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diff --git a/22072.txt b/22072.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..533f7b2 --- /dev/null +++ b/22072.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5526 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Folk-Lore and Legends: North American Indian, by +Anonymous + +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: Folk-Lore and Legends: North American Indian + +Author: Anonymous + +Release Date: July 14, 2007 [EBook #22072] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOLK-LORE AND LEGENDS *** + + + + +Produced by Julie Barkley, Sam W. and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + FOLK-LORE + + AND + + LEGENDS + + + NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN + + + W. W. GIBBINGS +18 BURY ST., LONDON, W.C. + 1890 + + + + +FOLK-LORE AND LEGENDS + +_NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN_ + + +UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME. + +"_These dainty little books._"--STANDARD. + +FOLK-LORE AND LEGENDS. + +_FIRST SERIES._ + + 1. GERMAN. + 2. ORIENTAL. + 3. SCOTLAND. + 4. IRELAND. + + +_SECOND SERIES._ + + 1. ENGLAND. + 2. SCANDINAVIAN. + 3. RUSSIAN. + 4. NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN. + +"_They transport us into a romantic world._"--TIMES. + + + + +PREFATORY NOTE. + + +It might have been expected that the Indians of North America would +have many Folklore tales to tell, and in this volume I have +endeavoured to present such of them as seemed to me to best illustrate +the primitive character and beliefs of the people. The belief, and the +language in which it is clothed, are often very beautiful. Fantastic +imagination, magnanimity, moral sentiment, tender feeling, and humour +are discovered in a degree which may astonish many who have been apt +to imagine that advanced civilisation has much to do with the +possession of such qualities. I know of nothing that throws so much +light upon Indian character as their Folk-tales. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + + Moowis, 1 + + The Girl who Married the Pine-tree, 9 + + A Legend of Manabozho, 11 + + Pauppukkeewis, 15 + + The Discovery of the Upper World, 33 + + The Boy who Snared the Sun, 37 + + The Maid in the Box, 41 + + The Spirits and the Lovers, 45 + + The Wonderful Rod, 54 + + The Funeral Fire, 56 + + The Legend of O-na-wut-a-qut-o, 63 + + Manabozho in the Fish's Stomach, 69 + + The Sun and the Moon, 72 + + The Snail and the Beaver, 75 + + The Strange Guests, 79 + + Manabozho and his Toe, 88 + + The Girl who Became a Bird, 90 + + The Undying Head, 92 + + The Old Chippeway, 113 + + Mukumik! Mukumik! Mukumik!, 116 + + The Swing by the Lake, 119 + + The Fire Plume, 123 + + The Journey to the Island of Souls, 129 + + Machinitou, the Evil Spirit, 134 + + The Woman of Stone, 144 + + The Maiden who Loved a Fish, 147 + + The Lone Lightning, 151 + + Aggo-dah-gauda, 154 + + Piqua, 158 + + The Evil Maker, 177 + + Manabozho the Wolf, 179 + + The Man-fish, 186 + + + + +MOOWIS. + + +In a large village there lived a noted belle, or Ma-mon-da-go-Kwa, +who was the admiration of all the young hunters and warriors. She +was particularly admired by a young man who, from his good figure +and the care he took in his dress, was called the Beau-Man, or +Ma-mon-da-gin-in-e. This young man had a friend and companion whom +he made his confidant. + +"Come," said he one day, in a sportive mood, "let us go a-courting to +her who is so handsome, perhaps she may fancy one of us." + +She would, however, listen to neither of them; and when the handsome +young man rallied her on the coldness of her air, and made an effort +to overcome her indifference, she repulsed him with the greatest +contempt, and the young man retired confused and abashed. His sense of +pride was deeply wounded, and he was the more piqued because he had +been thus treated in the presence of others, and this affair had been +noised about in the village, and became the talk of every lodge +circle. He was, besides, a very sensitive man, and the incident so +preyed upon him that he became moody and at last took to his bed. For +days he would lie without uttering a word, with his eyes fixed on +vacancy, and taking little or no food. From this state no efforts +could rouse him. He felt abashed and dishonoured even in the presence +of his own relatives, and no persuasions could induce him to rise, so +that when the family prepared to take down the lodge to remove he +still kept his bed, and they were compelled to lift it from above his +head and leave him upon his skin couch. It was a time of general +removal and breaking up of the camp, for it was only a winter +hunting-camp, and as the season of the hunt was now over, and spring +began to appear, his friends all moved off as by one impulse to the +place of their summer village, and in a short time all were gone, and +he was left alone. The last person to leave him was his boon companion +and cousin, who had been, like him, an admirer of the forest belle. +The hunter disregarded even his voice, and as soon as his steps died +away on the creaking snow the stillness and solitude of the wilderness +reigned around. + +As soon as all were gone, and he could no longer, by listening, hear +the remotest sound of the departing camp, the Beau-Man arose. + +Now this young man had for a friend a powerful guardian spirit or +personal manito, and he resolved, with this spirit's aid, to use his +utmost power to punish and humble the girl, for she was noted in her +tribe for her coquetry, and had treated many young men, who were +every way her equals, as she had treated this lover. He resolved on a +singular stratagem by way of revenge. + +He walked over the deserted camp and gathered up all the cast-off bits +of soiled cloth, clippings of finery, and old clothing and ornaments, +which had either been left there as not worth carrying away, or +forgotten. These he carefully picked out of the snow, into which some +of them had been trodden, and collected in one place. These gaudy and +soiled stuffs he restored to their original beauty, and made of them a +coat and leggings, which he trimmed with beads, and finished and +decorated after the best fashion of his tribe. He then made a pair of +moccasins and garnished them with beads, a bow and arrows, and a +frontlet and feathers for the head. Having done this he searched about +for cast-out bones of animals, pieces of skin, clippings of dried +meat, and even dirt. Having cemented all this together he filled the +clothes with it, pressed the mass firmly in, and fashioned it, +externally, in all respects like a tall and well-shaped man. He put a +bow and arrows in its hands, and the frontlet on its head. Having +finished it he brought it to life, and the image stood forth in the +most favoured lineaments of his fellows. Such was the origin of +Moowis, or the Dirt-and-Rag Man. + +"Follow me," said the Beau-Man, "and I will direct you how you shall +act." + +Moowis was, indeed, a very sightly person, and as the Beau-Man led him +into the new encampment where the girl dwelt, the many colours of his +clothes, the profusion of his ornaments, his manly deportment, his +animated countenance, drew all eyes to him. He was hospitably +received, both old and young showing him great attention. The chief +invited him to his lodge, and he was there treated to the moose's hump +and the finest venison. + +No one was better pleased with the handsome stranger than +Ma-mon-da-go-Kwa. She fell in love with him at first sight, and he was +an invited guest at the lodge of her mother the very first evening of +his arrival. The Beau-Man went with him, for it was under his +patronage that he had been introduced, and, in truth, he had another +motive in accompanying him, for he had not yet wholly subdued his +feelings of admiration for the object against whom he had, +nevertheless, exerted all his necromantic power, and he held himself +ready to take advantage of any favourable turn which he secretly hoped +the visit might take in relation to himself. No such opportunity, +however, arose. Moowis attracted the chief attention, every eye and +heart was alert to entertain him. In this effort on the part of his +entertainers they had well-nigh brought about his destruction by +dissolving him into his original elements of rags, snow, and dirt, for +he was assigned the most prominent place near the fire, where he was +exposed to a heat that he could by no means endure. However, he warded +this calamity off by placing a boy between him and the fire; he +shifted his position frequently, and evaded, by dexterous manoeuvres +and timely remarks, the pressing invitation of his host to sit and +enjoy the warmth. He so managed these excuses as not only to conceal +his dread of immediate dissolution, but to secure the further +approbation of the fair forest girl, who was filled with admiration of +one who had so brave a spirit to endure the paralysing effects of +cold. + +The visit proved that the rejected lover had well calculated the +effects of his plan. He withdrew from the lodge, and Moowis triumphed. +Before the Beau-Man left he saw him cross the lodge to the coveted +_abinos_, or bridegroom's seat. The dart which Ma-mon-da-go-Kwa had so +often delighted in sending to the hearts of her admirers she was at +length fated to receive. She had married an image. + +As the morning began to break the stranger arose, adjusted his +warrior's plumes, and took his forest weapons to depart. + +"I must go," said he, "for I have important work to do, and there are +many hills and streams between me and the object of my journey." + +"I will go with you," said Ma-mon-da-go-Kwa. + +"The journey is too long," replied her husband, "and you are ill able +to encounter the perils of the way." + +"It is not so long but that I will go," answered his wife, "and there +are no dangers I will not share with you." + +Moowis returned to the lodge of his master, and told him what had +occurred. For a moment pity took possession of the young man's heart. +He regretted that she whom he so loved should thus have thrown +herself away upon an image, a shadow, when she might have been the +mistress of the best lodge in the camp. + +"It is her own folly," he said; "she has turned a deaf ear to the +counsels of prudence. She must submit to her fate." + +The same morning Moowis set forth, and his wife followed him at a +distance. The way was rough and intricate, and she found that she +could not keep up with him, he walked so quickly. She struggled hard +and obstinately to overtake him, but Moowis had been for some time out +of sight when the sun rose and commenced upon his snow-formed body the +work of dissolution. He began to melt away and fall to pieces. As +Ma-mon-da-go-Kwa followed in his track she found piece after piece of +his clothing in the path. She first found his mittens, then his +moccasins, then his leggings, then his coat, and after that other +parts of his garments. As the heat unbound them the clothes also +returned to their filthy condition. Over rocks, through wind-falls, +across marshes, Ma-mon-da-go-Kwa pursued him she loved. The path +turned aside in all directions. Rags, bones, leather, beads, feathers, +and soiled ribbons she found, but caught no sight of Moowis. She spent +the day in wandering, and when evening came she was still alone. The +snow having now melted, she had completely lost her husband's track, +and she wandered about uncertain which way to go and in a state of +perfect despair. At length with bitter cries she lamented her fate. + +"Moowis, Moowis," she cried, "nin ge won e win ig, ne won e win +ig!"--"Moowis, Moowis, you have led me astray, you are leading me +astray!" + +With this cry she wandered in the woods. + +The cry of the lost Ma-mon-da-go-Kwa is sometimes repeated by the +village girls who have made of it a song-- + + Moowis! Moowis! + Forest rover, + Where art thou? + Ah! my bravest, gayest lover, + Guide me now. + + Moowis! Moowis! + Ah! believe me, + List my moan: + Do not, do not, brave heart, leave me + All alone. + + Moowis! Moowis! + Footprints vanished! + Whither wend I? + Fated, lost, detested, banished + Must I die! + + Moowis! Moowis! + Whither goest thou, + Eye-bright lover? + Ah! thou ravenous bird that knowest, + I see thee hover, + + Circling, circling + As I wander, + And at last + When I fall thou then wilt come + And feed upon my breast. + + + + +THE GIRL WHO MARRIED THE PINE-TREE. + + +Upon the side of a certain mountain grew some pines, under the shade +of which the Puckwudjinies, or sprites, were accustomed to sport at +times. Now it happened that in the neighbourhood of these trees was a +lodge in which dwelt a beautiful girl and her father and mother. One +day a man came to the lodge of the father, and seeing the girl he +loved her, and said-- + +"Give me Leelinau for my wife," and the old man consented. + +Now it happened that the girl did not like her lover, so she escaped +from the lodge and went and hid herself, and as the sun was setting +she came to the pine-trees, and leaning against one of them she +lamented her hard fate. On a sudden she heard a voice, which seemed to +come from the tree, saying-- + +"Be my wife, maiden, beautiful Leelinau, beautiful Leelinau." + +The girl was astonished, not knowing whence the voice could have come. +She listened again, and the words were repeated, evidently by the tree +against which she leaned. Then the maid consented to be the wife of +the pine-tree. + +Meanwhile her parents had missed her, and had sent out parties to see +if she could be found, but she was nowhere. + +Time passed on, but Leelinau never returned to her home. Hunters who +have been crossing the mountain, and have come to the trees at sunset, +say that they have seen a beautiful girl there in company with a +handsome youth, who vanished as they approached. + + + + +A LEGEND OF MANABOZHO. + + +Manabozho made the land. The occasion of his doing so was this. + +One day he went out hunting with two wolves. After the first day's +hunt one of the wolves left him and went to the left, but the other +continuing with Manabozho he adopted him for his son. The lakes were +in those days peopled by spirits with whom Manabozho and his son went +to war. They destroyed all the spirits in one lake, and then went on +hunting. They were not, however, very successful, for every deer the +wolf chased fled to another of the lakes and escaped from them. It +chanced that one day Manabozho started a deer, and the wolf gave +chase. The animal fled to the lake, which was covered with ice, and +the wolf pursued it. At the moment when the wolf had come up to the +prey the ice broke, and both fell in, when the spirits, catching them, +at once devoured them. + +Manabozho went up and down the lake-shore weeping and lamenting. While +he was thus distressed he heard a voice proceeding from the depths of +the lake. + +"Manabozho," cried the voice, "why do you weep?" + +Manabozho answered-- + +"Have I not cause to do so? I have lost my son, who has sunk in the +waters of the lake." + +"You will never see him more," replied the voice; "the spirits have +eaten him." + +Then Manabozho wept the more when he heard this sad news. + +"Would," said he, "I might meet those who have thus cruelly treated me +in eating my son. They should feel the power of Manabozho, who would +be revenged." + +The voice informed him that he might meet the spirits by repairing to +a certain place, to which the spirits would come to sun themselves. +Manabozho went there accordingly, and, concealing himself, saw the +spirits, who appeared in all manner of forms, as snakes, bears, and +other things. Manabozho, however, did not escape the notice of one of +the two chiefs of the spirits, and one of the band who wore the shape +of a very large snake was sent by them to examine what the strange +object was. + +Manabozho saw the spirit coming, and assumed the appearance of a +stump. The snake coming up wrapped itself around the trunk and +squeezed it with all its strength, so that Manabozho was on the point +of crying out when the snake uncoiled itself. The relief was, however, +only for a moment. Again the snake wound itself around him and gave +him this time even a more severe hug than before. Manabozho +restrained himself and did not suffer a cry to escape him, and the +snake, now satisfied that the stump was what it appeared to be, glided +off to its companions. The chiefs of the spirits were not, however, +satisfied, so they sent a bear to try what he could make of the stump. +The bear came up to Manabozho and hugged, and bit, and clawed him till +he could hardly forbear screaming with the pain it caused him. The +thought of his son and of the vengeance he wished to take on the +spirits, however, restrained him, and the bear at last retreated to +its fellows. + +"It is nothing," it said; "it is really a stump." + +Then the spirits were reassured, and, having sunned themselves, lay +down and went to sleep. Seeing this, Manabozho assumed his natural +shape, and stealing upon them with his bow and arrows, slew the chiefs +of the spirits. In doing this he awoke the others, who, seeing their +chiefs dead, turned upon Manabozho, who fled. Then the spirits pursued +him in the shape of a vast flood of water. Hearing it behind him the +fugitive ran as fast as he could to the hills, but each one became +gradually submerged, so that Manabozho was at last driven to the top +of the highest mountain. Here the waters still surrounding him and +gathering in height, Manabozho climbed the highest pine-tree he could +find. The waters still rose. Then Manabozho prayed that the tree would +grow, and it did so. Still the waters rose. Manabozho prayed again +that the tree would grow, and it did so, but not so much as before. +Still the waters rose, and Manabozho was up to his chin in the flood, +when he prayed again, and the tree grew, but less than on either of +the former occasions. Manabozho looked round on the waters, and saw +many animals swimming about seeking land. Amongst them he saw a +beaver, an otter, and a musk-rat. Then he cried to them, saying-- + +"My brothers, come to me. We must have some earth, or we shall all +die." + +So they came to him and consulted as to what had best be done, and it +was agreed that they should dive down and see if they could not bring +up some of the earth from below. + +The beaver dived first, but was drowned before he reached the bottom. +Then the otter went. He came within sight of the earth, but then his +senses failed him before he could get a bite of it. The musk-rat +followed. He sank to the bottom, and bit the earth. Then he lost his +senses and came floating up to the top of the water. Manabozho awaited +the reappearance of the three, and as they came up to the surface he +drew them to him. He examined their claws, but found nothing. Then he +looked in their mouths and found the beaver's and the otter's empty. +In the musk-rat's, however, he found a little earth. This Manabozho +took in his hands and rubbed till it was a fine dust. Then he dried it +in the sun, and, when it was quite light, he blew it all round him +over the water, and the dry land appeared. + +Thus Manabozho made the land. + + + + +PAUPPUKKEEWIS. + + +A man of large stature and great activity of mind and body found +himself standing alone on a prairie. He thought to himself-- + +"How came I here? Are there no beings on this earth but myself? I must +travel and see. I must walk till I find the abodes of men." + +So as soon as his mind was made up he set out, he knew not whither, in +search of habitations. No obstacles diverted him from his purpose. +Prairies, rivers, woods, and storms did not daunt his courage or turn +him back. After travelling a long time he came to a wood in which he +saw decayed stumps of trees, as if they had been cut in ancient times, +but he found no other traces of men. Pursuing his journey he found +more recent marks of the same kind, and later on he came to fresh +traces of human beings, first their footsteps, and then the wood they +had cut lying in heaps. + +Continuing on he emerged towards dusk from the forest, and beheld at a +distance a large village of high lodges, standing on rising ground. He +said to himself-- + +"I will arrive there at a run." + +Off he started with all his speed, and on coming to the first lodge he +jumped over it. Those within saw something pass over the top, and then +they heard a thump on the ground. + +"What is that?" they all said. + +One came out to see, and, finding a stranger, invited him in. He found +himself in the presence of an old chief and several men who were +seated in the lodge. Meat was set before him, after which the chief +asked him where he was going and what his name was. He answered he was +in search of adventures, and that his name was Pauppukkeewis +(grasshopper). The eyes of all were fixed upon him. + +"Pauppukkeewis!" said one to another, and the laugh went round. + +Pauppukkeewis made but a short stay in the village. He was not easy +there. The place gave him no opportunity to display his powers. + +"I will be off," he said, and taking with him a young man who had +formed a strong attachment for him and who might serve him as a +mesh-in-au-wa (official who bears the pipe), he set out once more on +his travels. The two travelled together, and when the young man was +fatigued with walking Pauppukkeewis would show him a few tricks, such +as leaping over trees, and turning round on one leg till he made the +dust fly in a cloud around him. In this manner he very much amused his +companion, though at times his performance somewhat alarmed him. + +One day they came to a large village, where they were well received. +The people told them that there were a number of manitoes who lived +some distance away and who killed all who came to their lodge. + +The people had made many attempts to extirpate these manitoes, but the +war parties that went out for this purpose were always unsuccessful. + +"I will go and see them," said Pauppukkeewis. + +The chief of the village warned him of the danger he would run, but +finding him resolved, said-- + +"Well, if you will go, since you are my guest, I will send twenty +warriors with you." + +Pauppukkeewis thanked him for this. Twenty young men offered +themselves for the expedition. They went forward, and in a short time +descried the lodge of the manitoes. Pauppukkeewis placed his friend +and the warriors near him so that they might see all that passed, and +then he went alone into the lodge. When he entered he found five +horrible-looking manitoes eating. These were the father and four sons. +Their appearance was hideous. Their eyes were set low in their heads +as if the manitoes were half starved. They offered Pauppukkeewis part +of their meat, but he refused it. + +"What have you come for?" asked the old one. + +"Nothing," answered Pauppukkeewis. + +At this they all stared at him. + +"Do you not wish to wrestle?" they all asked. + +"Yes," replied he. + +A hideous smile passed over their faces. + +"You go," said the others to their eldest brother. + +Pauppukkeewis and his antagonist were soon clinched in each other's +arms. He knew the manitoes' object,--they wanted his flesh,--but he +was prepared for them. + +"Haw, haw!" they cried, and the dust and dry leaves flew about the +wrestlers as if driven by a strong wind. + +The manito was strong, but Pauppukkeewis soon found he could master +him. He tripped him up, and threw him with a giant's force head +foremost on a stone, and he fell insensible. + +The brothers stepped up in quick succession, but Pauppukkeewis put his +tricks in full play, and soon all the four lay bleeding on the ground. +The old manito got frightened, and ran for his life. Pauppukkeewis +pursued him for sport. Sometimes he was before him, sometimes over his +head. Now he would give him a kick, now a push, now a trip, till the +manito was quite exhausted. Meanwhile Pauppukkeewis's friend and the +warriors came up, crying-- + +"Ha, ha, a! Ha, ha, a! Pauppukkeewis is driving him before him." + +At length Pauppukkeewis threw the manito to the ground with such force +that he lay senseless, and the warriors, carrying him off, laid him +with the bodies of his sons, and set fire to the whole, consuming them +to ashes. + +Around the lodge Pauppukkeewis and his friends saw a large number of +bones, the remains of the warriors whom the manitoes had slain. Taking +three arrows, Pauppukkeewis called upon the Great Spirit, and then, +shooting an arrow in the air, he cried-- + +"You, who are lying down, rise up, or you will be hit." + +The bones at these words all collected in one place. Again +Pauppukkeewis shot another arrow into the air, crying-- + +"You, who are lying down, rise up, or you will be hit," and each bone +drew towards its fellow. + +Then he shot a third arrow, crying-- + +"You, who are lying down, rise up, or you will be hit," and the bones +immediately came together, flesh came over them, and the warriors, +whose remains they were, stood before Pauppukkeewis alive and well. + +He led them to the chief of the village, who had been his friend, and +gave them up to him. Soon after, the chief with his counsellors came +to him, saying-- + +"Who is more worthy to rule than you? You alone can defend us." + +Pauppukkeewis thanked the chief, but told him he must set out again in +search of further adventures. The chief and the counsellors pressed +him to remain, but he was resolved to leave them, and so he told the +chief to make his friend ruler while he himself went on his travels. + +"I will come again," said he, "sometime and see you." + +"Ho, ho, ho!" they all cried, "come back again and see us." + +He promised that he would, and set out alone. + +After travelling for some time, he came to a large lake, and on +looking about he saw an enormous otter on an island. He thought to +himself-- + +"His skin will make me a fine pouch," and, drawing near, he drove an +arrow into the otter's side. He waded into the lake, and with some +difficulty dragged the carcass ashore. He took out the entrails, but +even then the carcass was so heavy that it was as much as he could do +to drag it up a hill overlooking the lake. As soon as he got it into +the sunshine, where it was warm, he skinned the otter, and threw the +carcass away, for he said to himself-- + +"The war-eagle will come, and then I shall have a chance to get his +skin and his feathers to put on my head." + +Very soon he heard a noise in the air, but he could see nothing. At +length a large eagle dropped, as if from the sky, on to the otter's +carcass. Pauppukkeewis drew his bow and sent an arrow through the +bird's body. The eagle made a dying effort and lifted the carcass up +several feet, but it could not disengage its claws, and the weight +soon brought the bird down again. + +Then Pauppukkeewis skinned the bird, crowned his head with its +feathers, and set out again on his journey. + +After walking a while he came to a lake, the water of which came right +up to the trees on its banks. He soon saw that the lake had been made +by beavers. He took his station at a certain spot to see whether any +of the beavers would show themselves. Soon he saw the head of one +peeping out of the water to see who the stranger was. + +"My friend," said Pauppukkeewis, "could you not turn me into a beaver +like yourself?" + +"I do not know," replied the beaver; "I will go and ask the others." + +Soon all the beavers showed their heads above the water, and looked to +see if Pauppukkeewis was armed, but he had left his bow and arrows in +a hollow tree a short distance off. When they were satisfied they all +came near. + +"Can you not, with all your united power," said he, "turn me into a +beaver? I wish to live among you." + +"Yes," answered the chief, "lie down;" and Pauppukkeewis soon found +himself changed into one of them. + +"You must make me large," said he, "larger than any of you." + +"Yes, yes," said they; "by and by, when we get into the lodge, it +shall be done." + +They all dived into the lake, and Pauppukkeewis, passing large heaps +of limbs of trees and logs at the bottom, asked the use of them. The +beavers answered-- + +"They are our winter provisions." + +When they all got into the lodge their number was about one hundred. +The lodge was large and warm. + +"Now we will make you large," said they, exerting all their power. +"Will that do?" + +"Yes," he answered, for he found he was ten times the size of the +largest. + +"You need not go out," said they. "We will bring your food into the +lodge, and you shall be our chief." + +"Very well," answered Pauppukkeewis. He thought-- + +"I will stay here and grow fat at their expense," but very soon a +beaver came into the lodge out of breath, crying-- + +"We are attacked by Indians." + +All huddled together in great fear. The water began to lower, for the +hunters had broken down the dam, and soon the beavers heard them on +the roof of the lodge, breaking it in. Out jumped all the beavers and +so escaped. Pauppukkeewis tried to follow them, but, alas! they had +made him so large that he could not creep out at the hole. He called +to them to come back, but none answered. He worried himself so much in +trying to escape that he looked like a bladder. He could not change +himself into a man again though he heard and understood all the +hunters said. One of them put his head in at the top of the lodge. + +"Ty-au!" cried he. "Tut-ty-au! Me-shau-mik! King of the beavers is +in." + +Then they all got at Pauppukkeewis and battered in his skull with +their clubs. After that seven or eight of them placed his body on +poles and carried him home. As he went he reflected-- + +"What will become of me? My ghost or shadow will not die after they +get me to their lodges." + +When the party arrived home, they sent out invitations to a grand +feast. The women took Pauppukkeewis and laid him in the snow to skin +him, but as soon as his flesh got cold, his jee-bi, or spirit, fled. + +Pauppukkeewis found himself standing on a prairie, having assumed his +mortal shape. After walking a short distance, he saw a herd of elks +feeding. He admired the apparent ease and enjoyment of their life, and +thought there could be nothing more pleasant than to have the liberty +of running about, and feeding on the prairies. He asked them if they +could not change him into an elk. + +"Yes," they answered, after a pause. "Get down on your hands and +feet." He did so, and soon found himself an elk. + +"I want big horns and big feet," said he. "I wish to be very large." + +"Yes, yes," they said. "There," exerting all their power, "are you big +enough?" + +"Yes," he answered, for he saw he was very large. + +They spent a good time in playing and running. + +Being rather cold one day he went into a thick wood for shelter, and +was followed by most of the herd. They had not been there long before +some elks from behind