He wore a red plume in his hair. - -"Where are you going?" asked Red Plume. - -"I am hunting," said Living Statue. - -Red Plume drew out his pipe and they smoked together. - -"Where does your strength come from?" asked Red Plume. - -"I have the strength common to all men," said Living Statue. - -"We must wrestle," said Red Plume. "If you can make me fall, you will -cry, 'I have thrown you, _Wa ge me na_!'" - -Now when they had finished smoking, they began to wrestle. They -struggled long. Red Plume was small, but his medicine was strong. -Living Statue grew weaker and weaker, but at last, by a sudden effort, -he threw Red Plume. At once he cried, "I have thrown you, _Wa ge me -na_!" - -Immediately Red Plume vanished. When Living Statue looked at the place -where he had fallen, he saw only _Mondamin_, an ear of corn. It was -crooked. There was a red tassel at the top. - -Someone said, "Take off my robes. Pull me in pieces. Throw me over the -plain. Take the spine on which I grew and throw it in shady places -near the edge of the wood. Return after one moon. Tell no one." - -Mass-wa-wei-nini did as the voice directed. Then he returned into the -woods. He killed a deer. So he returned to his wigwam. - -Now after one moon, he returned to the plain. Behold! There were -blades and spikes of young corn. And from the broken bits of spine, -grew long pumpkin vines. - -When summer was gone, Living Statue went again to the plain with his -sons. The corn was in full ear. Also the large pumpkins were ripe. - -Thus the Ottawas received the gift of corn. - - - - -THE CORN WOMAN - -_Cherokee_ - - -One day a hunter could find no game. He had but a few grains of corn -with him. He was very hungry. In the night a dream came to him and he -heard the sound of singing. - -Early the next morning the hunter rose, but again he found no game. -When he slept again the dream came to him, and again came the sound of -singing, but this time it was nearer. Yet again he could find no game. - -The third night the dream came to the hunter, and when he awoke, he -still heard the song. Then he rose quickly and followed the song. At -last he came to a single green stalk of Selu. - -The stalk spoke to him. It said, "Take off my roots, and take them -with you to your wigwam. Tomorrow morning you must chew them before -anyone awakes. Then go again into the woods. So will you always be -successful in hunting." - -The green stalk gave him many directions for hunting the elk and the -deer. So it talked until the sun rose to the very top of the sky -trail. Immediately the green stalk became a woman. She rose gracefully -into the air and vanished. - -Then all the people knew that the hunter had seen Selu, the Corn, wife -of Kanati. Therefore the hunter was always successful. - - - - -DISCOVERY OF THE WILD RICE - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Long ago, Wenibojó[7] made his home with his grandmother, Nokomis. One -day Nokomis said to her grandson, "Prove yourself a man. Take a long -journey. Go through the great forests. Fast you. Prepare for the -hardships of life." - - [7] Another form of the Ojibwa Manabozho, or the Menomini - Manabush. - -So Wenibojó took his bow and arrow from his wigwam. He wandered -out into the forest. Many days he wandered. Then at last he -reached a broad lake, covered thick with heavy-headed stalks. But -Wenibojó knew not that the grain was food. - -So Wenibojó went back to his grandmother, Nokomis. He told her of the -broad, quiet lake, with the heavy-headed stalks. So Nokomis came, and -in their canoe they gathered the wild rice and sowed it in another -lake. - - [Illustration: WILD RICE TIED IN BUNCHES OR SHEAVES. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - - [Illustration: WILD RICE KERNELS AFTER THRESHING AND WINNOWING. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - -Again Wenibojó left Nokomis. With his bow and arrow he wandered far -into the forest. Then some little bushes spoke as he walked. -"Sometimes they eat us," they said. Wenibojó made no answer. Again -the bushes spoke, "Sometimes they eat us." - -"Who are you talking to?" he asked. - -"To Wenibojó," they said. So he bent down and dug up the bushes by the -roots. The roots were long, like an arrow. They were good to eat, but -Wenibojó had fasted too long. - -After a while, Wenibojó wandered on. He was very hungry. Many bushes -spoke to him. Many said, "Sometimes they eat us," but he made no -answer. - -One day he followed the river trail, when the sun was high. Many -little bunches of straw were growing out of the water. They spoke to -him. They said, "Wenibojó, sometimes they eat us." - -So Wenibojó picked some of the grains from the heavy-headed stalks and -ate. - -"You are good to eat," he said. "What do they call you?" - -"They call us _manomin_," answered the wild rice. - -Then Wenibojó waded far out into the water. He beat out grains and ate -many. They were good for food. - -Then Wenibojó remembered the grain which Nokomis had sown, and he -returned to his grandmother and the _manomin_ lake. - - - - -ORIGIN OF WILD RICE - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Now one evening Wenibojó returned to his wigwam from hunting. He had -found no game. As he came towards his fire, he saw a duck sitting on -the edge of a kettle of boiling water. Immediately the duck flew away. - -Wenibojó looked in the kettle. Behold! Grains were floating upon the -water. Then he ate the broth made with the grains. It was good. - -So Wenibojó followed the trail of the duck. He came to a lake of -_manomin_. All the birds and the ducks and geese were eating the -grain. Therefore Wenibojó learned to know _manomin_, the wild rice. - - - - -ORIGIN OF WINNEBAGO - -_Menomini_ - - -One day Manabush walked along the lake shore. He was tired and hungry. -Then he saw, around a sand spit jutting far out into the water, many -waterfowl. - -Now Manabush had with him only a medicine bag. He hung that on a -manabush tree in the brush. He put a roll of bark on his back, and -returned to the lake shore. He passed slowly by so as not to frighten -the birds. Duck and Swan suddenly recognized him, and swam quickly -away from the shore. - -One of the Swans called out, "Ho! Manabush, where are you going?" - -"I am going to have a dance," said Manabush. "As you may see, I have -all my songs with me." - -Then he called out to all the birds, "Come to me, brothers! Let us -sing and dance." - -At once the birds returned to the shore and walked back upon an open -space in the grass. Manabush took the bundle of bark from his back. He -placed it on the ground, got out his singing sticks, and then he said -to the birds, - -"Now, all of you dance around me as I drum. Sing as loudly as you can -and keep your eyes closed. The first to look will always have red -eyes." - -So Manabush began to beat time upon his bundle of bark. The birds with -eyes closed danced around him. Then Manabush began to keep time with -one hand, as the birds sang loudly. With the other he seized a Swan by -the neck. Swan gave a loud squawk. - -"That's right, brothers! Sing as loudly as you can," shouted Manabush. - -Soon he seized another Swan by the neck. Then he seized a Goose. At -last there were not so many birds singing. Then a tiny duck opened his -eyes to see why. At once he shrieked, "Manabush is killing us! -Manabush is killing us!" And he started for the water, followed by the -rest of the birds. - -Now this little duck was a poor runner. Manabush quickly caught him -and said, "I won't kill you; but you shall always have red eyes. And -you shall be the laughing stock of all the birds." - -And with that Manabush pushed him so hard, yet holding on to his tail, -that the duck went far out into the middle of the lake and his tail -came off. Because of that he has red eyes and no tail, even to this -day. - -Then Manabush gathered up the birds he had killed and took them out -on the sand spit. He buried them in the sand and built a fire over -them to cook them, but he left sticking out the heads of some and the -legs of others so he would know where they were. - -But Manabush was tired. He slapped his thigh and said, "You watch the -birds and awaken me if anyone comes near them." He stretched out on -the sand with his back to the fire and went to sleep. - -After awhile, Indians came along in their canoes. They saw the fire -and the roasting birds. They went ashore on the sand pit. They pulled -out the birds and ate them. But they put back into the sand the heads -and feet, just as they had found them. So they departed. - -Afterwards, Manabush awoke, very hungry. He pulled at the head of a -swan. Behold! The head came out, but there was no bird. He pulled at -the feet of a goose. No bird was there. So he tried every head and -foot; but the birds were gone. - -He slapped his thigh again and asked, "Who has been here? Someone has -robbed me of my feast. I told you to watch." - -His thigh answered, "I fell asleep also. I was very tired. See! There -are people moving away in their canoes! They are dirty and poorly -dressed." - -Then Manabush ran to the point of the sand spit. He could see the -people who were just disappearing around a point. He shouted, -"Winnebago! Winnebago!" Therefore the Menomini have always called -their thievish neighbors Winnebago. - - - - -THE ORIGIN OF TOBACCO - -_Menomini_ - - -One day when Manabush was passing by a high mountain, a fragrant odor -came to him from a crevice in the cliffs. He went closer. Then he knew -that in the mountain was a giant who was the Keeper of the Tobacco. He -entered the mouth of a cave, going through a long tunnel to the center -of the mountain. - -There in a great wigwam was the giant. The giant said sternly, "What -do you want?" - -Manabush said, "I want some tobacco." - -"Come back again in one year," said the giant. "The manidoes have just -been here for their smoke. They come but once a year." - -Manabush looked around. He saw a great number of bags filled with -tobacco. He seized one and ran out into the open air, and close after -him came the giant. - -Up to the mountain tops fled Manabush leaping from peak to peak. The -giant came close behind him, springing with great bounds. When -Manabush reached a very high peak, he suddenly lay flat on the -ground; but the giant, leaping, went over him and fell into the chasm -beyond. - -The giant picked himself up, and began to climb up the face of the -cliff. He almost reached the top, hanging to it by his hands. Manabush -seized him, and drew him upwards, and dropped him down on the ground. - -He said, "For your meanness, you shall become Kakuene, the jumper. You -shall become the pest of those who raise tobacco." Thus the giant -became a grasshopper. - -Then Manabush took the tobacco, and divided it amongst his brothers, -giving to each some of the seed. Therefore the Indians are never -without tobacco. - - - - -ORIGIN OF MAPLE SUGAR - -_Menomini_ - - -One day Manabush returned from the hunt without any food. He could -find no game at all. So Nokomis gathered all their robes, and the -beaded belts, and their belongings together. They built a new wigwam -among the sugar maple trees. - -Nokomis said, "Grandson, go into the woods and gather for me pieces of -birch bark. I am going to make sugar." Manabush went into the woods. -He gathered strips of birch bark, which he took back to the wigwam. -Nokomis had cut tiny strips of the bark to use as thread in sewing the -bark into hollow buckets. Then Nokomis went from tree to tree cutting -small holes through the maple bark, so that the sap might flow. She -placed a birch-bark vessel under each hole. Manabush followed her from -tree to tree looking for the sap to drop. None fell. When Nokomis had -finished, Manabush found all the vessels half full. - -He stuck his finger into the thick syrup. It was sweet. Then he said, -"Grandmother, this is all very good, but it will not do. If people -make sugar so easily, they will not have to work at all. I will -change all this. They must cut wood and keep the sap boiling several -nights. Otherwise they will not be busy." - -So Manabush climbed to the very top of a tree. He showered water all -over the maples, like rain. Therefore the sugar in the tree dissolved -and flows from the tree as thin sap. This is why the uncles of -Manabush and their children always have to work hard when they want to -make sugar. - - [Illustration: BIRCH-BARK YOKE, AND SAP BUCKETS, USED IN MAPLE - SUGAR MAKING. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - - - - -MANABUSH AND THE MOOSE - -_Menomini_ - - -Manabush killed a moose. He was very hungry, but he was greatly -troubled as to how he should eat it. - -"If I begin at the head," he said, "they will say I ate him headfirst. -But if I begin at the side, they will say I ate him sideways. And if I -begin at the tail, they will say I ate him tail first." - -He was greatly troubled. And while he thus spoke, the wind blew two -tree branches together. It made a harsh, creaking sound. - -"I cannot eat in this noise," said Manabush, and he climbed the tree. -Immediately the branches caught him by the arm and held him. Then a -pack of wolves came and ate up the moose. - - - - -ORIGIN OF DAY AND NIGHT - -_Menomini_ - - -One day as Wabus, the Rabbit, traveled through a forest, he came to a -clearing on the bank of the river. There sat Totoba, the Saw-whet Owl. -The light was dim and Rabbit could not see well. He said to Saw-whet, - -"Why do you want it so dark? I do not like it. I will cause it to be -light." - -Saw-whet said, "Do so, if you are strong enough. Let us try our -powers." - -So Rabbit and the Owl called a great council of the birds. Some of the -birds and animals wanted Rabbit to succeed so that it would be light. -Others wanted it to remain dark. - -Rabbit and Owl began to try their powers. Rabbit began to repeat -rapidly, "_Wabon. Wabon. Wabon_" (Light. Light. Light), while Owl kept -saying as rapidly as he could, "_Uni tipa qkot. Uni tipa qkot. Uni -tipa qkot_" (Night. Night. Night). - -If one of them should speak the word of the other, he would lose. So -Rabbit kept repeating rapidly, "_Wabon. Wabon. Wabon_," while Owl -said as rapidly as he could, "_Uni tipa qkot. Uni tipa qkot. Uni tipa -qkot._" At last Owl said Rabbit's word, "_Wabon_," so he lost. - -Therefore Rabbit decided there should be light. But because some of -the animals and birds could hunt only in the dark, he said it should -be night part of the time. But all the rest of the time it is day. - - - - -ORIGIN OF THE BEAR - -_Cherokee_ - - -Long ago, before the white man came, in the land of the Cherokees was -a clan called the Ani Tsagulin. One of the boys of the clan used to -wander all day long in the mountains. He never ate his food at home. - -"Why do you do so?" asked his father and mother. The boy did not -answer. - -"Why do you do so?" they asked many days, as the boy wandered away -into the hills. He did not answer them. - -Then his mother saw that long brown hair covered his body. They said -again, "Where do you go?" They asked, "Why do you not eat at home?" - -At last the boy said, "There is plenty to eat there. It is better than -the corn in the village. Soon I shall stay in the woods all the time." - -His father and mother said, "No." - -The boy kept saying, "It is better than here. I am beginning to be -different. Soon I shall not want to live here. If you come with me you -will not have to hunt, or to plant corn. But first you must fast -seven days." - -The people began to talk about it. They said, "Often we do not have -enough to eat here. There he says there is plenty. We will go with -him." - -So they fasted seven days. Then they left their village and went to -the mountains. - -Now the other tribes had heard what they had talked in their village. -At once they sent messengers. But when the messengers met them, they -had started towards the mountains and their hair was long and brown. -Their nature was changing. This was because they had fasted seven -days. But the Ani Tsagulin would not go back to their village. They -said to the others: - -"We are going where there is always plenty to eat. Hereafter we shall -be called _Yana_, bears. When you are hungry, come into the woods and -call us, and we will give you food to eat." - -So they taught these messengers how to call them and to hunt them. -Because, even though they may seem to be killed, the Ani Tsagulin live -forever. - - - - -ORIGIN OF THE WORD CHICAGO - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Once an Ottawa hunter and his wife lived on the shores of Lake -Michigan. Then the hunter went south, toward the end of the lake, to -hunt. When he reached the lake[8] where he had caught beaver the year -before, it was still covered with ice. Then he tapped the ice to find -the thinner places where the beaver families lived. He broke holes at -these weaker points in the ice, and went to his wigwam to get his -traps. - - [8] Between Milwaukee and Chicago, going south to where - Chicago now stands. - -Now the hunter's wife chanced to pass one of these holes and she saw a -beaver on the ice. She caught it by the tail and called to the hunter -to come and kill it quickly, before it could get back into the water. - -"No," said the hunter, "if I kill this beaver, the others will become -frightened. They will escape from the lake by other openings in the -ice." - -Then the woman became angry, and they quarreled. - -When the sun was near setting, the hunter went out on the ice again, -to set more traps. When he returned to his tepee, his wife had gone. -He thought she had gone to make a visit. The next morning she had not -returned, and he saw her footprints. So he followed her trail to the -south. As he followed her trail, he saw that the footprints gradually -changed. At last they became the trail of a skunk. The trail ended in -a marsh, and many skunks were in that marsh. - -Then he returned to his people. And he called the place, "The Place of -the Skunk." - - - - -ORIGIN OF THE WORD CHICAGO[9] - -_Menomini_ - - - [9] Schoolcraft gives the origin of the word Chicago, as - follows: - - Chi-cag The animal of the leek or wild onion. - - Chi-cag-o-wunz The wild leek or pole-cat plant. - - Chi-ca-go Place of the wild leek. - - It would really seem, from the myths and the origin of the - word, as given above, that the name originated from the great - amount of skunk weed on the marshes now covered by the city. - -Potawatomi Indians used to live in the marshes where Chicago now -stands. They sent out word to the other tribes that hunting was good. -Then the Menomini Indians went to the marshes for game. In the night -their dogs barked much. But when the Menomini Indians reached the spot -where the dogs barked, they found only skunks. - - - - -THE COMING OF MANABUSH - -_Menomini_ - - -When the daughter of Nokomis, the Earth, died, Nokomis wrapped her new -baby in soft dry grass. She laid him on the ground under a large -wooden bowl. Then she mourned four days for her daughter. - -At the end of four days, Nokomis heard a sound in her wigwam. It came -from the wooden bowl. Then she remembered. She took up the bowl. At -once she saw a tiny white rabbit, with trembling pink ears. She took -it up. She said, "Oh, my dear little Rabbit. Oh, my