Ojibwa myths and tales

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ROBA

OJIBWA MYTHS AND

TALES

BY

COL. GEO. E. LAIDLAW

REPRINTED FROM THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT, 1915

Printed by

WILLIAM BRIGGS

Corner Queen and John Streets

Toronto

OJIBWA MYTHS AND TALES.

By COL. G. E. LAIDLAW.

, This series was obtained from Peter York this summer of 1915, when camped
I here with his family of basket makers, and also after his return to the Rama
Reserve where he lives. This reserve is to the east of Lake Couchiching in Ontario
Comity in Ontario Province. The tales told by John York were told in Ojibwa
■to Peter York and were written clown in English by Peter York, who can read and
write English. I have followed York's phraseology in the stories as closely as
possible, using Ins terms, such as " went to work." etc., and not changing his
meaning in any sense. Some of these stories may appear crude, and others rather
indefinite, but I have in no way altered them, preferring to leave them as they are.

John York is an old man of 96 years and his Indian name is " Kitche-
Penascie "' or " Big Thunder." Peter York is is years old and his Indian name is
" Penascie " or "Thunder." Both names, according to Peter, are "hard" names.
York frequently visits this section which is only a score of miles from the Reserve.

Xanahush is one of the variants of Nenebojo, others being Xanabo/ho and
Neiiehuc. This personage while being human possesses certain supernatural
powers, one of them being, that whoever or whatever he addressed had to answer
him. Xanahush seems to have been a joker and a scapegoat at times, and is re-
puted to l»e alive yet. York remarked upon one occasion that Xanahush " was ;i
sort of god" and addresses him as Mr. Xanahush. This band of Ojibwas did not
know where or when Nanabush was horn, or the circumstances (if his birth. Per-
haps some of the older Indians on the Reserve might know. Enquiries will he made
in the future.

York's ending to the stories is " This ends this story." And his use of the
words " great big " means a giant such as " a great big man," a giant. " A great
big beaver," a giant beaver, etc.

No. 1.

Nanabush and the Ducks. (Modern.) (No. 1.)

Told hi/ Peter York.

A long time ago Nanabush when out hunting ducks came to a lake. He saw
a nice bay, round (curved) all along to the end which we all know bays are not
straight. And in this bay there were a lot of ducks sitting along the shore, and
Nanabush would like to kill them all with one shot. He did not know how to do
it. He thought that he must get them all. He looked at his gun which was
straight, and he thought if he could bend his gun he might get them all. He went
to work and bent his gun. He got close and made a good aim, pulled the trigger
and "Bang." When the smoke cleared away there were no ducks to be seen dead or
alive. Nanabush got so mad (angry) that he made another plan.

No. 2.

Nanabush and the Ducks. (No. 2.)

Told by Mrs. Joseph Keniee.

The other plan that Nanabush made to get these ducks was this: He and his
mother made a big camp (lodge or wigwam) and invited all the different kinds of
ducks to come to a big dance on such a dav set apart for the dance. All the ducks

uame and when they came up Nanabush Btarted tu sing a song. Before the dance
started he told the ducks thai they had to keep their eyes closed when they danced
and had to dance around the middle of the camp. Nanabush seated himself near
the door and as the ducks would dame near him he would grab them and twist
their necks and throw them behind him (York exemplified this by gestures) and
gol quite a lot this time. Bui one of the birds, a diver, opened ber eves a little hit
and sav what Nanabush was doing. She made for the door and lold all the ducks
to run away. Nanabush made for the one thai told on him. lie got the duck in
the door a- she was going oul and reached out his foot ami stamped on her as she
wcni past, and this is the reason the diver has Hal feet ami legs that stick out
behind. These arc some of Nanabush's works while he Lived. Tins ends this
story.

Note by (i. E. I-. The song that Nanabush sang for the ducks was called
■• Ki-ah-wah-na." which, according to York, means " Something that has been used
to gel such a thing or to do such a thing with. May have been an axe or a knife,
etc." This is very indefinite, hut is just- what York explained, that it ivas difficult
to understand. 1 fail to see any connection with the ducks as in oihor variations
of this story.