passed them like a strong wind. All took the +alarm, and off they ran, Pauppukkeewis with the rest. + +"Keep out on the plains," said they, but he found it was too late to +do so, for they had already got entangled in the thick woods. He soon +smelt the hunters, who were closely following his trail, for they had +left all the others to follow him. He jumped furiously, and broke down +young trees in his flight, but it only served to retard his progress. +He soon felt an arrow in his side. He jumped over trees in his agony, +but the arrows clattered thicker and thicker about him, and at last +one entered his heart. He fell to the ground and heard the whoop of +triumph given by the warriors. On coming up they looked at the carcass +with astonishment, and, with their hands up to their mouths, +exclaimed-- + +"Ty-au! ty-au!" + +There were about sixty in the party, who had come out on a special +hunt, for one of their number had, the day before, observed +Pauppukkeewis's large tracks in the sand. They skinned him, and as his +flesh got cold his jee-bi took its flight, and once more he found +himself in human shape. + +His passion for adventure was not yet cooled. On coming to a large +lake, the shore of which was sandy, he saw a large flock of brant, +and, speaking to them, he asked them to turn him into a brant. + +"Very well," said they. + +"But I want to be very large," said he. + +"Very well," replied the brant, and he soon found himself one of them, +of prodigious size, all the others looking on at him in amazement. + +"You must fly as leader," they said. + +"No," replied Pauppukkeewis, "I will fly behind." + +"Very well," said they. "One thing we have to say to you. You must be +careful in flying not to look down, for if you do something may happen +to you." + +"Be it so," said he, and soon the flock rose up in the air, for they +were bound for the north. They flew very fast with Pauppukkeewis +behind. One day, while going with a strong wind, and as swift as their +wings would flap, while they passed over a large village, the Indians +below raised a great shout, for they were amazed at the enormous size +of Pauppukkeewis. They made such a noise that Pauppukkeewis forgot +what had been told him about not looking down. He was flying as swift +as an arrow, and as soon as he brought his neck in, and stretched it +down to look at the shouters, his tail was caught by the wind, and he +was blown over and over. He tried to right himself, but without +success. Down he went from an immense height, turning over and over. +He lost his senses, and when he recovered them he found himself jammed +in a cleft in a hollow tree. To get backward or forward was +impossible, and there he remained until his brant life was ended by +starvation. Then his jee-bi again left the carcass, and once more he +found himself in human shape. + +Travelling was still his passion, and one day he came to a lodge, in +which were two old men whose heads were white from age. They treated +him well, and he told them he was going back to his village to see his +friends and people. The old men said they would aid him, and pointed +out the way they said he should go, but they were deceivers. After +walking all day he came to a lodge very like the first, and looking in +he found two old men with white heads. It was in fact the very same +lodge, and he had been walking in a circle. The old men did not +undeceive him, but pretended to be strangers, and said in a kind +voice-- + +"We will show you the way." + +After walking the third day, and coming back to the same place, he +discovered their trickery, for he had cut a notch in the door-post. + +"Who are you," said he to them, "to treat _me_ so?" and he gave one a +kick and the other a slap that killed them. Their blood flew against +the rocks near their lodge, and that is the reason there are red +streaks in them to this day. Then Pauppukkeewis burned their lodge. + +He continued his journey, not knowing exactly which way to go. At last +he came to a big lake. He ascended the highest hill to try and see the +opposite shore, but he could not, so he made a canoe and took a sail +on the water. On looking down he saw that the bottom of the lake was +covered with dark fish, of which he caught some. This made him wish to +return to his village, and bring his people to live near this lake. He +sailed on, and towards evening came to an island, where he stopped and +ate the fish. + +Next day he returned to the mainland, and, while wandering along the +shore, he encountered a more powerful manito than himself, named +Manabozho. Pauppukkeewis thought it best, after playing him a trick, +to keep out of his way. He again thought of returning to his village, +and, transforming himself into a partridge, took his flight towards +it. In a short time he reached it, and his return was welcomed with +feasting and songs. He told them of the lake and of the fish, and, +telling them that it would be easier for them to live there, persuaded +them all to remove. He immediately began to lead them by short +journeys, and all things turned out as he had said. + +While the people lived there a messenger came to Pauppukkeewis in the +shape of a bear, and said that the bear-chief wished to see him at +once at his village. Pauppukkeewis was ready in an instant, and +getting on the messenger's back was carried away. Towards evening they +ascended a high mountain, and came to a cave, in which the bear-chief +lived. He was a very large creature, and he made Pauppukkeewis +welcome, inviting him into his lodge. + +As soon as propriety allowed he spoke, and said that he had sent for +him because he had heard he was the chief who was leading a large +party towards his hunting-grounds. + +"You must know," said he, "that you have no right there, and I wish +you to leave the country with your party, or else we must fight." + +"Very well," replied Pauppukkeewis, "so be it." + +He did not wish to do anything without consulting his people, and he +saw that the bear-chief was raising a war-party, so he said he would +go back that night. The bear-king told him he might do as he wished, +and that one of the bears was at his command; so Pauppukkeewis, +jumping on its back, rode home. Then he assembled the village, and +told the young men to kill the bear, make ready a feast, and hang the +head outside the village, for he knew the bear spies would soon see it +and carry the news to their chief. + +Next morning Pauppukkeewis got all his young warriors ready for the +fight. After waiting one day, the bear war-party came in sight, making +a tremendous noise. The bear-chief advanced, and said that he did not +wish to shed the blood of the young warriors, but if Pauppukkeewis +would consent they two would run a race, and the winner should kill +the losing chief, and all the loser's followers should be the slaves +of the other. Pauppukkeewis agreed, and they ran before all the +warriors. He was victor; but not to terminate the race too quickly he +gave the bear-chief some specimens of his skill, forming eddies and +whirlwinds with the sand as he twisted and turned about. As the +bear-chief came to the post Pauppukkeewis drove an arrow through him. +Having done this he told his young men to take the bears and tie one +at the door of each lodge, that they might remain in future as slaves. + +After seeing that all was quiet and prosperous in the village, +Pauppukkeewis felt his desire for adventure returning, so he took an +affectionate leave of his friends and people, and started off again. +After wandering a long time, he came to the lodge of Manabozho, who +was absent. Pauppukkeewis thought he would play him a trick, so he +turned everything in the lodge upside down and killed his chickens. +Now Manabozho calls all the fowl of the air his chickens, and among +the number was a raven, the meanest of birds, and him Pauppukkeewis +killed and hung up by the neck to insult Manabozho. He then went on +till he came to a very high point of rocks running out into the lake, +from the top of which he could see the country as far as eye could +reach. While he sat there, Manabozho's mountain chickens flew round +and past him in great numbers. So, out of spite, he shot many of them, +for his arrows were sure and the birds many, and he amused himself by +throwing the birds down the precipice. At length a wary bird called +out-- + +"Pauppukkeewis is killing us: go and tell our father." + +Away flew some of them, and Manabozho soon made his appearance on the +plain below. + +Pauppukkeewis slipped down the other side of the mountain. Manabozho +cried from the top-- + +"The earth is not so large but I can get up to you." + +Off Pauppukkeewis ran and Manabozho after him. He ran over hills and +prairies with all his speed, but his pursuer was still hard after him. +Then he thought of a shift. He stopped, and climbed a large pine-tree, +stripped it of all its green foliage, and threw it to the winds. Then +he ran on. When Manabozho reached the tree, it called out to him-- + +"Great Manabozho, give me my life again. Pauppukkeewis has killed +me." + +"I will do so," said Manabozho, and it took him some time to gather +the scattered foliage. Then he resumed the chase. Pauppukkeewis +repeated the same trick with the hemlock, and with other trees, for +Manabozho would always stop to restore anything that called upon him +to give it life again. By this means Pauppukkeewis kept ahead, but +still Manabozho was overtaking him when Pauppukkeewis saw an elk. He +asked it to take him on its back, and this the animal did, and for a +time he made great progress. Still Manabozho was in sight. +Pauppukkeewis dismounted, and, coming to a large sandstone rock, he +broke it in pieces, and scattered the grains. Manabozho was so close +upon him at this place that he had almost caught him, but the +foundation of the rock cried out-- + +"Haye! Ne-me-sho! Pauppukkeewis has spoiled me. Will you not restore +me to life?" + +"Yes," replied Manabozho, and he restored the rock to its previous +shape. He then pushed on in pursuit of Pauppukkeewis, and had got so +near as to put out his arm to seize him, when Pauppukkeewis dodged +him, and raised such a dust and commotion by whirlwinds, as to make +the trees break, and the sand and leaves dance in the air. Again and +again Manabozho's hand was put out to catch him, but he dodged him at +every turn, and at last, making a great dust, he dashed into a hollow +tree, which had been blown down, and, changing himself into a snake, +crept out at its roots. Well that he did; for at the moment Manabozho, +who is Ogee-bau-ge-mon (a species of lightning) struck the tree with +all his power, and shivered it to fragments. Pauppukkeewis again took +human shape, and again Manabozho, pursuing him, pressed him hard. + +At a distance Pauppukkeewis saw a very high rock jutting out into a +lake, and he ran for the foot of the precipice, which was abrupt and +elevated. As he came near, the manito of the rock opened his door and +told him to come in. No sooner was the door closed than Manabozho +knocked at it. + +"Open," he cried in a loud voice. + +The manito was afraid of him, but said to his guest-- + +"Since I have sheltered you, I would sooner die with you than open the +door." + +"Open," Manabozho cried again. + +The manito was silent. Manabozho made no attempt to force the door +open. He waited a few moments. + +"Very well," said he, "I give you till night to live." + +The manito trembled, for he knew that when the hour came he would be +shut up under the earth. + +Night came, the clouds hung low and black, and every moment the forked +lightning flashed from them. The black clouds advanced slowly and +threw their dark shadows afar, and behind was heard the rumbling noise +of the coming thunder. When the clouds were gathered over the rock the +thunders roared, the lightning flashed, the ground shook, and the +solid rock split, tottered, and fell. Under the ruins lay crushed the +mortal bodies of Pauppukkeewis and the manito. + +It was only then that Pauppukkeewis found that he was really dead. He +had been killed before in the shapes of different animals, but now his +body, in human shape, was crushed. + +Manabozho came and took his jee-bi, or spirit. "You," said he to +Pauppukkeewis, "shall not be again permitted to live on the earth. I +will give you the shape of the war-eagle, and you shall be the chief +of all birds, and your duty shall be to watch over their destinies." + + + + +THE DISCOVERY OF THE UPPER WORLD. + + +The Minnatarees, and all the other Indians who are not of the stock of +the grandfather of nations, were once not of this upper air, but dwelt +in the bowels of the earth. The Good Spirit, when he made them, meant, +no doubt, at a proper time to put them in enjoyment of all the good +things which he had prepared for them upon earth, but he ordered that +their first stage of existence should be within it. They all dwelt +underground, like moles, in one great cavern. When they emerged it was +in different places, but generally near where they now inhabit. At +that time few of the Indian tribes wore the human form. Some had the +figures or semblances of beasts. The Paukunnawkuts were rabbits, some +of the Delawares were ground-hogs, others tortoises, and the +Tuscaroras, and a great many others, were rattlesnakes. The Sioux were +the hissing-snakes, but the Minnatarees were always men. Their part of +the great cavern was situated far towards the mountains of snow. + +The great cavern in which the Indians dwelt was indeed a dark and +dismal region. In the country of the Minnatarees it was lighted up +only by the rays of the sun which strayed through the fissures of the +rock and the crevices in the roof of the cavern, while in that of the +Mengwe all was dark and sunless. The life of the Indians was a life of +misery compared with that they now enjoy, and it was endured only +because they were ignorant of a fairer or richer world, or a better or +happier state of being. + +There were among the Minnatarees two boys, who, from the hour of their +birth, showed superior wisdom, sagacity, and cunning. Even while they +were children they were wiser than their fathers. They asked their +parents whence the light came which streamed through the fissures of +the rock and played along the sides of the cavern, and whence and from +what descended the roots of the great vine. Their father could not +tell them, and their mother only laughed at the question, which +appeared to her very foolish. They asked the priest, but he could not +tell them; but he said he supposed the light came from the eyes of +some great wolf. The boys asked the king tortoise, who sulkily drew +his head into his shell, and made no answer. When they asked the chief +rattlesnake, he answered that he knew, and would tell them all about +it if they would promise to make peace with his tribe, and on no +account kill one of his descendants. The boys promised, and the chief +rattlesnake then told them that there was a world above them, a +beautiful world, peopled by creatures in the shape of beasts, having +a pure atmosphere and a soft sky, sweet fruits and mellow water, +well-stocked hunting-grounds and well-filled lakes. He told them to +ascend by the roots, which were those of a great grape-vine. A while +after the boys were missing; nor did they come back till the +Minnatarees had celebrated their death, and the lying priest had, as +he falsely said, in a vision seen them inhabitants of the land of +spirits. + +The Indians were surprised by the return of the boys. They came back +singing and dancing, and were grown so much, and looked so different +from what they did when they left the cavern, that their father and +mother scarcely knew them. They were sleek and fat, and when they +walked it was with so strong a step that the hollow space rang with +the sound of their feet. They were covered with the skins of animals, +and had blankets of the skins of racoons and beavers. They described +to the Indians the pleasures of the upper world, and the people were +delighted with their story. At length they resolved to leave their +dull residence underground for the upper regions. All agreed to this +except the ground-hog, the badger, and the mole, who said, as they had +been put where they were, they would live and die there. The rabbit +said he would live sometimes above and sometimes below. + +When the Indians had determined to leave their habitations +underground, the Minnatarees began, men, women, and children, to +clamber up the vine, and one-half of them had already reached the +surface of the earth, when a dire mishap involved the remainder in a +still more desolate captivity within its bowels. + +There was among them a very fat old woman, who was heavier than any +six of her nation. Nothing would do but she must go up before some of +her neighbours. Away she clambered, but her weight was so great that +the vine broke with it, and the opening, to which it afforded the sole +means of ascending, closed upon her and the rest of her nation. + + + + +THE BOY WHO SNARED THE SUN. + + +At the time when the animals reigned on the earth they had killed all +but a girl and her little brother, and these two were living in fear +and seclusion. The boy was a perfect pigmy, never growing beyond the +stature of a small infant, but the girl increased with her years, so +that the labour of providing food and lodging devolved wholly on her. +She went out daily to get wood for their lodge fire, and took her +brother with her so that no accident might happen to him, for he was +too little to leave alone--a big bird might have flown away with him. +She made him a bow and arrows, and said to him one winter day-- + +"I will leave you behind where I have been chopping; you must hide +yourself, and you will see the gitshee-gitshee-gaun ai see-ug, or +snow-birds, come and pick the worms out of the wood, where I have been +chopping. Shoot one of them and bring it home." + +He obeyed her, and tried his best to kill one, but came home +unsuccessful. She told him he must not despair, but try again the next +day. She accordingly left him at the place where she got wood and +returned home. Towards nightfall she heard his footsteps on the snow, +and he came in exultingly, and threw down one of the birds he had +killed. + +"My sister," said he, "I wish you to skin it and stretch the skin, and +when I have killed more I will have a coat made out of them." + +"What shall we do with the body?" asked she, for as yet men had not +begun to eat animal food, but lived on vegetables alone. + +"Cut it in two," he answered, "and season our pottage with one-half of +it at a time." + +She did so. The boy continued his efforts, and succeeded in killing +ten birds, out of the skins of which his sister made him a little +coat. + +"Sister," said he one day, "are we all alone in the world? Is there +nobody else living?" + +His sister told him that they two alone remained; that the beings who +had killed all their relations lived in a certain quarter, and that he +must by no means go in that direction. This only served to inflame his +curiosity and raise his ambition, and he soon after took his bow and +arrows and went to seek the beings of whom his sister had told him. +After walking a long time and meeting nothing he became tired, and lay +down on a knoll where the sun had melted the snow. He fell fast +asleep, and while sleeping the sun beat so hot upon him that it singed +and drew up his birdskin coat, so that when he awoke and stretched +himself, he felt, as it were, bound in it. He looked down and saw the +damage done, and then he flew into a passion, upbraided the sun, and +vowed vengeance against it. + +"Do not think you are too high," said he; "I shall revenge myself." + +On coming home he related his disaster to his sister, and lamented +bitterly the spoiling of his coat. He would not eat. He lay down as +one that fasts, and did not stir or move his position for ten days, +though his sister did all she could to arouse him. At the end of ten +days he turned over, and then lay ten days on the other side. Then he +got up and told his sister to make him a snare, for he meant to catch +the sun. At first she said she had nothing, but finally she remembered +a little piece of dried deer's sinew that her father had left, and +this she soon made into a string suitable for a noose. The moment, +however, she showed it to her brother, he told her it would not do, +and bade her get something else. She said she had nothing--nothing at +all. At last she thought of her hair, and pulling some of it out made +a string. Her brother again said it would not answer, and bade her, +pettishly, and with authority, make him a noose. She replied that +there was nothing to make it of, and went out of the lodge. When she +was all alone she said-- + +"Neow obewy indapin." + +Meanwhile her brother awaited her, and it was not long before she +reappeared with some tiny cord. The moment he saw it he was delighted. + +"This will do," he cried, and he put the cord to his mouth and began +pulling it through his lips, and as fast as he drew it changed to a +red metal cord of prodigious length, which he wound around his body +and shoulders. He then prepared himself, and set out a little after +midnight that he might catch the sun before it rose. He fixed his +snare on a spot just where he thought the sun would appear; and sure +enough he caught it, so that it was held fast in the cord and could +not rise. + +The animals who ruled the earth were immediately put into a great +commotion. They had no light. They called a council to debate the +matter, and to appoint some one to go and cut the cord--a very +hazardous enterprise, for who dare go so near to the sun as would be +necessary? The dormouse, however, undertook the task. At that time the +dormouse was the largest animal in the world; when it stood up it +looked like a mountain. It set out upon its mission, and, when it got +to the place where the sun lay snared, its back began to smoke and +burn, so intense was the heat, and the top of its carcass was reduced +to enormous heaps of ashes. It succeeded, however, in cutting the cord +with its teeth and freed the sun, but was reduced to a very small size, +and has remained so ever since. Men call it the Kug-e-been-gwa-kwa. + + + + +THE MAID IN THE BOX. + + +There once lived a woman called Monedo Kway (female spirit or +prophetess) on the sand mountains, called The Sleeping Bear of Lake +Michigan, who had a daughter as beautiful as she was modest and +discreet. Everybody spoke of her beauty, and she was so handsome that +her mother feared she would be carried off, so to prevent it she put +her in a box, which she pushed into the middle of the lake. The box +was tied by a long string to a stake on shore, and every morning the +mother pulled the box to land, and, taking her daughter out of it, +combed her hair, gave her food, and then putting her again in the box, +set her afloat on the lake. + +One day it chanced that a handsome young man came to the spot at the +moment the girl was being thus attended to by her mother. He was +struck with her beauty, and immediately went home and told his love to +his uncle, who was a great chief and a powerful magician. + +"My nephew," replied the old man, "go to the mother's lodge and sit +down in a modest manner without saying a word. You need not ask her a +question, for whatever you think she will understand, and what she +thinks in answer you will understand." + +The young man did as he was bid. He entered the woman's lodge and sat +with his head bent down in a thoughtful manner, without uttering a +word. He then thought-- + +"I wish she would give me her daughter." Very soon he understood the +mother's thoughts in reply. + +"Give you my daughter!" thought she. "You! no, indeed! my daughter +shall never marry you!" + +The young man went away and reported the result to his uncle. + +"Woman without good sense!" exclaimed the old man. "Who is she keeping +her daughter for? Does she think she will marry the Mudjikewis (a term +indicating the heir or successor to the first in power)? Proud heart! +We will try her magic skill, and see whether she can withstand our +power." + +He forthwith set himself to work, and in a short time the pride and +haughtiness of the mother was made known to all the spirits on that +part of the lake, and they met together and resolved to exert their +power to humble her. To do this they determined to raise a great storm +on the lake. The water began to roar and toss, and the tempest became +so severe that the string holding the box broke, and it floated off +through the straits down Lake Huron, and struck against the sandy +shores at its outlet. The place where it struck was near the lodge of +a decayed old magician called Ishkwon Daimeka, or the keeper of the +gate of the lakes. He opened the box and let out the beautiful +daughter, whom he took into his lodge and made his wife. + +When her mother found that her daughter had been carried off by the +storm, she raised loud cries and lamented exceedingly. This she +continued to do for a long time, and would not be comforted. At last +the spirits began to pity her, and determined to raise another storm +to bring the daughter back. This was even a greater storm than the +first. The water of the lake washed away the ground, and swept on to +the lodge of Ishkwon Daimeka, whose wife, when she saw the flood +approaching, leaped into the box, and the waves, carrying her off, +landed her at the very spot where was her mother's lodge. + +Monedo Kway was overjoyed, but when she opened the box she found her +daughter, indeed, but her beauty had almost all departed. However, she +loved her still, because she was her daughter, and now thought of the +young man who had come to seek her in marriage. She sent a formal +message to him, but he had heard of all that had occurred, and his +love for the girl had died away. + +"I marry your daughter!" replied he. "Your daughter! no, indeed! I +shall never marry her!" + +The storm that brought the girl back was so strong that it tore away a +large part of the shore of the lake and swept off Ishkwon Daimeka's +lodge, the fragments of which, lodging in the straits, formed those +beautiful islands which are scattered in the St. Clair and Detroit +rivers. As to Ishkwon Daimeka himself, he was drowned, and his bones +lie buried under the islands. As he was carried away by the waves on a +fragment of his lodge, the old man was heard lamenting his fate in a +song. + + + + +THE SPIRITS AND THE LOVERS. + + +At the distance of a woman's walk of a day from the mouth of the +river, called by the pale-faces the Whitestone, in the country of the +Sioux, in the middle of a large plain, stands a lofty hill or mound. +Its wonderful roundness, together with the circumstance of its +standing apart from all other hills, like a fir-tree in the midst of a +wide prairie, or a man whose friends and kindred have all descended to +the dust, has made it known to all the tribes of the West. Whether it +was created by the Great Spirit or filled up by the sons of men, +whether it was done in the morning of the world, ask not me, for I +cannot tell you. Know it is called by all the tribes of the land the +Hill of Little People, or the Mountain of Little Spirits. No gifts can +induce an Indian to visit it; for why should he incur the anger of the +Little People who dwell in it, and, sacrificed upon the fire of their +wrath, behold his wife and children no more? In all the marches and +counter-marches of the Indians, in all their goings and returnings, in +all their wanderings by day or by night to and from lands which lie +beyond it, their paths are so ordered that none approaches near +enough to disturb the tiny inhabitants of the hill. The memory of the +red-man of the forest has preserved but one instance when their +privacy was violated, since it was known through the tribes that they +wished for no intercourse with mortals. Before that time many Indians +were missing each year. No one knew what became of them, but they were +gone, and left no trace nor story behind. Valiant warriors filled +their quivers with arrows, put new strings to their bows, new shod +their moccasins, and sallied out to acquire glory in combat; but there +was no wailing in the camp of our foes: their arrows were not felt, +their shouts were not heard. Yet they fell not by the hands of our +foes, but perished we know not how. + +Many seasons ago there lived within the limits of the great +council-fire of the Mahas a chief who was renowned for his valour and +victories in the field, his wisdom in the council, his dexterity and +success in the chase. His name was Mahtoree, or the White Crane. He +was celebrated throughout the vast regions of the West, from the +Mississippi to the Hills of the Serpent, from the Missouri to the +Plains of Bitter Frost, for all those qualities which render an Indian +warrior famous and feared. + +In one of the war expeditions of the Pawnee Mahas against the +Burntwood Tetons, it was the good fortune of the former to overcome +and to make many prisoners--men, women, and children. One of the +captives, Sakeajah, or the Bird-Girl, a beautiful creature in the +morning of life, after being adopted into one of the Mahas families, +became the wife of the chief warrior of the nation. Great was the love +which the White Crane had for his wife, and it grew yet stronger when +she had brought him four sons and a daughter, Tatokah, or the +Antelope. She was beautiful. Her skin was fair, her eyes were large +and bright as those of the bison-ox, and her hair black, and braided +with beads, brushed, as she walked, the dew from the flowers upon the +prairies. Her temper was gentle and her voice sweet. + +It may not be doubted that the beautiful Tatokah had many lovers; but +the heart of the maiden was touched by none of the noble youths who +sought her. She bade them all depart as they came; she rejected them +all. With the perverseness which is often seen among women, she had +placed her affections upon a youth who had distinguished himself by no +valiant deeds in war, nor by industry or dexterity in the chase. His +name had never reached the surrounding nations. His own nation knew +him not, unless as a weak and imbecile man. He was poor in everything +which constitutes the riches of Indian life. Who had heard the +twanging of Karkapaha's bow in the retreat of the bear, or who had +beheld the war-paint on his cheek or brow? Where were the scalps or +the prisoners that betokened his valour or daring? No song of valiant +exploits had been heard from his lips, for he had none to boast of--if +he had done aught becoming a man, he had done it when none was by. The +beautiful Tatokah, who knew and lamented the deficiencies of her +lover, strove long to conquer her passion without success. At length, +since her father would not agree to her union with her lover, the