'S CONQUEST
THE RED SWAN
THE WHISPERING GRASS
THE LEGEND OF MACKINAC ISLAND
THE ADVENTURES OF WESAKCHAK
I. THE WONDERFUL BALL
II. A WONDERFUL JOURNEY
III. THE GRAY GOOSE
IV. LITTLE BROTHER RABBIT
V. THE BALD-HEADED EAGLES
A BATTLE WITH THE SIOUX
PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY
THIRTY INDIAN LEGENDS
THE GIANT BEAR
In the far north there was a village where many warlike Indians lived.
In one family there were ten brothers, all brave and fearless. In the
spring of the year the youngest brother blackened his face and fasted
for several days. Then he sent for his nine brothers and said to them:
"I have fasted and dreamed, and my dreams are good. Will you come on a
war journey with me?"
"Yes," they all said readily.
"Then tell no one, not even your wives, of our plan." They agreed to
meet on a certain night so that no one should see them go. One brother
was named Mudjekeewis, and he was very odd. He was the first to
promise that he would not tell. The next two days were spent in
preparations for the journey. Mudjekeewis told his wife many times to
get his moccasins for him.
"And hurry." he said; "do hurry."
"Why do you want them?" she asked. "You have a good pair on."
"Well, if you must know, we are going on a war journey," he answered.
When the night had come which the leader had named, they met at his
wigwam and set out on their long journey. The snow lay on the ground,
and the night was very dark.
After they had travelled some miles, the leader gathered some snow and
made it into a ball. He threw it in the air and said, as it fell, "It
was thus I saw the snow fall in my dreams to cover our footmarks, so
that no one may follow us."
The snow began to fall heavily and continued for two days. It was so
thick that they could scarcely see each other, though they walked very
closely together.
The leader cheered his brothers by telling them they would win in their
battle. At this Mudjekeewis, who was walking behind, ran forward. He
swung his war-club in the air and uttered the war-cry. Then bringing
his war-club down, he struck a tree, and it fell as if hit by lightning.
"See, brothers," he said, "this is the way I shall serve our enemy."
"Hush, Mudjekeewis," said the leader. "He whom we are going to fight
cannot be treated so lightly."
Then they travelled on for several days, until at last they reached the
borders of the White Plain,
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