No. 3.

Thunderbirds. (No. 1.)

Told by Peter York.

The old people mice went to the Blue Mountains near Collingwood a long time
lago. At the end (escarpment) near the Bay a Tlmnderbird had its nest. It had
i wo young birds. They were shaped like geese, but were naked and were about as
high as a man's chest and were of brownish red or russet color. By and by they
began to grow pin-feathers and get big. Then they went away. The old people
wont over several time- to see them, and they first saw them during a thunderstorm.

No. 4.
Thunderbirds. (No. 2.)

Told by John York.

Om-e two Indians, a man and his wife, camped near a little lake. The Indian
was trapping. He had a dream one nigh! never to cross on the ice at night on anv
lake, but one day shortly afterwards he went too far away hunting and got verv
tired. As he was coming home with his hag of heaver on his hack, and his ice chisel
in his hand, he came to a narrow place in the lake where he either had to cross on
the ice or go a long way around, so he thought he'd chance the ice (risk it for once),
hut when he got about half way over he heard something coming down from
above, hut could not see anything because it was dark. He fainted (became un-
conscious) and dropped on the ice, and the next thing he knew he found himself
sitting inside a big bird's hand (or claws) with all his game, beaver, ice chisel and
bag. He could not do anything except to remain verv still. After a while he saw
something ahead, which was a rock, and the big bird lit on the rock and let the
man go and flew away again.

The man saw two young ones (young Thunderbirds) coming towards him, and
when one of these got near enough it opened its mouth wide. The man got up and
got his chisel and knocked the young bird down and killed it. This young bird

was very 'big and heavy (as York expressed it, " it would weigh easy a ton "). Tbe
man made up his mind what to do, as he had got to die anyway, so he went to work
and opened the young bird and took all the insides out and got in himself. He
found that he could stay inside the bird in going clown to earth again. He
managed to get the young bird to the edge of the rock. Then he got inside and
fastened himself in with his long sash, closed the open hole with strings and rolled
off. The young Thunderbird spread its wings and began to float down through
the air. The man fainted and when he came to he found himself on the edge of a
lake in a strange place, so he got up and wandered about till he came on some man
tracks which he followed up till he came to two men and asked them where he was.
They told him where he was and the name of the place, and then he knew which way
to go to reach his own camp.

When he got near his own camp he saw that the place looked very old anyway.
He went nearer and got to the door and called " Who's in there ?" Some one inside
told him to " '-come in." Inside he saw a very old lady. He thought " this can't
be my wife, she's too old. I've been only away a few days." He asked her " where
was her man ?" She said, " A good many years ago my husband had a dream
' never to walk across the ice of any lake ' and he may have tried to go across some
lake at night and was taken by some big bird (Thunderbird) or somebody I never
heard of. Here I have been ever since he went away and nobodv knows where he
is." The man told her who he was and they kissed each other and lived together
the rest of their lives. This shows that he was away a long time, but it seemed
short to him. When on the Thunderbird 's rock he killed only one of the young
Thunderbirds. The other he did not touch.

Notes by G. E. L. — The word " Lady " used here is equivalent to Ogemah-
kwee, which means a chief's wife or daughter, or some female relative of a chief.
This word is also used in speaking of, or to a white lady of quality.

Kissing is seldom met with in stories or tales of their own life by the Indians,
so I think it is a modern introduction.

No. 5.

Eat and Beaver Story — Wah-zesk and Ah-mic.

Told by Peter York..

A long time ago the Eat had the Beaver's tail, and the Beaver the Eat's tail.
The Eat wanted to trade tails very badly, but the Beaver didn't care enough about
trading, but at last he traded. Then the Beaver when he got his present tail liked
it very much for he found that he could swim faster, but the Eat didn't like it,
because he had to swim slower, so he begged the Beaver to trade back, but the
Beaver would not trade ; so the Eat cried and cried till his eyes got small, and this
is the reason that the Eat has small eyes and a small tail.