two +agreed to fly together. The night fixed came, and they left the +village of the Mahas and the lodge of Mahtoree for the wilderness. + +Their flight was not unmarked, and when the father was made acquainted +with the disgrace which had befallen him, he called his young men +around him, and bade them pursue the fugitives, promising his daughter +to whomsoever should slay the Karkapaha. Immediately pursuit was made, +and soon a hundred eager youths were on the track of the hapless pair. +With that unerring skill and sagacity in discovering footprints which +mark their race, their steps were tracked, and themselves soon +discovered flying. What was the surprise of the pursuers when they +found that the path taken by the hapless pair would carry them to the +mountain of little spirits, and that they were sufficiently in advance +to reach it before they could be overtaken. None of them durst venture +within the supposed limits, and they halted till the White Crane +should be informed of his daughter and her lover having placed +themselves under the protection of the spirits. + +In the meantime the lovers pursued their journey towards the fearful +residence of the little people. Despair lent them courage to perform +an act to which the stoutest Indian resolution had hitherto been +unequal. They determined to tell their tale to the spirits and ask +their protection. They were within a few feet of the hill when, on a +sudden, its brow, on which no object had till now been visible, became +covered with little people, the tallest of whom was not higher than +the knee of the maiden, while many of them--but these were +children--were of lower stature than the squirrel. Their voice was +sharp and quick, like the barking of the prairie dog. A little wing +came out at each shoulder; each had a single eye, which eye was to the +right in the men, and to the left in the women, and their feet stood +out at each side. They were armed like Indians, with tomahawks, spears, +bows, and arrows. He who appeared to be the head chief--for he wore an +air of command, and had the eagle feather--came up to the fugitives and +said-- + +"Why have you invaded the village of our race whose wrath has been so +fatal to your people? How dare you venture within the limits of our +residence? Know you not that your lives are forfeited?" + +Tatokah, for her lover had less than the heart of a doe and was +speechless, related their story. She told them how they had loved, how +wroth her father had been, how they had stolen away and been pursued, +and concluded her tale of sorrow with a flood of tears. The little man +who wore the eagle feather appeared moved by what she said, and +calling around him a large number of men, who were doubtless the +chiefs and counsellors of the nation, a long consultation took place. +The result was a determination to favour and protect the lovers. + +At this moment Shongotongo, or the Big Horse, one of the braves whom +Mahtoree had despatched in quest of his daughter, appeared in view in +pursuit of the fugitives. It was not till Mahtoree had taxed his +courage that Big Horse had ventured on the perilous quest. He +approached with the strength of heart and singleness of purpose which +accompany an Indian warrior who deems the eyes of his nation upon him. +When first the brave was discovered thus wantonly, and with no other +purpose but the shedding of blood, intruding on the dominions of the +spirits, no words can tell the rage which appeared to possess their +bosoms. Secure in the knowledge of their power to repel the attacks of +every living thing, the intrepid Maha was permitted to advance within +a few steps of Karkapaha. He had just raised his spear to strike the +unmanly lover, when, all at once, he found himself riveted to the +ground. His feet refused to move, his hands hung powerless at his +side, his tongue refused to utter a word. The bow and arrow fell from +his hand, and his spear lay powerless. A little child, not so high as +the fourth leaf of the thistle, came and spat on him, and a company of +the spirits danced around him singing a taunting song. When they had +thus finished their task of preparatory torture, a thousand little +spirits drew their bows, and a thousand arrows pierced his heart. In a +moment innumerable mattocks were employed in preparing him a grave, +and he was hidden from the eyes of the living ere Tatokah could have +thrice counted over the fingers of her hand. + +When this was done, the chief of the little spirits called Karkapaha +before him, and said-- + +"Maha, you have the heart of a doe. You would fly from a roused wren. +We have not spared you because you deserve to be spared, but because +the maiden loves you. It is for this purpose that we will give you the +heart of a man, that you may return to the village of the Mahas, and +find favour in the eyes of Mahtoree and the braves of the nation. We +will take away your cowardly spirit, and will give you the spirit of +the warrior whom we slew, whose heart was firm as a rock. Sleep, man +of little soul, and wake to be better worthy the love of the beautiful +Antelope." + +Then a deep sleep came over the Maha lover. How long he slept he knew +not, but when he woke he felt at once that a change had taken place in +his feelings and temper. The first thought that came to his mind was +of a bow and arrow, the second was of the beautiful maiden who lay +sleeping at his side. The little spirits had disappeared--not a +solitary being of the many thousands who, but a few minutes before, +had filled the air with their discordant cries was now to be seen or +heard. At the feet of Karkapaha lay a tremendous bow, larger than any +warrior ever yet used, a sheaf of arrows of proportionate size, and a +spear of a weight which no Maha could wield. Karkapaha drew the bow as +an Indian boy bends a willow twig, and the spear seemed in his hand +but a reed or a feather. The shrill war-whoop burst unconsciously from +his lips, and his nostrils seemed dilated with the fire and impatience +of a newly-awakened courage. The heart of the fond Indian girl +dissolved in tears when she saw these proofs of strength and these +evidences of spirit which, she knew, if they were coupled with +valour--and how could she doubt the completeness of the gift to effect +the purposes of the giver?--would thaw the iced feelings of her father +and tune his heart to the song of forgiveness. Yet it was not without +many fears, tears, and misgivings on the part of the maiden that they +began their journey to the Mahas village. The lover, now a stranger to +fear, used his endeavours to quiet the beautiful Tatokah, and in some +measure succeeded. Upon finding that his daughter and her lover had +gone to the Hill of the Spirits, and that Shongotongo did not return +from his perilous adventure, the chief of the Mahas had recalled his +braves from the pursuit, and was listening to the history of the pair, +as far as the returned warriors were acquainted with it, when his +daughter and her lover made their appearance. With a bold and fearless +step the once faint-hearted Karkapaha walked up to the offended +father, and, folding his arms upon his breast, stood erect as a pine, +and motionless as that tree when the winds of the earth are chained. +It was the first time that Karkapaha had ever looked on angry men +without trembling, and a demeanour so unusual in him excited universal +surprise. + +"Karkapaha is a thief," said the White Crane. + +"It is the father of Tatokah that says it," answered the lover, "else +would Karkapaha say it was the song of a bird that has flown over." + +"My warriors say it." + +"Your warriors are singing-birds; they are wrens. Karkapaha says they +do not speak the truth. Karkapaha has a brave heart and the strength +of a bear. Let the braves try him. He has thrown away the woman's +heart, and become a man." + +"Karkapaha is changed," said the chief thoughtfully, "but how and +when?" + +"The Little Spirits of the mountain have given him a new soul. Bid +your braves draw this bow. Bid them poise this spear. Their eyes say +they can do neither. Then is Karkapaha the strong man of his tribe?" +As he said this he flourished the ponderous spear over his head as a +man would poise a reed, and drew the bow as a child would bend a twig. + +"Karkapaha is the husband of Tatokah," said Mahtoree, springing to his +feet, and he gave the maiden to her lover. + +The traditionary lore of the Mahas is full of the exploits, both in +war and in the chase, of Karkapaha, who was made a man by the Spirits +of the Mountain. + + + + +THE WONDERFUL ROD. + + +The Choctaws had for many years found a home in regions beyond the +Mountains of Snow, far away to the west of the Mississippi. They, +however, decided, for some reason or other, to leave the place in +which they dwelt, and the question then arose in what direction they +should journey. Now, there was a jossakeed (priest) who had a +wonderful rod, and he said that he would lead them. + +For many years, therefore, they travelled, being guided by him. He +walked before them bearing the rod, and when night was come he put it +upright in the earth, and the people encamped round it. In the morning +they looked to see in what direction the rod pointed, for each night +the rod left its upright position, and inclined one way or another. +Day after day the rod was found pointing to the east, and thither the +Choctaws accordingly bent their steps. + +"You must travel," said the jossakeed, "as long as the rod directs you +pointing to the direction in which you must go, but when the rod +ceases to point, and stands upright, then you must live there." + +So the people went on until they came to a hill, where they camped, +having first put up the rod so that it did not lean at all. In the +morning, when they went to see which direction the rod pointed out for +them to take, they found it upright, and from it there grew branches +bearing green leaves. Then they said-- + +"We will stop here." + +So that became the centre of the land of the Choctaws. + + + + +THE FUNERAL FIRE. + + +For several nights after the interment of a Chippewa a fire is kept +burning upon the grave. This fire is lit in the evening, and carefully +supplied with small sticks of dry wood, to keep up a bright but small +fire. It is kept burning for several hours, generally until the usual +hour of retiring to rest, and then suffered to go out. The fire is +renewed for four nights, and sometimes for longer. The person who +performs this pious office is generally a near relative of the +deceased, or one who has been long intimate with him. The following +tale is related as showing the origin of the custom. + +A small war party of Chippewas encountered their enemies upon an open +plain, where a severe battle was fought. Their leader was a brave and +distinguished warrior, but he never acted with greater bravery, or +more distinguished himself by personal prowess, than on this occasion. +After turning the tide of battle against his enemies, while shouting +for victory, he received an arrow in his breast, and fell upon the +plain. No warrior thus killed is ever buried, and according to +ancient custom, the chief was placed in a sitting posture upon the +field, his back supported by a tree, and his face turned towards the +direction in which his enemies had fled. His headdress and equipment +were accurately adjusted as if he were living, and his bow leaned +against his shoulder. In this posture his companions left him. That he +was dead appeared evident to all, but a strange thing had happened. +Although deprived of speech and motion, the chief heard distinctly all +that was said by his friends. He heard them lament his death without +having the power to contradict it, and he felt their touch as they +adjusted his posture, without having the power to reciprocate it. His +anguish, when he felt himself thus abandoned, was extreme, and his +wish to follow his friends on their return home so completely filled +his mind, as he saw them one after another take leave of him and +depart, that with a terrible effort he arose and followed them. His +form, however, was invisible to them, and this aroused in him +surprise, disappointment, and rage, which by turns took possession of +him. He followed their track, however, with great diligence. Wherever +they went he went, when they walked he walked, when they ran he ran, +when they encamped he stopped with them, when they slept he slept, +when they awoke he awoke. In short, he mingled in all their labours +and toils, but he was excluded from all their sources of refreshment, +except that of sleeping, and from the pleasures of participating in +their conversation, for all that he said received no notice. + +"Is it possible," he cried, "that you do not see me, that you do not +hear me, that you do not understand me? Will you suffer me to bleed to +death without offering to stanch my wounds? Will you permit me to +starve while you eat around me? Have those whom I have so often led to +war so soon forgotten me? Is there no one who recollects me, or who +will offer me a morsel of food in my distress?" + +Thus he continued to upbraid his friends at every stage of the +journey, but no one seemed to hear his words. If his voice was heard +at all, it was mistaken for the rustling of the leaves in the wind. + +At length the returning party reached their village, and their women +and children came out, according to custom, to welcome their return +and proclaim their praises. + +"Kumaudjeewug! Kumaudjeewug! Kumaudjeewug! they have met, fought, and +conquered!" was shouted by every mouth, and the words resounded +through the most distant parts of the village. Those who had lost +friends came eagerly to inquire their fate, and to know whether they +had died like men. The aged father consoled himself for the loss of +his son with the reflection that he had fallen manfully, and the widow +half forgot her sorrow amid the praises that were uttered of the +bravery of her husband. The hearts of the youths glowed with martial +ardour as they heard these flattering praises, and the children joined +in the shouts, of which they scarcely knew the meaning. Amidst all +this uproar and bustle no one seemed conscious of the presence of the +warrior-chief. He heard many inquiries made respecting his fate. He +heard his companions tell how he had fought, conquered, and fallen, +pierced by an arrow through his breast, and how he had been left +behind among the slain on the field of battle. + +"It is not true," declared the angry chief, "that I was killed and +left upon the field! I am here. I live; I move; see me; touch me. I +shall again raise my spear in battle, and take my place in the feast." + +Nobody, however, seemed conscious of his presence, and his voice was +mistaken for the whispering of the wind. + +He now walked to his own lodge, and there he found his wife tearing +her hair and lamenting over his fate. He endeavoured to undeceive her, +but she, like the others, appeared to be insensible of his presence, +and not to hear his voice. She sat in a despairing manner, with her +head reclining on her hands. The chief asked her to bind up his +wounds, but she made no reply. He placed his mouth close to her ear +and shouted-- + +"I am hungry, give me some food!" + +The wife thought she heard a buzzing in her ear, and remarked it to +one who sat by. The enraged husband now summoning all his strength, +struck her a blow on the forehead. His wife raised her hand to her +head, and said to her friend-- + +"I feel a slight shooting pain in my head." + +Foiled thus in every attempt to make himself known, the warrior-chief +began to reflect upon what he had heard in his youth, to the effect +that the spirit was sometimes permitted to leave the body and wander +about. He concluded that possibly his body might have remained upon +the field of battle, while his spirit only accompanied his returning +friends. He determined to return to the field, although it was four +days' journey away. He accordingly set out upon his way. For three +days he pursued his way without meeting anything uncommon; but on the +fourth, towards evening, as he came to the skirts of the battlefield, +he saw a fire in the path before him. He walked to one side to avoid +stepping into it, but the fire also changed its position, and was +still before him. He then went in another direction, but the +mysterious fire still crossed his path, and seemed to bar his entrance +to the scene of the conflict. In short, whichever way he took, the +fire was still before him,--no expedient seemed to avail him. + +"Thou demon!" he exclaimed at length, "why dost thou bar my approach +to the field of battle? Knowest thou not that I am a spirit also, and +that I seek again to enter my body? Dost thou presume that I shall +return without effecting my object? Know that I have never been +defeated by the enemies of my nation, and will not be defeated by +thee!" + +So saying, he made a sudden effort and jumped through the flame. No +sooner had he done so than he found himself sitting on the ground, +with his back supported by a tree, his bow leaning against his +shoulder, all his warlike dress and arms upon his body, just as they +had been left by his friends on the day of battle. Looking up he +beheld a large canicu, or war eagle, sitting in the tree above his +head. He immediately recognised this bird to be the same as he had +once dreamt of in his youth--the one he had chosen as his guardian +spirit, or personal manito. This eagle had carefully watched his body +and prevented other ravenous birds from touching it. + +The chief got up and stood upon his feet, but he felt himself weak and +much exhausted. The blood upon his wound had stanched itself, and he +now bound it up. He possessed a knowledge of such roots as have +healing properties, and these he carefully sought in the woods. Having +found some, he pounded some of them between stones and applied them +externally. Others he chewed and swallowed. In a short time he found +himself so much recovered as to be able to commence his journey, but +he suffered greatly from hunger, not seeing any large animals that he +might kill. However, he succeeded in killing some small birds with his +bow and arrow, and these he roasted before a fire at night. + +In this way he sustained himself until he came to a river that +separated his wife and friends from him. He stood upon the bank and +gave that peculiar whoop which is a signal of the return of a friend. +The sound was immediately heard, and a canoe was despatched to bring +him over, and in a short time, amidst the shouts of his friends and +relations, who thronged from every side to see the arrival, the +warrior-chief was landed. + +When the first wild bursts of wonder and joy had subsided, and some +degree of quiet had been restored to the village, he related to his +people the account of his adventures. He concluded his narrative by +telling them that it is pleasing to the spirit of a deceased person to +have a fire built upon the grave for four nights after his burial; +that it is four days' journey to the land appointed for the residence +of the spirits; that in its journey thither the spirit stands in need +of a fire every night at the place of its encampment; and that if the +friends kindle this fire upon the spot where the body is laid, the +spirit has the benefit of its light and warmth on its path, while if +the friends neglect to do this, the spirit is subjected to the irksome +task of making its own fire each night. + + + + +THE LEGEND OF O-NA-WUT-A-QUT-O. + + +A long time ago there lived an aged Odjibwa and his wife on the shores +of Lake Huron. They had an only son, a very beautiful boy, named +O-na-wut-a-qut-o, or He that catches the clouds. The family were of +the totem of the beaver. The parents were very proud of their son, and +wished to make him a celebrated man; but when he reached the proper +age he would not submit to the We-koon-de-win, or fast. When this time +arrived they gave him charcoal instead of his breakfast, but he would +not blacken his face. If they denied him food he sought bird's eggs +along the shore, or picked up the heads of fish that had been cast +away, and broiled them. One day they took away violently the food he +had prepared, and cast him some coals in place of it. This act decided +him. He took the coals and blackened his face and went out of the +lodge. He did not return, but lay down without to sleep. As he lay, a +very beautiful girl came down from the clouds and stood by his side. + +"O-na-wut-a-qut-o," she said, "I am come for you. Follow in my +footsteps." + +The young man rose and did as he was bid. Presently he found himself +ascending above the tops of the trees, and gradually he mounted up +step by step into the air, and through the clouds. At length his guide +led him through an opening, and he found himself standing with her on +a beautiful plain. + +A path led to a splendid lodge, into which O-na-wut-a-qut-o followed +his guide. It was large, and divided into two parts. At one end he saw +bows and arrows, clubs and spears, and various warlike instruments +tipped with silver. At the other end were things exclusively belonging +to women. This was the house of his fair guide, and he saw that she +had on a frame a broad rich belt of many colours that she was weaving. + +"My brother is coming," she said, "and I must hide you." + +Putting him in one corner she spread the belt over him, and presently +the brother came in very richly dressed, and shining as if he had +points of silver all over him. He took down from the wall a splendid +pipe, and a bag in which was a-pa-ko-ze-gun, or smoking mixture. When +he had finished smoking, he laid his pipe aside, and said to his +sister-- + +"Nemissa," (elder sister) "when will you quit these practices? Do you +forget that the greatest of the spirits has commanded that you shall +not take away the children from below? Perhaps you think you have +concealed O-na-wut-a-qut-o, but do I not know of his coming? If you +would not offend me, send him back at once." + +These words did not, however, alter his sister's purpose. She would +not send him back, and her brother, finding that she was determined, +called O-na-wut-a-qut-o from his hiding-place. + +"Come out of your concealment," said he, "and walk about and amuse +yourself. You will grow hungry if you remain there." + +At these words O-na-wut-a-qut-o came forth from under the belt, and +the brother presented a bow and arrows, with a pipe of red stone, +richly ornamented, to him. In this way he gave his consent to +O-na-wut-a-qut-o's marriage with his sister, and from that time the +youth and the girl became husband and wife. + +O-na-wut-a-qut-o found everything exceedingly fair and beautiful +around him, but he found no other people besides his wife and her +brother. There were flowers on the plains, there were bright and +sparkling streams, there were green valleys and pleasant trees, there +were gay birds and beautiful animals, very different from those he had +been accustomed to. There was also day and night as on the earth, but +he observed that every morning the brother regularly left the lodge +and remained absent all day, and every evening his sister departed, +but generally for only a part of the night. + +O-na-wut-a-qut-o was curious to solve this mystery, and obtained the +brother's consent to accompany him in one of his daily journeys. They +travelled over a smooth plain which seemed to stretch to illimitable +distances all around. At length O-na-wut-a-qut-o felt the gnawings of +hunger and asked his companion if there was no game about. + +"Patience, my brother," replied he; "we shall soon reach the spot +where I eat my dinner, and you will then see how I am provided." + +After walking on a long time they came to a place where several fine +mats were spread, and there they sat down to refresh themselves. At +this place there was a hole in the sky and O-na-wut-a-qut-o, at his +companion's request, looked through it down upon the earth. He saw +below the great lakes and the villages of the Indians. In one place he +saw a war-party stealing on the camp of their enemies. In another he +saw feasting and dancing. On a green plain some young men were playing +at ball, and along the banks of a stream were women employed in +gathering the a-puk-wa for mats. + +"Do you see," asked the brother, "that group of children playing +beside a lodge? Observe that beautiful and active lad," said he, at +the same time darting something from his hand. The child immediately +fell on the ground, and was carried by his companions into the lodge. + +O-na-wut-a-qut-o and his companion watched and saw the people below +gathering about the lodge. They listened to the she-she-gwau of the +meeta, to the song he sang asking that the child's life might be +spared. To this request O-na-wut-a-qut-o's companion made answer-- + +"Send me up the sacrifice of a white dog." + +A feast was immediately ordered by the parents of the child. The +white dog was killed, his carcass was roasted, all the wise men and +medicine-men of the village assembling to witness the ceremony. + +"There are many below," said O-na-wut-a-qut-o's companion, "whom you +call great in medical skill. They are so, because their ears are open; +and they are able to succeed, because when I call they hear my voice. +When I have struck one with sickness they direct the people to look to +me, and when they make me the offering I ask, I remove my hand from +off the sick person and he becomes well." + +While he was saying this, the feast below had been served. Then the +master of the feast said-- + +"We send this to thee, Great Manito," and immediately the roasted +animal came up. Thus O-na-wut-a-qut-o and his companion got their +dinner, and after they had eaten they returned to the lodge by a +different path. + +In this manner they lived for some time, but at last the youth got +weary of the life. He thought of his friends, and wished to go back to +them. He could not forget his native village and his father's lodge, +and he asked his wife's permission to return. After some persuasion +she consented. + +"Since you are better pleased," she said, "with the cares and ills and +poverty of the world, than with the peaceful delights of the sky and +its boundless prairies, go. I give you my permission, and since I have +brought you hither I will conduct you back. Remember, however, that +you are still my husband. I hold a chain in my hand by which I can, +whenever I will, draw you back to me. My power over you will be in no +way diminished. Beware, therefore, how you venture to take a wife +among the people below. Should you ever do so, you will feel what a +grievous thing it is to arouse my anger." + +As she uttered these words her eyes sparkled, and she drew herself up +with a majestic air. In the same moment O-na-wut-a-qut-o awoke. He +found himself on the ground near his father's lodge, on the very spot +where he had thrown himself down to sleep. Instead of the brighter +beings of a higher world, he found around him his parents and their +friends. His mother told him that he had been absent a year. For some +time O-na-wut-a-qut-o remained gloomy and silent, but by degrees he +recovered his spirits, and he began to doubt the reality of all he had +seen and heard above. At last he even ventured to marry a beautiful +girl of his own tribe. But within four days she died. Still he was +forgetful of his first wife's command, and he married again. Then one +night he left his lodge, to which he never returned. His wife, it is +believed, recalled him to the sky, where he still dwells, walking the +vast plains. + + + + +MANABOZHO IN THE FISH'S STOMACH. + + +One day Manabozho said to his grandmother-- + +"Noko, get cedar bark and make me a line whilst I make a canoe." + +When all was ready he went out to the middle of the lake a-fishing. + +"Me-she-nah-ma-gwai (king-fish)," said he, letting down his line, +"take hold of my bait." + +He kept repeating these words some time; at last the king-fish said-- + +"What a trouble Manabozho is! Here, trout, take hold of his line." + +The trout did as he was bid, and Manabozho drew up his line, the +trout's weight being so great that the canoe was nearly overturned. +Till he saw the trout Manabozho kept crying out-- + +"Wha-ee-he! wha-ee-he!" + +As soon as he saw him he said-- + +"Why did you take hold of my hook? Esa, esa! shame, shame! you ugly +fish." + +The trout, being thus rebuked, let go. + +Manabozho let down his line again into the water, saying-- + +"King-fish, take hold of my line." + +"What a trouble Manabozho is!" cried the king-fish. "Sun-fish, take +hold of his line." + +The sun-fish did as he was bid, and Manabozho drew him up, crying as +he did so-- + +"Wha-ee-he! wha-ee-he!" while the canoe turned in swift circles. + +When he saw the sun-fish, he cried-- + +"Esa, esa! you odious fish! why did you dirty my hook by taking it in +your mouth? Let go, I say, let go." + +The sun-fish did as he was bid, and on his return to the bottom of the +lake told the king-fish what Manabozho had said. Just then the bait +was let down again near to the king, and Manabozho was heard crying +out-- + +"Me-she-nah-ma-gwai, take hold of my hook." + +The king-fish did so, and allowed himself to be dragged to the +surface, which he had no sooner reached than he swallowed Manabozho +and his canoe at one gulp. When Manabozho came to himself he found he +was in his canoe in the fish's stomach. He now began to think how he +should escape. Looking about him, he saw his war-club in his canoe, +and with it he immediately struck the heart of the fish. Then he felt +as though the fish was moving with great velocity. The king-fish +observed to his friends-- + +"I feel very unwell for having swallowed that nasty fellow Manabozho." + +At that moment he received another more severe blow on the heart. +Manabozho thought, "If I am thrown up in the middle of the lake I +shall be drowned, so I must prevent it." So he drew his canoe and +placed it across the fish's throat, and just as he had finished doing +this the king-fish tried to cast him out. + +Manabozho now found that he had a companion with him. This was a +squirrel that had been in his canoe. The squirrel helped him to place +the canoe in the proper position, and Manabozho, being grateful to it, +said-- + +"For the future you shall be called Ajidanneo (animal tail)." + +Then he recommenced his attack on the king-fish's heart, and by +repeated blows he at last succeeded in killing him. He could tell that +he had effected this by the stoppage of the fish's motion, and he +could also hear the body beating against the shore. Manabozho waited a +day to see what would happen. Then he heard birds scratching on the +body, and all at once the rays of light broke in. He could now see the +heads of the gulls, which were looking in at the opening they had +made. + +"Oh!" cried Manabozho, "my younger brothers, make the opening larger, +so that I can get out." The gulls then told one another that Manabozho +was inside the fish, and, setting to work at once to enlarge the hole, +they, in a short time, set him free. After he got out Manabozho said +to the gulls-- + +"For the future you shall be called Kayoshk (noble scratchers), for +your kindness to me." + + + + +THE SUN AND THE MOON. + + +There were once ten brothers who hunted together, and at night they +occupied the same lodge. One day, after they had been hunting, coming +home they found sitting inside the lodge near the door a beautiful +woman. She appeared to be a stranger, and was so lovely that all the +hunters loved her, and as she could only be the wife of one, they +agreed that he should have her who was most successful in the next +day's hunt. Accordingly, the next day, they each took different ways, +and hunted till the sun went down, when they met at the lodge. Nine of +the hunters had found nothing, but the youngest brought home a deer, +so the woman was given to him for his wife. + +The hunter had not been married more than a year when he was seized +with sickness and died. Then the next brother took the girl for his +wife. Shortly after he died also, and the woman married the next +brother. In a short time all the brothers died save the eldest, and he +married the girl. She did not, however, love him, for he was of a +churlish disposition, and one day it came into the woman's head that +she would leave him and see what fortune she would meet with in the +world. So she went, taking only a dog with her, and travelled all day. +She went on and on, but towards evening she heard some one coming +after her who, she imagined, must be her husband. In great fear she +knew not which way to turn, when she perceived a hole in the ground +before her. There she thought she might hide herself, and entering it +with her dog she suddenly found herself going lower and lower, until +she passed through the earth and came up on the other side. Near to +her there was a lake, and a man fishing in it. + +"My grandfather," cried the woman, "I am pursued by a spirit." + +"Leave me," cried Manabozho, for it was he, "leave me. Let me be +quiet." + +The woman still begged him to protect her, and Manabozho at length +said-- + +"Go that way, and you shall be safe." + +Hardly had she disappeared when the husband, who had discovered the +hole by which his wife had descended, came on the scene. + +"Tell me," said he to Manabozho, "where has the woman gone?" + +"Leave me," cried Manabozho, "don't trouble me." + +"Tell me," said the man, "where is the woman?" Manabozho was silent, +and the husband, at last getting angry, abused him with all his might. + +"The woman went that way," said Manabozho at last. "Run after her, but +you shall never catch her, and you shall be called Gizhigooke (day +sun), and the woman shall be called Tibikgizis (night sun)." + +So the man went on running after his wife to the west, but he has +never caught her, and he pursues her to this day. + + + + +THE SNAIL AND THE BEAVER. + + +The father of the Osage nation was a snail. It was when the earth was +young and little. It was before the rivers had become wide or long, or +the mountains lifted their peaks above the clouds, that the snail +found himself passing a quiet existence on the banks of the River +Missouri. His wants and wishes were but few, and well supplied, and he +was happy. + +At length the region of the Missouri was visited by one of those great +storms which so often scatter desolation over it, and the river, +swollen by the melted snow and ice from the mountains, swept away +everything from its banks, and among other things the drowsy snail. +Upon a log he drifted down many a day's journey, till the river, +subsiding, left him and his log upon the banks of the River of Fish. +He was left in the slime, and the hot sun beamed fiercely upon him +till he became baked to the earth and found himself incapable of +moving. Gradually he grew in size and stature, and his form +experienced a new change, till at length what was once a snail +creeping on the earth ripened into man, erect, tall, and stately. For +a long time after his change to a human being he remained stupefied, +not knowing what he was or by what means to sustain life. At length +recollection returned to him. He remembered that he was once a snail +and dwelt upon another river. He became animated with a wish to return +to his old haunts, and accordingly directed his steps towards those +parts from which he had been removed. Hunger now began to prey upon +him, and bade fair to close his eyes before he should again behold his +beloved haunts on the banks of the river. The beasts of the forest +were many, but their speed outstripped his. The birds of the air +fluttered upon sprays beyond his reach, and the fish gliding through +the waves at his feet were nimbler than he and eluded his grasp. Each +moment he grew weaker, the films gathered before his eyes, and in his +ears there rang sounds like the whistling of winds through the woods +in the month before the snows. At length, wearied and exhausted, he +laid himself down upon a grassy bank. + +As he lay the Great Spirit appeared to him and asked-- + +"Why does he who is the kernel of the snail look terrified, and why is +he faint and weary?" + +"That I tremble," answered he, "is because I fear thy power. That I +faint is because I lack food." + +"As regards thy trembling," answered the Great Spirit, "be composed. +Art thou hungry?" + +"I have eaten nothing," replied the man, "since I ceased to be a +snail." + +Upon hearing this the Great Spirit drew from under his robe a bow and +arrow, and bade the man observe what he did with it. On the topmost +bough of a lofty tree sat a beautiful bird, singing and fluttering +among the red leaves. He placed an arrow on the bow, and, letting fly, +the bird fell down upon the earth. A deer was seen afar off browsing. +Again the archer bent his bow and the animal lay dead, food for the +son of the snail. + +"There are victuals for you," said the Spirit, "enough to last you +till your strength enables you to beat up the haunts of the deer and +the moose, and here is the bow and arrow." + +The Great Spirit also taught the man how to skin the deer, and clothed +him with the skin. Having done this, and having given the beasts, +fishes, and all feathered creatures to him for his food and raiment, +he bade the man farewell and took his departure. + +Strengthened and invigorated, the man pursued his journey towards the +old spot. He soon stood upon the banks of his beloved river. A few +more suns and he would sit down upon the very spot where for so many +seasons he had crawled on the slimy leaf, so often dragged himself +lazily over the muddy pool. He had seated himself upon the bank of the +river, and was meditating deeply on these things, when up crept from +the water a beaver, who, addressing him, said in an angry tone-- + +"Who are you?" + +"I am a snail," replied the Snail-Man. "Who are you?" + +"I am head warrior of the nation of beavers," answered the other. "By +what authority have you come to disturb my possession of this river, +which is my dominion?" + +"It is not your river," replied the Wasbasha. "The Great Being, who is +over man and beast, has given it to me." + +The beaver was at first incredulous; but at length, convinced that +what the man said was true, he invited him to accompany him to his +home. The man agreed, and went with him till they came to a number of +small cabins, into the largest of which the beaver conducted him. He +invited the man to take food with him, and while the beaver's wife and +daughter were preparing the feast, he entertained his guest with an +account of his people's habits of life. Soon the wife and daughter +made their appearance with the food, and sitting down the Snail-Man +was soon at his ease amongst them. He was not, however, so occupied +with the banquet that he had not time to be enchanted with the beauty +of the beaver's daughter; and when the visit was drawing to a close, +so much was he in love, that he asked the beaver to give her to him +for his wife. The beaver-chief consented, and the marriage was +celebrated by a feast, to which all the beavers, and the animals with +whom they had friendly relations, were invited. From this union of the +Snail-Man and the Beaver-Maid sprang the tribe of the Osages,--at +least so it is related by the old men of the tribe. + + + + +THE STRANGE GUESTS. + + +Many years ago there lived, near the borders of Lake Superior, a noted +hunter, who had a wife and one child. His lodge stood in a remote part +of the forest, several days' journey from that of any other person. He +spent his days in hunting, and his evenings in relating to his wife +the incidents that had befallen him in the chase. As game was very +abundant, he seldom failed to bring home in the evening an ample store +of meat to last them until the succeeding evening; and while they were +seated by the fire in his lodge partaking the fruits of his day's +labour, he entertained his wife with conversation, or by occasionally +relating those tales, or enforcing those precepts, which every good +Indian esteems necessary for the instruction of his wife and children. +Thus, far removed from all sources of disquiet, surrounded by all they +deemed necessary to their comfort, and happy in one another's society, +their lives passed away in cheerful solitude and sweet contentment. +The breast of the hunter had never felt the compunctions of remorse, +for he was a just man in all his dealings. He had never violated the +laws of his tribe by encroaching upon the hunting-grounds of his +neighbours, by taking that which did not belong to him, or by any act +calculated to displease the village chiefs or offend the Great Spirit. +His chief ambition was to support his family with a sufficiency of +food and skins by his own unaided exertions, and to share their +happiness around his cheerful fire at night. The white man had not yet +taught them that blankets and clothes were necessary to their comfort, +or that guns could be used in the killing of game. + +The life of the Chippewa hunter peacefully glided away. + +One evening during the winter season, it chanced that he remained out +later than usual, and his wife sat lonely in the lodge, and began to +be agitated with fears lest some accident had befallen him. Darkness +had already fallen. She listened attentively to hear the sound of +coming footsteps; but nothing could be heard but the wind mournfully +whistling around the sides of the lodge. Time passed away while she +remained in this state of suspense, every moment augmenting her fears +and adding to her disappointment. + +Suddenly she heard the sound of approaching footsteps upon the frozen +surface of the snow. Not doubting that it was her husband, she quickly +unfastened the loop which held, by an inner fastening, the skin door +of the lodge, and throwing it open she saw two strange women standing +before it. Courtesy left the hunter's wife no time for deliberation. +She invited the strangers to enter and warm themselves, thinking, from +the distance to the nearest neighbours, they must have walked a +considerable way. When they were entered she invited them to remain. +They seemed to be total strangers to that part of the country, and the +more closely she observed them the more curious the hunter's wife +became respecting her guests. + +No efforts could induce them to come near the fire. They took their +seats in a remote part of the lodge, and drew their garments about +them in such a manner as to almost completely hide their faces. They +seemed shy and reserved, and when a glimpse could be had of their +faces they appeared pale, even of a deathly hue. Their eyes were +bright but sunken: their cheek-bones were prominent, and their persons +slender and emaciated. + +Seeing that her guests avoided conversation as well as observation, +the woman forbore to question them, and sat in silence until her +husband entered. He had been led further than usual in the pursuit of +game, but had returned with the carcass of a large and fat deer. The +moment he entered the lodge, the mysterious women exclaimed-- + +"Behold! what a fine and fat animal!" and they immediately ran and +pulled off pieces of the whitest fat, which they ate with avidity. + +Such conduct appeared very strange to the hunter, but supposing the +strangers had been a long time without food, he made no remark; and +his wife, taking example from her husband, likewise restrained +herself. + +On the following evening the same scene was repeated. The hunter +brought home the best portions of the game he had killed, and while he +was laying it down before his wife, according to custom, the two +strange women came quickly up, tore off large pieces of fat, and ate +them with greediness. Such behaviour might well have aroused the +hunter's displeasure; but the deference due to strange guests induced +him to pass it over in silence. + +Observing the parts to which the strangers were most partial, the +hunter resolved the next day to anticipate their wants by cutting off +and tying up a portion of the fat for each. This he did: and having +placed the two portions of fat upon the top of his burden, as soon as +he entered the lodge he gave to each stranger the part that was hers. +Still the guests appeared to be dissatisfied, and took more from the +carcass lying before the wife. + +Except for this remarkable behaviour, the conduct of the guests was +unexceptionable, although marked by some peculiarities. They were +quiet, modest, and discreet. They maintained a cautious silence during +the day, neither uttering a word nor moving from the lodge. At night +they would get up, and, taking those implements which were then used +in breaking and preparing wood, repair to the forest. Here they would +busy themselves in seeking dry branches and pieces of trees blown down +by the wind. When a sufficient quantity had been gathered to last +until the succeeding night they carried it home upon their shoulders. +Then carefully putting everything in its place within the lodge, they +resumed their seats and their studied silence. They were always +careful to return from their labours before the dawn of day, and were +never known to stay out beyond that hour. In this manner they repaid, +in some measure, the kindness of the hunter, and relieved his wife +from one of her most laborious duties. + +Thus nearly the whole year passed away, every day leading to some new +development of character which served to endear the parties to each +other. The visitors began to assume a more hale and healthy aspect; +their faces daily lost something of that deathly hue which had at +first marked them, and they visibly improved in strength, and threw +off some of that cold reserve and forbidding austerity which had kept +the hunter so long in ignorance of their true character. + +One evening the hunter returned very late after having spent the day +in toilsome exertion, and having laid the produce of his hunt at his +wife's feet, the silent women seized it and began to tear off the fat +in such an unceremonious manner that the wife could no longer control +her feelings of disgust, and said to herself-- + +"This is really too bad. How can I bear it any longer!" + +She did not, however, put her thought into words, but an immediate +change was observed in the two visitors. They became unusually +reserved, and showed evident signs of being uneasy in their situation. +The good hunter immediately perceived this change, and, fearful that +they had taken offence, as soon as they had retired demanded of his +wife whether any harsh expression had escaped her lips during the day. +She replied that she had uttered nothing to give the least offence. +The hunter tried to compose himself to sleep, but he felt restive and +uneasy, for he could hear the sighs and lamentations of the two +strangers. Every moment added to his conviction that his guests had +taken some deep offence; and, as he could not banish this idea from +his mind, he arose, and, going to the strangers, thus addressed them-- + +"Tell me, ye women, what is it that causes you pain of mind, and makes +you utter these unceasing sighs? Has my wife given you any cause of +offence during the day while I was absent in the chase? My fears +persuade me that, in some unguarded moment, she has forgotten what is +due to the rights of hospitality, and used expressions ill-befitting +the mysterious character you sustain. Tell me, ye strangers from a +strange country, ye women who appear not to be of this world, what it +is that causes you pain of mind, and makes you utter these unceasing +sighs." + +They replied that no unkind expression had ever been used towards them +during their residence in the lodge, that they had received all the +affectionate attention they could reasonably expect. + +"It is not for ourselves," they continued, "it is not for ourselves +that we weep. We are weeping for the fate of mankind; we are weeping +for the fate of mortals whom Death awaits at every stage of their +existence. Proud mortals, whom disease attacks in youth and in age. +Vain men, whom hunger pinches, cold benumbs, and poverty emaciates. +Weak beings, who are born in tears, who are nurtured in tears, and +whose whole course is marked upon the thirsty sands of life in a broad +line of tears. It is for these we weep. + +"You have spoken truly, brother; we are not of this world. We are +spirits from the land of the dead, sent upon the earth to try the +sincerity of the living. It is not for the dead but for the living +that we mourn. It was by no means necessary that your wife should +express her thoughts to us. We knew them as soon as they were formed. +We saw that for once displeasure had arisen in her heart. It is +enough. Our mission is ended. We came but to try you, and we knew +before we came that you were a kind husband, an affectionate father, +and a good friend. Still, you have the weaknesses of a mortal, and +your wife is wanting in our eyes; but it is not alone for you we weep, +it is for the fate of mankind. + +"Often, very often, has the widower exclaimed, 'O Death, how cruel, +how relentless thou art to take away my beloved friend in the spring +of her youth, in the pride of her strength, and in the bloom of her +beauty! If thou wilt permit her once more to return to my abode, my +gratitude shall never cease; I will raise up my voice continually to +thank the Master of Life for so excellent a boon. I will devote my +time to study how I can best promote her happiness while she is +permitted to remain; and our lives shall roll away like a pleasant +stream through a flowing valley!' Thus also has the father prayed for +his son, the mother for her daughter, the wife for her husband, the +sister for her brother, the lover for his mistress, the friend for his +bosom companion, until the sounds of mourning and the cries of the +living have pierced the very recesses of the dead. + +"The Great Spirit has at length consented to make a trial of the +sincerity of these prayers by sending us upon the earth. He has done +this to see how we should be received,--coming as strangers, no one +knowing from where. Three moons were allotted to us to make the trial, +and if, during that time, no impatience had been evinced, no angry +passions excited at the place where we took up our abode, all those in +the land of spirits, whom their relatives had desired to return, would +have been restored. More than two moons have already passed, and as +soon as the leaves began to bud our mission would have been +successfully terminated. It is now too late. Our trial is finished, +and we are called to the pleasant fields whence we came. + +"Brother, it is proper that one man should die to make room for +another. Otherwise, the world would be filled to overflowing. It is +just that the goods gathered by one should be left to be divided +among others; for in the land of spirits there is no want, there is +neither sorrow nor hunger, pain nor death. Pleasant fields, filled +with game spread before the eye, with birds of beautiful form. Every +stream has good fish in it, and every hill is crowned with groves of +fruit-trees, sweet and pleasant to the taste. It is not here, brother, +but there that men begin truly to live. It is not for those who +rejoice in those pleasant groves but for you that are left behind that +we weep. + +"Brother, take our thanks for your hospitable treatment. Regret not +our departure. Fear not evil. Thy luck shall still be good in the +chase, and there shall ever be a bright sky over thy lodge. Mourn not +for us, for no corn will spring up from tears." + +The spirits ceased, but the hunter had no power over his voice to +reply. As they had proceeded in their address he saw a light gradually +beaming from their faces, and a blue vapour filled the lodge with an +unnatural light. As soon as they ceased, darkness gradually closed +around. The hunter listened, but the sobs of the spirits had ceased. +He heard the door of his tent open and shut, but he never saw more of +his mysterious visitors. + +The success promised him was his. He became a celebrated hunter, and +never wanted for anything necessary to his ease. He became the father +of many boys, all of whom grew up to manhood, and health, peace, and +long life were the rewards of his hospitality. + + + + +MANABOZHO AND HIS TOE. + + +Manabozho was so powerful that he began to think there was nothing he +could not do. Very wonderful were many of his feats, and he grew more +conceited day by day. Now it chanced that one day he was walking about +amusing himself by exercising his extraordinary powers, and at length +he came to an encampment where one of the first things he noticed was +a child lying in the sunshine, curled up with its toe in its mouth. + +Manabozho looked at the child for some time, and wondered at its +extraordinary posture. + +"I have never seen a child before lie like that," said he to himself, +"but I could lie like it." + +So saying, he put himself down beside the child, and, taking his right +foot in his hand, drew it towards his mouth. When he had brought it as +near as he could it was yet a considerable distance away from his +lips. + +"I will try the left foot," said Manabozho. He did so and found that +he was no better off, neither of his feet could he get to his mouth. +He curled and twisted, and bent his large limbs, and gnashed his +teeth in rage to find that he could not get his toe to his mouth. All, +however, was vain. + +At length he rose, worn out with his exertions and passion, and walked +slowly away in a very ill humour, which was not lessened by the sound +of the child's laughter, for Manabozho's efforts had awakened it. + +"Ah, ah!" said Manabozho, "shall I be mocked by a child?" + +He did not, however, revenge himself on his victor, but on his way +homeward, meeting a boy who did not treat him with proper respect, he +transformed him into a cedar-tree. + +"At least," said Manabozho, "I can do something." + + + + +THE GIRL WHO BECAME A BIRD. + + +The father of Ran-che-wai-me, the flying pigeon of the Wisconsin, +would not hear of her wedding Wai-o-naisa, the young chief who had +long sought her in marriage. The maiden, however, true to her plighted +faith, still continued to meet him every evening upon one of the +tufted islets which stud the river in great profusion. Nightly, +through the long months of summer, did the lovers keep their tryst, +parting only after each meeting more and more endeared to each other. + +At length Wai-o-naisa was ordered off upon a secret expedition against +the Sioux, and so sudden was his departure that he had no opportunity +of bidding farewell to his betrothed. The band of warriors to which he +was attached was a long while absent, and one day there came the news +that Wai-o-naisa had fallen in a fight with the Menomones. + +Ran-che-wai-me was inconsolable, but she dared not show her grief +before her parents, and the only relief she could find from her sorrow +was to swim over by starlight to the island where she had been +accustomed to meet her lover, and there, calling upon his name, +bewail the loss of him who was dearer to her than all else. + +One night, while she was engaged in this lamentation, the sound of her +voice attracted some of her father's people to the spot. Startled by +their appearance the girl tried to climb a tree, in order to hide +herself in its branches, but her frame was bowed with sorrow and her +weak limbs refused to aid her. + +"Wai-o-naisa!" she cried, "Wai-o-naisa!" + +At each repetition of his name her voice became shriller, while, as +she endeavoured to screen herself in the underwood, a soft plumage +began to cover her delicate limbs, which were wounded by the briers. +She tossed her arms to the sky in her distress and they became clothed +with feathers. At length, when her pursuers were close upon her, a +bird arose from the bush they had surrounded, and flitting from tree +to tree, it fled before them, ever crying-- + +"Wai-o-naisa! Wai-o-naisa!" + + + + +THE UNDYING HEAD. + + +In a remote part of the north lived a man and his only sister who had +never seen human being. Seldom, if ever, had the man any cause to go +from home, for if he wanted food he had only to go a little distance +from the lodge, and there place his arrows with their barbs in the +ground. He would then return to the lodge and tell his sister where +the arrows had been placed, when she would go in search of them, and +never fail to find each struck through the heart of a deer. These she +dragged to the lodge and dressed for food. Thus she lived until she +attained womanhood. One day her brother, who was named Iamo, said to +her-- + +"Sister, the time is near when you will be ill. Listen to my advice, +for if you do not it will probably be the cause of my death. Take the +implements with which we kindle our fires, go some distance from our +lodge and build a separate fire. When you are in want of food I will +tell you where to find it. You must cook for yourself and I for +myself. When you are ill do not attempt to come near the lodge or +bring to it any of the utensils you use. Be sure to always have +fastened to your belt whatever you will need in your sickness, for +you do not know when the time of your indisposition will come. As for +myself, I must do the best I can." His sister promised to obey him in +all he said. + +Shortly after her brother had cause to go from home. His sister was +alone in the lodge combing her hair, and she had just untied and laid +aside the belt to which the implements were fastened when suddenly she +felt unwell. She ran out of the lodge, but in her haste forgot the +belt. Afraid to return she stood some time thinking, and finally she +determined to return to the lodge and get it, for she said to +herself-- + +"My brother is not at home, and I will stay but a moment to catch hold +of it." + +She went back, and, running in, suddenly seized the belt, and was +coming out, when her brother met her. He knew what had happened. + +"Did I not tell you," said he, "to take care? Now you have killed me." + +His sister would have gone away, but he spoke to her again. + +"What can you do now? What I feared has happened. Go in, and stay +where you have always lived. You have killed me." + +He then laid aside his hunting dress and accoutrements, and soon after +both his feet began to inflame and turn black, so that he could not +move. He directed his sister where to place his arrows, so that she +might always have food. The inflammation continued to increase, and +had now reached his first rib. + +"Sister," said he, "my end is near. You must do as I tell you. You +see my medicine-sack and my war-club tied to it. It contains all my +medicines, my war-plumes, and my paints of all colours. As soon as the +inflammation reaches my chest, you will take my war-club, and with the +sharp point of it cut off my head. When it is free from my body, take +it, place its neck in the sack, which you must open at one end. Then +hang it up in its former place. Do not forget my bow and arrows. One +of the last you will take to procure food. Tie the others to my sack, +and then hang it up so that I can look towards the door. Now and then +I will speak to you, but not often." + +His sister again promised to obey. + +In a little time his chest became affected. + +"Now," cried he, "take the club and strike off my head." + +His sister was afraid, but he told her to muster up courage. + +"Strike," said he, with a smile upon his face. + +Calling up all her courage, his sister struck and cut off the head. + +"Now," said the head, "place me where I told you." + +Fearful, she obeyed it in all its commands. + +Retaining its animation, it looked round the lodge as usual, and it +would command its sister to go to such places where it thought she +could best procure the flesh of the different animals she needed. One +day the head said-- + +"The time is not distant when I shall be freed from this situation, +but I shall have to undergo many sore evils. So the Superior Manito +decrees, and I must bear all patiently." + +In a certain part of the country was a village inhabited by a numerous +and warlike band of Indians. In this village was a family of ten young +men, brothers. In the spring of the year the youngest of these +blackened his face and fasted. His dreams were propitious, and having +ended his fast, he sent secretly for his brothers at night, so that +the people in the village should not be aware of their meeting. He +told them how favourable his dreams had been, and that he had called +them together to ask them if they would accompany him in a war +excursion. They all answered they would. The third son, noted for his +oddities, swinging his war-club when his brother had ceased speaking, +jumped up: "Yes," said he, "I will go, and this will be the way I will +treat those we go to fight with." With those words he struck the post +in the centre of the lodge, and gave a yell. The other brothers spoke +to him, saying-- + +"Gently, gently, Mudjikewis, when you are in other people's lodges." +So he sat down. Then, in turn, they took the drum, sang their songs, +and closed the meeting with a feast. The youngest told them not to +whisper their intention to their wives, but to prepare secretly for +their journey. They all promised obedience, and Mudjikewis was the +first to do so. + +The time for departure drew near. The youngest gave the word for them +to assemble on a certain night, when they would commence their +journey. Mudjikewis was loud in his demands for his moccasins, and his +wife several times demanded the reason of his impatience. + +"Besides," said she, "you have a good pair on." + +"Quick, quick," replied Mudjikewis; "since you must know, we are going +on a war excursion." + +Thus