All the animals are here," said the Great Spirit. "They are waiting to
hear whose blood is best for the serpent."

The mosquito tried to answer, "The blood of man," but he could not say a
word. He could make no sound but "Kss-ksss-ksssss!"

"What do you say?"

"Kss-ksss-ksssss!" buzzed the mosquito angrily.

All the creatures wondered. Then said the swallow:--

"Great Father, the mosquito is timid and cannot answer you. I met him
before we came, and he told me whose blood it was."

"Then let us know at once," said the Great Spirit.

[Illustration]

"It is the blood of the frog," answered the swallow quickly. "Is it not
so, friend mosquito?"

"Kss-ksss-ksssss!" hissed the angry mosquito.

"The serpent shall have the frog's blood," said the Great Spirit. "Man
shall be his food no longer."

Now the serpent was angry with the swallow, for he did not like frog's
blood. As the swallow flew near him, he seized him by the tail and tore
away a little of it. This is why the swallow's tail is forked, and it is
why man always looks upon the swallow as his friend.

WHY THE WHITE HARES HAVE BLACK EARS.

In the forest there is a beautiful spirit. All the beasts and all the
birds are dear to him, and he likes to have them gentle and good. One
morning he saw some of his little white hares fighting one another, and
each trying to seize the best of the food.

"Oh, my selfish little hares," he said sadly, "why do you fight and try
to seize the best of everything for yourselves? Why do you not live in
love together?"

"Tell us a story and we will be good," cried the hares.

Then the spirit of the forest was glad. "I will tell you a story of how
you first came to live on the green earth with the other animals," he
said, "and why it is that you are white, and the other hares are not."

Then the little hares came close about the spirit of the forest, and sat
very still to hear the story.

"Away up above the stars," the gentle spirit began, "the sky children
were all together one snowy day. They threw snowflakes at one another,
and some of the snowflakes fell from the sky. They came down swiftly
between the stars and among the branches of the trees. At last they lay
on the green earth. They were the first that had ever come to the earth,
and no one knew what they were. The swallow asked, 'What are they?' and
the butterfly answered, 'I do not know.' The spirit of the sky was
listening, and he said, 'We call them sno