(Eat here means the Muskrat.)

No. 6.

The Bear, The Wild Cat and The Big Sturgeon — Mtjh Kwah, Pezhew and

Kitche Ntjh mah.

Told by Peter York.

Near the mouth of the Nottawasaga Eiver there are rapids. The bear was
fishing there one clay. He was catching sturgeon in his paws and throwing them

6

over bis shoulder on to the bank. By the time when he had enough he quit fishing
and started to carry the sturgeon back into the woods from the pile he had thrown
them into. The wild eal (lynx) was watching the.bear whilst the bear was fishing.
Wheu the bear went away, the wild cat went to fish at the same place He caught
a \i'i-\ big sturgeon, bul on accounl of his crooked claws, could not Lei go, and the
sturgeon swam oul to deep wain- and drowned the wild cat.

No. 7.

\ \-.\\ E-NO-NAH K'silK Mr II.

The stoi\ of the woman who visited a man who lived in a tree, and who could
change himself into a serpent when he wished.

Told by Peter York.

A very long time ago there was an Indian who lived with his family in the
Wilderness or wild hush where nobody wras to he seen. This man lived by hunting
wild game. One time he noticed his wife dressing up very nice. This kept on for
lod many days. One day the oldest boy told his father that the mother went
away every time the father left camp for hunting. The man thought that he would
watch her, so he went away one morning, but went only a little way and wratched
the camp. After a little while the wile came out dressed in her best. She went out
in the bush and the man followed to -see what she would do. She went to a big
tree and stood at the foot of the tree and rapped, just the same as a person would
do on a house door. Then he saw a very nice man oome out of the tree and
observed what was going on, so he thought he would kill his wife as soon as she got
back to camp. When he got home he made a big fire and told his two children
(boys) what he wras going to do, and also told them what to do when he (the
father) would run away. His wife came home in the evening and he killed her
and burned her in the fire. He then told his boys " if they saw the sky red that
would show them that he (their father) wras killed by his wife's sweetheart." The
next day they saw the sky red which showed them that their father was killed, so
they ran away themselves. Before their father went away he told them that their
mother would follow them though she was dead, so the father gave them some things
to use in case they wanted help; an awl, a stone, and a thorn. When they saw their
mother coming, they threw the stone down, when it became a big mountain, and
the two hoys went a long way before their mother was able to get over the mountain
and catch up to them. When she came close again the boys threw the thorn down
when it became a very big bush of thorn trees (Haw trees), which gave the two
boys a chance to get ahead a good bit before she got through. When she got close
again the boys threw the awl down, which became many hundred awls with their
points sticking up, but she managed to get over them and kept on trying to get
her children.

The boys came to a big river and saw a big snail which they asked to take
them across the river. The big snail stretched himself across the river and the
two boys got across. When the mother got to the river she also asked the big
snail to take her over. The snail told her he would, but when about half way
across the snail dropped the woman into the river, and that was the last of her.

The two hoys went on and came to a lake where nobody was to be seen only
themselves. The big boy made a little bow and arrow for his little brother. After

a little while they saw someone coming in a log canoe, who turned out to be a
bad old man. As soon as the old man saw the two boys he made up his mind to
take one of them and leave the other, so he told the little boy with the bow and
arrow to shoot up in the air. The arrow dropped into the canoe, and the old man
told the big boy to come and get it. As soon as the big boy got in the canoe the old
man pushed out quickly and left the little boy behind. The big boy asked the old
man to take his brother along but the old man said " No !" When they got to the
old man's place the big boy was locked up (confined) for a good many days and
could not get a chance to run away. One day the old man told the big boy that if
he wanted to go out with him he could go. They came to a big hill and he asked
the boy to go for a sleigh ride down the hill. The old man wanted the boy to sit
in front but the boy chose to sit behind. There were stumps and stones down the
hill and as they went down the hill very fast, the boy thought to hit a stone and
kill the old man, which he did. Then the boy thought about his little brother and
went back and looked for him. When he got to the place where his brother was
left he saw a wolf which was his brother who had become half a wolf and half a
boy. Which all Indians believe to be where the wolf came from. The boy got too
hungry and became part wolf. This ends this story.

