s restored, Souwanas, who had been much amused by Mary's
ire, resumed his story:

"When Nokomis heard her grandson describe how he was going to let the
monster swallow him she resolved to come and pitch her tent on the
seashore, among the people who had been so troubled, and there to await the
return of her grandson, if he should ever come back from such a perilous
adventure.

"Nanahboozhoo asked his mother for some magic singing sticks, and also for
a very sharp knife. Then he made for himself a small raft of logs and,
bidding her good-bye for a short time, he sprang on it and was soon
floating out, in search of the dreaded creature, over the great waters.

"When well out from the shore he began to make music with his magic sticks
and to sing a defiant song:

"'Ho, ho! great fish down in the sea,
Come, if you dare, and swallow me.
My brothers all you're fond of eating,
'Tis time some one gave you a beating.
He, he! Hi, hi! Ho, ho! Ho, ho!

"'You see I am not far away,
So come and taste me while you may;
Yet not afraid am I, no, no!
So hurry up, old fish. Ho, ho!
He, he! Hi, hi! Ho, ho! Ho, ho!'

"Nanahboozhoo sang this brave song over and over, to the weird harmony of
his magic music sticks, until he reached the place where the great fish was
resting.

"When the great monster Mooshekinnebik heard the voice of Nanahboozhoo he
came up to the surface of the water to find out who was making all that
music and shouting out such defiant words.

"When he saw that it was only one young man on a raft of dry logs, he
ordered one of his children to go and knock the raft to pieces and swallow
that noisy fellow. But this was not what Nanahboozhoo wanted, and so he
shouted out:

"'I want the old father fish to eat me.'

"This made old Mooshekinnebik very angry, and so, open mouthed, he rushed
furiously at Nanahboozhoo who, when the great monster was close enough,
took a leap into the open mouth and was immediately swallowed up.

"For a short time after being swallowed Nanahboozhoo was unconscious, but
he soon recovered himself and was able to look around and see the queer
prison in which he was now confined. It was fortunate for him that he had
eyes like a cat, and so could see as well in the dark as in the light. He
found that he was not the only inmate of this queer prison; there were a
lot of creatures whom he called his brothers--the bear, the deer, the fox,
the beaver and even the squirrel.