snare enough rabbits to suit him."

Souwanas, who was one of the kind-hearted Indians, never cruel to any of
his family, was much amused at the fire and indignation with which the
young lad spoke. So after he had had comfortable seats arranged for the
children among the robes and blankets he endeavored to satisfy their
demands. "Nanahboozhoo," he said, "did such things long ago, but once,
when he was giving a good thrashing to a man who had been very cruel to his
wife, the wife, as soon as she was able, sprang up from the place where her
husband had knocked her to, seized a paddle and attacked Nanahboozhoo with
such fury that he resolved never to interfere again, if he could help it,
in a quarrel between man and wife. And," added the old man, with a merry
twinkle in his eye, "it is best for everybody, if possible, to keep out of
such quarrels."

"Yes, but, mismis" (grandfather, Minnehaha's pet name for Souwanas), "you
surely know a nice story in which Nanahboozhoo helped some one without
getting into trouble himself."

"Of course I do, my grandchild," said the old man, "and I know you will be
pleased with it.

"My story is about a lovely Indian maiden who was bothered by a cruel
hunter. He was determined that she should marry him, although she did not
like him, and Nanahboozhoo came to her rescue.

"The maiden's name was Waubenoo. She had the misfortune to lose both her
father and mother when she was about eighteen years old. There were four
children, all much younger than she, left in her sole care. They had no
uncles or aunts, or other relatives, near, to take care of them, and so
Waubenoo had to hunt and fish to get food for her little brothers and
sisters. Fortunately her father had left a number of good traps and nets,
and plenty of twine for snares, and so the industrious girl got on fairly
well. The great lake near her wigwam was well supplied with fish, and the
forests all round had in them many rabbits and partridges and other small
game. When great storms arose on the big lake, and Waubenoo could not go
out alone in her birch bark canoe to visit her nets, some of the Indians,
who were pleased to see how kind and industrious she was, would overhaul
her nets and bring in what fish were caught. Thus she toiled on, and with
the assistance of these kind Indians she did very nicely. Her little
brothers and sisters loved her dearly, and did what they could to help in
the simpler and easier part of the work. Every