Little CHIPPEWAY Indian boys have lots of good times. In the spring they
help their fathers and big brothers to make maple sugar. They watch the
birch-bark troughs and, when one is full of sap, carry and empty it into
a big kettle over a fire to boil down.
Often the bears find the sap during the night, and, as they like sweets
very much, drink it all; and the little boys are disappointed in the
morning, when they go around with their birch-bark buckets, to find it
all gone. Sometimes the bears try to steal the boiling syrup, and then
they get their paws badly burned for trying to be thieves.
[Illustration: THE BEARS FIND THE SAP.]
In summer, the boys love to swim and play in the little lakes that are
so numerous in the region of their home. One afternoon a number of boys
got into a canoe and paddled, and as many other boys waded out into one
of the shallow lakes to have some fun. The boys in the water were to try
and take the canoe away from the boys that were inside. Oh, how hard the
two sides worked, one to keep the boat right side up, and the other
side to capture it; for if they tipped the canoe and spilled all the
boys out they gained the victory, and would get in and see if they could
hold it. They splashed the water in all directions, and when one boy
fell or was pulled out of the boat, didn't he get a good ducking! The
little dog helped all he could by barking very loud and trying to
frighten the boys in the water.
They played until it was so dark they had to stop and go home.
Their houses, canoes, baskets, buckets and various other things, are
made out of the bark of the birch tree.
Whenever any of the CHIPPEWAY Indians want to go visiting, they always
go in canoes when possible, for they are canoe Indians and almost live
in their boats. They seldom go visiting on horseback as most other
tribes do.
[Illustration: THEY ALWAYS GO IN CANOES.]
[Illustration]