beating his drum. When his grandmother heard him, she came to the shore
and welcomed him with songs and dancing. Glory fired his mind. He
displayed the trophies he had brought in the most conspicuous manner,
and felt an unconquerable desire for other adventures. He felt himself
urged by the consciousness of his power to new trials of bravery, skill,
and necromantic prowess. He had destroyed the Manito of Wealth, and
killed his guardian serpents, and eluded all his charms. He did not long
remain inactive. His next adventure was upon the water, and proved him
the prince of fishermen. He captured a fish of such monstrous size, that
the fat and oil he obtained from it formed a small lake. He therefore
invited all the animals and fowls to a banquet, and he made the order in
which they partook of this repast the measure of their fatness. As fast
as they arrived, he told them to plunge in. The bear came first, and was
followed by the deer, opossum, and such other animals as are noted for
their peculiar fatness at certain seasons. The moose and bison came
tardily. The partridge looked on till the reservoir was nearly
exhausted. The hare and marten came last, and these animals have,
consequently, no fat. When this ceremony was over, he told the assembled
animals and birds to dance, taking up his drum and crying, "New songs
from the south, come, brothers, dance." He directed them to pass in a
circle around him, and to shut their eyes. They did so. When he saw a
fat fowl pass by him, he adroitly wrung off its head, at the same time
beating his drum and singing with greater vehemence, to drown the noise
of the fluttering, and crying out, in a tone of admiration, "That's the
way, my brothers, _that's_ the way." At last a small duck (the diver),
thinking there was something wrong, opened one eye and saw what he was
doing. Giving a spring, and crying "Ha-ha-a! Manabozho is killing us,"
he made for the water. Manabozho followed him, and, just as the duck was
getting into the water, gave him a kick, which is the cause of his back
being flattened and his legs being straightened out backward, so that
when he gets on land he cannot walk, and his tail feathers are few.
Meantime the other birds flew off, and the animals ran into the woods.
After this Manabozho set out to travel. He wished to outdo all others,
and to see new countries. But after walking over America and
encountering many adventures, he became satisfied as well as fatigued.
He had heard of great feats in hunting, and felt a desire to try his
power in that way. One evening, as he was walking along the shores of a
great lake, weary and hungry, he encountered a great magician in the
form of an old wolf, with six young ones, coming towards him. The wolf,
as soon as he saw him, told his whelps to keep out of the way of
Manabozho, "for I know," continued he, "that it is him that we see
yonder." The young wolves were in the act of running off, when
Manabozho cried out, "My grandchildren, where are you going? Stop, and
I will go with you." He appeared rejoiced to see the old wolf, and
asked him whither he was journeying. Being told that they were looking
out for a place, where they could find most game, to pass the winter,
he said he should like to go with them, and addressed the old wolf in
the following words: "Brother, I have a passion for the chase; are you
willing to change me into a wolf?" He was answered favorably, and his
transformation immediately effected.
Manabozho was fond of novelty. He found himself a wolf corresponding in
size with the others, but he was not quite satisfied with the change,
crying out, "Oh, make me a little larger." They did so. "A little larger
still," he exclaimed. They said, "Let us humor him," and granted his
request. "Well," said he, "_that_ will do." He looked at his tail. "Oh!"
cried he, "do make my tail a little longer and more bushy." They did so.
They then all started off in company, dashing up a ravine. After getting
into the woods some distance, they fell in with the tracks of moose. The
young ones went after them, Manabozho and the old wolf following at
their leisure. "Well," said the wolf, "who do you think is the fastest
of the boys? can you tell by the jumps they take?" "Why," he replied,
"that one that takes such long jumps, he is the fastest, to be sure."
"Ha! ha! you are mistaken," said the old wolf. "He makes a good start,
but he will be the first to tire out; this one, who appears to be
behind, will be the one to kill the game." They then came to the place
where the boys had started in chase. One had dropped his small bundle.
