ry glad to meet you. I am told that you are more powerful than any
man on earth, and as I am powerful too, let us try which is the
strongest.'

'That will be delightful,' answered he. 'Suppose we begin with a short
race, and then we will go on to other things.'

'That will suit me very well,' replied the woman, who was a witch.
'And let us agree that the one who wins shall have the right to kill
the other.'

'Oh, certainly,' said Ball-Carrier; 'and I don't think we shall find a
flatter course than the prairie itself--no one knows how many miles it
stretches. We will run to the end and back again.'

This being settled they both made ready for the race, and Ball-Carrier
silently begged the good spirits to help him, and not to let him fall
into the hands of this wicked witch.

'When the sun touches the trunk of that tree we will start,' said she,
as they both stood side by side. But with the first step Ball-Carrier
changed himself into a wolf and for a long way kept ahead. Then
gradually he heard her creeping up behind him, and soon she was in
front. So Ball-Carrier took the shape of a pigeon and flew rapidly
past her, but in a little while she was in front again, and the end of
the prairie was in sight. 'A crow can fly faster than a pigeon,'
thought he, and as a crow he managed to pass her and held his ground
so long that he fancied she was quite beaten. The witch began to be
afraid of it too, and putting out all her strength slipped past him.
Next he put on the shape of a hawk, and in this form he reached the
bounds of the prairie, he and the witch turning homewards at the
moment.

Bird after bird he tried, but every time the witch gained on him and
took the lead. At length the goal was in sight, and Ball-Carrier knew
that unless he could get ahead now he would be killed before his own
door, under the eyes of his wife. His eyes had grown dim from fatigue,
his wings flapped wearily and hardly bore him along, while the witch
seemed as fresh as ever. What bird was there whose flight was swifter
than his? Would not the good spirits tell him? Ah, of course he knew;
why had he not thought of it at first and spared himself all that
fatigue? And the next instant a humming bird, dressed in green and
blue, flashed past the woman and entered the house. The witch came
panting up, furious at having lost the race which she felt certain of
winning; and Ball-Carrier, who had by this time changed back into his
own shape, struck h