"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."