Manabush." She -took care of him. - -One day Rabbit hopped across the wigwam. The earth shook. At once the -evil underground spirits, the Ana maqkiu, said to one another, "What -has happened? A great manido is born somewhere!" Immediately they -began to plot against him. - -In this way Manabush came to earth. He soon grew to be a young man. - - - - -THE STORY OF MANABUSH[10] - -_Menomini_ - - - [10] The Manabozho of the Ojibwa given by Longfellow as - Hiawatha. - -The daughter of Nokomis, the Earth, is the mother of Manabush, who is -also the Fire. Flint first grew up out of Nokomis, and was alone. Then -Flint made a bowl and filled it with earth. Wabus, the Rabbit, came -from the earth, and became a man. Thus was Manabush created. - -Beneath the earth lived the Underground People, the enemies of -Manabush. They were the Ana maqkiu who annoyed him constantly, and -sought to destroy him. - -Now Manabush shaped a piece of flint to make an axe. While he was -rubbing it on a rock, he heard the rock make sounds: - - _Ke ka ke ka ke ka ke ka_ - _Goss goss goss goss_ - -He soon understood what the rock was saying: that he was alone on the -earth. That he had neither father, mother, brother, nor sister. This -is what Flint said while Manabush was rubbing it upon the rock. - -While he was thinking of this, he heard something coming. It was -Mokquai, the Wolf. He said to Manabush, "Now you have a brother, for -I, too, am alone. We shall live together and I will hunt for you." - -Manabush said, "I am glad to see you, my brother. Therefore I shall -make you like myself." So he made him a man. - -Then Manabush and his brother moved away to the shore of a lake and -there built a wigwam. Manabush told his brother of the evil spirits, -the Underground People, who lived beneath the water. He said, "Never -go into the water, and never cross on the ice." - -Now one day Wolf-brother went a-hunting. It was late when he started -back. He found himself on the shore of the lake, just opposite the -wigwam. He could see it clearly. He did not want to make a long -journey around by the lake shore; therefore he began to cross on the -ice. When he reached the middle of the lake, the ice broke. The -Underground People pulled him under the water and he was drowned. - -Now Manabush knew this. He mourned four days for Wolf-brother. On the -fifth day, while he was following the hunting trail, he saw him -approaching. - -Wolf-brother said, "My fate will be the fate of all our people. They -will all die, but after four days they will return." Then Manabush saw -it was only the shade of his brother. - -Then he said, "My brother, return to the place of the setting sun. You -are now called Naqpote. You will have charge of the dead." - -The Wolf-shade said, "If I go there, and others follow me, we shall -not be able to return when we leave this place." - -Manabush again spoke. He said, "Go, Naqpote. Prepare a wigwam for -others. Build a large fire that they may be guided to it. When they -arrive there must be a wigwam for them." - -Thus Naqpote left the earth. He lives in the land of the shades, in -the country of the setting sun, where the earth is cut off. - - - - -MANABOZHO AND WEST - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Manabozho lived with his grandmother Nokomis, the Earth, on the edge -of a wide prairie. The first sound he heard was that of an owl. He -quickly climbed down the tree. He ran to Nokomis. - -"Noko," he cried, "I have heard a monido." - -Nokomis said, "What kind of a noise did it make?" - -"It said, _Ko ho, Ko ho!_" said Manabozho. - -"Oh, it is only a bird," said Nokomis. - -One day Manabozho thought, "It is very strange I know so little and -grandmother is so wise. I wonder if I have any father or mother." He -went back to the wigwam. He was very silent. - -"What is the matter?" said Nokomis. - -Manabozho asked, "Have I no father or mother?" - -Now his mother had died when he was a very little baby, but Nokomis -did not want to tell him. At last she said, "West is your father. He -has three brothers. They are North, East, and South. They have great -power. They travel on mighty wings. Your mother is not alive." - -Manabozho said, "I will visit my father," but he meant to make war on -him because he had learned that his father had not been kind to his -mother and he meant to punish him. - -Manabozho started on his journey. He traveled very rapidly. He went -very far at each step. So at last he met his father, West, on the top -of a high mountain. West was glad to see his son. Manabozho pretended -to be glad. - -They talked much. One day the son asked, "What are you most afraid of -on earth?" - -"Nothing," said West. - -Manabozho said, "Oh, yes, there must be something." - -At last West said, "There is a black stone on earth. I am afraid of -that. If it should strike me, it would injure me." West said this was -a great secret. - -One day he asked Manabozho, "What are you most afraid of?" - -"Nothing," was the answer. - -"Oh, yes, there must be something you are afraid of," said West. - -The son said, "_Ie-ee Ie-ee_--it is--it is--" He seemed afraid to -mention it. - -West said, "Don't be afraid!" Then at last his son said, "It is the -root of the _apukwa_, the bulrush." - -They quarreled because West had not been kind to the mother of -Manabozho. - -Some days later they quarreled. Manabozho said, "I will get some of -the black rock." - -"Oh, no! Do not do so," cried West. - -"Oh, yes!" said his son. - -West said at once, "I will get some of the _apukwa_ root." - -"Oh, no!" cried Manabozho, pretending to be afraid. "Do not! Do not!" - -"Oh, yes!" said West. - -Manabozho at once went out and brought to his father's wigwam a large -piece of black rock. West pulled up and brought in some bulrush roots. -Manabozho threw the black rock at West. It broke in pieces. Therefore -you may see pieces lying around even to this day. West struck his son -with the bulrush root. Thus they fought. But at last Manabozho drove -West far over the plains to the Darkening Land. So West came to the -edge of the world, where the earth is broken off short. Then he cried, -"Stop, my son! I am immortal, therefore I cannot be killed. I will -remain here on the edge of the Earth-plain. You must go about doing -good. You must kill monsters and serpents and all evil things. All -the kingdoms of the earth are divided, but at the last you may sit -with my brother North."[11] - - [11] Back retreated Mudjekeewis, - Rushing westward o'er the mountains, - Stumbling westward down the mountains, - Three whole days retreated fighting, - Still pursued by Hiawatha - To the doorways of the West-Wind, - To the portals of the Sunset ... - . . . . - "Hold," at length cried Mudjekeewis, - "Hold, my son, my Hiawatha! - 'Tis impossible to kill me, - For you cannot kill the immortal." - --_Hiawatha_ - -Thus Manabozho became the Northwest wind. - - - - -MANABUSH AND THE GREAT FISH - -_Menomini_[12] - - - [12] The Ojibwas have a similar myth. - -After his brother Wolf had died, Manabush looked about him. He found -he was no longer alone on earth. There were many other people, the -children of Nokomis. They were his aunts and uncles. - -The evil manidoes annoyed the people very much. Therefore Manabush -wished to destroy them. Therefore he went to the shores of the lake -where they lived. He called to the waters to disappear. Four times he -called out. At once the waters vanished. There lay the Ana maqkiu. -They lay on the mud in the bottom of the lake. They looked like -fishes. The chief lay near the shore. He was very large. - -Manabush said to Great Fish, "I shall destroy you because you will not -allow my people to come near the shore." So he went towards Great -Fish. But the smaller manidoes caused the waters to return. Thus they -all escaped. - -Then Manabush went into the woods. He made a canoe of birch bark. He -wanted to destroy Great Fish in the water. As he left the shore in his -canoe, he began to sing, "Great Fish, come and swallow me." Only the -young fish came near. Manabush said scornfully, "I do not wish you. I -want your chief to come and swallow me." Great Fish was much annoyed. -He darted forward and swallowed Manabush and his canoe. - -Thus Manabush found himself in the Great Fish. He looked about him. -Many of his people were there. Bear and Deer, Porcupine and Raven, -Buffalo, Pine-tree Squirrel, and many others. - -Manabush said to Buffalo, "My uncle, how did you get here? I never saw -you near the water, but always on the prairie." - -Buffalo said, "I came near the lake to get some fresh green grass. -Great Fish caught me." And thus said all the animals. They said, "We -came near the lake and Great Fish swallowed us." - -Then Manabush said, "We will now have to go to the shore of Nokomis, -my grandmother. You will all have to help me." At once they all began -to dance around inside of Great Fish. Therefore he began to swim -quickly towards shore. Manabush began to cut a hole over his head, so -they could get out when Great Fish reached the shore of Nokomis, the -Earth. They sang a magic song. They sang, "I see the sky. I see the -sky." Pine Squirrel had a curious voice. He hopped around singing, -"_Sek-sek-sek-sek!_" This was very amusing to the other people. - -Great Fish thought, "I ought not to have swallowed that man. I must -swim to the shore where Nokomis lives." So he swam quickly until he -reached the beach. Then Manabush cut a larger hole. Thus they all -climbed out of Great Fish. The birds helped Manabush. They stood on -the sides of Great Fish and picked the flesh from his bones.[13] - - [13] And again the sturgeon, Nahma, - Heard the shout of Hiawatha, - Heard his challenge of defiance, - The unnecessary tumult, - Ringing far across the water. - . . . . - In his wrath he darted upward, - Flashing leaped into the sunshine, - Opened his great jaws and swallowed - Both canoe and Hiawatha. - --_Hiawatha_ - - - - -THE DEPARTURE OF MANABUSH - -_Menomini_ - - -Now Manabush was going away. He went to Mackinac. When he reached -there, he made a high, narrow rock, and this he leaned against the -cliff. This rock is as high as an arrow can be shot from a bow. At -this place he was seen by his people for the last time. Before he -went, he talked with them. - -Manabush said, "I am going away now. I have been badly treated by -other people who live in the land about you. I shall go across a great -water towards the rising sun, where there is a land of rocks. There I -shall set up my wigwam. When you hold a _mita-wiko-nik_ and are all -together, you shall think of me. When you speak my name, I shall hear -you. Whatever you ask, that I will do." - -Then Manabush spoke no more to his people. He entered the canoe. Then -he went slowly over the great water, to the land of rocks. He -vanished from his people as he went towards the rising sun.[14] - - [14] The Ojibwas say he went toward the setting sun. - - Thus departed Hiawatha, - Hiawatha the Beloved, - In the glory of the sunset, - In the purple mists of evening, - To the regions of the home-wind, - Of the Northwest wind, Keewaydin ... - --_Hiawatha_ - - - - -THE RETURN OF MANABUSH - -_Menomini_ - - -The uncles of Manabush, the people, used to visit a rock near Mackinac -where the old men said Manabush was living. They built a long lodge -there. They sang in their _mita-wiko-nik_ there. Manabush heard them. -Sometimes he came to them. He appeared as a little white rabbit, -trembling, with pink ears, just as he had first appeared to Nokomis, -his grandmother. - - - - -THE REQUEST FOR IMMORTALITY - -_Menomini_ - - -One day long after Manabush had gone away from his people, an Indian -dreamed that he spoke to him. At daylight, he sought seven friends, -chief men of the Mita-wit. They held a council together, and then rose -and went in search of Manabush. - -The Dreamer blackened his face. - -On the shore of the Great Waters, they entered canoes, and paddled -toward a rocky place in the Land of the Rising Sun. Very long they -paddled over the water, until they reached the land where dwelt -Manabush. - -Soon they reached his wigwam. Manabush bade them enter. The door of -the wigwam lifted and fell again as each one entered. When all were -seated, Manabush said: - -"My friends, why is it you have come so long a journey to see me? What -is it you wish?" - -All but one answered, at once: "Manabush, we wish some hunting -medicine; thus we may supply our people with much food." - -"You shall have it," said Manabush. Then he turned to the silent one. -He asked, "What do you wish?" - -The Indian replied, "I wish no hunting medicine. I wish to live -forever." - -Manabush rose and went towards the Indian. He took him by the -shoulders and carried him to his sleeping place. He set him down, and -said: - -"You shall be a stone. Thus you shall be everlasting." - -Immediately the other Indians arose and went down to the shore. In -their canoes they returned to their own land. It is from these seven -who returned that we know of the abode of Manabush. - - - - -PEBOAN AND SEEGWAN - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Long ago an old man sat alone in his lodge beside a frozen stream. The -fire was dying out, and it was near the end of winter. Outside the -lodge, the cold wind swept before it the drifting snow. So the old man -sat alone, day after day, until at last a young warrior entered his -lodge. He was fresh and joyous and youthful. - -The old man welcomed him. He drew out his long pipe and filled it with -tobacco. He lighted it from the dying embers of the fire. Then they -smoked together. - -The old man said, "I blow my breath and the streams stand still. The -water becomes stiff and hard like the stones." - -"I breathe," said the warrior, "and flowers spring up over the plain." - -"I shake my locks," said the old man, "and snow covers the land. -Leaves fall from the trees. The birds fly away. The animals hide. The -earth becomes hard." - -"I shake my locks," said the young man, "and the warm rain falls. -Plants blossom; the birds return; the streams flow." - -Then the sun came up over the edge of the Earth-plain, and began to -climb the trail through the Sky-land. The old man slept. Behold! The -frozen stream near by began to flow. The fire in the lodge died out. -Robins sat upon the lodge poles and sang. - -Then the warrior looked upon the sleeping old man. Behold! It was -Peboan, the Winter-maker.[15] - - [15] In his lodge beside a river, - Close beside a frozen river, - Sat an old man, sad and lonely, - White his hair was as a snow-drift; - Dull and low his fire was burning, - And the old man shook and trembled, - . . . . - Hearing nothing but the tempest - As it roared along the forest, - Seeing nothing but the snow-storm, - As it whirled and hissed and drifted. - All the coals were white with ashes - And the fire was slowly dying, - As a young man, walking lightly, - At the open doorway entered. - Red with blood of youth his cheeks were, - Soft his eyes, as stars in Spring-time. - --_Hiawatha_ - - - - -THE GRAVE FIRES - -_Ojibwa_ - - -A small war party of Ojibwas fought, long ago, with enemies on an open -plain. Then their chief was shot by an arrow in his breast as he rode -after the retreating enemy. When his warriors found their chief dead, -they placed him, sitting, with his back against a tree. They left him -there with his bow and arrows. - -But the chief was not dead. He saw the warriors leave him and he ran -after them as they rode the homeward trail. He followed closely in -their trail. He slept in their camp, yet they did not see him. - -When the war party reached their own village, they sang the song of -victory, yet they sent up the death wail for those who were killed. -The women and children came out. The chief heard his warriors tell of -his death. He said, "No, I am not dead," but they did not hear him. - -Then the chief went to his own wigwam. His wife was weeping, and -wailing for his death. "I am here," he said, but she did not hear him. -"I am hungry," he said. She made no answer. Only she raised again the -death wail. - -Then the chief thought. Perhaps only his spirit had returned. Perhaps -his body was yet on the field of battle. So he followed the trail back -to the battle field. It was a four days' journey. For three days he -saw no one as he journeyed. The fourth day, on the edge of the plain, -he saw a fire in his trail. He walked to one side and the other; the -fire moved also and always burned before him. Then he turned in -another direction. The fire was again in his trail. Then he sprang -suddenly, and jumped through the flame. - -At once he awoke. He was sitting on the ground, with his back against -a tree. Over his head in the branches sat a large war eagle. Now Eagle -was his guardian, because he had come to him in his fasting vision in -his youth. - -Then the wounded chief arose. He followed the trail of the war party -to his village. Four days he followed the homeward trail. He came to a -stream which flowed between him and his wigwam, therefore he gave the -whoop which means the return of an absent friend. Then the Indians -began to think. They said, "No one is absent. Perhaps it is an enemy." -So they sent over a canoe with armed men. Thus the chief landed among -his own people. - -Then the chief gave them instructions. He said it was pleasing to a -spirit to have a fire burning at the grave for four days after the -body was buried. This was because it is four days' journey on the -death trail to the Ghost-land; so the spirit needed a fire at his -camping place every evening. - -Also he said the spirit needed his bow and arrow, his best robes, in -his journey. Therefore the Ojibwas burn a fire four nights at a new -grave, that the spirit may be happy in following the Trail of the Dead -to the Spirit-land.[16] - - [16] Thus they buried Minnehaha. - And at night a fire was lighted, - On her grave four times was kindled, - For her soul upon its journey - To the Islands of the Blessed. - From his doorway Hiawatha - Saw it burning in the forest, - Lighting up the gloomy hemlocks; - From his sleepless bed uprising, - From the bed of Minnehaha, - Stood and watched it at the doorway, - That it might not be extinguished, - Might not leave her in the darkness. - --_Hiawatha_ - - - - -THE DEATH TRAIL - -_Choctaw_ - - -After a man dies, he must travel far on the death trail. It journeys -to the Darkening-land, where Sun slips over the edge of the -Earth-plain. Then the spirit comes to a deep, rapid stream. There are -steep and rugged hills on each side, so that one may not follow a land -trail. The Trail of the Dead leads over the stream, and the only -bridge is a pine log. It is a very slippery log, and even the bark has -been peeled off. Also on the other side of the bridge are six persons. -They have rocks in their hands, and throw them at spirits when they -are just at the middle of the log. - -Now when an evil spirit sees the stones coming, he tries to dodge -them. Therefore he slips off the log. He falls far into the water -below, where are evil things. The water carries him around and around, -as in a whirlpool, and then brings him back again among the evil -things. Sometimes evil spirit climbs up on the rocks and looks over -into the country of the good spirits. But he cannot go there. - -Now the good spirit walks over safely. He does not mind the stones -and does not dodge them. He crosses the stream and goes to a good -hunting land. It is more beautiful there than on the Earth-plain. -There are no storms. The sky is always blue, and the grass is green, -and there are many buffaloes. Therefore there is always feasting and -dancing. - - - - -THE DUCK AND THE NORTH WEST WIND - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Once Shingebiss, the duck, lived all alone in his wigwam on the shore -of a lake. It was winter and very cold. Ice had frozen over the top of -the water. Shingebiss had but four logs of wood in his wigwam, but -each log would burn one month and there were but four winter -months.