ies which spring up in the path of human life, and the
labours which he is compelled to bestow upon the procuring of food,
with cheerfulness and alacrity. He now went in the morning to the
forest glade to hunt the red deer, and his toils were not thought of,
because, when they were ended, when the woods, made dark by the coming
shades of night, rang shrill with the lay of the fire-bird, and his
shafts were all spent, he could bear home the spoils they had won, and
be rejoiced by the smiles of his companion and wife.

Atahensic bore her husband two children, a son and a daughter. These
two married, and built themselves a lodge far from their parents. They
had many children, but Michabou, who came down now and then, to see
how things were going on, observing the slow rate at which the world
was peopling, determined to adopt another plan. So he told Atoacan
that, upon the death of every animal, he must skin it. He must burn
the skin, drop a drop of his own blood upon the carcase, and cover it
up carefully with dry leaves from the forest trees. Upon the fourth
day after he had covered it with leaves, if he would remove the
leaves, he would find beneath them a sleeping infant, which, upon
waking, would utter a cry of surprise, at finding itself no longer a
beast but a human being. Each of these beings would possess the power
to assist in the like multiplication of the species, but be denied
other power of procreation. Having thus left directions for the speedy
peopling of the world, Michabou again ascended to the heavens, which
he has not left since.

Atoacan and his son carefully obeyed the commands which had been laid
upon them, and of every beast or four-footed creature that died he
formed a human being. These human beings were gifted with the
qualities and passions which belonged to them in life: these they have
retained, and thence it is that, at this day, the dispositions of men
are so various. We see one crafty and subtle--he has the blood of the
fox; another cruel, malicious, blood-thirsty--he is descended from
the wolf. The red skin is courageous--the horse was his father; the
white man is a coward--his mother was a sheep. One is full of
sprightliness and agility--he is of the blood of the mountain-cat;
another is clumsy--the musk-ox was his father. Strange and various are
the dispositions which men have--cunning, subtle, sly, wise, brave,
prudent, careless, cowardly, peaceable, blood-thirsty. These are
qualities