"Take that, Manabozho," said the old wolf. "Esa," he replied, "what will
I do with a dirty dogskin?" The wolf took it up; it was a beautiful
robe. "Oh, I will carry it now," said Manabozho. "Oh no," replied the
wolf, who at the moment exerted his magic power; "it is a robe of
pearls!" And from this moment he omitted no occasion to display his
superiority, both in the hunter's and magician's art, above his
conceited companion. Coming to a place where the moose had lain down,
they saw that the young wolves had made a fresh start after their prey.
"Why," said the wolf, "this moose is poor. I know by the tracks, for I
can always tell whether they are fat or not." They next came to a place
where one of the wolves had bit at the moose, and had broken one of his
teeth on a tree. "Manabozho," said the wolf, "one of your grandchildren
has shot at the game. Take his arrow; there it is." "No," he replied;
"what will I do with a dirty dog's tooth!" The old man took it up, and
behold! it was a beautiful silver arrow. When they overtook the
youngsters, they had killed a very fat moose. Manabozho was very hungry;
but, alas! such is the power of enchantment, he saw nothing but the
bones picked quite clean. He thought to himself, "Just as I expected,
dirty, greedy fellows!" However, he sat down without saying a word. At
length the old wolf spoke to one of the young ones, saying, "Give some
meat to your grandfather." One of them obeyed, and, coming near to
Manabozho, opened his mouth as if he was about to vomit. He jumped up,
saying, "You filthy dog, you have eaten so much that your stomach
refuses to hold it. Get you gone into some other place." The old wolf,
hearing the abuse, went a little to one side to see, and behold, a heap
of fresh ruddy meat, with the fat, lying all ready prepared. He was
followed by Manabozho, who, having the enchantment instantly removed,
put on a smiling face. "Amazement!" said he; "how fine the meat is."
"Yes," replied the wolf; "it is always so with us; we know our work, and
always get the best. It is not a long tail that makes a hunter."
Manabozho bit his lip.
They then commenced fixing their winter quarters, while the youngsters
went out in search of game, and soon brought in a large supply. One day,
during the absence of the young wolves, the old one amused himself in
cracking the large bones of a moose. "Manabozho," said he, "cover your
head with the robe, and do not look at me while I am at these bones, for
a piece may fly in your eye." He did as he was told; but, looking
through a rent that was in the robe, he saw what the other was about.
Just at that moment a piece flew off and hit him on the eye. He cried
out, "Tyau, why do you strike me, you old dog?" The wolf said, "You must
have been looking at me." But deception commonly leads to falsehood.
"No, no," he said, "why should I want to look at you?" "Manabozho," said
the wolf, "you _must_ have been looking, or you would not have got
hurt." "No, no," he replied again, "I was not. I will repay the saucy
wolf this," thought he to himself. So, next day, taking up a bone to
obtain the marrow, he said to the wolf, "Cover your head and don't look
at me, for I fear a piece may fly in your eye." The wolf did so. He then
took the leg-bone of the moose, and looking first to see if the wolf was
well covered, he hit him a blow with all his might. The wolf jumped up,
cried out, and fell prostrate from the effects of the blow. "Why," said
he, "do you strike me so?" "Strike you!" he replied; "no, you must have
been looking at me." "No," answered the wolf, "I say I have not." But he
persisted in the assertion, and the poor magician had to give up.
Manabozho was an expert hunter when he earnestly undertook it. He went
out one day and killed a fat moose. He was very hungry, and sat down to
eat. But immediately he fell into great doubts as to the proper point to
begin. "Well," said he, "I do not know where to commence. At the head?