he revealed the secret. + +That night they met and started. The snow was on the ground, and they +travelled all night lest others should follow them. When it was +daylight, the leader took snow, made a ball of it, and tossing it up +in the air, said-- + +"It was in this way I saw snow fall in my dream, so that we could not +be tracked." + +Immediately snow began to fall in large flakes, so that the leader +commanded the brothers to keep close together for fear of losing one +another. Close as they walked together it was with difficulty they +could see one another. The snow continued falling all that day and the +next night, so that it was impossible for any one to follow their +track. + +They walked for several days, and Mudjikewis was always in the rear. +One day, running suddenly forward, he gave the Saw-saw-quan (war-cry), +and struck a tree with his war-club, breaking the tree in pieces as if +it had been struck by lightning. + +"Brothers," said he, "this is the way I will serve those we are going +to fight." + +The leader answered-- + +"Slowly, slowly, Mudjikewis. The one I lead you to is not to be +thought of so lightly." + +Again Mudjikewis fell back and thought to himself-- + +"What, what! Who can this be he is leading us to?" + +He felt fearful, and was silent. Day after day they travelled on till +they came to an extensive plain, on the borders of which human bones +were bleaching in the sun. The leader said-- + +"These are the bones of those who have gone before us. None has ever +yet returned to tell the sad tale of their fate." + +Again Mudjikewis became restless, and, running forward, gave the +accustomed yell. Advancing to a large rock which stood above the +ground he struck it, and it fell to pieces. + +"See, brothers," said he, "thus will I treat those we are going to +fight." + +"Be quiet," said the leader. "He to whom I am leading you is not to be +compared to that rock." + +Mudjikewis fell back quite thoughtful, saying to himself-- + +"I wonder who this can be that he is going to attack;" and he was +afraid. + +They continued to see the remains of former warriors who had been to +the place to which they were now going, and had retreated thus far +back again. At last they came to a piece of rising ground, from which +they plainly saw on a distant mountain an enormous bear. The distance +between them was very great, but the size of the animal caused it to +be seen very clearly. + +"There," said the leader; "it is to him I am leading you. Here our +troubles will only commence, for he is a mishemokwa" (a she-bear, or a +male-bear as ferocious as a she-bear) "and a manito. It is he who has +what we prize so dearly, to obtain which the warriors whose bones we +saw sacrificed their lives. You must not be fearful. Be manly; we +shall find him asleep." + +The warriors advanced boldly till they came near to the bear, when +they stopped to look at it more closely. It was asleep, and there was +a belt around its neck. + +"This," said the leader, touching the belt, "is what we must get. It +contains what we want." + +The eldest brother then tried to slip the belt over the bear's head, +the animal appearing to be fast asleep, and not at all disturbed by +his efforts. He could not, however, remove the belt, nor was any of +the brothers more successful till the one next to the youngest tried +in his turn. He slipped the belt nearly over the beast's head, but +could not get it quite off. Then the youngest laid his hands on it, +and with a pull succeeded. Placing the belt on the eldest brother's +back, he said-- + +"Now we must run," and they started off at their best pace. When one +became tired with the weight of the belt another carried it. Thus they +ran till they had passed the bones of all the warriors, and when they +were some distance beyond, looking back, they saw the monster slowly +rising. For some time it stood still, not missing the belt. Then they +heard a tremendous howl, like distant thunder, slowly filling the +sky. At last they heard the bear cry-- + +"Who can it be that has dared to steal my belt? Earth is not so large +but I can find them," and it descended the hill in pursuit. With every +jump of the bear the earth shook as if it were convulsed. Very soon it +approached the party. They, however, kept the belt, exchanging it from +one to another, and encouraging each other. The bear, however, gained +on them fast. + +"Brothers," said the leader, "have none of you, when fasting, ever +dreamed of some friendly spirit who would aid you as a guardian?" + +A dead silence followed. + +"Well," continued he, "once when I was fasting I dreamed of being in +danger of instant death, when I saw a small lodge, with smoke curling +up from its top. An old man lived in it, and I dreamed that he helped +me, and may my dream be verified soon." + +Having said this, he ran forward and gave a yell and howl. They came +upon a piece of rising ground, and, behold! a lodge with smoke curling +from its top appeared before them. This gave them all new strength, +and they ran forward and entered the lodge. In it they found an old +man, to whom the leader said-- + +"Nemesho (my grandfather), help us. We ask your protection, for the +great bear would kill us." + +"Sit down and eat, my grandchildren," said the old man. "Who is a +great manito? There is none but me; but let me look;" and he opened +the door of the lodge, and saw at a little distance the enraged bear +coming on with slow but great leaps. The old man closed the door. + +"Yes," said he; "he is indeed a great manito. My grandchildren, you +will be the cause of my losing my life. You asked my protection, and I +granted it; so now, come what may, I will protect you. When the bear +arrives at the door you must run out at the other end of the lodge." + +Putting his hand to the side of the lodge where he sat, he took down a +bag, and, opening it, took out of it two small black dogs, which he +placed before him. + +"These are the ones I use when I fight," said he, and he commenced +patting with both hands the sides of one of the dogs, which at once +commenced to swell out until it filled the lodge, and it had great +strong teeth. When the dog had attained its full size it growled, and, +springing out at the door, met the bear, which, in another leap, would +have reached the lodge. A terrible combat ensued. The sky rang with +the howls of the monsters. In a little while the second dog took the +field. At the commencement of the battle the brothers, acting on the +advice of the old man, escaped through the opposite side of the lodge. +They had not proceeded far in their flight before they heard the +death-cry of one of the dogs, and soon after that of the other. + +"Well," said the leader, "the old man will soon share their fate, so +run, run! the bear will soon be after us." + +The brothers started with fresh vigour, for the old man had refreshed +them with food; but the bear very soon came in sight again, and was +evidently fast gaining upon them. Again the leader asked the warriors +if they knew of any way in which to save themselves. All were silent. +Running forward with a yell and a howl, the leader said-- + +"I dreamed once that, being in great trouble, an old man, who was a +manito, helped me. We shall soon see his lodge." + +Taking courage, the brothers still went on, and, after going a short +distance, they saw a lodge. Entering it, they found an old man, whose +protection they claimed, saying that a manito was pursuing them. + +"Eat," said the old man, putting meat before them. "Who is a manito? +There is no manito but me. There is none whom I fear." + +Then he felt the earth tremble as the bear approached, and, opening +the door of the lodge, he saw it coming. The old man shut the door +slowly, and said-- + +"Yes, my grandchildren, you have brought trouble upon me." + +Taking his medicine sack, he took out some small war-clubs of black +stone, and told the young men to run through the other side of the +lodge. As he handled the clubs they became an enormous size, and the +old man stepped out as the bear reached the door. He struck the beast +with one of his clubs, which broke in pieces, and the bear stumbled. +The old man struck it again with the other club, and that also broke, +but the bear fell insensible. Each blow the old man struck sounded +like a clap of thunder, and the howls of the bear ran along the skies. + +The brothers had gone some distance before they looked back. They then +saw that the bear was recovering from the blows. First it moved its +paws, and then they saw it rise to its feet. The old man shared the +fate of the first, for the warriors heard his cries as he was torn in +pieces. Again the monster was in pursuit, and fast overtaking them. +Not yet discouraged, the young men kept on their way, but the bear was +so close to them that the leader once more applied to his brothers, +but they could do nothing. + +"Well," said he, "my dreams will soon be exhausted. After this I have +but one more." + +He advanced, invoking his guardian spirit to aid him. + +"Once," said he, "I dreamed that, being sorely pressed, I came to a +large lake, on the shore of which was a canoe, partly out of water, +and having ten paddles all in readiness. Do not fear," he cried, "we +shall soon get to it." + +It happened as he had said. Coming to the lake, the warriors found the +canoe with the ten paddles, and immediately took their places in it. +Putting off, they paddled to the centre of the lake, when they saw the +bear on the shore. Lifting itself on its hind-legs, it looked all +around. Then it waded into the water until, losing its footing, it +turned back, and commenced making the circuit of the lake. Meanwhile +the warriors remained stationary in the centre watching the animal's +movements. It travelled round till it came to the place whence it +started. Then it commenced drinking up the water, and the young men +saw a strong current fast setting in towards the bear's mouth. The +leader encouraged them to paddle hard for the opposite shore. This +they had nearly reached, when the current became too strong for them, +and they were drawn back by it, and the stream carried them onwards to +the bear. + +Then the leader again spoke, telling his comrades to meet their fate +bravely. + +"Now is the time, Mudjikewis," said he, "to show your prowess. Take +courage, and sit in the bow of the canoe, and, when it approaches the +bear's mouth, try what effect your club will have on the beast's +head." + +Mudjikewis obeyed, and, taking his place, stood ready to give the +blow, while the leader, who steered, directed the canoe to the open +mouth of the monster. + +Rapidly advancing, the canoe was just about to enter the bear's mouth, +when Mudjikewis struck the beast a tremendous blow on the head, and +gave the saw-saw-quan. The bear's limbs doubled under it, and it fell +stunned by the blow, but before Mudjikewis could strike again the +monster sent from its mouth all the water it had swallowed with such +force that the canoe was immediately carried by the stream to the +other side of the lake. Leaving the canoe, the brothers fled, and on +they went till they were completely exhausted. Again they felt the +earth shake, and, looking back, saw the monster hard after them. The +young men's spirits drooped, and they felt faint-hearted. With words +and actions the leader exerted himself to cheer them, and once more he +asked them if they could do nothing, or think of nothing, that might +save them. All were silent as before. + +"Then," said he, "this is the last time I can apply to my guardian +spirit. If we do not now succeed, our fate is decided." + +He ran forward, invoking his spirit with great earnestness, and gave +the yell. + +"We shall soon arrive," said he to his brothers, "at the place where +my last guardian spirit dwells. In him I place great confidence. Do +not be afraid, or your limbs will be fear-bound. We shall soon reach +his lodge. Run, run!" + +What had in the meantime passed in the lodge of Iamo? He had remained +in the same condition, his head in the sack, directing his sister +where to place the arrows to procure food, and speaking at long +intervals. + +One day the girl saw the eyes of the head brighten as if with +pleasure. At last it spoke. + +"O sister!" it said, "in what a pitiful situation you have been the +cause of placing me! Soon, very soon, a band of young men will arrive +and apply to me for aid; but alas! how can I give what I would with so +much pleasure have afforded them? Nevertheless, take two arrows, and +place them where you have been in the habit of placing the others, and +have meat cooked and prepared before they arrive. When you hear them +coming, and calling on my name, go out and say, 'Alas! it is long ago +since an accident befell him. I was the cause of it.' If they still +come near, ask them in, and set meat before them. Follow my directions +strictly. A bear will come. Go out and meet him, taking my medicine +sack, bow and arrows, and my head. You must then untie the sack, and +spread out before you my paints of all colours, my war eagle-feathers, +my tufts of dried hair, and whatsoever else the sack contains. As the +bear approaches take these articles, one by one, and say to him, 'This +is my dead brother's paint,' and so on with all the articles, throwing +each of them as far from you as you can. The virtue contained in the +things will cause him to totter. Then, to complete his destruction, +you must take my head and cast it as far off as you can, crying aloud, +'See, this is my dead brother's head!' He will then fall senseless. +While this is taking place the young men will have eaten, and you must +call them to your aid. You will, with their assistance, cut the +carcass of the bear into pieces--into small pieces--and scatter them +to the winds, for unless you do this he will again come to life." + +The sister promised that all should be done as he commanded, and she +had only time to prepare the meal when the voice of the leader of the +band of warriors was heard calling on Iamo for aid. The girl went out +and did as she had been directed. She invited the brothers in and +placed meat before them, and while they were eating the bear was heard +approaching. Untying the medicine sack and taking the head the girl +made all ready for its approach. When it came up she did as her +brother directed, and before she had cast down all the paints the bear +began to totter, but, still advancing, came close to her. Then she +took the head and cast it from her as far as she could, and as it +rolled upon the ground the bear, tottering, fell with a tremendous +noise. The girl cried for help, and the young men rushed out. + +Mudjikewis, stepping up, gave a yell, and struck the bear a blow on +the head. This he repeated till he had dashed out its brains. Then the +others, as quickly as possible, cut the monster up into very small +pieces and scattered them in all directions. As they were engaged in +this they were surprised to find that wherever the flesh was thrown +small black bears appeared, such as are seen at the present day, +which, starting up, ran away. Thus from this monster the present race +of bears derives its origin. + +Having overcome their pursuer the brothers returned to the lodge, and +the girl gathered together the articles she had used, and placed the +head in the sack again. The head remained silent, probably from its +being fatigued with its exertion in overcoming the bear. + +Having spent so much time, and having traversed so vast a country in +their flight, the young men gave up the idea of ever returning to +their own country, and game being plentiful about the lodge, they +determined to remain where they were. One day they moved off some +distance from the lodge for the purpose of hunting, and left the belt +with the girl. They were very successful, and amused themselves with +talking and jesting. One of them said-- + +"We have all this sport to ourselves. Let us go and ask our sister if +she will not let us bring the head to this place, for it is still +alive." + +So they went and asked for the head. The girl told them to take it, +and they carried it to their hunting-grounds and tried to amuse it, +but only at times did they see its eyes beam with pleasure. One day, +while they were busy in their encampment, they were unexpectedly +attacked by unknown enemies. The fight was long and fierce. Many of +the foes were slain, but there were thirty of them to each warrior. +The young men fought desperately till they were all killed, and then +the attacking party retreated to a high place to muster their men and +count the missing and the slain. One of the men had strayed away, and +happened to come to where the head was hung up. Seeing that it was +alive he eyed it for some time with fear and surprise. Then he took it +down, and having opened the sack he was much pleased to see the +beautiful feathers, one of which he placed on his head. + +It waved gracefully over him as he walked to his companions' camp, +and when he came there he threw down the head and sack and told his +friends how he had found them, and how the sack was full of paints and +feathers. The men all took the head and made sport of it. Many of the +young men took the paint and painted themselves with it; and one of +the band, taking the head by the hair, said-- + +"Look, you ugly thing, and see your paints on the faces of warriors." + +The feathers were so beautiful that many of the young men placed them +on their heads, and they again subjected the head to all kinds of +indignity. They were, however, soon punished for their insulting +conduct, for all who had worn the feathers became sick and died. Then +the chief commanded the men to throw all the paints and feathers away. + +"As for the head," he said, "we will keep that and take it home with +us; we will there see what we can do with it. We will try to make it +shut its eyes." + +Meanwhile for several days the sister had been waiting for the +brothers to bring back the head; till at last, getting impatient, she +went in search of them. She found them lying within short distances of +one another, dead, and covered with wounds. Other bodies lay scattered +around. She searched for the head and sack, but they were nowhere to +be found, so she raised her voice and wept, and blackened her face. +Then she walked in different directions till she came to the place +whence the head had been taken, and there she found the bow and +arrows, which had been left behind. She searched further, hoping to +find her brother's head, and, when she came to a piece of rising +ground she found some of his paints and feathers. These she carefully +put by, hanging them to the branch of a tree. + +At dusk she came to the first lodge of a large village. Here she used +a charm employed by Indians when they wish to meet with a kind +reception, and on applying to the old man and the woman who occupied +the lodge she was made welcome by them. She told them her errand, and +the old man, promising to help her, told her that the head was hung up +before the council fire, and that the chiefs and young men of the +village kept watch over it continually. The girl said she only desired +to see the head, and would be satisfied if she could only get to the +door of the lodge in which it was hung, for she knew she could not +take it by force. + +"Come with me," said the old man, "I will take you there." + +So they went and took their seats in the lodge near to the door. The +council lodge was filled with warriors amusing themselves with games, +and constantly keeping up the fire to smoke the head to dry it. As the +girl entered the lodge the men saw the features of the head move, and, +not knowing what to make of it, one spoke and said-- + +"Ha! ha! it is beginning to feel the effects of the smoke." + +The sister looked up from the seat by the door; her eyes met those of +her brother, and tears began to roll down the cheeks of the head. + +"Well," said the chief, "I thought we would make you do something at +last. Look! look at it shedding tears," said he to those around him, +and they all laughed and made jokes upon it. The chief, looking +around, observed the strange girl, and after some time said to the old +man who brought her in-- + +"Who have you got there? I have never seen that woman before in our +village." + +"Yes," replied the old man, "you have seen her. She is a relation of +mine, and seldom goes out. She stays in my lodge, and she asked me to +bring her here." + +In the centre of the lodge sat one of those young men who are always +forward, and fond of boasting and displaying themselves before others. + +"Why," said he, "I have seen her often, and it is to his lodge I go +almost every night to court her." + +All the others laughed and continued their games. The young man did +not know he was telling a lie to the girl's advantage, who by means of +it escaped. + +She returned to the old man's lodge, and immediately set out for her +own country. Coming to the spot where the bodies of her adopted +brothers lay, she placed them together with their feet towards the +east. Then taking an axe she had she cast it up into the air, crying +out-- + +"Brothers, get up from under it or it will fall on you!" + +This she repeated three times, and the third time all the brothers +rose and stood on their feet. Mudjikewis commenced rubbing his eyes +and stretching himself. + +"Why," said he, "I have overslept myself." + +"No, indeed," said one of the others. "Do you not know we were all +killed, and that it is our sister who has brought us to life?" + +The brothers then took the bodies of their enemies and burned them. +Soon after the girl went to a far country, they knew not where, to +procure wives for them, and she returned with the women, whom she gave +to the young men, beginning with the eldest. Mudjikewis stepped to and +fro, uneasy lest he should not get the one he liked, but he was not +disappointed, for she fell to his lot; and the two were well matched, +for she was a female magician. + +The young men and their wives all moved into a very large lodge, and +their sister told them that one of the women must go in turns every +night to try and recover the head of her brother, untying the knots by +which it was hung up in the council lodge. The women all said they +would go with pleasure. The eldest made the first attempt. With a +rushing noise she disappeared through the air. + +Towards daylight she returned. She had failed, having only succeeded +in untying one of the knots. All the women save the youngest went in +turn, and each one succeeded in untying only one knot each time. At +length the youngest went. As soon as she arrived at the lodge she went +to work. The smoke from the fire in the lodge had not ascended for ten +nights. It now filled the place and drove all the men out. The girl +was alone, and she carried off the head. + +The brothers and Iamo's sister heard the young woman coming high +through the air, and they heard her say-- + +"Prepare the body of our brother." + +As soon as they heard that they went to where Iamo's body lay, and, +having got it ready, as soon as the young woman arrived with the head +they placed it to the body, and Iamo was restored in all his former +manliness and beauty. All rejoiced in the happy termination of their +troubles, and when they had spent some time joyfully together, Iamo +said-- + +"Now I will divide the treasure," and taking the bear's belt he +commenced dividing what it contained amongst the brothers, beginning +with the eldest. The youngest brother, however, got the most splendid +part of the spoil, for the bottom of the belt held what was richest +and rarest. + +Then Iamo told them that, since they had all died and been restored to +life again, they were no longer mortals but spirits, and he assigned +to each of them a station in the invisible world. Only Mudjikewis' +place was, however, named. He was to direct the west wind. The +brothers were commanded, as they had it in their power, to do good to +the inhabitants of the earth, and to give all things with a liberal +hand. + +The spirits then, amid songs and shouts, took their flight to their +respective places, while Iamo and his sister, Iamoqua, descended into +the depths below. + + + + +THE OLD CHIPPEWAY. + + +The old man Chippeway, the first of men, when he first landed on the +earth, near where the present Dogribs have their hunting-grounds, +found the world a beautiful world, well stocked with food, and +abounding with pleasant things. He found no man, woman, or child upon +it; but in time, being lonely, he created children, to whom he gave +two kinds of fruit, the black and the white, but he forbade them to +eat the black. Having given his commands for the government and +guidance of his family, he took leave of them for a time, to go into a +far country where the sun dwelt, for the purpose of bringing it to the +earth. + +After a very long journey, and a long absence, he returned, bringing +with him the sun, and he was delighted to find that his children had +remained obedient, and had eaten only of the white food. + +Again he left them to go on another expedition. The sun he had brought +lighted up the earth for only a short time, and in the land from which +he had brought it he had noticed another body, which served as a lamp +in the dark hours. He resolved therefore to journey and bring back +with him the moon; so, bidding adieu to his children and his dwelling, +he set forth once more. + +While he had been absent on his first expedition, his children had +eaten up all the white food, and now, when he set out, he forgot to +provide them with a fresh supply. For a long time they resisted the +craving for food, but at last they could hold out no longer, and +satisfied their hunger with the black fruit. + +The old Chippeway soon returned, bringing with him the moon. He soon +discovered that his children had transgressed his command, and had +eaten the food of disease and death. He told them what was the +consequence of their act--that in future the earth would produce bad +fruits, that sickness would come amongst men, that pain would rack +them, and their lives be lives of fatigue and danger. + +Having brought the sun and moon to the earth, the old man Chippeway +rested, and made no more expeditions. He lived an immense number of +years, and saw all the troubles he declared would follow the eating of +the black food. At last he became tired of life, and his sole desire +was to be freed from it. + +"Go," said he, to one of his sons, "to the river of the Bear Lake, and +fetch me a man of the little wise people (the beavers). Let it be one +with a brown ring round the end of the tail, and a white spot on the +tip of the nose. Let him be just two seasons old upon the first day +of the coming frog-moon, and see that his teeth be sharp." + +The man did as he was directed. He went to the river of the Bear Lake, +and brought a man of the little wise people. He had a brown ring round +the end of his tail, and a white spot on the tip of his nose. He was +just two seasons old upon the first day of the frog-moon, and his +teeth were very sharp. + +"Take the wise four-legged man," said the old Chippeway, "and pull +from his jaws seven of his teeth." + +The man did as he was directed, and brought the teeth to the old man. +Then he bade him call all his people together, and when they were come +the old man thus addressed them-- + +"I am old, and am tired of life, and wish to sleep the sleep of death. +I will go hence. Take the seven teeth of the wise little four-legged +man and drive them into my body." + +They did so, and as the last tooth entered him the old man died. + + + + +MUKUMIK! MUKUMIK! MUKUMIK! + + +Pauppukkeewis was a harum-scarum fellow who played many queer tricks, +but he took care, nevertheless, to supply his family and children with +food. Sometimes, however, he was hard-pressed, and once he and his +whole family were on the point of starving. Every resource seemed to +have failed. The snow was so deep, and the storm continued so long, +that he could not even find a partridge or a hare, and his usual +supply of fish had failed him. His lodge stood in some woods not far +away from the shores of the Gitchiguma, or great water, where the +autumnal storms had piled up the ice into high pinnacles, resembling +castles. + +"I will go," said he to his family one morning, "to these castles, and +solicit the pity of the spirits who inhabit them, for I know that they +are the residence of some of the spirits of Rabiboonoka." + +He did so, and his petition was not disregarded. The spirits told him +to fill his mushkemoots or sacks with the ice and snow, and pass on +towards his lodge, without looking back, until he came to a certain +hill. He was then to drop his sacks, and leave them till morning, +when he would find them full of fish. + +The spirits cautioned him that he must by no means look back, although +he should hear a great many voices crying out to him abusing him; for +they told him such voices would be in reality only the wind playing +through the branches of the trees. + +Pauppukkeewis faithfully obeyed the directions given him, although he +found it difficult to avoid looking round to see who was calling to +him. When he visited the sacks in the morning, he found them filled +with fish. + +It happened that Manabozho visited him on the morning when he brought +the fish home, and the visitor was invited to partake of the feast. +While they were eating, Manabozho could not help asking where such an +abundance of food had been procured at a time when most were in a +state of starvation. + +Pauppukkeewis frankly told him the secret, and and what precautions to +take to ensure success. Manabozho determined to profit by the +information, and, as soon as he could, set out to visit the icy +castles. All things happened as Pauppukkeewis had told him. The +spirits appeared to be kind, and told Manabozho to fill and carry. He +accordingly filled his sacks with ice and snow, and then walked off +quickly to the hill where he was to leave them. As he went, however, +he heard voices calling out behind him. + +"Thief! thief! He has stolen fish from Rabiboonoka," cried one. + +"Mukumik! Mukumik! take it away, take it away," cried another. + +Manabozho's ears were so assailed by all manner of insulting cries, +that at last he got angry, and, quite forgetting the directions given +him, he turned his head to see who it was that was abusing him. He saw +no one, and proceeded on his way to the hill, to which he was +accompanied by his invisible tormentors. He left his bags of ice and +snow there, to be changed into fish, and came back the next morning. +His disobedience had, however, dissolved the charm, and he found his +bags still full of rubbish. + +In consequence of this he is condemned every year, during the month of +March, to run over the hills, with Pauppukkeewis following