hen they see these things on the rocks,
will call them Wau-konug (lichen), and although they are poor food they
will keep them from starving when they have nothing better.'

"This is the Indian tradition of the origin of the patches of lichen
attached to the bare rocks. The Indians still call them 'no-scabs,' and
when boiled they make a kind of jelly food which is a little better than
starvation.

"Then Nanahboozhoo, although his back was bleeding from his sliding down
the rough rocks, continued walking, sometimes along the shore and sometimes
in the thick bush. In one place where the thicket was very dense such was
his magic power that he pulled a lot of the thickets together and walked
over on their tops. When he looked back he saw that the blood from the
wounds in his back had given a red color to the bushes over which he had
walked. Then said Nanahboozhoo:

"'My nephews will call these bushes "Me-squah-be-me-sheen" (red willows).
They will use them to stop bleeding when they meet with any severe
accidents;' and such the Indians still do when they live among them.

"This is the tradition as to the origin of the red willow, once so common
in many of the Indian haunts.

"The reason why the partridge is called Kosh-ko-e-wa-soo (one that
startles) is because one made even Nanahboozhoo give a big jump. It
happened in this way:

"As Nanahboozhoo was walking along one day in the woods he saw a small
creature. This little thing thought it would be best for him to be brave in
the presence of Nanahboozhoo, and so when he was asked who he was he
answered:

"'I am one who startles.'

"'You cannot startle me,' said Nanahboozhoo.

"The little creature suddenly flew away and Nanahboozhoo resumed his
journey. By and by he reached a dangerous rocky point on the shore. Just as
he was at the worst point the partridge suddenly flew almost from under his
feet with a rumbling noise, and so startled him that he jumped up, sprang
quickly aside, fell into the water, and got a great wetting. So even
Nanahboozhoo had to confirm the name of the little partridge."

The return trip was not much enjoyed by the children. The dead loons in the
canoe did not look as attractive as they had appeared when swimming and
diving so gracefully in the lake. Souwanas was quick to notice their
depression of spirits, and he there and then resolved that he would never
again shoot any living thing in their presence, and he faithfully kept his
resolve.