[17] - - [17] And at night Kabibonokka - To the lodge came, wild and wailing, - Heaped the snow in drifts about it, - Shouted down into the smoke-flue, - Shook the lodge poles in his fury, - Flapped the curtain of the doorway, - Shingebis, the diver, feared not, - Shingebis, the diver, cared not; - Four great logs had he for firewood, - One for each moon of the winter, - And for food the fishes served him, - By his blazing fire he sat there, - Warm and merry, eating, laughing, - Singing, "O Kabibonokka, - You are but my fellow mortal!" - --_Hiawatha_ - - [Illustration: PICTURE WRITING. AN OJIBWA MEDA SONG. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - -Shingebiss had no fear of the cold. He would go out on the coldest -day. He would seek for places where rushes and flags grew through the -ice. He pulled them up and dived through the broken ice for fish. Thus -he had plenty of food. Thus he went to his wigwam dragging long -strings of fish behind him on the ice. - -North West noticed this. He said, "Shingebiss is a strange man. I will -see if I cannot get the better of him." - -North West shook his rattle and the wind blew colder. Snow drifted -high. But Shingebiss did not let his fire go out. In the worst storms -he continued going out, seeking for the weak places in the ice where -the roots grew. - -North West noticed this. He said, "Shingebiss is a strange man. I -shall go and visit him." - -That night North West went to the door of the wigwam. Shingebiss had -cooked his fish and eaten it. He was lying on his side before the -fire, singing songs. - -He sang, - - Ka neej Ka neej - Be in Be in - Bon in Bon in - Oc ee Oc ee - Ca We-ya Ca We-ya. - -This meant, "Spirit of North West, you are but my fellow man." - -Now he sang this because he knew North West was standing at the door -of his wigwam. He could feel his cold breath. He kept right on singing -his songs. - -North West said, "Shingebiss is a strange man. I shall go inside." - -Therefore North West entered the wigwam and sat down on the opposite -side of the lodge. Shingebiss lay before the fire and sang: - -"Spirit of North West, you are but my fellow man." - -Then he got up and poked the fire. The wigwam became very warm. At -last North West said, "I cannot stand this. I must go out. Shingebiss -is a very strange man." So he went out. - -Then North West shook his rattles until the great storms came. Thus -there was much ice and snow and wind. All the flag roots were frozen -in hard ice. Still Shingebiss went fishing. He bit off the frozen -flags and rushes, and broke the hard ice around their roots. He dived -for fish and went home dragging strings of fish behind him on the ice. - -North West noticed this. He said, "Shingebiss must have very strong -medicine. Some manito is helping him. I cannot conquer him. Shingebiss -is a very strange man." - -So he let him alone. - - - - -HOW THE HUNTER DESTROYED SNOW - -_Menomini_ - - -Once a hunter with his wife and two children lived in a tepee. Each -day the hunter went out for game. He was a good hunter and he brought -back much game. - -But one day, after autumn had gone and winter had come, the hunter met -Kon, Snow, who froze his feet badly. Then the hunter made a large -wooden bowl and filled it with Kon. He buried it in a deep hole where -the midday sun could shine down upon it, and where Snow could not run -away. Then he covered the hole with sticks and leaves so that Snow -would be a prisoner until summer. - -Now when midsummer came, and everything was warm, the hunter came back -to this hole and pulled away the sticks and leaves. He let the midday -sun shine down upon Kon so that he melted. Thus the hunter punished -Kon. - -But when autumn came again, one day the hunter heard someone say to -him, when he was in the forest: "You punished me last summer, but -when winter comes I will show you how strong I am." - -The hunter knew it was Kon's voice. He at once built another tepee, -near the one in which he lived, and filled it full of firewood. - -At last winter came again. When the hunter was in the forest one day, -he heard Kon say: "Now I am coming to visit you, as I said I should. -In four days I shall be at your tepee." - -When the hunter returned home, he made ready more firewood; he built a -fire at the two sides of the tepee. After four days, everything became -frozen. It was very cold. The hunter kept up the fires in the tepee. -He took out all the extra fur robes to cover his wife and children. -The cold became more severe. It was hard not to freeze. - -On the fifth day, towards night, the hunter looked out from his tepee -upon a frozen world. Then he saw a stranger coming. He looked like any -other stranger, except that he had a very large head and an immense -beard. When he came to the tepee, the hunter asked him in. He at once -came in, but he would not go near either of the fires. This puzzled -the hunter, and he began to watch the stranger. - -It became colder and colder after the stranger had come into the -tepee. The hunter added more wood to each of the fires until they -roared. The stranger seemed too warm. The hunter added more wood, and -the stranger became warmer and warmer. Then the hunter saw that as he -became warm, he seemed to shrink. At last his head and body were quite -small. Then the hunter knew who the stranger guest was. It was Kon, -the Cold. So he kept up his fires until Kon melted altogether away. - - - - -THE PIPE OF PEACE - -_Ojibwa_ - - -In the olden days, so they say, the Indians fought much. Always they -followed the war trail. Then Gitche Manito, the Good Mystery, thought, -"This is not well. My children should not always follow the war -trail." Therefore he called a great council. He called all the tribes -together. Now this was on the upper Mississippi. - -Gitche Manito stood on a great wall of red rock. On the green plain -below him were the wigwams of his children. All the tribes were there. - -Gitche Manito broke off a piece of the red rock. He made a pipe out of -it. He made a pipe by turning it in his hands. Then he smoked the -pipe, and the smoke made a great cloud in the sky. - -He spoke in a loud voice. He said, "See, my people, this stone is red. -It is red because it is the flesh of all tribes. Therefore can it be -used only for a pipe of peace when you cease to follow the war trail. -Therefore it is the Place of Peace. To all the tribes it belongs." - -Then the cloud grew larger and Gitche Manito vanished in it. - -Now therefore, because of the command of Gitche Manito, the Indians -smoke the pipe of peace when they cease to follow the war trail. And -because it is the Place of Peace, the tomahawk and the scalping knife -are never lifted there.[18] - - [18] On the Mountains of the Prairie, - On the great Red Pipe-stone Quarry, - Gitche Manito, the mighty, - He the Master of Life descending, - On the red crags of the quarry, - Stood erect and called the nations, - Called the tribes of men together. - . . . . - "I am weary of your quarrels, - Weary of your wars and bloodshed, - Weary of your prayers for vengeance, - Of your wranglings and dissensions; - . . . . - Break the red stone from this quarry, - Mould and make it into Peace-pipes, - Take the reeds that grow beside you, - Deck them with your brightest feathers, - Smoke the calumet together." - --_Hiawatha_ - - - - -THE THUNDER'S NEST - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Thunder had a Nest where a very small bird sits upon her eggs during -fair weather. When an egg hatches, the skies are rent with bolts of -thunder. - - - - -THE PIPESTONE - -_Sioux_ - - -Before there were any people on the earth, Gitche Manito hunted the -buffalo. He killed them and cooked them before his camp fire on the -Red Rocks, on the top of the Coteau des Prairies, the Mountain of the -Prairies. So the blood of the buffaloes ran over the rocks and made -them red. - -Gitche Manito was then a very large bird. We can still see his tracks -in the red stone. Now it happened a large snake crawled out of its -hole to eat the eggs of the Bird. Then at once the egg hatched out in -a clap of thunder. - -Gitche Manito took a piece of stone to throw at the snake. He shaped -it in his hands like to a man. - -Now this man's feet stood fast in the ground where he was. Thus he -stayed for many ages; therefore he grew very old. He was older than a -hundred men at the present time. At last another tree grew beside him. -It grew a long while, until a snake bit off the roots. Then the two -people left the pipestone quarry. They wandered away. They were the -grandfathers of all the tribes. - - - - -THE PIPESTONE - -_Knisteneaux_ - - -A great flood came. Then the tribes met on the Coteau des Prairies, on -the Mountain of the Prairies, to get out of the way of the waters. -Then the waters rose higher; thus the tribes were drowned. Gitche -Manito made them into stone. Therefore the stone is red. - -Now when the waters were rising, a young woman caught the foot of a -large bird flying near. It was War-eagle. He carried her to the top of -a large mountain. Thus she was saved. Then she married War-eagle. - -Now all the tribes were drowned. Therefore the children of War-eagle -and the Indian woman were the ancestors of all the Indians. - - - - -PAU-PUK-KEE-WIS - -_Ojibwa_ - - -A man found himself standing alone on the prairie. He was very large -and strong. He thought to himself, "How did I come here? Am I all -alone on the earth? I must travel until I find the abode of men." - -So he started out. After a long time he came to a wood. There were -decayed stumps there, very old, as if cut in the olden times. Again he -journeyed a long time. He came to a wood in which there were more -stumps, newly cut. Then he came to the fresh trail of people. He saw -wood just cut, lying in heaps. At sunset he came out of the forest. He -saw a village of many lodges standing on rising ground. - -He said, "I will go there on the run." He ran. When he came to the -first lodge, he sprang over it. Those within saw something pass over -the smoke hole. They heard a thump on the ground. - -They said, "What is that?" They ran out. They invited him to enter. -Many warriors were in the wigwam, and an old chief. - -The chief said, "Where are you going? What is your name?" - -He said, "I am in search of adventures. I am Pau-puk-kee-wis." Then -they laughed. - -After a short time he went on. A young man went with him as his -_mesh-in-au-wa_, as his pipe bearer. - -As they journeyed, Pau-puk-kee-wis did strange things. He leaped over -trees. He whirled on one foot until dust clouds were flying. - -One day a large village of wigwams came in their trail. They went to -it. The chief told them of evil manitoes who had killed all the people -going to that village. War parties had been sent against them. The -warriors were all killed. - -Pau-puk-kee-wis said, "I will go and visit them." - -The chief said, "Oh, no. They are evil. They will kill you." - -Pau-puk-kee-wis said, "I will go and visit them." - -Then the chief said, "I will send twenty warriors with you." - -So Pau-puk-kee-wis, with his pipe bearer and twenty warriors, started -off at once. They came near that lodge. Pau-puk-kee-wis said, "Hide -here. Thus you will be safe. You will see what I do." He went to that -lodge. He entered. - -The manitoes were very ugly. They were evil looking. There were a -father and four sons. They offered him food. He refused it. - -The old manito said, "What have you come for?" - -"Nothing," said Pau-puk-kee-wis. - -"Do you want to wrestle?" asked the manito. - -"Yes," said Pau-puk-kee-wis. - -At once the eldest brother rose and they began to wrestle. These -manitoes were very evil. They wished to kill Pau-puk-kee-wis in order -to eat him. But that man was very strong. He tripped the manito. Then -he threw him down. His head struck on a stone. - -The next brother wrestled with Pau-puk-kee-wis. He fell. Then the -other two wrestled. All four fell on the ground. The old manito began -to run. Pau-puk-kee-wis pursued him. He pursued him in a very queer -way, just for fun. Sometimes he leaped over him and ran ahead. -Sometimes he pushed him ahead from behind. - -All the twenty warriors cried, "Ha! ha! ha! Ha! ha! ha! -Pau-puk-kee-wis is driving him." - -At last Pau-puk-kee-wis killed him. Thus all the evil manitoes were -dead. - -Then they looked on the bones of the warriors and people who had been -killed by those evil ones. Then Pau-puk-kee-wis took three arrows. He -performed a ceremony to Gitche Manito. He shot one arrow. He cried, -"You who are lying down, rise up or you will be hit." At once the -bones all moved to one place. - -He shot a second arrow. He cried, "You who are lying down, rise up, -or you will be hit." The proper bones moved together, toward each -other. - -He shot a third arrow. He cried, "You who are lying down, rise up, or -you will be hit." The people became alive again. Then Pau-puk-kee-wis -led them back to the village of the friendly chief. - -This one then came to him with his council. He said, "You should rule -my people. You only are able to defend them." - -Pau-puk-kee-wis said, "I am going on a journey. Let my pipe bearer be -chief." So he was. - -Pau-puk-kee-wis began his journey. "Ho! ho! ho!" cried all the people. -"Come back again. Ho! ho! ho!" - -He journeyed on. He came to a lake made by beavers.[19] He stood on -the beaver dam and watched. He saw the head of a beaver peering out. - - [19] With a smile he spake in this wise: - "O, my friend, Ahmeek, the beaver, - Cool and pleasant is the water; - Let me dive into the water, - Let me rest there in your lodges; - Change me, too, into a beaver!" - Cautiously replied the beaver, - With reserve he thus made answer, - "Let me first consult the others, - Let me ask the other beavers." - --_Hiawatha_ - -"Make me a beaver like yourself," said Pau-puk-kee-wis. He wanted to -see how beavers lived. - -"I will go and ask what the others have to say," said Beaver. - -Soon all the beavers looked out to see if he were armed. He had left -his bow and arrow in a hollow tree. - -"Make me a beaver," said Pau-puk-kee-wis. "I wish to live among you." - -"Yes," said Beaver chief. "Lie down." He lay down. He found himself a -beaver. - -"You must make me large," he said. - -"Yes," said Beaver chief. "When we get into the lodge, you shall be -made very large." - -So they all dived down into the water again. They passed heaps of tree -limbs and logs lying on the bottom of the river. - -"What are these for?" asked Pau-puk-kee-wis. - -"For our winter food," said Beaver chief. - -Now when they got into the lodge, they made Pau-puk-kee-wis very -large. They made him ten times larger than themselves. - -Soon a beaver came running in. He cried, "The Indians are hunting us." -At once all the beavers ran out of the lodge door on the bottom of the -river. Pau-puk-kee-wis was too large. He could not get out. The -Indians broke down the dam. They lowered the water. They broke in the -lodge. They saw that one. - -"_Ty-au! Ty-au!_" cried the Indians. "_Me-sham-mek_, the chief of the -beavers, is here." - -So they killed him. Yet Pau-puk-kee-wis kept thinking. They placed his -great body on a pole. Seven or eight Indians carried it. They went -back to their lodges. They sent out invitations for a great feast. -Then the women came out to skin him on the snow. When his flesh became -cold, the _Jee-bi_ of Pau-puk-kee-wis went away. His spirit went away. - -So Pau-puk-kee-wis found himself standing alone on a prairie. Soon -there came near by a herd of elk. He thought, "They are very happy. I -will be an elk." He went near them, and said, "Make me an elk. I wish -to live among you." - -They said, "Yes. Get down on your hands and knees." - -Soon he found himself an elk. - -"I want big horns and big feet," said Pau-puk-kee-wis. "I want to be -very large." - -"Yes, yes," said the elk. So they made him very large. At last they -said, "Are you large enough?" Pau-puk-kee-wis said, "Yes." - -So he lived with the elks. One cold day they all went into the woods -for shelter. Soon some of the herd came racing by like a strong wind. -At once all began to run. - -"Keep out on the prairies," they said to Pau-puk-kee-wis. - -But he was so large he got tangled up in the thick woods. He soon -smelt the hunters. They were all following his trail. Pau-puk-kee-wis -jumped high. He broke down saplings. Then the hunters shot him. He -jumped higher. He jumped over the tree tops. Then all the hunters shot -him. So they killed him. Then they skinned him. When his flesh became -cold, the spirit of Pau-puk-kee-wis went away. - -Thus Pau-puk-kee-wis had many adventures. After a long time Manabozho -killed him. Then he was really dead because he was killed in his human -form. Manabozho said, "You shall not be permitted to live on the earth -again. I will make you a war eagle." - -Thus Pau-puk-kee-wis became a war eagle. He lives in the sky. - - - - -IAGOO, THE BOASTER[20] - -_Ojibwa_ - - - [20] From his lodge went Pau-puk-keewis, - Came with speed into the village, - Found the young men all assembled - In the lodge of old Iagoo, - Listening to his monstrous stories, - To his wonderful adventures. - . . . . - Homeward now returned Iagoo, - The great traveller, the great boaster, - Full of new and strange adventures, - Marvels many and many wonders. - --_Hiawatha_ - -Iagoo was a great boaster. Once he told the people of a water lily he -had seen. He said the leaf was large enough to make garments for his -wife and daughter. - -One evening Iagoo was sitting in his wigwam, on the bank of the river. -He heard ducks quack on the stream. He shot at them, without aiming. -He shot through the door of the wigwam. Behold! His arrow pierced a -swan flying by. It killed many ducks in the stream. The arrow flew -farther. It killed two loons, just coming up from beneath the water. -Then it killed a very large fish. - -Iagoo went hunting. He followed the trail of the deer through the -forest. He shot a deer and skinned it. He lifted the meat upon his -shoulders. As he came from his hunting place, Iagoo saw a person on a -prairie before him. He pursued that person. Iagoo ran half a day after -that one. Then he remembered the meat upon his shoulders. He -remembered he carried the body of the deer. - -Iagoo had many adventures. He found mosquitoes in a bog-land. They -were very large. The wing of one he used for a sail for his canoe, -when the breeze blew. The nose of that insect was as large as his -wife's digging stick. - -One day Iagoo watched a beaver's lodge. He watched for the peering -head of a beaver. Behold! An ant went by. She had killed a hare. She -dragged hare's body on the ground behind her. - - - - -OJEEG, THE SUMMER-MAKER - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Ojeeg was a great hunter. He lived on the southern shore of Lake -Superior. Ojeeg had a wife and one son. - -Now the son hunted game as the father taught him. He followed the -trails over the snow. For snow lay always on the ground. It was always -cold. Therefore the boy returned home crying. - -One day as he went to his father's wigwam in the cold and snow he saw -Red Squirrel, gnawing the end of a pine cone. Now the son of Ojeeg had -shot nothing all day because his hands were so cold. When he saw Red -Squirrel, he came nearer, and raised his bow. - -Red Squirrel said, "My grandson, put up your arrow. Listen to me." - -The boy put the arrow in his quiver. - -Red Squirrel said, "You pass my wigwam very often. You cry because you -cannot kill birds. Your fingers are numb with cold. Obey me. Thus it -shall always be summer. Thus you can kill many birds." - - [Illustration: PERMANENT ASH-BARK WIGWAM OF THE WILD RICE - GATHERING OJIBWA. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - -Red Squirrel said again, "Obey me. When you reach your father's -wigwam, throw down your bow and arrows. Begin to weep. If your mother -says, 'My son, what is the matter?' do not answer her. Continue -weeping. If she says, 'My son, eat this,' you must refuse the food. -Continue weeping. In the evening when your father comes in he will say -to your mother, 'What is the matter with my son?' She will say, 'He -came in crying. He will not tell me.' Your father will say, 'My son, -what is the matter? I am a spirit. Nothing is too hard for me.' Then -you must answer, 'It is always cold and dreary. Snow lies always upon -the ground. Melt the snow, my father, so that we may have always -summer.' Then your father will say, 'It is very difficult to do what -you ask. I will try.' Then you must be quiet. You must eat the food -they give you." - -Thus it happened. - -Ojeeg then said, "I must make a feast. I must invite my friends to go -on this journey with me." At once Ojeeg killed a bear. The next day he -had a great feast. There were Otter, Beaver, and Lynx. Also Wolverine -and Badger were at the feast. - -Then they started on their journey. On the twentieth day they came to -the foot of a high mountain. There was blood in the trail. Some person -had killed an animal. They followed the trail of that person. They -arrived at a wigwam. - -Ojeeg said, "Do not laugh. Be very quiet." - -A man stood in the doorway of the wigwam. He was a great manito. He -was a head only. Thus he was very strange. Then he made a feast for -them. He made very curious movements, so Otter laughed. At once the -manito leaped upon him. He sprang on him, but Otter slipped out from -under him and escaped. - -The manito and the animals talked all night. The manito said to Ojeeg, -the Fisher, "You will succeed. You will be the summer-maker. But you -will die. Yet the summer will come." - -Now when they followed the trail in the morning, they met Otter. He -was very cold and hungry, therefore Fisher gave him meat. - -Then they journeyed on. On the twentieth day, they came to the top of -a lofty mountain. Then they smoked their pipes. - -Then Ojeeg, the Fisher, and the animals prepared themselves. Ojeeg -said to Otter, "We must first make a hole in the Sky-cover. You try -first." - -Otter made a great spring. He did not even touch the Sky-cover. He -fell back, down the hill, to the bottom of the hill. Then Otter said, -"I will go home." So he did. - -Then Beaver tried. He fell. Also Lynx and Badger fell. - -Then Wolverine tried. He made a great leap and touched the sky. Then -he leaped again. He pressed against the Sky-cover. He leaped a third -time. The Sky-cover broke, and Wolverine went into the Sky-land. -Fisher also sprang in quickly after him. - -Thus Wolverine and Fisher were in the Sky-plain, in the summer land. -There were many flowers and streams of bright water. There were birds -in the trees, and fish and water birds on the streams. Many lodges -stood there, but they were empty. In each lodge were many _mocuks_, -many bird cages, with birds in them. - -At once Ojeeg began to cut the _mocuks_. The birds flew out. They flew -down through the hole in the Sky-cover to the Earth-plain below. They -carried warm air down with them. - -Now when the people of the Sky-land saw these strangers, and their -birds escaping, they ran to their wigwams. But they were too late. -Spring, and summer, and autumn had slipped down the hole in the -Sky-cover. Endless summer was just passing through, but they broke it -in two with a blow. Therefore only a part of endless summer came down -to the Earth-plain. - -Now when Wolverine heard the noise of the sky people, running to -their lodges, he jumped down the hole and escaped. Fisher also tried -to jump, but the people had shut the cover. Therefore Fisher ran and -the people pursued him. He climbed a great tree in the north, and the -people began shooting at him. Now Fisher was a spirit; he could not be -hurt except in the tip of his tail. At last they shot him in his tail. - -Fisher called to the Sky People to stop shooting. But they did not -stop until darkness came. Then they went away. Fisher climbed down. He -went towards the north. He said, "I have kept my promise to my son. -The seasons will now be different. There will be many moons without -snow and cold." - -Thus Fisher died, with the arrow sticking in his tail. It can be seen -there, even to this day.[21] - - [21] He was telling them the story - Of Ojeeg the Summer-Maker, - How he made a hole in heaven, - How he climbed up into heaven, - And let out the summer-weather, - The perpetual summer-weather. - How the Otter first essayed it, - How the Beaver, Lynx, and Badger, - Tried in turn the great achievement, - From the summit of the mountain ... - --_Hiawatha_ - - - - -RABBIT GOES DUCK HUNTING - -_Cherokee_ - - -Rabbit was very boastful. One day he met Otter. Otter said, "Sometimes -I eat ducks." - -"Well, I eat ducks, too," said Rabbit. - -So they went up the stream until they saw several ducks in the water. -They followed the trail softly. Then they stood on the river bank. - -Rabbit said, "You go first." At once Otter dived from the bank. He -swam under water until he reached a duck; then he pulled it under -quickly so that the other ducks were not frightened. While he was -under water, Rabbit peeled bark from a sapling and made a noose. - -"Now, watch me," he said, when Otter came back. He dived in and swam -under water until he was nearly choked. So he came to the top to -breathe. He did this several times. The last time he came up among the -ducks and threw the noose over the head of one. - -Duck spread her wings and flew up, with Rabbit hanging to the end of -the noose. Up and up flew the duck, but Rabbit could not hold on any -longer. Then he let go and dropped. - -Rabbit fell into a hollow sycamore. It was very tall, and had no hole -at the bottom. Rabbit stayed there until he was so hungry he ate his -own fur, even as he does to this day. - -After many days, he heard children playing around the tree. He began -to sing, - - Cut a door and look at me, - I'm the prettiest thing you ever did see. - -The children at once ran home to tell their father. He came and cut a -hole in the tree. As he chopped away, Rabbit kept singing, - - Cut it larger, so you can see me. I am very pretty. - -So they made the hole larger. Then Rabbit told them to stand back so -they could get a good look at him. They stood back. Then Rabbit sprang -out and leaped away. - - - - -RABBIT AND THE TAR BABY - -_Biloxi_ - - -Rabbit aided his friend the Frenchman with his work. They planted -potatoes. Rabbit looked upon the potato vines as his share of the crop -and ate them all. - -Again Rabbit aided his friend the Frenchman. This time they planted -corn. When it was grown, Rabbit said, "This time I will eat the -roots." So he pulled up all the corn by the roots, but he found -nothing to satisfy his hunger. - -Then the Frenchman said, "Let us dig a well." Rabbit said, "No. You -dig it alone." - -The Frenchman said, "Then you shall not drink water from the well." - -"That does not matter," said Rabbit. "I am used to licking off the dew -from the ground." - -So the Frenchman dug his well. Then he made a tar baby and stuck it up -close to the well. One day Rabbit came near the well, carrying a long -piece of hollow cane and a tin bucket. When he reached the well he -spoke to the tar baby; it did not answer. - -"Friend, what is the matter? Are you angry?" asked Rabbit. - -Tar baby did not answer. So Rabbit hit him with a forepaw. The forepaw -stuck there. - -"Let me go," said Rabbit, "or I will hit you on the other side." - -Tar baby paid no attention, so Rabbit hit him with the other forepaw, -and that stuck fast. - -"I will kick you," said Rabbit. But when he kicked him the hindpaw -stuck. - -"Very well," he said, "I will kick you with the other foot." So he -kicked him with the other foot and that stuck fast. By that time -Rabbit looked like a ball, all four paws sticking to the tar baby. - -Just then the Frenchman came to the well. He picked Rabbit up, tied -his paws together, laid him down and scolded him. Rabbit pretended to -be in great fear of a brier patch. - -"If you are so afraid of a brier patch," said the Frenchman, "I will -throw you into one." - -"Oh, no, no!" said Rabbit. - -"I will throw you into the brier patch," repeated the Frenchman. - -"I am much afraid of it," answered Rabbit. - -"Since you are in such dread of it, I will throw you into it," said -the Frenchman. So he picked up Rabbit and threw him far into the -brier patch. Rabbit fell far away from the Frenchman. - -Then he picked himself up and ran off, laughing at the trick he had -played on the Frenchman. - - - - -RABBIT AND TAR WOLF - -_Cherokee_ - - -Once the weather was dry for so long that there was no more water in -the springs and creeks. The animals held a council to see what to do -about it. They decided to dig a well, and all agreed to help, except -Rabbit who was a lazy fellow. - -Rabbit said, "I don't need to dig for water. The dew on the grass is -enough for me." - -The others did not like this, but they all started to dig the well. It -stayed dry for a long while and even the water in the well was low. -Still Rabbit was lively and bright. - -"Rabbit steals our water at night," they said. So they made a wolf of -pine gum and tar. They set it by the well to scare the thief. - -That night Rabbit came again to the well. He saw the black thing -there. - -"Who's there?" he asked. But Tar Wolf did not answer. Rabbit came -nearer. Yet Tar Wolf did not move. Rabbit grew brave and said, "Get -out of my way." - -Tar Wolf did not move. So Rabbit hit him with his paw; but it stuck -fast in the gum. - -Rabbit became angry and said, "Let go my paw!" Still Tar Wolf said -nothing. So Rabbit hit him with his hind foot; that stuck in the gum. - -So Tar Wolf held Rabbit fast until morning. Then the other animals -came for water. When they found Rabbit stuck fast, they made great fun -of him for a while. At last Rabbit managed to get away. - - - - -RABBIT AND PANTHER - -_Menomini_ - - -Rabbit was a great boaster. He wanted a medicine lodge and to have -people think he was a great medicine man. - -Now one day, Wabus, the Rabbit, and his wife were traveling. They came -to a low hill covered with poplar sprouts. They were green and tender. -Therefore Rabbit decided to make his home there. - -Rabbit went first to the top of a hill and built a wigwam. He made -trails from it in all directions, so he might see anyone who -approached. - -When the wigwam was finished, Rabbit told his wife he was going to -dance; but first he ran all about the hill to see if anyone was -watching him. He found no trail. Then he returned and began his song. - -Now just as Rabbit returned to his wigwam, Panther reached the base of -the hill, and he found Rabbit's trail. He followed it until he reached -the place where Rabbit and his wife were dancing. Here he hid to watch -Rabbit. - -Now Rabbit told his wife to sit at one end of the lodge while he went -to the other. He took his medicine bag. Then he approached her four -times, chanting, - - Ye ha-a-a-a-a Ye ha-a-a-a-a - Ye ha-a-a-a-a Ye ha-a-a-a-a - -Then he shot at his wife, just as a medicine man does when he shoots -at a new member. Then Rabbit's wife arose and shot at him. Thus they -were very happy. - -Then Rabbit began to sing a song which meant this: "If Panther comes -across my trail while I am biting the bark from the poplars, he will -not be able to catch me for I am a good runner." - -When he had finished his song, Rabbit told his wife he would go out -hunting. Panther waited for his return. - -Now as Rabbit started home again he was very happy. But when he -reached Panther's hiding place, his enemy sprang on his trail. Rabbit -saw him and started back on his trail. Panther raced after him. He -caught him and said, - -"You are the man who said I could not catch you. Now who is the -fastest runner?" And before Rabbit could answer Panther ate him up. -But Rabbit was such a boastful man. - - - - -HOW RABBIT STOLE OTTER'S COAT - -_Cherokee_ - - -All the animals were of different sizes and wore different coats. Some -wore long fur and others wore short fur. Some had rings on their -tails; others had no tails at all. The coats of the animals were of -many colors--brown, or black, or yellow, or gray. - -The animals were always quarreling about whose coat was the finest. -Therefore they held a council to decide the matter. - -Now everyone had heard a great deal about Otter, but he lived far up -the trail; he did not often visit the others. It was said he had the -finest coat of all, but it was so long since they had seen him that no -one remembered what it was like. They did not even know just where he -lived, but they knew he would come when he heard of the council. - -Rabbit was afraid the council would say that Otter had the finest -coat. He learned by what trail Otter would come to the council. Then -he went a four days' march up the trail to meet him. At last he saw -Otter coming. He knew him at once by his beautiful coat of soft brown -fur. - -Otter said, "Where are you going?" - -"They sent me to bring you to the council," answered Rabbit. "They -were afraid you might not know the trail." - -So Rabbit turned back and they traveled together. They traveled all -day. At night Rabbit picked out a camping place. Otter was a stranger -in that part. Rabbit cut down bushes for beds and made everything -comfortable. Next morning they started on again. - -In the afternoon, Rabbit picked up pieces of bark and wood, as they -followed the trail, and loaded them on his back. - -"Why are you doing that?" asked Otter. - -"So that we may be warm and comfortable tonight," said Rabbit. Near -sunset they stopped and made camp. After supper Rabbit began to -whittle a stick, shaving it down to a paddle. - -"Why are you doing that?" asked Otter again. - -"Oh," said Rabbit, "I have good dreams when I sleep with a paddle -under my head." - -When the paddle was finished, Rabbit began to cut a good trail through -the bushes to the river. - -"Why are you doing that?" asked Otter. - -"This is called 'The Place Where It Rains Fire,' and sometimes it -does rain fire here," said Rabbit. "The sky looks a little that way -tonight. You go to sleep and I will sit up and watch. If you hear me -shout, you run and jump into the river. Better hang your coat on that -limb over there, so it will not get burned." - -Otter did as Rabbit told him; then both curled up and Otter went to -sleep. But Rabbit stayed awake. After a while the fire burned down to -red coals. Rabbit called to Otter; he was fast asleep. Then he called -again, but Otter did not awaken. - -Then Rabbit rose softly. He filled the paddle with hot coals, threw -them up into the air and shouted, "It's raining fire! It's raining -fire!" - -The hot coals fell on Otter and he jumped up. - -"To the river," shouted Rabbit and Otter fled into the water. So he -has lived in the water ever since. - -Rabbit at once took Otter's coat and put it on, leaving his own -behind. Then he followed the trail to the council. - -All the animals were waiting for Otter. At last they saw him coming -down the trail. They said to each other, "Otter is coming!" They sent -one of the small animals to show him the best seat. After he was -seated, the animals all went up in turn to welcome him. But Otter kept -his head down with one paw over his face. - -The animals were surprised. They did not know Otter was so bashful. -At last Bear pulled the paw away. There was Rabbit! He sprang up and -started to run. Bear struck at him and pulled the tail off his coat. -But Rabbit was too quick and got safely away. - - - - -RABBIT AND BEAR - -_Biloxi_ - - -Rabbit and Bear had been friends for some time. One day Rabbit said to -Bear, "Come and visit me. I live in a very large brier patch." Then he -went home. - -When he reached home he went out and gathered a quantity of young -canes which he hung up. - -After a while Bear reached a place near his house, but was seeking the -large brier patch. Now Rabbit really dwelt in a very small patch. When -Rabbit found that Bear was near, he began to make a pattering sound -with his feet. - -Bear was scared. He retreated to a distance and then stopped and stood -listening. As soon as Rabbit saw this, he cried out, "Halloo! my -friend! Was it you whom I treated in that manner? Come and take a -seat." - -So Bear went back to Rabbit's house and took a seat. Rabbit gave the -young canes to his guest, who swallowed them all. Rabbit nibbled now -and then at one, while Bear swallowed all the others. - -"This is what I have always liked," said Bear when he went home. -"Come and visit me. I dwell in a large bent tree." - -Not long after, Rabbit started on his journey. He spent some time -seeking the large bent tree but he could not find it. Bear lived in a -hollow tree, and he sat there growling. Rabbit heard the growls and -fled for some distance before he sat down. - -Then Bear called, "Halloo! my friend! Was it you whom I treated in -that manner? Come here and sit down." - -Rabbit did so. - -Bear said, "You are now my guest, but there is nothing for you to -eat." So Bear went in search of food. - -Bear went to gather young canes, but as he went along, he gathered -also the small black bugs which live in decayed logs. When he had been -gone some time, he returned to his lodge with only a few young canes. -He put them down before Rabbit and then walked around him in a circle. -In a little while, he offered Rabbit the black bugs. - -"I have never eaten such food," said Rabbit. - -Bear was offended. He said, "When I was your guest, I ate all the food -you gave me, as I liked it very well. Now when I offer you food, why -do you treat me in this way?" Then Bear said, also, "Before the sun -sets, I shall kill you." - -Rabbit's heart beat hard from terror, for Bear stood at the entrance -of the hollow log to prevent his escape. But