him, +crying-- + +"Mukumik! Mukumik!" + + + + +THE SWING BY THE LAKE. + + +There was an old hag of a woman who lived with her daughter-in-law and +her husband, with their son and a little orphan boy. When her +son-in-law came home from hunting, it was his custom to bring his wife +the moose's lip, the kidney of the bear, or some other choice bits of +different animals. These the girl would cook crisp, so that the sound +of their cracking could be heard when she ate them. This kind +attention of the hunter to his wife aroused the envy of the old woman. +She wished to have the same luxuries, and, in order to obtain them, +she at last resolved to kill the young wife. One day she asked her to +leave her infant son to the care of the orphan boy, and come out and +swing with her. The wife consented, and the mother-in-law took her to +the shore of a lake, where there was a high ridge of rocks overhanging +the water. Upon the top of these rocks the old woman put up a swing, +and, having fastened a piece of leather round her body, she commenced +to swing herself, going over the precipice each time. She continued +this for a short while, and then, stopping, told her daughter-in-law +to take her place. She did so, and, having tied the leather round her, +began to swing backwards and forwards. When she was well going, +sweeping at each turn clear beyond the precipice, the old woman slyly +cut the cords, and let her drop into the lake. She then put on some of +the girl's clothing, entered the lodge in the dusk of the evening, and +went about the work in which her daughter-in-law had been usually +occupied at such a time. She found the child crying, and, since the +mother was not there to give it the breast, it cried on. Then the +orphan boy asked her where the mother was. + +"She is still swinging," replied the old woman. + +"I will go," said he, "and look for her." + +"No," said the old woman, "you must not. What would you go for?" + +In the evening, when the husband came in, he gave the coveted morsels +to what he supposed was his wife. He missed the old woman, but asked +nothing about her. Meanwhile the woman ate the morsels, and tried to +quiet the child. The husband, seeing that she kept her face away from +him, was astonished, and asked why the child cried so. His pretended +wife answered that she did not know. + +In the meantime the orphan boy went to the shores of the lake, where +he found no one. Then he suspected the old woman, and, having returned +to the lodge, told the hunter, while she was out getting wood, all he +had heard and seen. The man, when he had heard the story, painted his +face black, and placed his spear upside down in the earth, and +requested the Great Spirit to send lightning, thunder, and rain, in +the hope that the body of his wife might arise from the water. He then +began to fast, and told the boy to take the child and play upon the +lake shore. + +Meanwhile this is what had happened to the wife. After she had plunged +into the lake, she found herself in the hold of a water-tiger, who +drew her to the bottom. There she found a lodge, and all things in it +as if arranged for her reception, and she became the water-tiger's +wife. + +Whilst the orphan boy and the child were playing on the shore of the +lake one day, the boy began to throw pebbles into the water, when +suddenly a gull arose from the centre of the lake, and flew towards +the land. When it had arrived there, it took human shape, and the boy +recognised that it was the lost mother. She had a leather belt around +her, and another belt of white metal. She suckled the baby, and, +preparing to return to the water, said to the boy-- + +"Come here with the child whenever it cries, and I will nurse it." + +The boy carried the child home, and told the father what had occurred. +When the child cried again, the man went with the boy to the shore, +and hid himself behind a clump of trees. Soon the gull made its +appearance, with a long shining chain attached to it. The bird came to +the shore, assumed the mother's shape, and began to suckle the child. +The husband stood with his spear in his hand, wondering what he had +best do to regain his wife. When he saw her preparing to return to the +lake he rushed forward, struck the shining chain with his spear, and +broke it. Then he took his wife and child home. As he entered the +lodge the old woman looked up, and, when she saw the wife, she dropped +her head in despair. A rustling was heard in the place; the next +moment the old woman leaped up, flew out of the lodge, and was never +heard of more. + + + + +THE FIRE PLUME. + + +Wassamo was living with his parents on the shores of a large bay on +the east coast of Lake Michigan. It was at a period when nature +spontaneously furnished everything that was wanted, when the Indians +used skins for clothing, and flints for arrow heads. It was long +before the time that the flag of the white man had first been seen in +these lakes, or the sound of an iron axe had been heard. The skill of +our people supplied them with weapons to kill game, with instruments +to procure bark for their canoes, and they knew to dress and cook +their victuals. + +One day, when the season had commenced for fish to be plentiful near +the shore of the lake, Wassamo's mother said to him-- + +"My son, I wish you would go to yonder point, and see if you cannot +procure me some fish. You may ask your cousin to accompany you." + +He did so. They set out, and, in the course of the afternoon, arrived +at the fishing-ground. His cousin attended to the nets, for he was +grown up to manhood, but Wassamo had not yet reached that age. They +put their nets in the water, and encamped near them, using only a few +pieces of birch-bark for a lodge to shelter them at night. They lit a +fire, and, while they were conversing together, the moon arose. Not a +breath of wind disturbed the smooth and bright surface of the lake. +Not a cloud was seen. Wassamo looked out on the water towards their +nets, and saw that almost all the floats had disappeared. + +"Cousin," he said, "let us visit our nets. Perhaps we are fortunate." + +They did so, and were rejoiced, as they drew them up, to see the +meshes white here and there with fish. They landed in good spirits, +and put away their canoe in safety from the winds. + +"Wassamo," said his cousin, "you cook that we may eat." + +Wassamo set about it immediately, and soon got his kettle on the +flames, while his cousin was lying at his ease on the opposite side of +the fire. + +"Cousin," said Wassamo, "tell me stories, or sing me some love-songs." + +The other obeyed, and sang his plaintive songs. He would frequently +break off, and tell parts of stories, and would then sing again, as +suited his feelings or fancy. While thus employed, he unconsciously +fell asleep. Wassamo had scarcely noticed it in his care to watch the +kettle, and, when the fish were done, he took the kettle off. He spoke +to his cousin, but received no answer. He took the wooden ladle to +skim off the oil, for the fish were very fat. He had a flambeau of +twisted bark in one hand to give light; but, when he came to take out +the fish, he did not know how to manage to hold the light, so he took +off his garters, and tied them tight round his head, and then placed +the lighted flambeau above his forehead, so that it was firmly held by +the bandage, and threw its light brilliantly about him. Having both +hands thus at liberty, he began to take out the fish. Suddenly he +heard a laugh. + +"Cousin," said he, "some one is near us. Awake, and let us look out." + +His cousin, however, continued asleep. Again Wassamo heard the +laughter, and, looking, he beheld two beautiful girls. + +"Awake, awake," said he to his cousin. "Here are two young women;" but +he received no answer, for his cousin was locked in his deepest +slumbers. + +Wassamo started up and advanced to the strange women. He was about to +speak to them, when he fell senseless to the earth. + +A short while after his cousin awoke. He looked around and called +Wassamo, but could not find him. + +"Netawis, Netawis (Cousin, cousin)!" he cried; but there was no +answer. He searched the woods and all the shores around, but could not +find him. He did not know what to do. + +"Although," he reasoned, "his parents are my relations, and they know +he and I were great friends, they will not believe me if I go home and +say that he is lost. They will say that I killed him, and will require +blood for blood." + +However, he resolved to return home, and, arriving there, he told +them what had occurred. Some said, "He has killed him treacherously," +others said, "It is impossible. They were like brothers." + +Search was made on every side, and when at length it became certain +that Wassamo was not to be found, his parents demanded the life of +Netawis. + +Meanwhile, what had happened to Wassamo? When he recovered his senses, +he found himself stretched on a bed in a spacious lodge. + +"Stranger," said some one, "awake, and take something to eat." + +Looking around him he saw many people, and an old spirit man, +addressing him, said-- + +"My daughters saw you at the fishing-ground, and brought you here. I +am the guardian spirit of Nagow Wudjoo (the sand mountains). We will +make your visit here agreeable, and if you will remain I will give you +one of my daughters in marriage." + +The young man consented to the match, and remained for some time with +the spirit of the sand-hills in his lodge at the bottom of the lake, +for there was it situated. At last, however, approached the season of +sleep, when the spirit and his relations lay down for their long rest. + +"Son-in-law," said the old spirit, "you can now, in a few days, start +with your wife to visit your relations. You can be absent one year, +but after that you must return." + +Wassamo promised to obey, and set out with his wife. When he was near +his village, he left her in a thicket and advanced alone. As he did +so, who should he meet but his cousin. + +"Netawis, Netawis," cried his cousin, "you have come just in time to +save me!" + +Then he ran off to the lodge of Wassamo's parents. + +"I have seen him," said he, "whom you accuse me of having killed. He +will be here in a few minutes." + +All the village was soon in a bustle, and Wassamo and his wife excited +universal attention, and the people strove who should entertain them +best. So the time passed happily till the season came that Wassamo and +his wife should return to the spirits. Netawis accompanied them to the +shores of the lake, and would have gone with them to their strange +abode, but Wassamo sent him back. With him Wassamo took offerings from +the Indians to his father-in-law. + +The old spirit was delighted to see the two return, and he was also +much pleased with the presents Wassamo brought. He told his son-in-law +that he and his wife should go once more to visit his people. + +"It is merely," said he, "to assure them of my friendship, and to bid +them farewell for ever." + +Some time afterwards Wassamo and his wife made this visit. Having +delivered his message, he said-- + +"I must now bid you all farewell for ever." + +His parents and friends raised their voices in loud lamentation, and +they accompanied him and his wife to the sand-banks to see them take +their departure. + +The day was mild, the sky clear, not a cloud appeared, nor was there a +breath of wind to disturb the bright surface of the water. The most +perfect silence reigned throughout the company. They gazed intently +upon Wassamo and his wife as they waded out into the water, waving +their hands. They saw them go into deeper and deeper water. They saw +the wave close over their heads. All at once they raised a loud and +piercing wail. They looked again. A red flame, as if the sun had +glanced on a billow, marked the spot for an instant; but the +Feather-of-Flames and his wife had disappeared for ever. + + + + +THE JOURNEY TO THE ISLAND OF SOULS. + + +Once upon a time there lived in the nation of the Chippeways a most +beautiful maiden, the flower of the wilderness, the delight and wonder +of all who saw her. She was called the Rock-rose, and was beloved by a +youthful hunter, whose advances gained her affection. No one was like +the brave Outalissa in her eyes: his deeds were the greatest, his +skill was the most wonderful. It was not permitted them, however, to +become the inhabitants of one lodge. Death came to the flower of the +Chippeways. In the morning of her days she died, and her body was laid +in the dust with the customary rites of burial. All mourned for her, +but Outalissa was a changed man. No more did he find delight in the +chase or on the war-path. He grew sad, shunned the society of his +brethren. He stood motionless as a tree in the hour of calm, as the +wave that is frozen up by the breath of the cold wind. + +Joy came no more to him. He told his discontent in the ears of his +people, and spoke of his determination to seek his beloved maiden. She +had but removed, he said, as the birds fly away at the approach of +winter, and it required but due diligence on his part to find her. +Having prepared himself, as a hunter makes ready for a long journey, +he armed himself with his war-spear and bow and arrow, and set out to +the Land of Souls. + +Directed by the old tradition of his fathers, he travelled south to +reach that region, leaving behind him the great star. As he moved +onwards, he found a more pleasant region succeeding to that in which +he had lived. Daily, hourly, he remarked the change. The ice grew +thinner, the air warmer, the trees taller. Birds, such as he had never +seen before, sang in the bushes, and fowl of many kinds were pluming +themselves in the warm sun on the shores of the lake. The gay +woodpecker was tapping the hollow beech, the swallow and the martin +were skimming along the level of the green vales. He heard no more the +cracking of branches beneath the weight of icicles and snow, he saw no +more the spirits of departed men dancing wild dances on the skirts of +the northern clouds, and the farther he travelled the milder grew the +skies, the longer was the period of the sun's stay upon the earth, and +the softer, though less brilliant, the light of the moon. + +Noting these changes as he went with a joyful heart, for they were +indications of his near approach to the land of joy and delight, he +came at length to a cabin situated on the brow of a steep hill in the +middle of a narrow road. At the door of this cabin stood a man of a +most ancient and venerable appearance. He was bent nearly double with +age. His locks were white as snow. His eyes were sunk very far into +his head, and the flesh was wasted from his bones, till they were like +trees from which the bark has been peeled. He was clothed in a robe of +white goat's skin, and a long staff supported his tottering limbs +whithersoever he walked. + +The Chippeway began to tell him who he was, and why he had come +thither, but the aged man stopped him, telling him he knew upon what +errand he was bent. + +"A short while before," said he, "there passed the soul of a tender +and lovely maiden, well-known to the son of the Red Elk, on her way to +the beautiful island. She was fatigued with her long journey, and +rested a while in this cabin. She told me the story of your love, and +was persuaded that you would attempt to follow her to the Lake of +Spirits." + +The old man, further, told Outalissa that if he made speed he might +hope to overtake the maiden on the way. Before, however, he resumed +his journey he must leave behind him his body, his spear, bow, and +arrows, which the old man promised to keep for him should he return. +The Chippeway left his body and arms behind him, and under the +direction of the old man entered upon the road to the Blissful Island. +He had travelled but a couple of bowshots when it met his view, even +more beautiful than his fathers had painted it. + +He stood upon the brow of a hill which sloped gently down to the water +of a lake which stretched as far as eye could see. Upon its banks +were groves of beautiful trees of all kinds, and many canoes were to +be seen gliding over its water. Afar, in the centre of the lake, lay +the beautiful island appointed for the residence of the good. He +walked down to the shore and entered a canoe which stood ready for +him, made of a shining white stone. Seizing the paddle, he pushed off +from the shore and commenced to make his way to the island. As he did +so, he came to a canoe like his own, in which he found her whom he was +in pursuit of. She recognised him, and the two canoes glided side by +side over the water. Then Outalissa knew that he was on the Water of +Judgment, the great water over which every soul must pass to reach the +beautiful island, or in which it must sink to meet the punishment of +the wicked. The two lovers glided on in fear, for the water seemed at +times ready to swallow them, and around them they could see many +canoes, which held those whose lives had been wicked, going down. The +Master of Life had, however, decreed that they should pass in safety, +and they reached the shores of the beautiful island, on which they +landed full of joy. + +It is impossible to tell the delights with which they found it filled. +Mild and soft winds, clear and sweet waters, cool and refreshing +shades, perpetual verdure, inexhaustible fertility, met them on all +sides. Gladly would the son of the Red Elk have remained for ever with +his beloved in the happy island, but the words of the Master of Life +came to him in the pauses of the breeze, saying-- + +"Go back to thy own land, hunter. Your time has not yet come. You +have not yet performed the work I have for you to do, nor can you yet +enjoy those pleasures which belong to them who have performed their +allotted task on earth. Go back, then. In time thou shalt rejoin her, +the love of whom has brought thee hither." + + + + +MACHINITOU, THE EVIL SPIRIT. + + +Chemanitou, being the Master of Life, at one time became the origin of +a spirit that has ever since caused him and all others of his creation +a great deal of disquiet. His birth was owing to an accident. It was +in this wise:-- + +Metowac, or as the white people now call it, Long Island, was +originally a vast plain, so level and free from any kind of growth +that it looked like a portion of the great sea that had suddenly been +made to move back and let the sand below appear, which was, in fact, +the case. + +Here it was that Chemanitou used to come and sit when he wished to +bring any new creation to life. The place being spacious and solitary, +the water upon every side, he had not only room enough, but was free +from interruption. + +It is well known that some of these early creations were of very great +size, so that very few could live in the same place, and their +strength made it difficult for even Chemanitou to control them, for +when he has given them certain powers they have the use of the laws +that govern those powers, till it is his will to take them back to +himself. Accordingly it was the custom of Chemanitou, when he wished +to try the effect of these creatures, to set them in motion upon the +island of Metowac, and if they did not please him, he took the life +away from them again. He would set up a mammoth, or other large +animal, in the centre of the island, and build it up with great care, +somewhat in the manner that a cabin or a canoe is made. + +Even to this day may be found traces of what had been done here in +former years, and the manner in which the earth sometimes sinks down +shows that this island is nothing more than a great cake of earth, a +sort of platter laid upon the sea for the convenience of Chemanitou, +who used it as a table upon which he might work, never having designed +it for anything else, the margin of the Chatiemac (the stately swan), +or Hudson river, being better adapted to the purposes of habitation. + +When the Master of Life wished to build up an elephant or mammoth, he +placed four cakes of clay upon the ground, at proper distances, which +were moulded into shape, and became the feet of the animal. + +Now sometimes these were left unfinished, and to this day the green +tussocks to be seen like little islands about the marshes show where +these cakes of clay were placed. + +As Chemanitou went on with his work, the Neebanawbaigs (or +water-spirits), the Puck-wud-jinnies (little men who vanish), and, +indeed, all the lesser manitoes, used to come and look on, and wonder +what it would be, and how it would act. + +When the animal was completed, and had dried a long time in the sun, +Chemanitou opened a place in the side, and, entering in, remained +there many days. + +When he came forth the creature began to shiver and sway from side to +side, in such a manner as shook the whole island for leagues. If its +appearance pleased the Master of Life it was suffered to depart, and +it was generally found that these animals plunged into the open sea +upon the north side of the island, and disappeared in the great +forests beyond. + +Now at one time Chemanitou was a very long time building an animal of +such great bulk that it looked like a mountain upon the centre of the +island, and all the manitoes from all parts came to see what it was. +The Puck-wud-jinnies especially made themselves very merry, capering +behind its great ears, sitting within its mouth, each perched upon a +tooth, and running in and out of the sockets of the eyes, thinking +Chemanitou, who was finishing off other parts of the animal, would not +see them. + +But he can see right through everything he has made. He was glad to +see the Puck-wud-jinnies so lively, and he bethought him of many new +creations while he watched their motions. + +When the Master of Life had completed this large animal, he was +fearful to give it life, and so it was left upon the island, or +work-table of Chemanitou, till its great weight caused it to break +through, and, sinking partly down, it stuck fast, the head and tail +holding it in such a manner as to prevent it slipping further down. + +Chemanitou then lifted up a piece of the back, and found it made a +very good cavity, into which the old creations which failed to please +him might be thrown. + +He sometimes amused himself by making creatures very small and active, +with which he disported awhile, and finding them of very little use in +the world, and not so attractive as the little vanishers, he would +take out the life, taking it to himself, and then cast them into the +cave made in the body of the unfinished animal. + +In this way great quantities of very odd shapes were heaped together +in this Roncomcomon, or Place of Fragments. + +He was always careful before casting a thing he had created aside to +take out the life. + +One day the Master of Life took two pieces of clay and moulded them +into two large feet, like those of a panther. He did not make +four--there were two only. + +He put his own feet into them, and found the tread very light and +springy, so that he might go with great speed and yet make no noise. + +Next he built up a pair of very tall legs, in the shape of his own, +and made them walk about a while. He was pleased with the motion. Then +followed a round body covered with large scales, like those of the +alligator. + +He now found the figure doubling forward, and he fastened a long +black snake, that was gliding by, to the back part of the body, and +wound the other end round a sapling which grew near, and this held the +body upright, and made a very good tail. + +The shoulders were broad and strong, like those of the buffalo, and +covered with hair. The neck thick and short, and full at the back. + +Thus far Chemanitou had worked with little thought, but when he came +to the head he thought a long while. + +He took a round ball of clay into his lap, and worked it over with +great care. While he thought, he patted the ball of clay upon the top, +which made it very broad and low, for Chemanitou was thinking of the +panther feet and the buffalo neck. He remembered the Puck-wud-jinnies +playing in the eye sockets of the great unfinished animal, and he +bethought him to set the eyes out, like those of a lobster, so that +the animal might see on every side. + +He made the forehead broad and full, but low, for here was to be the +wisdom of the forked tongue, like that of the serpent, which should be +in its mouth. It should see all things and know all things. Here +Chemanitou stopped, for he saw that he had never thought of such a +creation before, one with two feet--a creature that should stand +upright, and see upon every side. + +The jaws were very strong, with ivory teeth and gills upon either +side, which rose and fell whenever breath passed through them. The +nose was like the beak of the vulture. A tuft of porcupine-quills made +the scalp lock. + +Chemanitou held the head out the length of his arm, and turned it +first upon one side and then upon the other. He passed it rapidly +through the air, and saw the gills rise and fall, the lobster eyes +whirl round, and the vulture nose look keen. + +Chemanitou became very sad, yet he put the head upon the shoulders. It +was the first time he had made an upright figure. It seemed to be the +first idea of a man. + +It was now nearly right. The bats were flying through the air, and the +roar of wild beasts began to be heard. A gusty wind swept in from the +ocean and passed over the island of Metowac, casting the light sand to +and fro. A wavy scud was skimming along the horizon, while higher up +in the sky was a dark thick cloud, upon the verge of which the moon +hung for a moment and was then shut in. + +A panther came by and stayed a moment, with one foot raised and bent +inward, while it looked up at the image and smelt the feet that were +like its own. + +A vulture swooped down with a great noise of its wings, and made a +dash at the beak, but Chemanitou held it back. + +Then came the porcupine, the lizard, and the snake, each drawn by its +kind in the image. + +Chemanitou veiled his face for many hours, and the gusty wind swept +by, but he did not stir. + +He saw that every beast of the earth seeks its kind, and that which +is like draws its likeness to itself. + +The Master of Life thought and thought. The idea grew into his mind +that at some time he would create a creature who should be made, not +after the things of the earth, but after himself. + +The being should link this world to the spirit world, being made in +the likeness of the Great Spirit, he should be drawn unto his +likeness. + +Many days and nights--whole seasons--passed while Chemanitou thought +upon these things. He saw all things. + +Then the Master of Life lifted up his head. The stars were looking +down upon the image, and a bat had alighted upon the forehead, +spreading its great wings upon each side. Chemanitou took the bat and +held out its whole leathery wings (and ever since the bat, when he +rests, lets his body hang down), so that he could try them over the +head of the image. He then took the life of the bat away, and twisted +off the body, by which means the whole thin part fell down over the +head of the image and upon each side, making the ears, and a covering +for the forehead like that of the hooded serpent. + +Chemanitou did not cut off the face of the image below, but went on +and made a chin and lips that were firm and round, that they might +shut in the forked tongue and ivory teeth, and he knew that with the +lips the image would smile when life should be given to it. + +The image was now complete save for the arms, and Chemanitou saw that +it was necessary it should have hands. He grew more grave. + +He had never given hands to any creature. He made the arms and the +hands very beautiful, after the manner of his own. + +Chemanitou now took no pleasure in the work he had done. It was not +good in his sight. + +He wished he had not given it hands. Might it not, when trusted with +life, create? Might it not thwart the plans of the Master of Life +himself? + +He looked long at the image. He saw what it would do when life should +be given it. He knew all things. + +He now put fire in the image, but fire is not life. + +He put fire within and a red glow passed through and through it. The +fire dried the clay of which the image was made, and gave the image an +exceedingly fierce aspect. It shone through the scales upon the +breast, through the gills, and the bat-winged ears. The lobster eyes +were like a living coal. + +Chemanitou opened the side of the image, but he did not enter. He had +given it hands and a chin. + +It could smile like the manitoes themselves. + +He made it walk all about the island of Metowac, that he might see how +it would act. This he did by means of his will. + +He now put a little life into it, but he did not take out the fire. +Chemanitou saw the aspect of the creature would be very terrible, and +yet that it could smile in such a manner that it ceased to be ugly. +He thought much upon these things. He felt that it would not be best +to let such a creature live--a creature made up mostly from the beasts +of the field, but with hands of power, a chin lifting the head upward, +and lips holding all things within themselves. + +While he thought upon these things he took the image in his hands and +cast it into the cave. But Chemanitou forgot to take out the life. + +The creature lay a long time in the cave and did not stir, for its +fall was very great. It lay amongst the old creations that had been +thrown in there without life. + +Now when a long time had passed Chemanitou heard a great noise in the +cave. He looked in and saw the image sitting there, and it was trying +to put together the old broken things that had been cast in as of no +value. + +Chemanitou gathered together a vast heap of stones and sand, for large +rocks are not to be had upon the island, and stopped the mouth of the +cave. Many days passed and the noise within the cave grew louder. The +earth shook, and hot smoke came from the ground. The manitoes crowded +to Metowac to see what was the matter. + +Chemanitou came also, for he remembered the image he had cast in there +of which he had forgotten to take away the life. + +Suddenly there was a great rising of the stones and sand, the sky grew +black with wind and dust. Fire played about on the ground, and water +gushed high into the air. + +All the manitoes fled with fear, and the image came forth with a great +noise and most terrible to behold. Its life had grown strong within +it, for the fire had made it very fierce. + +Everything fled before it and cried-- + +"Machinitou! machinitou," which means a god, but an evil god. + + + + +THE WOMAN OF STONE. + + +In one of the niches or recesses formed by a precipice in the cavern +of Kickapoo Creek, which is a tributary of the Wisconsin, there is a +gigantic mass of stone presenting the appearance of a human figure. It +is so sheltered by the overhanging rocks and