u life, and if you
lose it this way I will return it to you. You shall live again!'

"'All right, OLD-man,' he answered, 'I am willing to try'; so he
waddled to the edge of the raft. He is a poor walker--the Loon, and
you know I told you why. It was all because OLD-man kicked him in the
back the night he painted all the Duck-people.

"Down went the Spotted Loon, and long he stayed beneath the water. All
waited and watched, and longed for good luck, but when he came to the
top he was dead. Everybody groaned--all felt badly, I can tell you, as
OLD-man laid the dead Loon on the logs. The Loon's wife was crying,
but OLD-man told her to shut up and she did.

"Then OLD-man blew his own breath into the Loon's bill, and he came
back to life.

"'What did you see, Brother Loon?' asked OLD-man, while everybody
crowded as close as he could.

"'Nothing but water,' answered the Loon, 'we shall all die here, I
cannot reach the world by swimming. My heart stops working.'

"There were many brave ones on the raft, and the Otter tried to reach
the world by diving; and the Beaver, and the Gray Goose, and the Gray
Goose's wife; but all died in trying, and all were given a new life by
OLD-man. Things were bad and getting worse. Everybody was cross, and
all wondered what OLD-man would do next, when somebody laughed.

"All turned to see what there could be to laugh at, at such a time, and
OLD-man turned about just in time to see the Muskrat bid good-by to his
wife--that was what they were laughing at. But he paid no attention to
OLD-man or the rest, and slipped from the raft to the water.
Flip!--his tail cut the water like a knife, and he was gone. Some
laughed again, but all wondered at his daring, and waited with little
hope in their hearts; for the Muskrat wasn't very great, they thought.

"He was gone longer than the Loon, longer than the Beaver, longer than
the Otter or the Gray Goose or his wife, but when he came to the
surface of the water he was dead.

"OLD-man brought Muskrat back to life, and asked him what he had seen
on his journey. Muskrat said: 'I saw trees, OLD-man, but I died before
I got to them.'

"OLD-man told him he was brave. He said his people should forever be
great if he succeeded in bringing some dirt to the raft; so just as
soon as the Muskrat was rested he dove again.

"When he came up he was dead, but clinched in his tiny hand OLD-man
found some dirt--not much, but a little. A second time