They say: "This indeed is a great wizard, but he must be tried or he
goes." After they eat, they fetch in a great bone, a whale's jaw. The
oldest Indian tries to break it with both his hands, but it bends only a
little. He gives it to Kuloskap; he really breaks it; he uses only his
thumb; like a pipe-stem it snaps.
Again the brothers say: "He is a very great wizard, but he must be
tried." Then they fetch a great pipe filled with strong tobacco. No one
who is not a wizard can smoke it. This they pass around; everyone
smokes; the brothers swallow the smoke. Kuloskap fills it full; he burns
out all the tobacco (with a single puff).
* * * * *
They say: "He is a very great wizard, but once (more) he must be tried."
They all try to smoke with him still. The wigwam is closed; they hope to
smother him with smoke. He puffs away, as if he were sitting on top of a
mountain. They cannot bear it any longer. They say: "This is not worth
while; let us play ball."
* * * * *
Where they played is near Saco where it bends in the river. They begin
to play ball; Kuloskap finds that the ball is a hideous skull alive,
which snaps near his heels. If he were another man and it bit him, it
would cut off his foot.
Kuloskape then laughs (and) says: "You then are playing such a game; it
is well, but let us all play with our own balls." So he goes to where a
tree stands near the river; he breaks off a bough; he turns it into a
skull more hideous than the other. The wizards run away from it, as when
a lynx chases rabbits; they are really completely beaten.
Then Kuloskap stamps on the ground. The water foaming, rushed down; it
comes from the mountains; all the earth rings with the roar. Then
Kuloskap sings a song such as can change the form of everyone. These
brothers and their father become fish; they rush off together where the
water foams; they are as long as men. Then (they go) to the sea where it
is deep. There they dwell forever. Passamaquoddy story; the three (in
the above story) were chief's daughters; they become fish; they turn and
take their pipes. They swim away smoking, getting farther and farther
away. There yet, as they see them, they are smoking.
* * * * *