Rabbit was very nimble. -He dodged first this way and then that, and with a long leap he got -out of the hollow tree. He went at once to his brier patch and sat -down. - -Rabbit was very angry with Bear. He shouted to him, "When people are -hunting you, I will go toward your hiding place, and show them where -you are." - -That is why, when dogs hunt a rabbit, they always shoot a bear. That -is all. - - - - -WHY DEER NEVER EAT MEN - -_Menomini_ - - -After Rabbit had decided about light and darkness, he saw Owasse, the -Bear, coming. - -Rabbit said, "Bear, what do you want for food?" Bear said, "Acorns and -fruit." - -Then Rabbit asked Fish Hawk. He said, "Fish Hawk, what will you select -for your food?" - -Fish Hawk said, "I will take that fellow, Sucker, lying in the water -there." - -Sucker said at once, "You may eat me if you can, but that has still to -be decided." - -Sucker at once swam out into the deepest part of the river, where Fish -Hawk could not reach him. Then Fish Hawk rose into the air to a point -where his shadow fell exactly on the spot where Sucker lay. Now as -Sucker lay there, he saw the shadow of a large bird on the bed of the -stream. He became frightened. He thought, "It must be a manido," so he -swam slowly to the surface. At once Fish Hawk darted down on him and -carried him into the air. Then he ate him. - -Rabbit looked about him again. He saw Moqwaio, the Wolf. He cried, -"Ho, Wolf! What do you wish for food?" - -Wolf said, "I will eat Deer." Deer said, "You cannot eat me, because I -can run too swiftly." Wolf said, "We will see about that." So they had -a race. Deer started ahead and ran very swiftly. Wolf ran swiftly, -too, but his fur robe was too heavy. At last he thought, "This robe is -too heavy. I will slip it off." So he threw it off. Then he bounded -ahead and caught Deer and ate him. - -Then Rabbit asked another Deer, of the same totem, "Deer, what will -you select as food?" - -Deer said, "I will eat people. There are many Indians in the country. -I will eat them." - -At once all the animals began to talk. They said to Deer, "The Indian -is too powerful. You can never eat him." - -Deer said, "Well, I will plan to eat Indians, anyway." Then he walked -off. - -Now one day an Indian was out hunting. He saw deer tracks to the right -and so followed them. They went in a large circle until they brought -him back where he had started. Then he saw deer tracks to the left. So -he followed those, until they also brought him back, in a large -circle, to the point where he started. Then the Indian saw that Deer -was following him. - -Deer was determined to eat the Indians, because there were many of -them. It would not be difficult to hunt for food. But first he wanted -to frighten the hunter. So he pulled two ribs from his sides, and -stuck them into his lower jaw. They looked like tusks. Deer looked -very fierce. Then Deer came walking along, looking for an Indian. But -the hunter raised his bow and shot Deer. He carried the deer meat back -to his wigwam. - -The shade of Deer at once went to the council of birds and animals. He -told Rabbit all about it. - -Rabbit said, "I told you that you could not eat people. You see how it -is? Now you will have to live on grass and twigs." - -And so they do, even to this day. - - - - -HOW RABBIT SNARED THE SUN - -_Biloxi_ - - -Rabbit and his grandmother lived in a wigwam. Rabbit used to go -hunting every day, very early in the morning. But no matter how early -he went, a person leaving long footprints had passed along ahead of -him. Each morning Rabbit thought, "I will reach there before him." Yet -each morning the person leaving long footprints passed before him. - -One morning Rabbit said to his grandmother, "Oh, Grandmother, although -I have long wished to be the first to get there, again has he got -there ahead of me. Oh, Grandmother, I will make a noose, and I will -place it in the trail of that one, and thus I will catch him." - -"Why should you do that?" asked grandmother. - -"I hate that person," said Rabbit. He departed. When he reached there, -he found that the person had already departed. So he lay down near by -and waited for night. Then he went to the trail where the person with -long feet had been passing, and set a snare. - - [Illustration: SHELL GORGET SHOWING EAGLE CARVING. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - - [Illustration: INDIAN JAR FROM THE MOUNDS OF ARKANSAS. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - -Very early the next morning he went to look at his trap. Behold! Sun -had been caught. Rabbit ran home very quickly. - -"Oh, Grandmother, I have caught something but it scares me. I wished -to take the noose, but it scared me every time I went to get it." - -Then Rabbit took a knife and again went there. The person said, "You -have done very wrong. Come and release me." - -Rabbit did not go directly toward him. He went to one side. He bent -his head low and cut the cord. At once Sun went above on his trail. -But Rabbit had been so near him that Sun burned his fur on the back of -his neck. - -Rabbit ran home. He cried, "Oh, Grandmother, I have been severely -burned." - -"Alas! My grandson has been severely burned," said grandmother. - - - - -WHEN THE ORPHAN TRAPPED THE SUN - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Animals and men lived on the earth in the beginning. The animals -killed all the people except a girl and her tiny brother, who hid from -them. The brother did not grow at all. Therefore when the sister -collected firewood, she took him with her. She made him a bow and -arrow. - -One day she said, "Now I must leave you for a while. Soon the -snowbirds will come and pick worms out of the wood I have cut. Shoot -one of them and bring it to me." - -The boy waited. The birds came and he shot at them with his arrows. He -could not kill one. The next day he shot at them again. Then he killed -one. He came back to the wigwam with a bird. - -He said, "My sister, skin it. I will wear the skins of the snowbirds." - -"What shall we do with the body?" she asked. - -"Cut it in two. We will put it in our broth." Now at that time, the -animals were very large. People did not eat them. - -The boy killed ten snowbirds. Then his sister made a coat for him. One -day he said, "Are we alone on the Earth-plain?" - -She said, "The animals who live in such a place have killed all our -relatives. You must never go there." Therefore he went in that -direction. - -Now he walked a long while and met no one. Then he lay down on a knoll -where the sun had melted the snow. He fell asleep. Then Sun looked -down at him and burned his bird-skin coat. He tightened it so that the -boy was bound into it. When he awoke, the boy said to Sun, "You are -not too high. I will pay you back." - -He went home. He said to his sister, "Sun has spoiled my coat." He -would not eat. He lay down on the ground. He lay ten days on one side. -Then he turned over and lay ten days on the other side. - -At last he rose. He said to his sister, "Make me a snare. I shall -catch Sun." - -She said, "I have no string." The boy said, "Make a string." Then she -remembered a bit of dried sinew which her father had had. So she made -a snare for him. - -The boy said, "That will not do. Make a better snare." She said, "I -have no string." At last she remembered. She cut off some of her hair. -She made a string from that. - -The boy said, "That will not do. Make me a noose." She thought again. -Then she remembered. She went out of the wigwam. She took something. -She made a braid out of that thing. - -The boy said, "This will do." He was much pleased. When he took it, it -became a long red cord. There was much of it. He wound it around his -body. - -The boy left the wigwam while Sun was at home. He did this so that he -might catch him as he came over the edge of the earth. He put the -noose at the spot just where Sun came over the edge. When Sun came -along, the noose caught his head. He was held tight, so that he could -not follow his trail in the Sky-land. - -Now the animals who ruled the earth were frightened because Sun did -not follow the trail. They said, "What shall we do?" So they called a -great council. They said, "We must send someone to cut the noose." -Thus they spoke in the council. - -Now all the animals were afraid to cut the cord. Sun was so hot he -would burn them. At last Dormouse said, "I will go." He stood up in -the council. He was as high as a mountain. He was the largest of all -the animals. - -When Dormouse reached the place where Sun was snared, his fur began -to singe and his back to burn. It was very hot. Dormouse cut the cord -with his teeth. But so much of him was burned up, he became very -small. Therefore Dormouse is the smallest of animals. That is why he -is called Kug-e-been-gwa-kwa. - - - - -THE HARE AND THE LYNX - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Once there was a little white hare, living in a wigwam with her -grandmother. Now Grandmother sent Hare back to her native land. When -Hare had gone a short way, Lynx came down the trail. Lynx sang: - - Where, pretty white one, - Where, pretty white one, - Where do you go? - -"_Tshwee! Tshwee! Tshwee! Tshwee!_" cried Hare, and ran back to -Grandmother. - -"See, Grandmother," she said, "Lynx came down the trail and sang, - - Where, pretty white one, - Where, pretty white one, - Where do you go?" - -"Ho!" said Grandmother. "Have courage! Tell Lynx you are going to your -native land." - -Hare went back up the trail. Lynx stood there, so Hare sang, - - To the point of land I go, - There is the home of the little white one, - There I go. - -Lynx looked at the trembling little hare, and began to sing again, - - Little white one, tell me, - Little white one, tell me, - Why are your ears so thin and dry? - -"_Tshwee! Tshwee! Tshwee! Tshwee!_" cried little Hare, and ran back to -Grandmother. - -"See, Grandmother," said Hare, "Lynx came down the trail and sang, - - Little white one, tell me, - Little white one, tell me, - Why are your ears so thin and dry?" - -"Ho!" said Grandmother, "Go and tell him your uncles made them so when -they came from the South." - -So Hare ran up the trail and sang, - - My uncles came from the south; - They made my ears as they are. - They made them thin and dry. - -And then Hare laid her little pink ears back upon her shoulders, and -started to go to the point of land. But Lynx sang again, - - Why do you go away, little white one? - Why do you go away, little white one? - Why are your feet so dry and swift? - -"_Tshwee! Tshwee! Tshwee! Tshwee!_" cried Hare and again she ran back -to Grandmother. - -"Ho! do not mind him," said Grandmother. "Do not listen to him. Do not -answer him. Just run straight on." - -So the little white hare ran up the trail as fast as she could. When -she came to the place where Lynx had stood, he was gone. So Hare ran -on and had almost reached her native land, on the point of land, when -Lynx sprang out of the thicket and ate her up. - - - - -WELCOME TO A BABY - -_Cherokee_ - - -Little wren is the messenger of the Birds. She pries into everything. -She gets up early in the morning and goes around to every wigwam to -get news for the Bird council. When a new baby comes into a wigwam, -she finds out whether it is a boy or a girl. - -If it is a boy, the Bird council sings mournfully, "Alas! The whistle -of the arrow! My shins will burn!" Because the Birds all know that -when the boy grows older he will hunt them with his bows and arrows, -and will roast them on a stick. - -But if the baby is a girl, they are glad. They sing, "Thanks! The -sound of the pestle! In her wigwam I shall surely be able to scratch -where she sweeps." Because they know that when she grows older and -beats the corn into meal, they will be able to pick up stray grains. - -Cricket also is glad when the baby is a girl. He sings, "Thanks! I -shall sing in the wigwam where she lives." But if it is a boy, Cricket -laments, "_Gwo-he!_ He will shoot me! He will shoot me! He will shoot -me!" Because boys make little bows to shoot crickets and grasshoppers. - -When the Cherokee Indians hear of a new baby, they ask, "Is it a bow, -or a meal sifter?" Or else they ask, "Is it ball-sticks or bread?" - - - - -BABY SONG - -_Cherokee_ - - - Ha wi ye hy u we, - Ha wi ye hy u we. - Yu we yu we he, - Ha wi ye hy u we. - - The Bear is very bad, so they say, - Long time ago he was very bad, so they say. - The Bear did so and so, they say. - - - - -SONG TO THE FIREFLY - -_Ojibwa_ - - -In the hot summer evenings, when the grassy patches around the lakes -and rivers sparkle with fireflies, the Indians sing a song to them. - - Flitting white-fire-bug, - Flitting white-fire-bug, - Give me your light before I go to sleep. - Give me your light before I go to sleep. - Come, little waving fire-bug. - Come, little waving fire-bug. - Light me with your bright torch. - Light me with your bright torch.[22] - - [22] Saw the fire-fly, Wah-wah-taysee, - Flitting through the dusk of evening, - With the twinkle of its candle, - Lighting up the brakes and bushes; - And he sang the song of children, - Sang the song Nokomis taught him; - "Wah-wah-taysee, little fire-fly, - Little, flitting, white-fire insect ..." - --_Hiawatha_ - - - - -SONG OF THE MOTHER BEARS - -_Cherokee_ - - -One day a hunter in the woods heard singing in a cave. He came near -and peeped in. It was a mother bear singing to her cubs and telling -them what to do when the hunters came after them. - -Mother Bear said, - - When you hear the hunter coming down the creek, then - Tsagi, tsagi, hwilahi, - Tsagi, tsagi, hwilahi, - Upstream, upstream, you must go. - Upstream, upstream, you must go. - - But if you hear them coming down stream, - Ge-i, ge-i, hwilahi, - Ge-i, ge-i, hwilahi, - Downstream, downstream, you must go. - Downstream, downstream, you must go. - -Another hunter out in the woods one day thought he heard a woman -singing to a baby. He followed the sound up a creek until he came to a -cave under the bushes. Inside there was a mother bear rocking her cub -in her paws and singing to it, - - Let me carry you on my back, - Let me carry you on my back, - Let me carry you on my back, - Let me carry you on my back, - On the sunny side go to sleep. - On the sunny side go to sleep. - -This was after some of the people had become bears. The hunter knew -they were of the Ani Tsagulin tribe.[23] - - [23] See "Origin of the Bear." - - - - -THE MAN IN THE STUMP - -_Cherokee_ - - -An Indian had a field of corn ripening in the sun. One day when he -wanted to look at it, he climbed a stump. Now the stump was hollow and -in it was a nest of bear cubs. The man slipped and fell down upon the -cubs. - -At once the cubs began calling for their mother, and Mother Bear came -running. She began to climb down into the stump backwards. Then the -Indian caught hold of her leg; thus she became frightened. She began -to climb out and dragged the Indian also to the top of the stump. Thus -he got out of the stump. - - - - -THE ANTS AND THE KATYDIDS - -_Biloxi_ - - -The Ancient of Ants was building a house. She worked hard to finish -her house before the cold weather came. - -Now when it was very cold, the Katydid and the Locust reached her -house, asking for shelter. They said they had no houses. - -The Ancient of Ants scolded them. She said, "After you are grown up, -in the warm weather, you sing all the time, instead of building a -house." She would not let them come into her house. - -Then the Katydid and the Locust were ashamed, and as the weather was -very cold, they died. That is why katydids and locusts die every -winter, while the ants live in their warm houses. But the katydids and -locusts never do anything in warm weather but sing. - - - - -WHEN THE OWL MARRIED - -_Cherokee_ - - -Once there was a widow with only one daughter. She said often, "You -should marry and then there will be a man to go hunting." - -Then one day a man came courting the daughter. He said, "Will you -marry me?" - -The girl said, "I can only marry a good worker. We need a man who is a -good hunter and who will work in the cornfield." - -"I am exactly that sort of a man," he said. So the mother said they -might marry. - -Then the next morning the mother gave the man a hoe. She said, "Go, -hoe the corn. When breakfast is ready I will call you." Then she went -to call him. She followed a sound as of someone hoeing on stony soil. -When she reached the place, there was only a small circle of hoed -ground. Over in the thicket someone said, "Hoo-hoo!" - -When the man came back in the evening, the mother said, "Where have -you been all day?" - -He said, "Hard at work." - -The mother said, "I couldn't find you." - -"I was over in the thicket cutting sticks to mark off the field," he -said. - -"But you did not come to the lodge to eat at all," she answered. - -"I was too busy," he said. - -Early the next morning he started off with his hoe over his shoulder. - -Then the mother went again to call him, when the meal was ready. The -hoe was lying there, but there was no sign of work done. And away over -in the thicket, she heard a hu-hu calling, _Sau-h! sau-h! sau-h! -hoo-hoo! hoo-hoo! hoo-hoo! chi! chi! chi! whew!