chak left his lodge and travelled over the prairie.
Towards nightfall he reached a low valley. He saw that the snow was
melting and that some feet of water lay in the valley. But he did not
stop for this. He walked on through the water, never resting even when
the darkness descended. But when the sun rose next morning, he saw
that the plan of the Evil Spirit was being carried out, for all around
him lay water. The Evil Spirit had melted the snow during the night,
and now every little stream was swollen as big as a river, and the
valley was full of water to the brim.

Wesakchak had to swim, and after he had gone some miles, he began to
feel very tired. Then the jackfish swam up to him and said, "My
Master, get on my back and I shall take you safely to the land."
Wesakchak at once did as he was told, and the jackfish, who was strong
and a swift swimmer, soon brought him safely to the dry land.

Then Wesakchak went home to his lodge. It was not far away, and he
could see it rising out of the water like an island, for the land on
which it was built was a tiny hill. He was very glad to be inside his
wigwam and to sit down beside the fire; but as he looked out through
the open door, he saw the water rising steadily, and knew that by
morning it would be in his lodge, and that he, if no help came, would
be drowned.

Wesakchak was very tired, and as he sat there thinking, he fell asleep,
and he had a strange dream. He thought Nihka, the wild goose, flew
into the wigwam and around and around near the top, napping her wings
and crying. She seemed to say, "Give me a message! Give me a message!
And I shall save you." Around and around she flew, and at last lighted
in the ashes of the smouldering fire and disappeared.

Then Wesakchak wakened, and as he looked around the wigwam, he knew
that Nihka must have been there, for everything had fallen on the floor
as if struck by her wings, and the floor of the lodge was covered with
ashes. The fire was out, and in the centre of it lay the quill of a
goose. Wesakchak picked it up, and saw that a little piece of birch
bark was rolled inside. He pulled it out, and as he did so, he heard
the honk-honk of a wild goose, and Nihka flew in at the door.

"Write on the birch bark," she said, "and I shall take it to your
friend the beaver."

Wesakchak did as she told him. He wrote a message on the birch bark
and slipped it in the hollow end of the quill. As he gave it to Nihka,