arted out, and soon pounced upon a duck.

"Well done!" thought his brother, who saw his success; but, just as he
was getting to land with his prize, up came a large white owl from a
tree, where he had been watching, and laid claim to it. He was about
wresting it from him, when Meeji-geeg-wona came up, and, fixing his
talons in both sides of the owl, flew home with him.

The little pigeon hawk followed him closely, and was rejoiced and happy
to think he had brought home something at last. He then flew in the
owl's face, and wanted to tear out his eyes, and vented his passion in
abundance of reproachful terms. "Softly," said the Gray Eagle; "do not
be in such a passion, or exhibit so revengeful a disposition; for this
will be a lesson to him not to tyrannize over any one who is weaker
than himself for the future." So, after giving him good advice, and
telling him what kind of herbs would cure his wounds, they let the owl
go.

While this act was taking place, and before the liberated owl had yet
got out of view, two visitors appeared at the hollow tree. They were
the two nestmates, who had just returned from the south after passing
the winter there, and they were thus all happily reunited, and each one
soon chose a mate and flew off to the woods. Spring had now revisited
the north. The cold winds had ceased, the ice had melted, the streams
were open, and the forest began rapidly to put on its vernal hue. "But
it is in vain," said the old man who related this story, "it is in vain
that spring returns, if we are not thankful to the Master of Life who
has preserved us through the winter. Nor does that man answer the end
for which he was made who does not show a kind and charitable feeling
to all who are in want or sickness, especially to his blood relations.
These six birds only represent one of our impoverished northern
families of children, who had been deprived of both their parents and
the aid of their elder brother nearly at the same time."

[87] Owl.

WEENG,

THE SPIRIT OF SLEEP.

Sleep is personified by the Odjibwas under the name of Weeng.[88] The
power of the Indian Morpheus is executed by a peculiar class of
gnome-like beings, called _Weengs_. These subordinate creations,
although invisible to the human eye, are each armed with a tiny
war-club, or puggamaugun, with which they nimbly climb up the forehead,
and knock the drowsy person on the head; on which sleepiness is
immediately produced. If