No. 8.

Ojibwa and Mohawk. (No. 1.)

Told by Peter York.

Long years ago there were two Ojibwa boys who lived so close together that
they called each other " Brother," and one time when they got to be big boys they
talked about getting married, so they went away to an Indian (Ojibwa) village
not far away and got girls to marry them. When they got married they wanted
to know what to do to make a living. One said "We'will go a long ways up the
river to hunt and stay there for a good while and will be able to get enough to keep
us during the winter months." They got ready for the trip and started with a
good supply. They stayed a long time till they got enough (furs and meat) and
then started to come home.

On their way home they came to a place where there were a lot of stumps and
snags, and one of them struck a stump and made a big hole in his canoe. He had
to go to shore to fix his canoe, whilst the other canoe went on ahead. When the
canoe was mended they started on again and when they came to a little lake they
saw their comrade just about the other side of the little lake going into a river
where there were lots of other Indians (Mohawks their enemies) waiting for them
to come home with their catch of fur and meat. The man in the second canoe said
to his wife, " Well, my brother is going to get killed, as he goes into the river, you
watch !" And when the first canoe was just goins; into the river there was smoke
of gunfire from both sides. The wife (in the second canoe) said, " We will be killed
the same way." The husband replied, '-Well, no. If I get mad (angry) there
is no shot that could hit me. I will go alone to see, and you stay here till T
come back." " No." she said, " You can't go, you will be shot too." " Well," said
he, " let them shoot, they can't hit me. 1 had a dream in my early days that no
gun could hurt me, and if my dream is no good I won't come hack." So they
got everything out of the canoe and he started in the canoe with his gun for the
same place where his comrade got shot. When he got there the gunfire started from

both sides of the river and kept up for a long time, till after a while the lire was not
>ad, after another while the fire ceased and the wife Looked and Looked and after
a Bhorl time she saw something coming straight to where she was waiting. She
know the canoe but there was a differenl man in it. She hid herself in the bush
till she beard Inn- man calling to her and then sh< came out. Hit man was all
black, and it was because he had BO many close shots fired at him that the gun-
powder blackened him up. so that the wile only knew him by his voice when he
called her. They gol ready and crossed the lake to where Che fighl took place.
They got out of the canoe and he showed hi- wife where there were a good many
dead Indians (Mohawks) on both sides of tin' river. They went to work to see
if they could find their friends' bodies. It did not take them long to do so and
to Kit rv them the hesi way they could. They then started on their way home and
upon arrival spread the storj and went to see the parents of the dead ones. This
ends this story.

No. 9.

O.IIBWA AND Mon AW K. (No. 2.)

Told by Peter Yorlc.

A -ood many years ago there were two head chiefs of the two big nations of
Indians, the Ojibwas and the Mohawks. One time the head chief of the Mohawks
thought to do something to hurt the Ojibwa child'. He did not know just what
to do. The Ojibwa chief had one son and one daughter. Well, the Mohawk
thought " If I kill one of his children this would make him mad (angry). So he
got his warriors to come to him and told them to go to the Ojibwa village at night
and try to kill the child's son or daughter. The warriors started at night and went
on their errand and it happened that the son was out late and was taken prisoner.
The warriors took the boy to the Mohawk chief and the chief cast lots, by drawing
Little -ticks, and the one that got the longest stick had to kill the boy. The boy
was killed before the people and the chief called a big feast and had the boy cooked.
When everything was ready he invited all the other neighbouring chiefs as well as
the Ojibwa chief who had lost his son, and there were hundreds of Indians besides.
The big feast was ready by this time and all sat clown on the ground. Those who
were appointed to act as waiters started to bring in the eatables, beginning at the
door, giving the food to the men as they went along. The head Ojibwa chief was
placed in the middle, and when the waiters came to him they brought his son's head
well cooked. This chief recognized his son's head, but said nothing, and as they
were all eating, he ate his son's head just to show them that he was a man.

