riends the men.

"'Cannot you,' said he, 'do something to heal their diseases and save
the human race from destruction?'

"After much coming and going on the part of A-bal-ka the ground
squirrel, and much talking and thinking on the part of the plants and
trees, it was resolved that they, too, should hold councils, to see
what they could do toward checking and overcoming the evils which had
befallen the human race.

* * * * *

"First the big trees of the forest and the shrubs held their council.
They talked over the matter and agreed that each should do all in its
power to furnish remedies to cure the diseases which the wild folk had
inflicted upon men.

"'We,' said the pine, the spruce, and the balsam trees, 'will give our
gums and our balsam.' The slippery elm offered its bark; the sassafras
its roots; the cherry tree its bark and its berries. One after another,
the other trees and shrubs offered their berries, their bark, their
leaves, or their roots as medicine to heal the diseases of men.

* * * * *

"Next the plants held their council and resolved to come to the aid of
men in their distress. 'I,' said the ginseng plant, 'will give my roots
to make a healing drink. It shall be good for headaches and for cramps
and for many other kinds of pains and aches.'

"'And I,' said the snake-root, 'will give my roots also for a healing
drink. It shall cure fevers and coughs and many other diseases.'

"And so it went on. The silkweed, the skull-cap, catnip, boneset, the
peppermint, wild ginger, wintergreen, and scores of other plants, all
gladly offered their roots, their berries, or their leaves.

* * * * *

"Their number was so great that the little striped squirrel, who had
attended both councils, was scarcely able to remember them all.

"After the councils were over, he went about among the villages of the
Red Men and told them what the trees and the plants had said. They at
once began to gather and prepare the medicines which they needed to cure
the different diseases from which they suffered. And from this time, on
account of the use of these medicines, they were sometimes able to heal
their diseases and save many of their people from death.

"This is the story of how diseases came upon men and medicines to cure
them were found.

"The Red Men were grateful to the little ground squirrel for the help he
had given t