_ - -Now when the man came home that night, the mother asked, - -"What have you been doing all day?" - -"Working hard," he said. - -"But you were not there when I came after you." - -"Oh, I went over in the thicket awhile," said the man, "to see some of -my relatives." - -Then the mother said, "I have lived here a long while, and no one -lives in that swamp but lazy hu-hus. My daughter wants a husband that -can work and not a hu-hu!" And she drove him from the house. - - - - -THE KITE AND THE EAGLE - - -Kite was very boastful. One day he spoke scornfully of Eagle, who -heard his words. Kite began to sing in a loud voice, - - I alone, - I alone, - Can go up, - So as to seem as if hanging from the blue sky. - -Eagle answered scornfully. He sang, - - Who is this, - Who is this, - Who boasts of flying so high? - -Kite was ashamed. He answered in a small voice, "Oh, I was only -singing of the great Khakate. It is he who is said to fly so high." - -Eagle answered, "Oh, you crooked tongue! You are below my notice." - -Then Eagle soared high into the sky. But just as soon as he was out of -hearing, Kite began to sing again in a very loud voice, - - I alone, - I alone, - Can go up, - So as to seem as if hanging from the blue sky. - - - - -THE LINNET AND THE EAGLE - -_Ojibwa_ - - -All the Birds met in council, each claiming to fly the highest. Each -one claimed to be the chief. Therefore the council decided that each -bird should fly toward the Sky-land. - -Some of the birds flew very swiftly; but they tired and flew back to -earth. Now Eagle went far above all. When Eagle could fly no farther, -Linnet, who had perched upon Eagle's back, flew up. Far above Eagle -flew the tiny gray bird. - -Now when the Birds held a council again, Eagle was made chief. Eagle -had flown higher than all the rest, and had carried Linnet on his -back. - - - - -HOW PARTRIDGE GOT HIS WHISTLE - -_Cherokee_ - - -In the old days, Terrapin had a fine whistle and Partridge had none. -Terrapin whistled constantly. He was always boasting of his fine -whistle. - -One day Partridge said, "Let me try your whistle." - -Terrapin said, "No." He was afraid Partridge would try some trick. - -Partridge said, "Oh, if you are afraid, stay right here while I use -it." - -So Terrapin gave it to him. Partridge strutted around, whistling -constantly. - -He said, "How does it sound with me?" - -"You do it very well," said Terrapin, walking by his side. - -"Now how do you like it?" asked Partridge, running ahead. - -"It's fine," said Terrapin, trying to keep up with him. "But don't run -so fast!" - -"How do you like it now?" asked Partridge, spreading his wings and -flying to a tree top. Terrapin could only look up at him. - -Partridge never gave the whistle back. He has it even to this day. And -Terrapin was so ashamed because Partridge stole his whistle, and -Turkey had stolen his scalp, that he shuts himself up in his box -whenever anyone comes near him. - - - - -HOW KINGFISHER GOT HIS BILL - -_Cherokee_ - - -Some of the old men say that Kingfisher was meant in the beginning to -be a water bird, but because he had no web on his feet and not a good -bill, he could not get enough to eat. The animals knew of this, so -they held a council. Afterwards they made him a bill like a long, -sharp awl. This fish gig he was to use spearing fish. When they -fastened it on to his mouth, he flew first to the top of a tree. Then -he darted down into the water and came up with a fish on his bill. And -ever since, Kingfisher has been the best fisherman. - -But some of the old people say it was this way. - -Blacksnake found Yellowhammer's nest in the hollow tree and killed all -the young birds. Yellowhammer at once went to the Little People for -help. They sent her to Kingfisher. So she went on to him. - -Kingfisher came at once, and after flying back and forth past the hole -in the hollow tree, he made a quick dart at the snake and pulled him -out, dead. When they looked, they saw he had pierced Blacksnake with -a slender fish he carried in his bill. Therefore the Little People -said he would make good use of a spear, so they gave him his long -bill. - - - - -WHY THE BLACKBIRD HAS RED WINGS - -_Chitimacha_ - - -One day an Indian became so angry with everyone that he set the sea -marshes on fire because he wanted to burn up the world. - -A little blackbird saw it. He flew up into a tree and shouted, "_Ku -nam wi cu! Ku nam wi cu!_ The world and all is going to burn." - -The man said, "If you do not go away, I will kill you." But the bird -only kept shouting, "_Ku nam wi cu!_ The world and all is going to -burn." - -Then the Indian threw a shell and hit the little bird on the wings, -making them bleed. That is how the red-winged blackbird came by its -red wings. - -Now when people saw the marshes burning, they quickly ran down and -killed game which had been driven from it by the fire. Then they said -to the angry man, - -"Because you put fire in those tall weeds, the deer and bear and other -animals have been driven out and we have killed them. You have aided -us by burning them." - -Nowadays when the red-winged blackbird comes around the house, he -still shouts, _Ku nam wi cu_, so they say. - - - - -BALL GAME OF THE BIRDS AND ANIMALS - -_Cherokee_ - - -Once the Animals challenged the Birds to a great ball play, and the -Birds accepted. The Animals met near the river, in a smooth grassy -field. The Birds met in the tree top over by the ridge. - -Now the leader of the Animals was Bear. He was very strong and heavy. -All the way to the river he tossed up big logs to show his strength -and boasted of how he would win against the Birds. Terrapin was with -the Animals. He was not the little terrapin we have now, but the first -Terrapin. His shell was so hard the heaviest blows could not hurt him, -and he was very large. On the way to the river he rose on his hind -feet and dropped heavily again. He did this many times, bragging that -thus he would crush any bird that tried to take the ball from him. -Then there was Deer, who could outrun all the others. And there were -many other animals. - -Now the leader of the Birds was Eagle; and also Hawk, and the great -Tlanuwa. They were all swift and strong of flight. - -Now first they had a ball dance. Then after the dance, as the birds -sat in the trees, two tiny little animals no larger than field mice -climbed up the tree where Eagle sat. They crept out to the branch tips -to Eagle. - -They said, "We wish to play ball." - -Eagle looked at them. They were four-footed. He said, "Why don't you -join the Animals? You belong there." - -"The Animals make fun of us," they said. "They drive us away because -we are small." - -Eagle pitied them. He said, "But you have no wings." - -Then at once Eagle and Hawk and all the Birds held a council in the -trees. At last they said to the little fellows, "We will make wings -for you." - -But they could not think just how to do it. Then a Bird said, "The -head of our drum is made of groundhog skin. Let us make wings from -that." So they took two pieces of leather from the drum and shaped -them for wings. They stretched them with cane splints and fastened -them on the forelegs of one of the little animals. So they made -Tlameha, the Bat. They began to teach him. - -First they threw the ball to him. Bat dropped and circled about in the -air on his new wings. He did not let the ball drop. The Birds saw at -once he would be one of their best men. - -Now they wished to give wings also to the second little animal, but -there was no more leather. And there was no more time. Then somebody -said they might make wings for the other man by stretching his skin. -Therefore two large birds took hold from opposite sides with their -strong bills. Thus they stretched his skin. Thus they made Tewa, the -Flying Squirrel. - -Then Eagle threw to him the ball. At once Flying Squirrel sprang after -it, caught it in his teeth, and carried it through the air to another -tree nearby. - -Then the game began. Almost at the first toss, Flying Squirrel caught -the ball and carried it up a tree. Then he threw it to the Birds, who -kept it in the air for some time. When it dropped to the earth, Bear -rushed to get it, but Martin darted after it and threw it to Bat, who -was flying near the ground. Bat doubled and dodged with the ball, and -kept it out of the way of Deer. At last Bat threw it between the -posts. So the Birds won the game. - -Bear and Terrapin, who had boasted of what they would do, never had a -chance to touch the ball. - -Because Martin saved the ball when it dropped to the ground, the Birds -afterwards gave him a gourd in which to build his nest. He still has -it. - - - - -WHY THE BIRDS HAVE SHARP TAILS - -_Biloxi_ - - -Once upon a time, they say, the world turned over. Then the waters -rose very high and many people died. A woman took two children and -lodged in a tree. She sat there waiting for the waters to sink, for -she had no way of reaching the ground. - -When the woman saw the Ancient of Red-headed Buzzards, she called to -him, "Help me to get down and I will give you one of the children." He -assisted her, but she did not give him the child. - -The waters were so deep that the birds were clinging by their claws to -the clouds, but their tails were under water. That is why their tails -are always sharp. One of these birds was the Ancient of Yellowhammers. -Therefore its tailfeathers are sharp at the ends. The large Red-headed -Woodpecker was there, too, and the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, and that -is why their tails have their present shape. - - [Illustration: SPIDER GORGETS. - 1. From a Mound, Missouri. - 2. From a Stone Grave, Illinois. - 3. From a Mound, Illinois. - 4. From a Mound, Tennessee. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - - - - -THE WILDCAT AND THE TURKEYS - -_Biloxi_ - - -The Ancient of Wildcats had been creeping up on the Wild Turkeys -trying to catch some. He tried in vain. Then he got a bag, crawled -inside, and rolled himself along. He rolled himself to the Ancient of -Turkey Gobblers. - -Wildcat said, "Get into my bag and see what fun it is to roll." - -The Ancient of Turkey Gobblers crawled into the bag. Wildcat tied up -the end and rolled it along for some time. After he had rolled it -quite a distance, he stopped and untied the bag. - -"It is very good," said the First of All the Turkey Gobblers. Then he -said to the other Wild Turkeys, "Get in the bag and see how pleasant -it is." - -But the young Turkeys were afraid. Gobbler urged them to try the new -game. At last one young Turkey stepped into the bag. Wildcat tied the -end and pretended that he was going to roll it. It would not go. - -"It will not go because it is too light. There is only one in it," -said Wildcat. "Let another young Turkey step in." - -At last another young Turkey stepped in. Wildcat tied the bag, threw -it over his shoulder and ran home. When he reached home he laid the -bag down. - -Then Wildcat said to his mother, "I have brought home something on my -back, and placed it outside. Beware lest you untie the bag." - -His mother said to herself, "I wonder what it can be." So she untied -the bag. One of the turkeys flew out. She managed to catch the other -one. She caught both feet with one hand, and both wings with the -other. She cried out, "Help! Help! I have caught four!" - -The Ancient of Wildcats scolded his mother. Then he killed the turkey -and cooked it. His mother went into another room. - -Then Wildcat spread his feast. As he was eating the Turkey he made a -constant noise. He walked back and forth. He talked continually and -kept up a steady rattling. When he stopped the noise a little he said, -"I am going home," as if a guest were speaking. He said this again and -again. He made a noise with his feet as if people were walking about. -He ate all the turkey except the hip bone. - - - - -THE BRANT AND THE OTTER - -_Biloxi_ - - -Once upon a time the Ancient of Brants and the Ancient of Otters were -living as friends. One day the Ancient of Otters said to the Ancient -of Brants, "Come to see me tomorrow," and departed. - -Brant went to make the call. When he arrived, the Ancient of Otters -said, "Halloo! I have nothing at all for you to eat! Sit down!" Then -he went fishing. He used a "leather vine" which he jerked now and then -to straighten it. He caught many fish. When he reached home he cooked -them. - -When the fish were cooked, ready for the feast, the Ancient of Otters -put some into a very flat dish. But the Ancient of Brants could not -eat from a flat dish. All he could do was to hit his bill against the -dish, and raise his head as if swallowing something. But Otter ate -rapidly. - -Otter said to his guest, "Have you eaten enough?" - -"Yes, I am satisfied," said Brant. - -"No, you are not satisfied," said Otter. He took more fish and placed -them in the flat dish, eating rapidly as before. Brant could only hit -his bill against the side of the dish. - -When the Ancient of Brants was departing, he said to Otter, "Come to -see me tomorrow." - -When Otter reached the house of the Ancient of Brants the next day, -Brant cried, "Halloo! I have nothing at all to give you to eat! Sit -down!" - -Then the Ancient of Brants went fishing, using a "leather vine" which -he jerked now and then to straighten it. He caught many fish and took -them home to cook them. When the fish were cooked, they began to -feast. But the Ancient of Brants had put some into a small round dish. -Ancient of Otters could not get his mouth into the dish. But Brant ate -rapidly. - -"Have you eaten enough?" Brant asked, after a while. - -Otter replied, "Yes, I am satisfied." - -"Nonsense!" said the Ancient of Brants. "How could you possibly be -satisfied! I have served you as you served me." - -But this ended their friendship. - - - - -THE TINY FROG AND THE PANTHER - -_Biloxi_ - - -The Ancient of Tiny Frogs[24] was shut up by his grandmother, so that -he might learn magic. Then she took him on a journey. - - [24] The tiny frog, called péska, is a black one, not more - than an inch long, living in muddy streams in Louisiana. It - differs from the bullfrog, common frog, and tree frog. - -First they met the Ancient of Panthers. The grandmother said to him, -"This is your sister's son. Look at him and wrestle with him." The -Ancient of Panthers was very brave. To show his strength, he climbed -very high up a tree which he tore to pieces, falling to the ground -with it. - -Then he seized the Ancient of Tiny Frogs. But the frog caught him by -the hind legs and whipped him against a tree. He beat him so severely -that Panther's jaw was broken in many places. That is why all panthers -have a short jaw. - -The Ancient of Tiny Frogs and his grandmother continued their journey. -Next they met Bear. The grandmother said to him, "Look at your -sister's son. Go and wrestle with him." Bear began to pull the limbs -off a tree to show his strength. Soon he rushed upon the Ancient of -Tiny Frogs. But that one caught Bear by the hind legs and beat him -against a tree until he broke off short his tail. That is why bears -have such very short tails. - -Again the old grandmother, singing as she walked, went along the trail -with her grandson. They met Buffalo. She said, "Look at your sister's -son. Go and wrestle with him." Now Buffalo was very strong. With his -horns he uprooted a tree, and then spent some moments in breaking it -to pieces. Then he rushed at the Ancient of Tiny Frogs. But that one -caught Buffalo by the hind legs and beat him against a tree. He beat -him until the back of his neck was broken and he had a great hump on -his shoulders. So Buffalo went away, but that is why buffaloes have -such very heavy, humpbacked shoulders. - -Again they walked along the trail, singing. It was not long before -they met with Deer. To him the grandmother said, "Look at your -sister's son. Go and wrestle with him." Deer leaped up to show his -agility. Then he sprang at the Ancient of Tiny Frogs. But that one -seized him by the legs and beat him against a tree, breaking his nose, -and leaving him with a very small nose, even as deer today have small -noses. - -Then the Ancient of Tiny Frogs said to Deer: "I shall remain here -under the leaves. When hunters are after you and have almost reached -you, I will urge you to escape by saying, '_Pés! Pés!_' When I say -that, do your best to get away." - -Hardly had he finished speaking, when he cried out, "_Pés! Pés!_ It is -so! Go quickly! Do your best!" Then Deer leaped away. For just then -the hunters had come, sure enough. - -Therefore, when a tiny frog cries out now, people say that some one is -on the point of running after a deer. - - - - -THE FRIGHTENER OF HUNTERS - -_Choctaw_ (_Bayou Lacomb_) - - -Kashehotapalo is the frightener of hunters. His head is small and -dried up, like an old man's. His legs and feet are like those of a -deer. He lives in low, swampy places, far away from men. - -If the hunters come near him, when they are chasing a deer, he slips -up behind them and calls loudly. Thus he frightens them away. His -voice is like that of a woman. His name means "the woman call." - - - - -THE HUNTER AND THE ALLIGATOR - -_Choctaw_ (_Bayou Lacomb_) - - -All the hunters in a village killed many deer one winter, except one -man. This one saw many deer. Sometimes he drew his bow and shot at -them; yet they escaped. - -Now this hunter had been away from his village three days. He had seen -many deer; not one had he killed. On the third day, when the sun was -hot over his head, he saw an alligator. - -Alligator was in a dry, sandy spot. He had had no water for many days. -He was dry and shriveled. - -Alligator said to the hunter, "Where can water be found?" The hunter -said, "In that forest, not far away, is cold water." - -"I cannot go there alone," said Alligator. "Come nearer. Do not fear." -The hunter went nearer, but he was afraid. - -"You are a hunter," said Alligator, "but all the deer escape you. -Carry me into the water, and I will make you a great hunter. You shall -kill many deer." - -The hunter was still afraid. Then he said, "I will carry you, but -first I must bind you so that you cannot scratch me; and your mouth, -so that you cannot bite me." - -So Alligator rolled over on his back and let the hunter bind him. He -fastened his legs and mouth firmly. Then he carried Alligator on his -shoulders to the water in the forest. He unfastened the cords and -threw him in. - -Alligator came to the surface three times. He said, "Take your bow and -arrow and go into the woods. You will find a small doe. Do not kill -it. Then you will find a large doe. Do not kill it. You will meet a -small buck. Do not kill that. Then you will meet a large, old buck. -Kill that." - -The hunter took his bow and arrow. Everything happened just as -Alligator had foretold. Then he killed the large, old buck. So he -became a very great hunter. There was always venison in his wigwam. - - - - -THE GROUNDHOG DANCE - -_Cherokee_ - - -Seven wolves once caught a groundhog. They said, "Now we'll kill you -and have something to eat." - -Groundhog said, "When we find good food, we should rejoice over it, as -people do in the green-corn dances. You will kill me, and I cannot -help myself. But if you want to dance, I'll sing for you. Now this is -a new dance. I will lean up against seven trees in turn. You will -dance forward and then go back. At the last turn you may kill me." - -Now the Wolves were very hungry, but they wanted to learn the new -dance. Groundhog leaned up against a tree and began to sing. He sang, - - _Ho wi ye a hi_ - -and all the Wolves danced forward. When he shouted "_Yu!_" they turned -and danced back in line. - -"That's fine," said Groundhog, after the first dance was over. Then -he went to the next tree and began the second song. He sang, - - _Hi ya yu we_, - -and the Wolves danced forward. When he shouted "_Yu!_" they danced -back in a straight line. - -At each song, Groundhog took another tree, getting closer and closer -to his hole under a stump. At the seventh song, Groundhog said, - -"Now this is the last dance. When I shout '_Yu!_' all come after me. -The one who gets me may have me." - -Then he sang a long time, until the Wolves were at quite a distance in -a straight line. Then he shouted "_Yu!