No! People will laugh, and say 'he ate him backward.'" He went to the
side. "No!" said he, "they will say I ate sideways." He then went to the
hind-quarter. "No!" said he, "they will say I ate him forward. I will
commence _here_, say what they will." He took a delicate piece from the
rump, and was just ready to put it in his mouth, when a tree close by
made a creaking noise, caused by the rubbing of one large branch against
another. This annoyed him. "Why!" he exclaimed, "I cannot eat when I
hear such a noise. Stop! stop!" said he to the tree. He was putting the
morsel again to his mouth, when the noise was repeated. He put it down,
exclaiming, "I _cannot eat_ with such a noise;" and immediately left
the meat, although very hungry, to go and put a stop to the noise. He
climbed the tree and was pulling at the limb, when his arm was caught
between the two branches so that he could not extricate himself. While
thus held fast, he saw a pack of wolves coming in the direction towards
his meat. "Go that way! go that way!" he cried out; "what would you come
to get here?" The wolves talked among themselves and said, "Manabozho
must have something there, or he would not tell us to go another way."
"I begin to know him," said an old wolf, "and all his tricks. Let us go
forward and see." They came on, and finding the moose, soon made way
with the whole carcass. Manabozho looked on wishfully to see them eat
till they were fully satisfied, and they left him nothing but the bare
bones. The next heavy blast of wind opened the branches and liberated
him. He went home, thinking to himself, "See the effect of meddling with
frivolous things when I had certain good in my possession."
Next day the old wolf addressed him thus: "My brother, I am going to
separate from you, but I will leave behind me one of the young wolves to
be your hunter." He then departed. In the act Manabozho was
disenchanted, and again resumed his mortal shape. He was sorrowful and
dejected, but soon resumed his wonted air of cheerfulness. The young
wolf who was left with him was a good hunter, and never failed to keep
the lodge well supplied with meat. One day he addressed him as follows:
"My grandson, I had a dream last night, and it does not portend good. It
is of the large lake which lies in _that_ direction (pointing). You must
be careful never to cross it, even if the ice should appear good. If you
should come to it at night weary or hungry, you must make the circuit of
it." Spring commenced, and the snow was melting fast before the rays of
the sun, when one evening the wolf came to this lake, weary with the
day's chase. He disliked to go so far to make the circuit of it.
"Hwooh!" he exclaimed, "there can be no great harm in trying the ice, as
it appears to be sound. Nesho[20] is over cautious on this point." But
he had not got half way across when the ice gave way and he fell in, and
was immediately seized by the serpents, who knew it was Manabozho's
grandson, and were thirsting for revenge upon him. Manabozho sat
pensively in his lodge.
Night came on, but no son returned. The second and third night passed,
but he did not appear. He became very desolate and sorrowful. "Ah!"
said he, "he must have disobeyed me, and has lost his life in that lake
I told him of. Well!" said he at last, "I must mourn for him." So he
took coal and blackened his face. But he was much perplexed as to the
right mode. "I wonder," said he, "how I must do it? I will cry 'Oh! my
grandson! Oh! my grandson!'" He burst out a laughing. "No! no! that
won't do. I will try so--'Oh! my heart! Oh! my heart! ha! ha! ha!'.
That won't do either. I will cry, 'Oh my grandson _obiquadj_!'"[21]
This satisfied him, and he remained in his lodge and fasted, till his
days of mourning were over. "Now," said he, "I will go in search of
him." He set out and travelled some time. At last he came to a great
lake. He then raised the same cries of lamentation for his grandson
which had pleased him. He sat down near a small brook that emptied
itself into the lake, and repeated his cries. Soon a bird called
_Ke-ske-mun-i-see_[22] came near to him. The bird inquired, "What are
you doing here?" "Nothing," he replied; "but can you tell me whether
any one lives in this lake, and what brings you here yourself?" "Yes!"
responded the bird; "the Prince of Serpents lives here, and I am
watching to see whether the obiquadj of Manabozho's grandson will not
drift ashore, for he was killed by the serpents last spring. But are
you not Manabozho himself?" "No," he answered, with his usual deceit;
"how do you think _he_ could get to this place? But tell me, do the
serpents ever appear? when? and where? Tell me all about their habits."
