Big Chief had traveled a long distance through the forest. At last he
reached the shore of a lake.
He was very tired, so he sat down upon a rock to rest.
Suddenly a large beaver came up from the water and stood before Big
Chief.
"Who are you, that you dare to enter my kingdom?" demanded the beaver.
"I am Big Chief," replied the Indian. "The Great Spirit has given me
power over all the animals. Who are you?"
"I am Master Beaver. All the beavers follow me and obey my commands. We
are busy people. We always have plenty to do."
Big Chief was not afraid. He showed Master Beaver his bow and arrows and
his wampum belt, saying, "These gifts were bestowed upon me by the Great
Spirit. I am ruler over the animals of field and forest, over the birds,
and over the fish."
When Master Beaver saw the bow and arrows and the wampum belt, he knew
that the Indian was very powerful. So he said, less proudly, "Will you
come with me and see how the beavers build their lodges?"
Big Chief followed Master Beaver for a short distance along the shore of
the lake. He saw many beavers at work cutting down trees with their
sharp teeth.
Some of the trees had fallen across the water and reached to an island
in the lake.
On the island, other beavers were plastering the spaces between the
trees with mud and leaves.
Master Beaver said that this was the way the beavers built a dam.
Then he led Big Chief to the beavers' village on the island. Here were
many lodges, built of sticks, grass and moss, and plastered with clay.
At last Master Beaver paused before one of the lodges.
"Enter! This is my home. You are welcome, Big Chief," said Master
Beaver.
The Indian followed the beaver through a long, winding tunnel. They came
to a large room. The floor of the room was covered with grass and bark.
Big Chief admired the dainty house with its dome-shaped roof.
Master Beaver's wife and his daughter gave the stranger a hearty
welcome. They at once prepared a meal of poplar, birch and willow bark,
and roots of water lilies.
This was choice food for beavers, but it was not the kind of dinner that
Big Chief liked. Nevertheless he was very happy.
Master Beaver's daughter waited upon her father and his guest. She was
so very fair that she won the heart of Big Chief.
He no longer wished to live alone. He asked Master Beaver to give the
maiden to him, to be his bride. This pleased Master Beaver very much,
for he liked Big Chief.
All the beavers and their neighbors were invited to the wedding. The
next morning, some of the beavers arrived bringing clay. Then came
otters, each carrying a large fish in his mouth as a present for the
bride.
They were followed by the weasels, the minks, and the muskrats.
The guests enjoyed the wedding breakfast in the lodge of Master Beaver.
After the feast, the beavers invited the other animals to meet them on
the bank of the lake. There they held a council.
They said, "We will build a lodge, which shall be the wedding gift of
the beavers."
Then they chose a place under the birch trees that grew near the shore
of the lake. Here the beavers began to build a lodge, of sticks of wood
and the clay which they had brought with them. Soon the cozy lodge was
finished.
Now came the greatest wonder of all. It pleased the Great Spirit to
change the bride into a beautiful woman--a wife suited to the noble and
handsome Big Chief.
Amid the cheers of their friends, Master Beaver led the happy couple to
the cozy lodge near the lake. There they made their home.