_" and darted for his hole. - -At once the Wolves turned and were after him. The foremost Wolf caught -his tail and gave it such a jerk he broke it off. That is why -Groundhog has such a short tail. - - - - -THE RACOON - -_Menomini_ - - -One day Racoon went into the woods to fast and dream. He dreamed that -someone said to him, "When you awaken, paint your face and body with -bands of black and white. That will be your own." - -When Racoon awoke, he painted himself as he had been told to do. So we -see him, even to the present day. - - - - -WHY THE OPOSSUM PLAYS DEAD - -_Biloxi_ - - -The Ancient of Opossums thought that he would reach a certain pond -very early in the morning, so that he might catch the crawfish on the -shore. But someone else reached there first, and when Opossum reached -there the crawfish were all gone. - -This person did this every day. Opossum did not know who it was, so he -lay in wait for him. He found it was the Ancient of Racoons. - -They argued about the crawfish and the pond. They agreed to see which -could rise the earlier in the morning, go around the shore of the pond -and catch the crawfish. - -Racoon said, "I rise very early. I never sleep until daylight comes." - -Opossum said the same thing. Then each went home. - -Now Opossum lay down in a hollow tree and slept there a long time. He -arose when the sun was very high and went to the pond. But Racoon had -been there ahead of him, and had eaten all the crawfish. Racoon sang -the Song of the Racoon as he was going home. Opossum stood listening. -He, too, sang. He sang the Song of the Opossum, thus: - - _Hí na kí-yu wus-sé-di_ - -He met the Racoon who had eaten all the crawfish. - -"Ha!" said Racoon. "I have been eating very long, and I was going -home, as I was sleepy." - -Opossum said, "I, too, have been eating so long that I am sleepy, so I -am going home." - -Opossum was always telling a lie. People say this of the Opossum -because if one hits that animal and throws it down for dead, soon it -gets up and walks off. - - - - -WHY THE 'POSSUM'S TAIL IS BARE - -_Cherokee_ - - -'Possum used to have a long, bushy tail and he was so proud of it that -he combed it out every morning and sang about it at the dance. Now -Rabbit had had no tail since Bear pulled it off because he was -jealous. Therefore he planned to play a trick on 'Possum. - -The animals called a great council. They planned to have a dance. It -was Rabbit's business to send out the news. One day as he was passing -'Possum's house, he stopped to talk. - -"Are you going to the council?" he asked. - -"Yes, if I can have a special seat," said 'Possum. "I have such a -handsome tail I ought to sit where everyone can see me." - -Rabbit said, "I will see that you have a special seat. And I will send -someone to comb your tail for the dance." 'Possum was very much -pleased. - -Rabbit at once went to Cricket, who is an expert hair cutter; -therefore the Indians call him the barber. He told Cricket to go the -next morning and comb 'Possum's tail for the dance. He told Cricket -just what to do. - -In the morning, Cricket went to 'Possum's house. 'Possum stretched -himself out on the floor and went to sleep, while Cricket combed out -his tail and wrapped a red string around it to keep it smooth until -night. But all the time, as he wound the string around, he was -snipping off the hair closely. 'Possum did not know it. - -When it was night, 'Possum went to the council and took his special -seat. When it was his turn to dance, he loosened the red string from -his tail and stepped into the middle of the lodge. - -The drummers began to beat the drum. 'Possum began to sing, "See my -beautiful tail." - -Every man shouted and 'Possum danced around the circle again, singing, -"See what a fine color it has." They all shouted again, and 'Possum -went on dancing, as he sang, "See how it sweeps the ground." - -Then the animals all shouted so that 'Possum wondered what it meant. -He looked around. Every man was laughing at him. Then he looked down -at his beautiful tail. It was as bare as a lizard's tail. There was -not a hair on it. - -He was so astonished and ashamed that he could not say a word. He -rolled over on the ground and grinned, just as he does today when -taken by surprise. - - - - -WHY 'POSSUM HAS A LARGE MOUTH - -_Choctaw_ (_Bayou Lacomb_) - - -Very little food there was for Deer one dry season. He became thin and -weak. One day he met 'Possum. Deer at once exclaimed, "Why, 'Possum, -how fat you are! How do you keep so fat when I cannot find enough to -eat?" - -'Possum said, "I live on persimmons. They are very large this year, so -I have all I want to eat." - -"How do you get the persimmons?" asked Deer. "They grow so high!" - -"That is easy," said 'Possum. "I go to the top of a high hill. Then I -run down and strike a persimmon tree so hard with my head that all the -ripe persimmons drop on the ground. Then I sit there and eat them." - -"That is easily done," said Deer. "I will try it. Now watch me." - -'Possum waited. Deer went to the top of a nearby hill. He ran down and -struck the tree with his head. 'Possum watched him, laughing. He -opened his mouth so wide while he laughed that he stretched it. That -is why 'Possum has such a large mouth. - - [Illustration: SHELL PINS MADE AND USED BY INDIANS OF THE - MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. FOUND IN GRAVES. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - - - - -THE PORCUPINE AND THE TWO SISTERS - -_Menomini_ - - -Once there dwelt in a village two sisters, who were the swiftest -runners in the Menomini tribe. Towards the setting sun was another -village, two days' walk away. - -The sisters wished to visit this village. They began to run at great -speed. At noon they came to a hollow tree lying across the trail. In -the snow on the ground, there, behold! lay the trail of Porcupine, -leading to the hollow tree. One of them broke off a stick and began to -poke into the log, that Porcupine might come out. She said, "Let's -have some fun with him." - -"No," said the other sister, "he is a manido. We should leave him -alone." - -But the girl with a stick poked into the hollow log until Porcupine -came out. Then she caught him and pulled out his long quills and threw -them in the snow. The other said, "No, it is cold. Porcupine will need -his robe." - -At last the sisters ran on. The village was still far away. - -Now when they left Porcupine, he crawled up a tall pine tree until he -reached the very top. Then he faced the north and began to shake his -small rattle, singing in time to its sound. - -Soon the sky darkened. Snow began to fall. Now the sisters could not -run rapidly because of the deepening snow. - -One looked back and saw Porcupine in the tree top, shaking his rattle. -She said, "We must go back to our own village. I am afraid some harm -will overtake us." - -The other answered, "No, let us go on. We need not fear Porcupine." -The snow became deeper, so they rolled up their blankets as they ran -on. - -When the sun followed the trail over the edge of the world, the -sisters could not even see the village. Still they ran on. Then in the -late evening they came to a stream which they knew was near the -village. - -Behold! It was dark. The snow was very deep. The sisters no longer had -strength. They could hear voices in the village. They could not call -loud enough to be heard. Thus they perished in the snow. - -One should never harm Porcupine because he is a manido. - - - - -THE WOLF AND THE DOG - -_Cherokee_ - - -In the beginning, so they say, Dog was put on the mountain side and -Wolf beside the fire. When winter came, Dog could not stand the cold, -and drove Wolf away from the fire. Wolf ran into the mountains and he -liked it so well that he has stayed there ever since. - - - - -THE CATFISH AND THE MOOSE - -_Menomini_ - - -Once when the Catfish were all together in one place in the water, the -Catfish chief said, "I have often seen a moose come to the edge of the -water to eat grass. Let us watch for him and kill him and eat him. He -always comes when the sun is a little way up in the sky." - -The Catfish agreed to attack Moose. So they went to watch. They crept -everywhere in among the grass and rushes when Moose came down to the -water's edge, slowly picking at the grass. All the tribe watched to -see what the Catfish chief would do. He slipped slowly through the -marshy grass to where Moose was standing. He thrust his spear into -Moose's leg. - -Moose said, "Who has thrust a spear into my leg?" He looked down and -saw the Catfish tribe. At once he began to trample upon them with his -hoofs. He killed many, but others escaped and swam down the river. - -Catfish still carry spears, but their heads are flat, because Moose -tramped them down in the mud. - - - - -TURTLE - -_Menomini_ - - -There was a large camp in which Miqkano, the Turtle, took up his -abode. He built a wigwam but he had no one to keep house for him. He -thought he needed a wife. - -Now Turtle found a young woman whom he liked. He said, "I want you to -be my wife." - -She said, "How are you going to provide for me? You cannot keep up -with the rest of the people when they move." - -Turtle replied, "I can keep up with the best of your people." - -Then the young woman wanted to put him off. She said, "Oh, well, I -will marry you in the spring." - -Turtle was vexed with this. At last he said, "I shall go to war and -take some captives. When I return in the spring, I shall expect you to -marry me." - -Then Turtle prepared to go on the war path. He called all his friends, -the Turtles, to him. He left camp, followed by a throng of curious -Indians. The young woman he wanted to marry laughed as the Turtles -moved away. They were so very slow. - -Turtle was vexed again. He said, "In four days from now you will -surely mourn for me because I shall be at a great distance from you." - -"Why," said the girl, laughing, "in four days from this time you will -scarcely be out of sight." - -Turtle immediately corrected himself, and said, "I did not mean four -days, but four years. Then I shall return." - -Now the Turtles started off. They traveled slowly on until one day -they found a great tree lying across their trail. - -Turtle said, "This we cannot pass unless we go around it. That would -take too long. What shall we do?" - -Some said, "Let us burn a hole through the trunk," but in this they -did not succeed. - -Therefore they had to turn back home, but it was a long time before -they came near the Indian village again. They wanted to appear as -successful warriors, so as they came near, they set up the war song. -The Indians heard them. They at once ran out to see the scalps and the -spoils. But when they came near, the Turtles each seized an Indian by -the arm and said, - -"We take you our prisoners. You are our spoils." - -The Indians who were captured in this way were very angry. Now the -Turtle chief had captured the young woman he said he was going to -marry. He said to the Indian girl, "Now that I have you I will keep -you." - -Now it was necessary to organize a dance to celebrate the victory over -the Indians. Everyone dressed in his best robe and beads. Turtle sang, - -"Whoever comes near me will die, will die, will die!" and the others -danced around him in a circle. At once the Indians became alarmed. -Each one fled to his own lodge, in the village. Turtle also went to -the village, but he arrived much later because he could not travel so -fast. - -Someone said to him, "That girl has married another man." - -"Is that true?" stormed Turtle. "Let me see the man." - -So he went to that wigwam. He called, "I am going for the woman who -promised to be my wife." - -Her husband said, "Here comes Turtle. Now what is to be done?" - -"I shall take care of that," said his wife. - -Turtle came in and seized her. He said, "Come along with me. You -belong to me." - -She pulled back. She said, "You broke your promise." The husband said -also, "Yes, you promised to go to war and bring back some prisoners. -You failed to do so." - -Turtle said, "I did go. I returned with many prisoners." Then he -picked up the young woman and carried her off. - -Now when Turtle arrived at his own wigwam, the young woman went at -once to a friend and borrowed a large kettle. She filled it with water -and set it on to boil. Turtle became afraid. He said, "What are you -doing?" - -She said, "I am heating some water. Do you know how to swim?" - -"Oh, yes," said Turtle. "I can swim." - -The young woman said, "You jump in the water and swim. I can wash your -shell." - -So Turtle tried to swim in the hot water. Then the other Turtles, -seeing their chief swimming in the kettle, climbed over the edge and -jumped into the water. Thus Turtle and his warriors were conquered. - - - - -THE WORSHIP OF THE SUN - -_Ojibwa_ - - -Long ago, an Ojibwa Indian and his wife lived on the shores of Lake -Huron. They had one son, who was named "O-na-wut-a-qui-o, -He-that-catches-the-clouds." - -Now the boy was very handsome, and his parents thought highly of him, -but he refused to make the fast of his tribe. His father gave him -charcoal; yet he would not blacken his face. They refused him food; -but he wandered along the shore, and ate the eggs of birds. One day -his father took from him by force the eggs of the birds. He took them -violently. Then he threw charcoal to him. Then did the boy blacken his -face and begin his fast. - -Now he fell asleep. A beautiful woman came down through the air and -stood beside him. She said, "I have come for you. Step in my trail." - -At once he began to rise through the air. They passed through an -opening in the sky, and he found himself on the Sky-plain. There were -flowers on the beautiful plain, and streams of fresh, cold water. The -valleys were green and fair. Birds were singing. The Sky-land was very -beautiful. - -There was but one lodge, and it was divided into two parts. In one end -were bright and glowing robes, spears, and bows and arrows. At the -other end, the garments of a woman were hung. - -The woman said, "My brother is coming and I must hide you." So she put -him in a corner and spread over him a broad, shining belt. When the -brother came in, he was very richly dressed, and glowing. He took down -his great pipe and his tobacco. - -At last, he said, "Nemissa, my elder sister, when will you end these -doings? The Greatest of Spirits has commanded that you should not take -away the children of earth. I know of the coming of O-na-wut-a-qui-o." -Then he called out, "Come out of your hiding. You will get hungry if -you remain there." When the boy came out, he gave him a handsome pipe -of red sandstone, and a bow and arrows. - -So the boy stayed in the Sky-land. But soon he found that every -morning, very early, the brother left the wigwam. He returned in the -evening, and then the sister left it and was gone all night. One day -he said to the brother, "Let me go with you." "Yes," said the brother, -and the next morning they started off. - -The two traveled a long while over a smooth plain. It was a very long -journey. He became hungry. At last he said, "Is there no game?" - -"Wait until we reach the place where I always stop to eat," said the -brother. So they journeyed on. At last they came to a place spread -over with fine mats. It was near a hole in the Sky-plain. - -The Indian looked down through the hole. Below were great lakes and -the villages of his people. He could see in one place feasting and -dancing, and in another a war party silently stealing upon the enemy. -In a green plain young warriors were playing ball. - -The brother said, "Do you see those children?" and he sent a dart down -from the Sky-plain. At once a little boy fell to the ground. Then all -the people gathered about the lodge of his father. The Indian, looking -down through the hole, could hear the _she-she-gwan_ of the _meta_, -and the loud singing. Then Sun, the brother, called down, "Send me up -a white dog." - -Immediately a white dog was killed by the medicine men, and roasted, -because the child's father ordered a feast. All the wise men and the -medicine men were there. - -Sun said to the Indian, "Their ears are open and they listen to my -voice." - -Now the Indians on the Earth-plain divided the dog, and placed pieces -on the bark for those who were at that feast. Then the master of the -feast called up, "We send this to thee, Great Manito." At once the -roasted dog came up to Sun in the Sky-plain. Thus Sun and the Indian -had food. Then Sun healed the boy whom he had struck down. Then he -began again to travel along the trail in the Sky-plain, and they -reached their wigwam by another road. - -Then O-na-wut-a-qui-o began to weary of the Sky-land. At last he said -to Moon, "I wish to go home." - -Moon said, "Since you like better the care and poverty of the earth, -you may return. I will take you back." - -At once the Indian youth awoke. He was in the very plain where he had -fallen asleep after he had blackened his face and begun his fast. But -his mother said he had been gone a year. - - - - -TASHKA AND WALO - -_Choctaw_ (_Bayou Lacomb_) - - -Tashka and Walo were brothers. They lived a long while ago, so they -say. Every morning they saw Sun come up over the edge of the earth. -Then he followed the trail through the sky. - -When they were four years old, they started to follow Sun's trail. -They walked all day, but that night when Sun died, they were still in -their own country. They knew all the hills and rivers. Then they -slept. - -Next morning they began again to follow Sun, but when he died at the -edge of the earth, they could still see their own land. - -Then they followed Sun many years. At last they became grown men. - -One day they reached a great sea-water. There was no land except the -shore on which they stood. When Sun went down over the edge of the -earth that day, they saw him sink into the waters. Then they crossed -the sea-water, to the edge. So they came to Sun's home. - -All around there were many women. The stars are women, and Moon also. -Moon is Sun's wife. - -Moon asked them how they had found their way. They were very far from -their own land. They said, "For many years we have followed Sun's -trail." - -Sun said, "Do you know your way home?" They said, "No." So Sun took -them up to the edge of the water. They could see the earth, but they -could not see their own land. - -Sun asked, "Why did you follow me?" They said, "We wished to see where -you lived." - -Sun said, "I will send you home. But for four days you must not speak -a word to any person. If you do not speak, you shall live long. You -shall have much wealth." - -Then Sun called to Buzzard. He put the two brothers on Buzzard's back. -He said, "Take them back to earth." So Buzzard started for the earth. - -Now the clouds are halfway between heaven and earth. The wind never -blows above the clouds, so they say. - -Buzzard flew from heaven to the clouds. The brothers could easily keep -their hold. Then Buzzard flew from the clouds to the earth. But now -Wind blew them in all directions. Then at last they came to earth. -They saw the trees around their own village. They rested under the -trees. An old man passing by knew them. So he went down the trail and -told their mother. She at once hastened to see them. When she met -them, she began to talk. She made them talk to her. They told her. So -they spoke before the four days were ended. Therefore Sun could not -keep his promise. - - - - -SUN AND MOON - -_Menomini_ - - -Once upon a time, Ke-so, the Sun, and his sister, Tipa-ke-so, the -Moon, the "last-night sun," lived together in a wigwam in the East. -One day Sun dressed himself to go hunting, took his bows and arrows, -and left. He was gone a long time. When he did not return, his sister -became frightened, and came out into the sky to look for her brother. -At last he returned, bringing with him a bear which he had shot. - -Moon still comes up into the sky and travels for twenty days. Then she -disappears, and for four days nothing is seen of her. At the end of -the four days, she comes into the sky again, and travels twenty days -more. - -Sun is a being like ourselves. He wears an otter skin about his head. - - - - -THE MOON PERSON - -_Biloxi_ - - -In olden days, the Moon