"Do you see that beautiful white sandy beach?" said the bird. "Yes!" he
answered. "It is there," continued the Kingfisher, "that they bask in
the sun. Before they come out, the lake will appear perfectly calm; not
even a ripple will appear. After midday (na-wi-qua) you will see them."
"Thank you," he replied; "I am Manabozho himself. I have come in search
of the body of my son, and to seek my revenge. Come near me that I may
put a medal round your neck as a reward for your information." The bird
unsuspectingly came near, and received a white medal, which can be seen
to this day.[23] While bestowing the medal, he attempted slyly to wring
the bird's head off, but it escaped him, with only a disturbance of the
crown feathers of its head, which are rumpled backward. He had found
out all he wanted to know, and then desired to conceal the knowledge of
his purposes by killing his informant.
He went to the sandy beach indicated, and transformed himself into an
oak stump. He had not been there long before he saw the lake perfectly
calm. Soon hundreds of monstrous serpents came crawling on the beach.
One of the number was beautifully white. He was the prince. The others
were red and yellow. The prince spoke to those about him as follows: "I
never saw that black stump standing there before. It may be Manabozho.
There is no knowing but he may be somewhere about here. He has the
power of an evil genius, and we should be on our guard against his
wiles." One of the large serpents immediately went and twisted himself
around it to the top, and pressed it very hard. The greatest pressure
happened to be on his throat; he was just ready to cry out when the
serpent let go. Eight of them went in succession and did the like, but
always let go at the moment he was ready to cry out. "It cannot be
him," they said. "He is too great a weak-heart[24] for that." They then
coiled themselves in a circle about their prince. It was a long time
before they fell asleep. When they did so, Manabozho took his bow and
arrows, and cautiously stepping over the serpents till he came to the
prince, drew up his arrow with the full strength of his arm, and shot
him in the left side. He then gave a saw-saw-quan,[25] and ran off at
full speed. The sound uttered by the snakes on seeing their prince
mortally wounded, was horrible. They cried, "Manabozho has killed our
prince; go in chase of him." Meantime he ran over hill and valley, to
gain the interior of the country, with all his strength and speed,
treading a mile at a step. But his pursuers were also spirits, and he
could hear that something was approaching him fast. He made for the
highest mountain, and climbed the highest tree on its summit, when,
dreadful to behold, the whole lower country was seen to be overflowed,
and the water was gaining rapidly on the high lands. He saw it reach to
the foot of the mountain, and at length it came up to the foot of the
tree, but there was no abatement. The flood rose steadily and
perceptibly. He soon felt the lower part of his body to be immersed in
it. He addressed the tree: "Grandfather, stretch yourself." The tree
did so. But the waters still rose. He repeated his request, and was
again obeyed. He asked a third time, and was again obeyed; but the tree
replied, "It is the last time; I cannot get any higher." The waters
continued to rise till they reached up to his chin, at which point they
stood, and soon began to abate. Hope revived in his heart. He then cast
his eyes around the illimitable expanse, and spied a loon. "Dive down,
my brother," he said to him, "and fetch up some earth, so that I can
make a new earth." The bird obeyed, but rose up to the surface a
lifeless form. He then saw a muskrat. "Dive!" said he, "and if you
succeed, you may hereafter live either on land or water, as you please;
or I will give you a chain of beautiful little lakes, surrounded with
rushes, to inhabit." He dove down, but he floated up senseless. He took
the body and breathed in his nostrils, which restored him to life. "Try
again," said he. The muskrat did so. He came up senseless the second
time, but clutched a little earth in one of his paws, from which,
together with the carcass of the dead loon, he created a new earth as
large as the former had been, with all living animals, fowls, and
plants.
As he was walking to survey the new earth, he heard some one singing.
He went to the place, and found a female spirit, in the disguise of an
old woman, singing these words, and crying at every pause:--
"Ma nau bo sho, O dó zheem un,
Ogeem´ au wun, Onis´ sa waun,
Hee-Ub bub ub bub (crying).
Dread Manabozho in revenge,
For his grandson lost--
Has killed the chief--the king."