by the sides of the +recess in which it stands as to assume a dark and gloomy character. Of +the figure the following legend is related:-- + +Once upon a time there lived a woman who was called Shenanska, or the +White Buffalo Robe. She was an inhabitant of the prairie, a dweller in +the cabins which stand upon the verge of the hills. She was the pride +of her people, not only for her beauty, which was very great, but for +her goodness. The breath of the summer wind was not milder than the +temper of Shenanska, the face of the sun was not fairer than her +countenance. + +At length the tribe was surprised in its encampment on the banks of +the Kickapoo by a numerous band of the fierce Mengwe. Many of them +fell fighting bravely, the greater part of the women and children were +made prisoners, and the others fled to the wilds for safety. It was +the fortune of Shenanska to escape from death or captivity. When the +alarm of the war-whoop reached her ear as she was sleeping in her +lodge with her husband, she had rushed forth with him and gone with +the braves to meet their assailants. When she saw half of the men of +her nation lying dead around, then she fled. She had been wounded in +the battle, but she still succeeded in effecting her escape to the +hills. Weakened by loss of blood, she had not strength enough left to +hunt for a supply of food, and she was near perishing with hunger. + +While she lay beneath the shade of a tree there came to her a being +not of this world. + +"Shenanska," said he, in a gentle voice, "thou art wounded and hungry, +shall I heal thee and feed thee? Wilt thou return to the lands of thy +tribe and live to be old, a widow and alone, or go now to the land of +departed spirits and join the shade of thy husband? The choice is +thine. If thou wilt live, crippled, and bowed down by wounds and +disease, thou mayest. If it would please thee better to rejoin thy +friends in the country beyond the Great River, say so." + +Shenanska replied that she wished to die. The spirit took her, and +placed her in one of the recesses of the cavern, overshadowed by +hanging rocks. He then spoke some words in a low voice, and, breathing +on her, she became stone. Determined that a woman so good and +beautiful should not be forgotten by the world, he made her into a +statue, to which he gave the power of killing suddenly any one who +irreverently approached it. For a long time the statue relentlessly +exercised this power. Many an unconscious Indian, venturing too near +to it, fell dead without any perceptible wound. At length, tired of +the havoc the statue made, the guardian spirit took away the power he +had given to it. At this day the statue may be approached with safety, +but the Indians hold it in fear, not intruding rashly upon it, and +when in its presence treating it with great respect. + + + + +THE MAIDEN WHO LOVED A FISH. + + +There was once among the Marshpees, a small tribe who have their +hunting-grounds on the shores of the Great Lake, near the Cape of +Storms, a woman whose name was Awashanks. She was rather silly, and +very idle. For days together she would sit doing nothing. Then she was +so ugly and ill-shaped that not one of the youths of the village would +have aught to say to her by way of courtship or marriage. She squinted +very much; her face was long and thin, her nose excessively large and +humped, her teeth crooked and projecting, her chin almost as sharp as +the bill of a loon, and her ears as large as those of a deer. +Altogether she was a very odd and strangely formed woman, and wherever +she went she never failed to excite much laughter and derision among +those who thought that ugliness and deformity were fit subjects for +ridicule. + +Though so very ugly, there was one faculty she possessed in a more +remarkable degree than any woman of the tribe. It was that of singing. +Nothing, unless such could be found in the land of spirits, could +equal the sweetness of her voice or the beauty of her songs. Her +favourite place of resort was a small hill, a little removed from the +river of her people, and there, seated beneath the shady trees, she +would while away the hours of summer with her charming songs. So +beautiful and melodious were the things she uttered, that, by the time +she had sung a single sentence, the branches above her head would be +filled with the birds that came thither to listen, the thickets around +her would be crowded with beasts, and the waters rolling beside her +would be alive with fishes, all attracted by the sweet sounds. From +the minnow to the porpoise, from the wren to the eagle, from the snail +to the lobster, from the mouse to the mole,--all hastened to the spot +to listen to the charming songs of the hideous Marshpee maiden. + +Among the fishes which repaired every night to the vicinity of the +Little Hillock, which was the chosen resting-place of the ugly +songstress, was the great chief of the trouts, a tribe of fish +inhabiting the river near by. The chief was of a far greater size than +the people of his nation usually are, being as long as a man, and +quite as thick. + +Of all the creatures which came to listen to the singing of Awashanks +none appeared to enjoy it so highly as the chief of the trouts. As his +bulk prevented him from approaching so near as he wished, he, from +time to time, in his eagerness to enjoy the music to the best +advantage, ran his nose into the ground, and thus worked his way a +considerable distance into the land. Nightly he continued his +exertions to approach the source of the delightful sounds he heard, +till at length he had ploughed out a wide and handsome channel, and so +effected his passage from the river to the hill, a distance extending +an arrow's-flight. Thither he repaired every night at the commencement +of darkness, sure to meet the maiden who had become so necessary to +his happiness. Soon he began to speak of the pleasure he enjoyed, and +to fill the ears of Awashanks with fond protestations of his love and +affection. Instead of singing to him, she soon began to listen to his +voice. It was something so new and strange to her to hear the tones of +love and courtship, a thing so unusual to be told she was beautiful, +that it is not wonderful her head was turned by the new incident, and +that she began to think the voice of her lover the sweetest she had +ever heard. One thing marred their happiness. This was that the trout +could not live upon land, nor the maiden in the water. This state of +things gave them much sorrow. + +They had met one evening at the usual place, and were discoursing +together, lamenting that two who loved one another so should be doomed +to always live apart, when a man appeared close to Awashanks. He asked +the lovers why they seemed to be so sad. + +The chief of the trouts told the stranger the cause of their sorrow. + +"Be not grieved nor hopeless," said the stranger, when the chief had +finished. "The impediments can be removed. I am the spirit who +presides over fishes, and though I cannot make a man or woman of a +fish, I can make them into fish. Under my power Awashanks shall become +a beautiful trout." + +With that he bade the girl follow him into the river. When they had +waded in some little depth he took up some water in his hand and +poured it on her head, muttering some words, of which none but himself +knew the meaning. Immediately a change took place in her. Her body +took the form of a fish, and in a few moments she was a complete +trout. Having accomplished this transformation the spirit gave her to +the chief of the trouts, and the pair glided off into the deep and +quiet waters. She did not, however, forget the land of her birth. +Every season, on the same night as that upon which her disappearance +from her tribe had been wrought, there were to be seen two trouts of +enormous size playing in the water off the shore. They continued these +visits till the pale-faces came to the country, when, deeming +themselves to be in danger from a people who paid no reverence to the +spirits of the land, they bade it adieu for ever. + + + + +THE LONE LIGHTNING. + + +A little orphan boy, who had no one to care for him, once lived with +his uncle, who treated him very badly, making him do hard work, and +giving him very little to eat, so that the boy pined away and never +grew much, but became, through hard usage, very thin and light. At +last the uncle pretended to be ashamed of this treatment, and +determined to make amends for it by fattening the boy up. He really +wished, however, to kill him by overfeeding him. He told his wife to +give the boy plenty of bear's meat, and let him have the fat, which is +thought to be the best part. They were both very assiduous in cramming +him, and one day nearly choked him to death by forcing the fat down +his throat. The boy escaped, and fled from the lodge. He knew not +where to go, and wandered about. When night came on he was afraid the +wild beasts would eat him, so he climbed up into the forks of a high +pine-tree, and there he fell asleep in the branches. + +As he was asleep a person appeared to him from the high sky, and +said-- + +"My poor lad, I pity you, and the bad usage you have received from +your uncle has led me to visit you. Follow me, and step in my tracks." + +Immediately his sleep left him, and he rose up and followed his guide, +mounting up higher and higher in the air until he reached the lofty +sky. Here twelve arrows were put into his hands, and he was told that +there were a great many manitoes in the northern sky, against whom he +must go to war and try to waylay and shoot them. Accordingly he went +to that part of the sky, and, at long intervals, shot arrow after +arrow until he had expended eleven in a vain attempt to kill the +manitoes. At the flight of each arrow there was a long and solitary +streak of lightning in the sky--then all was clear again, and not a +cloud or spot could be seen. The twelfth arrow he held a long time in +his hands, and looked around keenly on every side to spy the manitoes +he was after, but these manitoes were very cunning, and could change +their form in a moment. All they feared was the boy's arrows, for +these were magic weapons, which had been given to him by a good +spirit, and had power to kill if aimed aright. At length the boy drew +up his last arrow, took aim, and let fly, as he thought, into the very +heart of the chief of the manitoes. Before the arrow reached him, +however, he changed himself into a rock, into which the head of the +arrow sank deep and stuck fast. + +"Now your gifts are all expended," cried the enraged manito, "and I +will make an example of your audacity and pride of heart for lifting +your bow against me." + +So saying, he transformed the boy into the Nazhik-a-wae wae sun, or Lone +Lightning, which may be observed in the northern sky to this day. + + + + +AGGO-DAH-GAUDA. + + +Aggo-dah-gauda had one leg hooped up to his thigh so that he was +obliged to get along by hopping. He had a beautiful daughter, and his +chief care was to secure her from being carried off by the king of the +buffaloes. He was peculiar in his habits, and lived in a loghouse, and +he advised his daughter to keep indoors, and never go out for fear she +should be stolen away. + +One sunshiny morning Aggo-dah-gauda prepared to go out fishing, but +before he left the lodge he reminded his daughter of her strange +lover. + +"My daughter," said he, "I am going out to fish, and as the day will +be a pleasant one, you must recollect that we have an enemy near who +is constantly going about, and so you must not leave the lodge." + +When he reached his fishing-place, he heard a voice singing-- + + "Man with the leg tied up, + Man with the leg tied up, + Broken hip--hip-- + Hipped. + + Man with the leg tied up, + Man with the leg tied up, + Broken leg--leg-- + Legged." + +He looked round but saw no one, so he suspected the words were sung by +his enemies the buffaloes, and hastened home. + +The girl's father had not been long absent from the lodge when she +began to think to herself-- + +"It is hard to be for ever kept indoors. The spring is coming on, and +the days are so sunny and warm, that it would be very pleasant to sit +out of doors. My father says it is dangerous. I know what I will do: I +will get on the top of the house, and there I can comb and dress my +hair." + +She accordingly got up on the roof of the small house, and busied +herself in untying and combing her beautiful hair, which was not only +fine and shining, but so long that it reached down to the ground, +hanging over the eaves of the house as she combed it. She was so +intent upon this that she forgot all ideas of danger. All of a sudden +the king of the buffaloes came dashing by with his herd of followers, +and, taking her between his horns, away he cantered over the plains, +and then, plunging into a river that bounded his land, he carried her +safely to his lodge on the other side. Here he paid her every +attention in order to gain her affections, but all to no purpose, for +she sat pensive and disconsolate in the lodge among the other females, +and scarcely ever spoke. The buffalo king did all he could to please +her, and told the others in the lodge to give her everything she +wanted, and to study her in every way. They set before her the +choicest food, and gave her the seat of honour in the lodge. The king +himself went out hunting to obtain the most delicate bits of meat both +of animals and wild-fowl, and, not content with these proofs of his +love, he fasted himself and would often take his pib-be-gwun (Indian +flute) and sit near the lodge singing-- + + "My sweetheart, + My sweetheart, + Ah me! + + When I think of you, + When I think of you, + Ah me! + + How I love you, + How I love you, + Ah me! + + Do not hate me, + Do not hate me, + Ah me!" + +In the meantime Aggo-dah-gauda came home, and finding his daughter had +been stolen he determined to get her back. For this purpose he +immediately set out. He could easily trace the king till he came to +the banks of the river, and then he saw he had plunged in and swum +over. When Aggo-dah-gauda came to the river, however, he found it +covered with a thin coating of ice, so that he could not swim across +nor walk over. He therefore determined to wait on the bank a day or +two till the ice might melt or become strong enough to bear him. Very +soon the ice was strong enough, and Aggo-dah-gauda crossed over. On +the other side, as he went along, he found branches torn off and cast +down, and these had been strewn thus by his daughter to aid him in +following her. The way in which she managed it was this. Her hair was +all untied when she was captured, and as she was carried along it +caught in the branches as she passed, so she took the pieces out of +her hair and threw them down on the path. + +When Aggo-dah-gauda came to the king's lodge it was evening. Carefully +approaching it, he peeped through the sides and saw his daughter +sitting there disconsolately. She saw him, and knowing that it was her +father come for her, she said to the king, giving him a tender +glance-- + +"I will go and get you a drink of water." + +The king was delighted at what he thought was a mark of her affection, +and the girl left the lodge with a dipper in her hand. The king waited +a long time for her, and as she did not return he went out with his +followers, but nothing could be seen or heard of the girl. The +buffaloes sallied out into the plains, and had not gone far by the +light of the moon, when they were attacked by a party of hunters. Many +of them fell, but the buffalo-king, being stronger and swifter than +the others, escaped, and, flying to the west, was never seen more. + + + + +PIQUA. + + +A great while ago the Shawanos nation took up the war-talk against the +Walkullas, who lived on their own lands on the borders of the Great +Salt Lake, and near the Burning Water. Part of the nation were not +well pleased with the war. The head chief and the counsellors said the +Walkullas were very brave and cunning, and the priests said their god +was mightier than ours. The old and experienced warriors said the +counsellors were wise, and had spoken well; but the Head Buffalo, the +young warriors, and all who wished for war, would not listen to their +words. They said that our fathers had beaten their fathers in many +battles, that the Shawanos were as brave and strong as they ever were, +and the Walkullas much weaker and more cowardly. They said the old and +timid, the faint heart and the failing knee, might stay at home to +take care of the women and children, and sleep and dream of those who +had never dared bend a bow or look upon a painted cheek or listen to a +war-whoop, while the young warriors went to war and drank much blood. +When two moons were gone they said they would come back with many +prisoners and scalps, and have a great feast. The arguments of the +fiery young men prevailed with all the youthful warriors, but the +elder and wiser listened to the priests and counsellors, and remained +in their villages to see the leaf fall and the grass grow, and to +gather in the nut and follow the trail of the deer. + +Two moons passed, then a third, then came the night enlivened by many +stars, but the warriors returned not. As the land of the Walkullas lay +but a woman's journey of six suns from the villages of our nation, our +people began to fear that our young men had been overcome in battle +and were all slain. The head chief, the counsellors, and all the +warriors who had remained behind, came together in the great wigwam, +and called the priests to tell them where their sons were. Chenos, who +was the wisest of them all (as well he might be, for he was older than +the oak-tree whose top dies by the hand of Time), answered that they +were killed by their enemies, the Walkullas, assisted by men of a +strange speech and colour, who lived beyond the Great Salt Lake, +fought with thunder and lightning, and came to our enemies on the back +of a great bird with many white wings. When he had thus made known to +our people the fate of the warriors there was a dreadful shout of +horror throughout the village. The women wept aloud, and the men +sprang up and seized their bows and arrows to go to war with the +Walkullas and the strange warriors who had helped to slay their sons, +but Chenos bade them sit down again. + +"There is one yet living," said he. "He will soon be here. The sound +of his footsteps is in my ear as he crosses the hollow hills. He has +killed many of his enemies; he has glutted his vengeance fully; he has +drunk blood in plenteous draughts. Long he fought with the men of his +own race, and many fell before him, but he fled from the men who came +to the battle armed with the real lightning, and hurling unseen death. +Even now I see him coming; the shallow streams he has forded; the deep +rivers he has swum. He is tired and hungry, and his quiver has no +arrows, but he brings a prisoner in his arms. Lay the deer's flesh on +the fire, and bring hither the pounded corn. Taunt him not, for he is +valiant, and has fought like a hungry bear." + +As the wise Chenos spoke these words to the grey-bearded counsellors +and warriors the Head Buffalo walked calm and cool into the midst of +them. There he stood, tall and straight as a young pine, but he spoke +no word, looking on the head chief and the counsellors. There was +blood upon his body, dried on by the sun, and the arm next his heart +was bound up with the skin of the deer. His eye was hollow and his +body gaunt, as though he had fasted long. His quiver held no arrows. + +"Where are our sons?" inquired the head chief of the warrior. + +"Ask the wolf and the panther," he answered. + +"Brother! tell us where are our sons!" exclaimed the chief. "Our +women ask us for their sons. They want them. Where are they?" + +"Where are the snows of last year?" replied the warrior. "Have they +not gone down the swelling river into the Great Lake? They have, and +even so have your sons descended the stream of Time into the great +Lake of Death. The great star sees them as they lie by the water of +the Walkulla, but they see him not. The panther and the wolf howl +unheeded at their feet, and the eagle screams, but they hear them not. +The vulture whets his beak on their bones, the wild-cat rends their +flesh, both are unfelt, for your sons are dead." + +When the warrior told these things to our people, they set up their +loud death-howl. The women wept; but the men sprang up and seized +their weapons, to go to meet the Walkullas, the slayers of their sons. +The chief warrior rose again-- + +"Fathers and warriors," said he, "hear me and believe my words, for I +will tell you the truth. Who ever heard the Head Buffalo lie, and who +ever saw him afraid of his enemies? Never, since the time that he +chewed the bitter root and put on the new moccasins, has he lied or +fled from his foes. He has neither a forked tongue nor a faint heart. +Fathers, the Walkullas are weaker than us. Their arms are not so +strong, their hearts are not so big, as ours. As well might the timid +deer make war upon the hungry wolf, as the Walkullas upon the +Shawanos. We could slay them as easily as a hawk pounces into a dove's +nest and steals away her unfeathered little ones. The Head Buffalo +alone could have taken the scalps of half the nation. But a strange +tribe has come among them--men whose skin is white as the folds of the +cloud, and whose hair shines like the great star of day. They do not +fight as we fight, with bows and arrows and with war-axes, but with +spears which thunder and lighten, and send unseen death. The Shawanos +fall before it as the berries and acorns fall when the forest is +shaken by the wind in the beaver-moon. Look at the arm nearest my +heart. It was stricken by a bolt from the strangers' thunder; but he +fell by the hands of the Head Buffalo, who fears nothing but shame, +and his scalp lies at the feet of the head chief. + +"Fathers, this was our battle. We came upon the Walkullas, I and my +brothers, when they were unprepared. They were just going to hold the +dance of the green corn. The whole nation had come to the dance; there +were none left behind save the sick and the very old. None were +painted; they were all for peace, and were as women. We crept close to +them, and hid in the thick bushes which grew upon the edge of their +camp, for the Shawanos are the cunning adder and not the foolish +rattlesnake. We saw them preparing to offer a sacrifice to the Great +Spirit. We saw them clean the deer, and hang his head, horns, and +entrails upon the great white pole with a forked top, which stood over +the roof of the council wigwam. They did not know that the Master of +Life had sent the Shawanos to mix blood with the sacrifices. We saw +them take the new corn and rub it upon their hands, breasts, and +faces. Then the head chief, having first thanked the Master of Life +for his goodness to the Walkullas, got up and gave his brethren a +talk. He told them that the Great Spirit loved them, and had made them +victorious over all their enemies; that he had sent a great many fat +bears, deer, and moose to their hunting-ground, and had given them +fish, whose heads were very small and bodies very big; that he had +made their corn grow tall and sweet, and had ordered his suns to ripen +it in the beginning of the harvest moon, that they might make a great +feast for the strangers who had come from a far country on the wings +of a great bird to warm themselves at the Walkullas' fire. He told +them they must love the Great Spirit, take care of the old men, tell +no lies, and never break the faith of the pipe of peace; that they +must not harm the strangers, for they were their brothers, but must +live in peace with them, and give them lands and wives from among +their women. If they did these things the Great Spirit, he said, would +make their corn grow taller than ever, and direct them to +hunting-grounds where the moose should be as thick as the stars. + +"Fathers and warriors, we heard these words; but we knew not what to +do. We feared not the Walkullas; the God of War, we saw, had given +them into our hands. But who were the strange tribe? Were they armed +as we were, and was their Great Medicine (Great Spirit) like ours? +Warriors, you all knew the Young Eagle, the son of the Old Eagle, who +is here with us; but his wings are feeble, he flies no more to the +field of blood. The Young Eagle feared nothing but shame, and he +said-- + +"'I see many men sit round a fire, I will go and see who they are!' + +"He went. The Old Eagle looks at me as if he would say, 'Why went not +the chief warrior himself?' I will tell you. The Head Buffalo is a +head taller than the tallest man of his tribe. Can the moose crawl +into the fox's hole? Can the swan hide himself under a little leaf? +The Young Eagle was little, save in his soul. He was not full-grown, +save in his heart. He could go and not be seen or heard. He was the +cunning black-snake which creeps silently in the grass, and none +thinks him near till he strikes. + +"He came back and told us there were many strange men a little way +before us whose faces were white, and who wore no skins, whose cabins +were white as the snow upon the Backbone of the Great Spirit (the +Alleghany Mountains), flat at the top, and moving with the wind like +the reeds on the bank of a river; that they did not talk like the +Walkullas, but spoke a strange tongue, the like of which he had never +heard before. Many of our warriors would have turned back to our own +lands. The Flying Squirrel said it was not cowardice to do so; but the +Head Buffalo never turns till he has tasted the blood of his foes. The +Young Eagle said he had eaten the bitter root and put on the new +moccasins, and had been made a man, and his father and the warriors +would cry shame on him if he took no scalp. Both he and the Head +Buffalo said they would go and attack the Walkullas and their friends +alone. The young warriors then said they would also go to the battle, +and with a great heart, as their fathers had done. Then the Shawanos +rushed upon their foes. + +"The Walkullas fell before us like rain in the summer months. We were +as a fire among rushes. We went upon them when they were unprepared, +when they were as children; and for a while the Great Spirit gave them +into our hands. But a power rose up against us that we could not +withstand. The strange men came upon us armed with thunder and +lightning. Why delays my tongue to tell its story? Fathers, your sons +have fallen like the leaves of a forest-tree in a high wind, like the +flowers of spring after a frost, like drops of rain in the sturgeon +moon! Warriors, the sprouts which sprang up from the withered oaks +have perished, the young braves of our nation lie food for the eagle +and the wild-cat by the arm of the Great Lake! + +"Fathers, the bolt from the strangers' thunder entered my flesh, yet I +did not fly. These six scalps I tore from the Walkullas, but this has +yellow hair. Have I done well?" + +The head chief and the counsellors answered he had done very well, but +Chenos answered-- + +"No. You went into the Walkullas' camp when the tribe were feasting +to the Great Spirit, and you disturbed the sacrifice, and mixed human +blood with it. Therefore has this evil come upon us, for the Great +Spirit is very angry." + +Then the head chief and the counsellors asked Chenos what must be done +to appease the Master of Breath. + +Chenos answered-- + +"The Head Buffalo, with the morning, will offer to him that which he +holds dearest." + +The Head Buffalo looked upon the priests, and said-- + +"The Head Buffalo fears the Great Spirit. He will kill a deer, and, in +the morning, it shall be burned to the Great Spirit." + +Chenos said to him-- + +"You have told the council how the battle was fought and who fell; you +have shown the spent quiver and the scalps, but you have not spoken of +your prisoner. The Great Spirit keeps nothing hid from his priests, of +whom Chenos is one. He has told me you have a prisoner, one with +tender feet and a trembling heart." + +"Let any one say the Head Buffalo ever lied," replied the warrior. "He +never spoke but truth. He has a prisoner, a woman taken from the +strange camp, a daughter of the sun, a maiden from the happy islands +which no Shawano has ever seen, and she shall live with me, and become +the mother of my children." + +"Where is she?" asked the head chief. + +"She sits on the bank of the river at the bend where we dug up the +bones of the great beast, beneath the tree which the Master of Breath +shivered with his lightnings. I placed her there because the spot is +sacred, and none dare disturb her. I will go and fetch her to the +council fire, but let no one touch her or show anger, for she is +fearful as a young deer, and weeps like a child for its mother." + +Soon he returned, and brought with him a woman. She shook like a reed +in the winter's wind, and many tears ran down her cheeks. The men sat +as though their tongues were frozen. Was she beautiful? Go forth to +the forest when it is clothed with the flowers of spring, look at the +tall maize when it waves in the wind, and ask if they are beautiful. +Her skin was white as the snow which falls upon the mountains beyond +our lands, save upon her cheeks, where it was red,--not such red as +the Indian paints when he goes to war, but such as the Master of Life +gives to the flower which grows among thorns. Her eyes shone like the +star which never moves. Her step was like that of the deer when it is +a little scared. + +The Head Buffalo said to the council-- + +"This is my prisoner. I fought hard for her. Three warriors, tall, +strong, and painted, three pale men, armed with red lightning, stood +at her side. Where are they now? I bore her away in my arms, for fear +had overcome her. When night came on I wrapped skins around her, and +laid her under the leafy branches of the tree to keep off the cold, +and kindled a fire, and watched by her till the sun rose. Who will +say she shall not live with the Head Buffalo, and be the mother of his +children?" + +Then the Old Eagle got up, but he could not walk strong, for he was +the oldest warrior of his tribe, and had seen the flowers bloom many +times, the infant trees of the forest die of old age, and the friends +of his boyhood laid in the dust. He went to the woman, laid his hands +on her head, and wept. The other warriors, who had lost their kindred +and sons in the war with the Walkullas, shouted and lamented. The +woman also wept. + +"Where is the Young Eagle?" asked the Old Eagle of the Head Buffalo. +The other warriors, in like manner, asked for their kindred who had +been killed. + +"Fathers, they are dead," answered the warrior. "The Head Buffalo has +said they are dead, and he never lies. But let my fathers take +comfort. Who can live for ever? The foot of the swift step and the +hand of the stout bow become feeble. The eye grows dim, and the heart +of many days quails at the fierce glance of warriors. 