He was in such a high good humor that he scarcely noticed a sudden
uproar that began without. The snow came thick and fast; as it fell it
was caught up again like so much powder and blown against the wigwam,
where it lay in huge drifts. But instead of making it colder inside, it
was really like a thick blanket that kept the air out.
Ka-bib-on-okka soon discovered his mistake, and it made him furious.
Down the smoke-vent he shouted; and his voice
[Illustration: 0000]
was so wild and terrible that it might have frightened an ordinary man.
But Shin-ge-bis only laughed. It was so quiet in that great, silent
country that he rather enjoyed a little noise.
[Illustration: 0019]
"Ho, ho!" he shouted back. "How are you, Ka-bib-onokka? If you are not
careful you will burst your cheeks."
Then the wigwam shook with the force of the blast, and the curtain of
buffalo hide that formed the doorway flapped and rattled, and rattled
and flapped.
"Come on in, Ka-bib-on-okka!" called Shin-ge-bis merrily. "Come on in
and warm yourself. It must be bitter cold outside."
At these jeering words, Ka-bib-on-okka hurled himself against the
curtain, breaking one of the buckskin thongs; and made his way inside.
Oh, what an icy breath!--so icy that it filled the hot wigwam like a
fog.
Shin-ge-bis pretended not to notice. Still singing, he rose to his feet,
and threw on another log. It was a fat log of pine, and it burned so
hard and gave out so much heat that he had to sit a little distance
away. From the corner of his eye he watched Ka-bib-on-okka; and what
he saw made him laugh again. The perspiration was pouring from his
forehead; the snow and icicles in his flowing hair quickly disappeared.
Just as a snowman made by children melts in the warm sun of March, so
the fierce old North Wind began to thaw! There could be no doubt of
it; Ka-bib-on-okka, the terrible, was melting! His nose and ears became
smaller, his body began to shrink. If he remained where he was much
longer, the King of the Land of Ice would be nothing better than a
puddle.
"Come on up to the fire," said Shin-ge-bis cruelly. "You must be chilled
to the bone. Come up closer, and warm your hands and feet."
[Illustration: 0000]
But the North Wind had fled, even faster than he came, through the
doorway.
Once outside, the cold air revived him, and all his anger returned.
As he had not been able to freeze Shin-ge-bis, he spent his rage on
everything in his path. Under his tread the snow took on a crust;
the brittle branches of the trees snapped as he blew and snorted; the
prowling fox hurried to his hole; and the wandering coyote sought the
first shelter at hand.
Once more he made his way to the wigwam of Shin-ge-bis, and shouted down
the flue. "Come out," he called. "Come out, if you dare, and wrestle
with me here in the snow. We'll soon see who's master then!"
Shin-ge-bis thought it over. "The fire must have weakened him," he
said to himself. "And my own body is warm. I believe I can overpower
him. Then he will not annoy me any more, and I can stay here as long as
I please."
Out of the wigwam he rushed, and Ka-bib-on-okka came to meet him. Then
a great struggle took place. Over and over on the hard snow they rolled,
locked in one another's arms.
All night long they wrestled; and the foxes crept out of their holes,
sitting at a safe distance in a circle, watching the wrestlers. The
effort he put forth kept the blood warm in the body of Shin-ge-bis. He
could feel the North Wind growing weaker and weaker; his icy breath was
no longer a blast, but only a feeble sigh.
At last, as the sun rose in the east, the wrestlers stood apart,
panting. Ka-bib-on-okka was conquered. With a despairing wail, he turned
and sped away. Far, far to the North he sped, even to the land of the
White Rabbit; and as he went, the laughter of Shin-ge-bis rang out and
followed him. Cheerfulness and courage can overcome even the North Wind.
[Illustration: 0021]