"Noko," said he, "what is the matter?" "Matter!" said she, "where have
you been, not to have heard how Manabozho shot my son, the prince of
serpents, in revenge for the loss of his nephew, and how the earth was
overflowed, and created anew? So I brought my son here, that he might
kill and destroy the inhabitants, as he did on the former earth. But,"
she continued, casting a scrutinizing glance, "N'yau! indego Manabozho!
hub! ub! ub! ub! Oh, I am afraid you are Manabozho!" He burst out into
a laugh to quiet her fears. "Ha! ha! ha! how can that be? Has not the
old earth perished, and all that was in it?" "Impossible! impossible!"
"But, Noko," he continued, "what do you intend doing with all that
cedar cord on your back?" "Why," said she, "I am fixing a snare for
Manabozho, if he should be on this earth; and, in the mean time, I am
looking for herbs to heal my son. I am the only person that can do him
any good. He always gets better when I sing--
"'Manabozho a ne we guawk,
Koan dan mau wah, ne we guawk,
Koan dan mau wah, ne we guawk.'
It is Manabozho's dart,
I try my magic power to withdraw."
Having found out, by conversation with her, all he wished, he put her
to death. He then took off her skin, and assuming this disguise, took
the cedar cord on his back, and limped away singing her songs. He
completely aped the gait and voice of the old woman. He was met by one
who told him to make haste; that the prince was worse. At the lodge,
limping and muttering, he took notice that they had his grandson's hide
to hang over the door. "Oh dogs!" said he; "the evil dogs!" He sat down
near the door, and commenced sobbing like an aged woman. One observed,
"Why don't you attend the sick, and not set there making such a noise?"
He took up the poker and laid it on them, mimicking the voice of the
old woman. "Dogs that you are! why do you laugh at me? You know very
well that I am so sorry that I am nearly out of my head." With that he
approached the prince, singing the songs of the old woman, without
exciting any suspicion. He saw that his arrow had gone in about one
half its length. He pretended to make preparations for extracting it,
but only made ready to finish his victim; and giving the dart a sudden
thrust, he put a period to the prince's life. He performed this act
with the power of a giant, bursting the old woman's skin, and at the
same moment rushing through the door, the serpents following him,
hissing and crying out, "Perfidy! murder! vengeance! it is Manabozho."
He immediately transformed himself into a wolf, and ran over the plain
with all his speed, aided by his father the West Wind. When he got to
the mountains he saw a badger. "Brother," said he, "make a hole quick,
for the serpents are after me." The badger obeyed. They both went in,
and the badger threw all the earth backward, so that it filled up the
way behind.
The serpents came to the badger's wauzh,[26] and decided to watch. "We
will starve him out," said they; so they continued watching. Manabozho
told the badger to make an opening on the other side of the mountain,
from which he could go out and hunt, and bring meat in. Thus they lived
some time. One day the badger came in his way and displeased him. He
immediately put him to death, and threw out his carcass, saying, "I
don't like you to be getting in my way so often."
After living in this confinement for some time alone, he decided to go
out. He immediately did so; and after making the circuit of the
mountain, came to the corpse of the prince, who had been deserted by
the serpents to pursue his destroyer. He went to work and skinned him.
He then drew on his skin, in which there were great virtues, took up
his war-club, and set out for the place where he first went in the
ground. He found the serpents still watching. When they saw the form of
their dead prince advancing towards them, fear and dread took hold of
them. Some fled. Those who remained Manabozho killed. Those who fled
went towards the South.
Having accomplished the victory over the reptiles, Manabozho returned
to his former place of dwelling, and married the arrow-maker's
daughter.
After Manabozho had killed the Prince of Serpents, he was living in a
state of great want, completely deserted by his powers, as a deity, and
not able to procure the ordinary means of subsistence. He was at this
time living with his wife and children, in a remote part of the
country, where he could get no game. He was miserably poor. It was
winter, and he had not the common Indian comforts.