Person used to make visits to the Indians. One -day a child put out a dirty little hand and made a black spot on Moon -Person. Therefore Moon felt ashamed and when night came he -disappeared. He went up above. He stays up above all the time now, so -they say. Sometimes he is dressed altogether in a shining robe, and -therefore he is bright at night. But immediately afterwards he -disappears. You can still see the black spot, so they say. - - - - -THE STAR CREATURES - -_Cherokee_ - - -One night hunters in the mountains noticed two shining lights moving -along the top of a distant ridge. After a while the lights vanished on -the other side. Thus they watched many nights, talking around the camp -fire. - -One morning they traveled to the ridge. Then they searched long. At -last they found two round creatures covered with soft fur or downy -feathers. They had small heads. - -Then the hunters took these strange creatures to their camp. They -watched them. In the day, they were only balls of gray fur; only when -the breeze stirred their fur, then sparks flew out. At night they grew -bright and shone like stars. - -They kept very quiet. They did not stir, so the hunters did not fasten -them. One night they suddenly rose from the ground like balls of fire. -They went above the tops of the trees, and then higher until they -reached the Sky-land. So the hunters knew they were stars. - - - - -METEORS - -_Menomini_ - - -When a star falls from the sky it leaves a fiery trail. It does not -die. Its shade goes back to its own place to shine again. The Indians -sometimes find the small stars where they have fallen in the grass. - - - - -THE AURORA BOREALIS - -_Menomini_ - - -In the Land of the North Wind live the _manabaiwok_, the giants of -whom our old people tell. - -The _manabaiwok_ are our friends, but we do not see them any more. -They are great hunters and fishermen. Whenever they come out with -their torches to spear fish, we know it because the sky is bright over -that place. - - - - -THE WEST WIND - -_Chitimacha_ - - -A little boy named Ustapu was one day lying on the shore of a lake. -His people had just reached the shore from the prairies, but the wind -was too high for them to cross. - -As he lay there, he suddenly saw another boy fanning himself with a -fan of turkey wings. This was the boy who made the West Wind. Ustapu -said to his tribe, "I can break the arm of the boy who makes West -Wind." But they laughed at him. He took a shell and threw it at the -boy and struck his left arm. - -Therefore when the west wind is high, the Indians say that the boy is -using his strong arm. When the west wind is a gentle breeze, they say -he is using his injured arm. Before that, the west wind had always -been so strong it was very disagreeable, because Wind-maker could use -both arms. Now it is much gentler. - -The Indians think this boy also made the other winds. - - - - -THE LONE LIGHTNING - -_Ojibwa_ - - -At one time an orphan boy whose uncle was very unkind to him ran away. -He ran a long way. He ran until night. Then because he was afraid of -wild animals, he climbed into a tree in the forest. It was a high pine -tree, and he climbed into the forked branches of it. - -A person came to him from the upper sky. He said, "Follow me. Step in -my trail. I have seen how badly you are treated." Then at once as the -boy stepped in his trail, he rose higher and higher into the upper -sky. Then the person put twelve arrows into his hands. He said, "There -are evil manitoes in the sky. Go to war against them. Shoot them with -your bow and arrows." - -The boy went into the northern part of the upper sky. Soon he saw a -manito and shot at him. But that one's magic was too strong. Therefore -the shot failed. There was only a single streak of lightning in the -northern sky, yet there was no storm, and not even a cloud. - - [Illustration: OJIBWA DANCER'S BEADED MEDICINE BAG. - _From Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology._] - -Eleven times the boy thus failed to kill a manito, and thus he had -but one arrow left. He held this in his hands a long while, looking -around. Now these evil manitoes had very strong medicine. They could -change their form in a moment. But they feared the boy's arrows -because they were also strong magic. And because they had been given -to him by a good manito, they had power to kill. - -At last the boy saw the chief of the evil manitoes. He drew his bow -and shot his last arrow; but the chief saw it coming. At once he -changed himself into a rock. And the arrow buried itself in a crack of -the rock. The chief was very angry. He cried, "Now your arrows are all -gone! And because you have dared to shoot at me, you shall become the -trail of your arrow." - -Thus at once he changed the boy into Nazhik-a-wawa, the Lone -Lightning. - - - - -THE THUNDERS - -_Cherokee_ - - -The Great Thunder and his sons, the two Thunder boys, live far in the -West, above the Sky-plain. The lightning and the rainbow are their -beautiful robes. Medicine men pray to Thunder, and call him the Red -Man because there is so much red in his dress. - -There are other thunders that live lower down, in the cliffs and -mountains, and under waterfalls. They travel on bridges from one peak -to another, but the Indian cannot see these bridges. The Great -Thunders above the sky are kind and helpful when we make medicine to -them, but the others are always plotting mischief. One must not point -to the rainbow. - - - - -MONTHS OF THE YEAR - -_Natchez_ - - -The Natchez begin the year in March, each being a lunar month. -Therefore there are thirteen. - - 1 Deer month - 2 Strawberry month - 3 Little Corn month - 4 Watermelon month - 5 Peach month (July) - 6 Mulberry month - 7 Great Corn month (maize) - 8 Turkey month (October) - 9 Bison month - 10 Bear month - 11 Cold meal month (January) - 12 Chestnut month - 13 Nut month (nuts broken to make bread, at the close of - winter, when supplies run low) - - - - -WHY THE OAKS AND SUMACHS REDDEN - -_Fox_ - - -Once on a time, long ago, when it was winter, so they say, it snowed -for the first time. And while the very first snow lay on the ground, -so they say, three men went early in the morning to hunt for game. - -In a thick growth of shrub on a side hill, a bear had entered in. They -could see the trail in the snow. One went in after him, and started -him going in flight. - -"Away from The-place-whence-comes-the-cold he is making fast!" he -called to the others. - -But the one who had gone round by way of The-place-from-whence-comes- -the-cold, cried, "In the direction From-whence-comes-the-source-of-midday -is he hurrying away." Thus he said. - -The third, who had gone round by way of The-place-whence-comes-the- -source-of-midday, cried out, "Towards-the-place-where-the-sun-falls-down -is he hastening." - -Back and forth for a long while did they keep the bear fleeing from -one to another. After a while, one of the hunters who was coming -behind looked down. Behold! The earth below was green. For it is -really true, so they say, that up into the Sky-land were they led away -by the bear. While they were chasing him about the dense growth of -shrubs, that was surely the time that up into the Sky-land they went. - -Then quickly he called, "Oh, Union-of-rivers, let us turn back. Truly -into the Sky-land is he leading us away." So he called to -Union-of-rivers, but no answer did he receive from that one. - -Now Union-of-rivers, who went running between the man ahead and the -man behind, had a little puppy, Hold-tight. - -Now in the autumn, they overtook the bear. Then they slew him. After -they had slain him, many boughs of an oak did they cut, also of -sumach. So with the bear lying on top of the boughs, they skinned him, -and cut up the meat. Then they began to scatter the pieces in all -directions. - -Towards The-place-whence-comes-the-dawn-of-day they hurled the head. -In winter, when dawn is nearly breaking, stars appear which are that -head, so they say. - -Also to the east flung they his backbone. In winter time, certain -stars lie close together. These are the backbone, so they say. - -And it has also been told of the bear and the hunters that the group -of four stars in front are the bear and the three hunters. And between -the front star and the star behind, a tiny little star hangs. That is -the little dog, Hold-tight, which was the pet of Union-of-rivers. - -And so often as autumn comes, the oaks and sumachs redden at the leaf -because their boughs were stained with the blood of the bear. - - - - -THE MAN OF ICE - -_Cherokee_ - - -Once when the people were burning the woods in the fall, a poplar tree -began to burn. It burned until the fire went down into the roots; and -then down into the ground. It burned and burned until there was a -great hole in the ground, and the people began to be afraid the whole -world would burn. They tried to put out the fire, but it was too deep -in the ground. - -At last someone said, "There is a man living in a house of ice, far -toward the Frozen Land. He can put out the fire." - -So messengers were sent. They traveled many sleeps until they came to -the house of the Man of Ice. He was a little fellow with long braids -of hair, hanging to the ground. - -He said at once, "Oh, yes, I can help you," and began to unbraid his -hair. When it was all loose, he took it in one hand and struck the -ends against the other hand. The messengers felt a wind blow against -their cheeks. - -He struck the ends of his hair again across his hand. A light rain -began to fall. A third time he struck the open hand with his hair. -Sleet began to fall with the rain. The fourth time, and large -hailstones fell. They fell as though they came out of the ends of his -hair. - -"Now go home," said the medicine man. "I shall be there tomorrow." - -So the messengers returned. They found the people standing around the -burning hole. - -The next day, as the people stood again at the burning hole, watching -the fire, a light wind came from the north. They were afraid because -they knew the medicine man had sent it. The wind made the flames sweep -higher. Then a light rain began to fall. It but made the fire hotter. -Then came sleet with a heavy rain, and hail. The flames died down but -clouds of smoke and steam arose. - -Then the people fled to their wigwams for shelter. A great wind arose -which blew the hail into the depths of the fire and piled up a great -heap of hailstones. Then the fire died out and the smoke ceased. - -Now when the people went to look again--a lake stood where flames had -been. Yet from below the water came the sound of embers still -crackling. - - - - -THE NUNNEHI - -_Cherokee_ - - -The Nunnehi are The People Who Live Anywhere. They were spirit people -who lived in the highlands of the Cherokee country, and they liked the -bald mountain peaks where no timber ever grows. - -No one could see the Nunnehi except when the spirit-people let -themselves be seen, and then they looked and acted just like other -Indians. But they like music and dancing, and hunters in the mountains -often could hear the dance songs and the drum; yet when they went -towards the sound, it would suddenly shift behind them or in some -other direction. They were a friendly people, too. Some Indians have -thought they were the same as the Little People; but those are no -larger than little children. - -Once a boy was with the Nunnehi. When he was about ten or twelve years -old, he was playing one day near the river, shooting at a mark with -his bow and arrow. Then he started to build a fish trap in the water. -While he was piling up the stones in two long walls, a man came and -stood on the bank. - -The man said, "What are you doing?" The boy told him. The man said, -"That's pretty hard work. You ought to rest awhile. Come and take a -walk up the river." - -The boy said, "No. I am going to the lodge to get something to eat." - -"Come to my lodge," said the man. "I'll give you good food and bring -you home again in the morning." - -So the boy went to the man's lodge with him. They went up the river. -The man's wife and all the other people were glad to see him. They -gave him plenty to eat. While he was eating, a man that the boy knew -very well indeed came in and spoke to him. So he did not feel strange. - -Afterwards he played with the other children and slept there that -night. In the morning, their father took him down the trail. They went -down a trail that had a cornfield on one side and a peach orchard on -the other, until they came to a cross trail. Then the man said, - -"Go along this trail across that ridge and you will come to the river -road that will take you straight to your home." - -So he went back to his house. The boy went down the trail, but soon -he turned and looked back. There was no cornfield there; there were no -peach trees or house--nothing but trees on the mountain side. Still he -was not frightened. He went on until he came to the river trail in -sight of his home. He saw many people standing about talking. When -they saw him, they ran towards him shouting, "Here he is! He is not -drowned or killed in the mountains!" - -Then they said, "Where have you been? We have been looking for you -ever since yesterday noon." - -"A man took me over to his house, just across the ridge," said the -boy. "I thought Udsi-skala would tell you where I was." - -Udsi-skala said, "I have not seen you. I was out all day in my canoe -looking for you. It was one of the Nunnehi who made himself look like -me." - -His mother said, "You say you had plenty to eat there?" - -"Yes," said the boy. - -"There is no house there," his mother answered. "There is nothing -there but trees and rocks, but we hear a drum sometimes in the big -bald peak above. The people you saw were the Nunnehi." - - - - -THE LITTLE PEOPLE - -_Cherokee_ - - -There is another race of spirits, the Little People. They live in rock -caves and in the mountain side. They hardly reach to a man's knee, but -they are very handsome, with long hair falling to the ground. They -work wonders, and are fond of music. They spend half their time -drumming and dancing. If their drum is heard in lonely places in the -mountains, it is not safe to follow it. They do not like to be -disturbed and they throw a spell over people who annoy them. And even -when such a person at last gets back home, he seems dazed. - -Sometimes the Little People come near a house at night, but even if -people hear them talking, they must not go out. And in the morning, -the corn is gathered, or the field cleared, as if a great many people -had been at work. - -When a hunter finds a knife in the woods, he must say, "Little People, -I want to take this," because it may belong to them. Otherwise, they -may throw stones at him as he goes home. - -There are other spirits. The Water Dwellers live in the water and -fishermen pray to them. - -There are also the hunter spirits who are very handsome. Sometimes -they help the hunters, but when someone trips and falls, we know one -of these hunter spirits tripped him up. - -Then there is Det-sata. Det-sata was once a boy who ran away from his -home. He has a great many children who are all just like him and have -his name. When a flock of birds flies up suddenly as if frightened, it -is because Det-sata is chasing them. He is mischievous and sometimes -hides an arrow from the bird hunter who may have shot it off into a -perfectly clear space, but looks and looks without finding it. - -Then the hunter says, "Det-sata, you have my arrow. If you do not give -it up, I'll scratch you." When he looks again, he finds it. - - - - -WAR SONG - -_Ojibwa_ - - - From the place of the South - They come. - From the place of the South - They come. - The birds of war-- - Hear the sound of their passing screams in the air. - - - - -THE WAR MEDICINE - -_Cherokee_ - - -Some warriors had medicine to change themselves into any animal or -bird they wished. - -Long ago, a warrior coming in from the hunt, found enemies attacking -the wigwams of his people across the river. The men were away hunting. -On the river bank, he found a mussel shell. With his medicine he -changed the shell into a canoe. Thus he crossed the river, and went to -his grandmother's wigwam. She sat with her head in a blanket, waiting -to be killed. At once he changed her into a small gourd, and fastened -her to his belt. Then he climbed a tree and became a swamp woodcock. -Thus he flew back across the river. So the warrior and his grandmother -escaped. - - - - -THE COMING OF THE WHITE MAN - -_Wyandot_ - - -Now in early days, the Wyandots lived about the St. Lawrence River, in -the mountains to the eastward. They were the first tribe of old. They -had the first chieftainship. The chief said to his nephews, the -Lenapées, - -"Go down to the seacoast and look. If you see anything, come and tell -me." - -Now the Lenapées had a village by the sea. They often looked out, but -they saw nothing. One day something came. When it came near the land, -it stopped. Then the people were afraid. They ran into the woods. The -next day two Indians went quietly to look. It was lying there in the -water. Then something just like it came out of it and walked on two -legs over the water.[25] When it came to the land, two men stepped out -of it. They were different from us. They made signs for the Lenapées -to come out of the woods. They gave presents. Then the Lenapées gave -them skin clothes. - - [25] A row boat. - -The white men went away. They came back many times. They asked the -Indians for room to put a chair on the land. So it was given. But soon -they began to pull the lacing out of the bottom and to walk inland -with it. They have not yet come to the end of the string. - - - - -Transcriber's Note - -Variations in spelling and accent usage are preserved as printed. - -"The Death Trail" is accredited to the Cherokee in the Table of -Contents, but to the Choctaw as a subtitle to the story itself. This -is preserved as printed. - -"The Kite and the Eagle" has no credit to a particular nation. - -"The Tiny Frog and the Panther" had no credit in the Table of -Contents, but is accredited to the Biloxi as a subtitle to the -story. This is preserved as printed. - -Page 12 mentioned Kuti Mandkce. With reference to the 1912 Bureau of -American Ethnology Bulletin 47, _A Dictionary of Biloxi and Ofo -Languages_, this has been amended to Kuti Mankdce. - -Minor punctuation errors have been repaired. - -The following amendment has been made on the assumption that it was a -printer error: - - Page v--Gitchee amended to Gitche--... who made Gitche Gomee, - the Great Water. - -Illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are not in -the middle of a paragraph. The frontispiece illustration has been -moved to follow the title page. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Myths and Legends of the Mississippi -Valley and the Great Lakes, by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYTHS AND LEGENDS *** - -***** This file should be named 44935-8.txt or 44935-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/9/3/44935/ - -Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -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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