"The wounded ground squirrel hid himself in his den beneath the roots of
a great oak, where his enemies could not get at him. There he remained
until the other creatures had departed and his wounds were somewhat
healed.
"When he was well enough to get about again, he visited the villages
of the Red Men. Everywhere he went, he found sickness and death. The
kind-hearted chipmunk was sorry to see so much suffering and sorrow.
So he revealed the secret plans which had been formed in the councils
of the wild folk.
"Men now knew what was the cause of their troubles. But this knowledge
did little good, since it did not heal their diseases or save them from
death. For a time, it seemed as if the human race would be entirely
destroyed.
"In their despair, they appealed to their kind friend A-bal-ka the
little ground squirrel. 'What shall we do?' they wailed. 'Cannot you,
who are so kind of heart and so wise, help us?'
"'I will do my best,' he replied, 'but I must take time to think about
it.' After turning the matter over in his mind carefully, he went about
among the plants and trees and told them what had been done by the wild
folk against their friends the men.
"'Cannot you,' said he, 'do something to heal their diseases and save
the human race from destruction?'
"After much coming and going on the part of A-bal-ka the ground
squirrel, and much talking and thinking on the part of the plants and
trees, it was resolved that they, too, should hold councils, to see
what they could do toward checking and overcoming the evils which had
befallen the human race.
* * * * *
"First the big trees of the forest and the shrubs held their council.
They talked over the matter and agreed that each should do all in its
power to furnish remedies to cure the diseases which the wild folk had
inflicted upon men.
"'We,' said the pine, the spruce, and the balsam trees, 'will give our
gums and our balsam.' The slippery elm offered its bark; the sassafras
its roots; the cherry tree its bark and its berries. One after another,
the other trees and shrubs offered their berries, their bark, their
leaves, or their roots as medicine to heal the diseases of men.
* * * * *
"Next the plants held their council and resolved to come to the aid of
men in their distress. 'I,' said the ginseng plant, 'will give my roots
to make a healing drink. It shall be good for headaches and for cramps
and for many other kinds of pains and aches.'
"'And I,' said the snake-root, 'will give my roots also for a healing
drink. It shall cure fevers and coughs and many other diseases.'
"And so it went on. The silkweed, the skull-cap, catnip, boneset, the
peppermint, wild ginger, wintergreen, and scores of other plants, all
gladly offered their roots, their berries, or their leaves.
* * * * *
"Their number was so great that the little striped squirrel, who had
attended both councils, was scarcely able to remember them all.
"After the councils were over, he went about among the villages of the
Red Men and told them what the trees and the plants had said. They at
once began to gather and prepare the medicines which they needed to cure
the different diseases from which they suffered. And from this time, on
account of the use of these medicines, they were sometimes able to heal
their diseases and save many of their people from death.
"This is the story of how diseases came upon men and medicines to cure
them were found.
"The Red Men were grateful to the little ground squirrel for the help he
had given them, and loved him more than any other of the wild folk, and
to this day no Indian boy will injure a chipmunk."
[Illustration]