who will some day be
great warriors to go to bed, and for all young women to seek rest, lest
beauty go away forever. Ho!"

HOW THE DUCKS GOT THEIR FINE FEATHERS

Another night had come, and I made my way toward War Eagle's lodge. In
the bright moonlight the dead leaves of the quaking-aspen fluttered
down whenever the wind shook the trees; and over the village great
flocks of ducks and geese and swan passed in a never-ending procession,
calling to each other in strange tones as they sped away toward the
waters that never freeze.

In the lodge War Eagle waited for his grandchildren, and when they had
entered, happily, he laid aside his pipe and said:

"The Duck-people are travelling to-night just as they have done since
the world was young. They are going away from winter because they
cannot make a living when ice covers the rivers.

"You have seen the Duck-people often. You have noticed that they wear
fine clothes but you do not know how they got them; so I will tell you
to-night.

"It was in the fall when leaves are yellow that it happened, and long,
long ago. The Duck-people had gathered to go away, just as they are
doing now. The buck-deer was coming down from the high ridges to visit
friends in the lowlands along the streams as they have always done. On
a lake OLD-man saw the Duck-people getting ready to go away, and at
that time they all looked alike; that is, they all wore the same
colored clothes. The loons and the geese and the ducks were there and
playing in the sunlight. The loons were laughing loudly and the diving
was fast and merry to see. On the hill where OLD-man stood there was a
great deal of moss, and he began to tear it from the ground and roll it
into a great ball. When he had gathered all he needed he shouldered
the load and started for the shore of the lake, staggering under the
weight of the great burden. Finally the Duck-people saw him coming
with his load of moss and began to swim away from the shore.

"'Wait, my brothers!' he called, 'I have a big load here, and I am
going to give you people a dance. Come and help me get things ready.'

"'Don't you do it,' said the gray goose to the others; 'that's OLD-man
and he is up to something bad, I am sure.'

"So the loon called to OLD-man and said they wouldn't help him at all.

"Right near the water OLD-man dropped his ball of moss and then cut
twenty long poles. With the poles he built a lodge which he covered
with the mos