'Twas better +they should die like brave men in their youth than become old men and +faint." + +"We must have revenge," they all cried. "We will not listen to the +young warrior who pines for the daughter of the sun." + +Then they began to sing a mournful song. The strange woman wept. Tears +rolled down her cheeks, and she often looked up to the house of the +Great Spirit and spoke, but none could understand her. All the time +the Old Eagle and the other warriors begged that she should be burned +to revenge them. + +"Brothers and warriors," said Chenos, "our sons did wrong when they +broke in upon the sacred dance the Walkullas made to their god, and he +lent his thunder to the strange warriors. Let us not draw down his +vengeance further by doing we know not what. Let the beautiful woman +remain this night in the wigwam of the council, covered with skins, +and let none disturb her. To-morrow we will offer a sacrifice of +deer's flesh to the Great Spirit, and if he will not give her to the +raging fire and the torments of the avengers, he will tell us so by +the words of his mouth. If he does not speak, it shall be done to her +as the Old Eagle and his brothers have said." + +The head chief said-- + +"Chenos has spoken well; wisdom is in his words. Make for the strange +woman a soft bed of skins, and treat her kindly, for it may be she is +a daughter of the Great Spirit." + +Then they all returned to their cabins and slept, save the Head +Buffalo, who, fearing for the woman's life, laid himself down at the +door of the lodge, and watched. + +When the morning came the warrior went to the forest and killed a deer +which he brought to Chenos, who prepared it for a sacrifice, and sang +a song while the flesh lay on the fire. + +"Let us listen," said Chenos, stopping the warriors in their dance. +"Let us see if the Great Spirit hears us." + +They listened, but could hear nothing. Chenos asked him why he did not +speak, but he did not answer. Then they sang again. + +"Hush!" said Chenos listening. "I hear the crowing of the Great +Turkey-cock. I hear him speaking." + +They stopped, and Chenos went close to the fire and talked with his +master, but nobody saw with whom he talked. + +"What does the Great Spirit tell his prophet?" asked the head chief. + +"He says," answered Chenos, "the young woman must not be offered to +him. He wills her to live and become the mother of many children." + +Many were pleased that she was to live, but those who had lost +brothers or sons were not appeased, and they said-- + +"We will have blood. We will go to the priest of the Evil Spirit, and +ask him if his master will not give us revenge." + +Not far from where our nation had their council fire was a great hill, +covered with stunted trees and moss, and rugged rocks. There was a +great cave in it, in which dwelt Sketupah, the priest of the Evil One, +who there did worship to his master. Sketupah would have been tall had +he been straight, but he was more crooked than a bent bow. His hair +was like a bunch of grapes, and his eyes like two coals of fire. Many +were the gifts our nation made to him to gain his favour, and the +favour of his master. Who but he feasted on the fattest buffalo hump? +Who but he fed on the earliest ear of milky corn, on the best things +that grew on the land or in the water? + +The Old Eagle went to the mouth of the cave and cried with a loud +voice-- + +"Sketupah!" + +"Sketupah!" answered the hoarse voice of the Evil One from the hollow +cave. He soon came and asked the Old Eagle what he wanted. + +"Revenge for our sons who have been killed by the Walkullas and their +friends. Will your master hear us?" + +"My master must have a sacrifice; he must smell blood," answered +Sketupah. "Then we shall know if he will give revenge. Bring hither a +sacrifice in the morning." + +So in the morning they brought a sacrifice, and the priest laid it on +the fire while he danced around. He ceased singing and listened, but +the Evil Spirit answered not. Just as he was going to commence another +song the warriors saw a large ball rolling very fast up the hill to +the spot where they stood. It was the height of a man. When it came up +to them it began to unwind itself slowly, until at last a little +strange-looking man crept out of the ball, which was made of his own +hair. He was no higher than one's shoulders. One of his feet made a +strange track, such as no warrior had ever seen before. His face was +as black as the shell of the butter-nut or the feathers of the raven, +and his eyes as green as grass. His hair was of the colour of moss, +and so long that, as the wind blew it out, it seemed the tail of a +fiery star. + +"What do you want of me?" he asked. + +The priest answered-- + +"The Shawanos want revenge. They want to sacrifice the beautiful +daughter of the sun, whom the Head Buffalo has brought from the camp +of the Walkullas." + +"They shall have their wish," said the Evil Spirit. "Go and fetch +her." + +Then Old Eagle and the warriors fetched her. Head Buffalo would have +fought for her, but Chenos commanded him to be still. + +"My master," he said, "will see she does not suffer." Then they +fastened her to the stake. The head warrior had stood still, for he +hoped that the priest of the Great Spirit should snatch her away from +the Evil One. Now he shouted his war-cry and rushed upon Sketupah. It +was in vain. Sketupah's master did but breathe upon the face of the +warrior when he fell as though he had struck him a blow, and never +breathed more. Then the Evil One commanded them to seize Chenos. + +"Come, my master," cried Chenos, "for the hands of the Evil One are +upon me." + +As soon as he had said this, very far over the tall hills, which +Indians call the Backbone of the Great Spirit, the people saw two +great lights, brighter and larger than stars, moving very fast towards +the land of the Shawanos. One was just as high as another, and they +were both as high as the goat-sucker flies before a thunderstorm. At +first they were close together, but as they came nearer they grew +wider apart. Soon our people saw that they were two eyes, and in a +little while the body of a great man, whose head nearly reached the +sky, came after them. Brothers, the eyes of the Great Spirit always go +before him, and nothing is hid from his sight. Brothers, I cannot +describe the Master of Life as he stood before the warriors of our +nation. Can you look steadily on the star of the morning? + +When the Evil Spirit saw the Spirit of Good coming, he began to grow +in stature, and continued swelling until he was as tall and big as he. +When the Spirit of Good came near and saw how the Evil Spirit had +grown, he stopped, and, looking angry, said, with a voice that shook +the hills-- + +"You lied; you promised to stay among the white people and the nations +towards the rising sun, and not trouble my people more." + +"This woman," replied the Evil Spirit, "comes from my country; she is +mine." + +"She is mine," said the Great Spirit. "I had given her for a wife to +the warrior whom you have killed. Tell me no more lies, bad manito, +lest I punish you. Away, and see you trouble my people no more." + +The cowardly spirit made no answer, but shrank down to the size he was +when he first came. Then he began as before to roll himself up in his +hair, which he soon did, and then disappeared as he came. When he was +gone, the Great Spirit shrank till he was no larger than a Shawano, +and began talking to our people in a soft sweet voice-- + +"Men of the Shawanos nation, I love you and have always loved you. I +bade you conquer your enemies; I gave your foes into your hands. I +sent herds of deer and many bears and moose to your hunting-ground, +and made my suns shine upon your corn. Who lived so well, who fought +so bravely as the Shawanos? Whose women bore so many sons as yours? + +"Why did you disturb the sacrifice which the Walkullas were offering +to me at the feast of green corn? I was angry, and gave your warriors +into the hands of their enemies. + +"Shawanos, hear my words, and forget them not; do as I bid you, and +you shall see my power and my goodness. Offer no further violence to +the white maiden, but treat her kindly. Go now and rake up the ashes +of the sacrifice fire into a heap, gathering up the brands. When the +great star of evening rises, open the ashes, put in the body of the +Head Buffalo, lay on much wood, and kindle a fire on it. Let all the +nation be called together, for all must assist in laying wood on the +fire, but they must put on no pine, nor the tree which bears white +flowers, nor the grape-vine which yields no fruit, nor the shrub whose +dew blisters the flesh. The fire must be kept burning two whole moons. +It must not go out; it must burn night and day. On the first day of +the third moon put no wood on the fire, but let it die. On the morning +of the second day the Shawanos must all come to the heap of +ashes--every man, woman, and child must come, and the aged who cannot +walk must be helped to it. Then Chenos and the head chief must bring +out the beautiful woman, and place her near the ashes. This is the +will of the Great Spirit." + +When he had finished these words he began to swell until he had +reached his former bulk and stature. Then at each of his shoulders +came out a wing of the colour of the gold-headed pigeon. Gently +shaking these, he took flight from the land of the Shawanos, and was +never seen in those beautiful regions again. + +The Shawanos did as he bade them. They raked the ashes together, laid +the body of Head Buffalo in them, lighted the fire, and kept it +burning the appointed time. On the first day of the third moon they +let the fire out, assembled the nation around, and placed the +beautiful woman near the ashes. They waited, and looked to see what +would happen. At last the priests and warriors who were nearest began +to shout, crying out-- + +"Piqua!" which in the Shawanos tongue means a man coming out of the +ashes, or a man made of ashes. + +They told no lie. There he stood, a man tall and straight as a young +pine, looking like a Shawanos, but handsomer than any man of our +nation. The first thing he did was to cry the war-whoop, and demand +paint, a club, a bow and arrows, and a hatchet,--all of which were +given him. Looking around he saw the white woman, and he walked up to +her, and gazed in her eyes. Then he came to the head chief and said-- + +"I must have that woman for my wife." + +"What are you?" asked the chief. + +"A man of ashes," he replied. + +"Who made you?" + +"The Great Spirit; and now let me go, that I may take my bow and +arrows, kill my deer, and come back and take the beautiful maiden for +my wife." + +The chief asked Chenos-- + +"Shall he have her? Does the Great Spirit give her to him?" + +"Yes," replied the priest. "The Great Spirit has willed that he shall +have her, and from them shall arise a tribe to be called Piqua." + +Brothers, I am a Piqua, descended from the man made of ashes. If I +have told you a lie, blame not me, for I have but told the story as I +heard it. Brothers, I have done. + + + + +THE EVIL MAKER. + + +The Great Spirit made man, and all the good things in the world, while +the Evil Spirit was asleep. When the Evil Spirit awoke he saw an +Indian, and, wondering at his appearance, he went to him and asked-- + +"Who made you?" + +"The Great Spirit," replied the man. + +"Oh, oh," thought the Evil Spirit, "if he can make such a being so can +I." + +So he went to work, and tried his best to make an Indian like the man +he saw, but he made some mistake, and only made a black man. When he +saw that he had failed he was very angry, and in that state was +walking about when he met a black bear. + +"Who made you?" he asked. + +"The Great Spirit," answered the bear. + +"Then," thought the Evil Spirit, "I will make a bear too." + +To work he went, but do what he would he could not make a black bear, +but only a grizzly one, unfit for food. More disgusted than before, he +was walking through the forest when he found a beautiful serpent. + +"Who made you?" he asked. + +"The Great Spirit," replied the serpent. + +"Then I will make some like you," said the Evil Maker. + +He tried his best, but the serpents he made were all noisome and +poisonous, and he saw that he had failed again. + +Then it occurred to him that he might make some trees and flowers, but +all his efforts only resulted in his producing some poor deformed +trees and weeds. + +Then he said-- + +"It is true, I have failed in making things like the Great Spirit, but +I can at least spoil what he has made." + +And he went off to put murder and lies in the hearts of men. + + + + +MANABOZHO THE WOLF. + + +Manabozho set out to travel. He wished to outdo all others, and see +new countries, but after walking over America, and encountering many +adventures, he became satisfied as well as fatigued. He had heard of +great feats in hunting, and felt a desire to try his power in that +way. + +One evening, as he was walking along the shores of a great lake, weary +and hungry, he encountered a great magician in the form of an old +wolf, with six young ones, coming towards him. The wolf, as soon as he +saw him, told his whelps to keep out of the way of Manabozho. + +"For I know," said he, "that it is he we see yonder." + +The young wolves were in the act of running off, when Manabozho cried +out-- + +"My grandchildren, where are you going? Stop, and I will go with you." + +He appeared rejoiced to see the old wolf, and asked him whither he was +journeying. Being told that they were looking out for a place where +they could find the most game, and best pass the winter, he said he +should like to go with them, and addressed the old wolf in these +words-- + +"Brother, I have a passion for the chase. Are you willing to change me +into a wolf?" + +The old wolf was agreeable, and Manabozho's transformation was +effected. + +He was fond of novelty. He found himself a wolf corresponding in size +with the others, but he was not quite satisfied with the change, +crying out-- + +"Oh! make me a little larger." + +They did so. + +"A little larger still," he cried. + +They said-- + +"Let us humour him," and granted his request. + +"Well," said he, "that will do." Then looking at his tail-- + +"Oh!" cried he, "make my tail a little longer and more bushy." + +They made it so, and shortly after they all started off in company, +dashing up a ravine. After getting into the woods some distance, they +fell in with the tracks of moose. The young wolves went after them, +Manabozho and the old wolf following at their leisure. + +"Well," said the wolf, "who do you think is the fastest of my sons? +Can you tell by the jumps they take?" + +"Why," replied he, "that one that takes such long jumps; he is the +fastest, to be sure." + +"Ha, ha! You are mistaken," said the old wolf. "He makes a good start, +but he will be the first to tire out. This one who appears to be +behind will be the first to kill the game." + +Soon after they came to the place where the young ones had killed the +game. One of them had dropped his bundle there. + +"Take that, Manabozho," said the old wolf. + +"Esa," he replied, "what will I do with a dirty dog-skin?" + +The wolf took it up; it was a beautiful robe. + +"Oh! I will carry it now," said Manabozho. + +"Oh no," replied the wolf, who at the moment exerted his magic power. +"It is a robe of pearls." + +From that moment he lost no opportunity of displaying his superiority, +both in the hunter's and magician's art, over his conceited companion. + +Coming to a place where the moose had lain down, they saw that the +young wolves had made a fresh start after their prey. + +"Why," said the wolf, "this moose is poor. I know by the tracks, for I +can always tell whether they are fat or not." + +They next came to a place where one of the wolves had tried to bite +the moose, and, failing, had broken one of his teeth on a tree. + +"Manabozho," said the wolf, "one of your grandchildren has shot at the +game. Take his arrow. There it is." + +"No," replied he, "what will I do with a dirty tooth?" + +The old wolf took it up, and, behold! it was a beautiful silver arrow. + +When they overtook the young ones, they found they had killed a very +fat moose. Manabozho was very hungry, but, such is the power of +enchantment, he saw nothing but bones, picked quite clean. He thought +to himself-- + +"Just as I expected. Dirty, greedy fellows!" + +However, he sat down without saying a word, and the old wolf said to +one of the young ones-- + +"Give some meat to your grandfather." + +The wolf, coming near to Manabozho, opened his mouth wide as if he had +eaten too much, whereupon Manabozho jumped up, saying-- + +"You filthy dog, you have eaten so much that you are ill. Get away to +some other place." + +The old wolf, hearing these words, came to Manabozho, and, behold! +before him was a heap of fresh ruddy meat with the fat lying all ready +prepared. Then Manabozho put on a smiling-face. + +"Amazement!" cried he, "how fine the meat is!" + +"Yes," replied the wolf; "it is always so with us. We know our work, +and always get the best. It is not a long tail that makes a hunter." + +Manabozho bit his lip. + +They then commenced fixing their winter quarters, while the young ones +went out in search of game, of which they soon brought in a large +supply. One day, during the absence of the young wolves, the old one +amused himself by cracking the large bones of a moose. + +"Manabozho," said he, "cover your head with the robe, and do not look +at me while I am at these bones, for a piece may fly in your eye." + +Manabozho covered his head, but, looking through a rent in the robe, +he saw all the other was about. At that moment a piece of bone flew +off and hit him in the eye. He cried out-- + +"Tyau! Why do you strike me, you old dog!" + +The wolf said-- + +"You must have been looking at me." + +"No, no," replied Manabozho; "why should I want to look at you?" + +"Manabozho," said the wolf, "you must have been looking, or you would +not have got hurt." + +"No, no," said Manabozho; and he thought to himself, "I will repay the +saucy wolf for this." + +Next day, taking up a bone to obtain the marrow, he said to the old +wolf-- + +"Cover your head, and don't look at me, for I fear a piece may fly in +your eye." + +The wolf did so. Then Manabozho took the leg-bone of the moose, and, +looking first to see if the old wolf was well covered, he hit him a +blow with all his might. The wolf jumped up, and cried out-- + +"Why do you strike me so?" + +"Strike you?" exclaimed Manabozho. "I did not strike you!" + +"You did," said the wolf. + +"How can you say I did, when you did not see me. Were you looking?" +said Manabozho. + +He was an expert hunter when he undertook the work in earnest, and one +day he went out and killed a fat moose. He was very hungry, and sat +down to eat, but fell into great doubts as to the proper point in the +carcass to begin at. + +"Well," said he, "I don't know where to commence. At the head? No. +People would laugh, and say, 'He ate him backward!'" + +Then he went to the side. + +"No," said he, "they will say I ate him sideways." + +He then went to the hind-quarter. + +"No," said he, "they will say I ate him forward." + +At last, however, seeing that he must begin the attack somewhere, he +commenced upon the hind-quarter. He had just got a delicate piece in +his mouth when the tree just by began to make a creaking noise, +rubbing one large branch against another. This annoyed him. + +"Why!" he exclaimed, "I cannot eat when I hear such a noise. Stop, +stop!" cried he to the tree. + +He was again going on with his meal when the noise was repeated. + +"I cannot eat with such a noise," said he; and, leaving the meal, +although he was very hungry, he went to put a stop to the noise. He +climbed the tree, and having found the branches which caused the +disturbance, tried to push them apart, when they suddenly caught him +between them, so that he was held fast. While he was in this position +a pack of wolves came near. + +"Go that way," cried Manabozho, anxious to send them away from the +neighbourhood of his meat. "Go that way; what would you come to get +here?" + +The wolves talked among themselves, and said, "Manabozho wants to get +us out of the way. He must have something good here." + +"I begin to know him and all his tricks," said an old wolf. "Let us +see if there is anything." + +They accordingly began to search, and very soon finding the moose made +away with the whole carcass. Manabozho looked on wistfully, and saw +them eat till they were satisfied, when they left him nothing but bare +bones. Soon after a blast of wind opened the branches and set him +free. He went home, thinking to himself-- + +"See the effect of meddling with frivolous things when certain good is +in one's possession!" + + + + +THE MAN-FISH. + + +A very great while ago the ancestors of the Shawanos nation lived on +the other side of the Great Lake, half-way between the rising sun and +the evening star. It was a land of deep snows and much frost, of winds +which whistled in the clear, cold nights, and storms which travelled +from seas no eyes could reach. Sometimes the sun ceased to shine for +moons together, and then he was continually before their eyes for as +many more. In the season of cold the waters were all locked up, and +the snows overtopped the ridge of the cabins. Then he shone out so +fiercely that men fell stricken by his fierce rays, and were numbered +with the snow that had melted and run to the embrace of the rivers. It +was not like the beautiful lands--the lands blessed with soft suns and +ever-green vales--in which the Shawanos now dwell, yet it was well +stocked with deer, and the waters with fat seals and great fish, which +were caught just when the people pleased to go after them. Still, the +nation were discontented, and wished to leave their barren and +inhospitable shores. The priests had told them of a beautiful world +beyond the Great Salt Lake, from which the glorious sun never +disappeared for a longer time than the duration of a child's sleep, +where snow-shoes were never wanted--a land clothed with perpetual +verdure, and bright with never-failing gladness. The Shawanos listened +to these tales till they came to loathe their own simple comforts; all +they talked of, all they appeared to think of, was the land of the +happy hunting-grounds. + +Once upon a time the people were much terrified at seeing a strange +creature, much resembling a man, riding along the waves of the lake on +the borders of which they dwelt. He had on his head long green hair; +his face was shaped like that of a porpoise, and he had a beard of the +colour of ooze. + +If the people were frightened at seeing a man who could live in the +water like a fish or a duck, how much more were they frightened when +they saw that from his breast down he was actually fish, or rather two +fishes, for each of his legs was a whole and distinct fish. When they +heard him speak distinctly in their own language, and when he sang +songs sweeter than the music of birds in spring, or the whispers of +love from the lips of a beautiful maiden, they thought it a being from +the Land of Shades--a spirit from the happy fishing-grounds beyond the +lake of storms. + +He would sit for a long time, his fish-legs coiled up under him, +singing to the wondering ears of the Indians upon the shore the +pleasures he experienced, and the beautiful and strange things he saw +in the depths of the ocean, always closing his strange stories with +these words, shouted at the top of his voice-- + +"Follow me, and see what I will show you." + +Every day, when the waves were still and the winds had gone to their +resting-place in the depths of the earth, the monster was sure to be +seen near the shore where the Shawanos dwelt. For a great many suns +they dared not venture upon the water in quest of food, doing nothing +but wander along the beach, watching the strange creature as he played +his antics upon the surface of the waves, listening to his songs and +to his invitation-- + +"Follow me, and see what I will show you." + +The longer he stayed the less they feared him. They became used to +him, and in time looked upon him as a spirit who was not made for +harm, nor wished to injure the poor Indian. Then they grew hungry, and +their wives and little ones cried for food, and, as hunger banishes +all fear, in a few days three canoes with many men and warriors +ventured off to the rocks in quest of fish. + +When they reached the fishing-place, they heard as before the voice +shouting-- + +"Follow me, and see what I will show you." + +Presently the man-fish appeared, sitting on the water, with his legs +folded under him, and his arms crossed on his breast, as they had +usually seen him. There he sat, eying them attentively. When they +failed to draw in the fish they had hooked, he would make the water +shake and the deep echo with shouts of laughter, and would clap his +hands with great noise, and cry-- + +"Ha, ha! there he fooled you." + +When a fish was caught he was very angry. When the fishers had tried +long and patiently, and taken little, and the sun was just hiding +itself behind the dark clouds which skirted the region of warm winds, +the strange creature cried out still stronger than before-- + +"Follow me, and see what I will show you." + +Kiskapocoke, who was the head man of the tribe, asked him what he +wanted, but he would make no other answer than-- + +"Follow me." + +"Do you think," said Kiskapocoke, "I would be such a fool as to go I +don't know with whom, and I don't know where?" + +"See what I will show you," cried the man-fish. + +"Can you show us anything better than we have yonder?" asked the +warrior. + +"I will show you," replied the monster, "a land where there is a herd +of deer for every one that skips over your hills, where there are vast +droves of creatures larger than your sea-elephants, where there is no +cold to freeze you, where the sun is always soft and smiling, where +the trees are always in bloom." + +The people began to be terrified, and wished themselves on land, but +the moment they tried to paddle towards the shore, some invisible hand +would seize their canoes and draw them back, so that an hour's labour +did not enable them to gain the length of their boat in the direction +of their homes. At last Kiskapocoke said to his companions-- + +"What shall we do?" + +"Follow me," said the fish. + +Then Kiskapocoke said to his companions-- + +"Let us follow him, and see what will come of it." + +So they followed him,--he swimming and they paddling, until night +came. Then a great wind and deep darkness prevailed, and the Great +Serpent commenced hissing in the depths of the ocean. The people were +terribly frightened, and did not think to live till another sun, but +the man-fish kept close to the boats, and bade them not be afraid, for +nothing should hurt them. + +When morning came, nothing could be seen of the shore they had left. +The winds still raged, the seas were very high, and the waters ran +into their canoes like melted snows over the brows of the mountains, +but the man-fish handed them large shells, with which they baled the +water out. As they had brought neither food nor water with them, they +had become both hungry and thirsty. Kiskapocoke told the strange +creature they wanted to eat and drink, and that he must supply them +with what they required. + +"Very well," said the man-fish, and, disappearing in the depths of the +water, he soon reappeared, bringing with him a bag of parched corn and +a shell full of sweet water. + +For two moons and a half the fishermen followed the man-fish, till at +last one morning their guide exclaimed-- + +"Look there!" + +Upon that they looked in the direction he pointed out to them and saw +land, high land, covered with great trees, and glittering as the sand +of the Spirit's Island. Behind the shore rose tall mountains, from the +tops of which issued great flames, which shot up into the sky, as the +forks of the lightning cleave the clouds in the hot moon. The waters +of the Great Salt Lake broke in small waves upon its shores, which +were covered with sporting seals and wild ducks pluming themselves in +the beams of the warm and gentle sun. Upon the shore stood a great +many strange people, but when they saw the strangers step upon the +land and the man-fish, they fled to the woods like startled deer, and +were no more seen. + +When the warriors were safely landed, the man-fish told them to let +the canoe go; "for," said he, "you will never need it more." They had +travelled but a little way into the woods when he bade them stay where +they were, while he told the spirit of the land that the strangers he +had promised were come, and with that he descended into a deep cave +near at hand. He soon returned, accompanied by a creature as strange +in appearance as himself. His legs and feet were those of a man. He +had leggings and moccasins like an Indian's, tightly laced and +beautifully decorated with wampum, but his head was like a goat's. He +talked like a man, and his language was one well understood by the +strangers. + +"I will lead you," he said, "to a beautiful land, to a most beautiful +land, men from the clime of snows. There you will find all the joys an +Indian covets." + +For many moons the Shawanos travelled under the guidance of the +man-goat, into whose hands the man-fish had put them, when he retraced +his steps to the Great Lake. They came at length to the land which the +Shawanos now occupy. They found it as the strange spirits had +described it. They married the daughters of the land, and their +numbers increased till they were so many that no one could count them. +They grew strong, swift, and valiant in war, keen and patient in the +chase. They overcame all the tribes eastward of the River of Rivers, +and south to the shore of the Great Lake. + + +Printed by T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to Her Majesty, +at the Edinburgh University Press. + + + + +Transcriber's Note. + +Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. + +All Native American words have been kept as originally printed, +including those with variation in hyphenation or spelling. + +The advertisement has been moved to follow the title page. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Folk-Lore and Legends: North American +Indian, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOLK-LORE AND LEGENDS *** + +***** This file should be named 22072.txt or 22072.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/0/7/22072/ + +Produced by Julie Barkley, Sam W. and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +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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