When everything was over the Ojibwa chief started for home, and. as he was
going home he made up his mind that he would also do this kind of work some day.
He did not do it at once but waited for a few years, when he got his warriors to
come to him one day and. told them that they had to go to the Mohawks' village and
get the chiefs daughter and bring her to him. One of the warriors told the chief
'' that there were hundreds of warriors guarding the Mohawk chief's house ever
since the Big Feast when the Ojibwa chief's son was killed and eaten '; (or in
other words, since you lost your son).

The Ojibwa chief then said, " You go in the daytime and take her and I will
make them sleep sound. I will be able to do that." So they started, six of the
best men. When they got to the Mohawk village they found all the watchers asleep
and the chief also sound asleep. They took the girl away as they were told to bring

9

her. Before this the Ojibwa chief told one of his men to kill her, and she was
killed in a quiet way. Nobody knew what happened. The Ojibwa chief then called
a big feast and told his people to get ready, that after the feast there was going to
be a big battle right there. So they got everything ready.

They called the Mohawk chief to come and all the Mohawks that could come

at that time came, and all the Indians came from other places. They all sat down

and ate. The girl's head well cooked was placed before the Mohawk chief. As

soon as he saw his daughter's head he gave a loud yell and fainted. Just at this

time the Ojibwa chief rose up and asked his men to start and kill every one of the

) Mohawks. The Ojibwa chief killed the Mohawk chief himself and his men killed

I the rest of the Mohawks at this time. After this happened the news spread all over

]and the two big nations got so mad (angry) that they declared war. The war took

/place in winter time. They fought on Lake Couchiching and the Lake was full of

'Indians. When the fight began the Ojibwa in command was a girl who led the

warriors. When the Mohawks saw them coming they said " we'll have fun now."

When the Ojibwas came very close the girl who led gave a big loud yell and all the

Mohawks fell down on their hands and knees and tried to crawl away, but the Ojibwa

warriors killed every one of them that they could find. Young and old, women as

well as men, except two, a hoy and a girl, and from this pair came the present

Mohawks. This ends this Mohawk story.

Note. — (The girl leader of the Ojibwa was not the sister of the hoy that was
killed and eaten. She was a different girl, but had a dream that she could do this
leading.)

No. 10.

Ojibwa and Mohawk. (No. 3.)

Told by Peter York.

The Ojibwas were once entering Lake Couchiching by the west side in winter
time on the ice. They were going across to fight the Mohawks on the east side,
when an old Mohawk woman came clown to the ice hole to get some water. She
saw the Ojibwas coining and turned her back to them and exposed her anus in
contempt and otherwise made fun of them. Then she went and told her people.
The opposing warriors fought on the ice and the Mohawks were beaten. After the
battle the Ojibwas painted a red woman in just the same position as the Mohawk
woman posed, on the rocks on the east shore near where the fight took place (now
called McPherson's Quarry or Geneva Park). This figure now remains and can be
seen to day. (It is about 5 or 6 feet above water and is about 1 ft. high.)

/
No. 11.

Ojibwa and Mohawks. (No. 4.)

Told by Peter York.

An Ojibwa man and wife and one child were out hunting away back in the
woods and one clay the man said to his wife. " We are going to have trouble now.
There are some Mohawks about, and they are going to come to-night to kill us.
There is no use running away for we are too far from home. If I am killed they
will take you away to their home." The night came and this man and wife watched
nearly all night, till about daylight they heard an owl and some other kind of bird.

LO

This shows that the Mohawks were near ami had surrounded their camp. There
were fifteen Mohawks and the one Ojibwa man had to Bgh1 them all. Well, he did
very well for he killed quite a loi of them, bul Ins wife and child were taken
prisoners whilsl he was fighting. Ee was not killed but escaped and ran towards
hds home. He ran for two days till he reached home and told his friends what
had happened. II*' raised a war party of some forty or fifty men and one old man,
a prophet, and started alter the Mohawks.

T iis old man. the Prophet, knew where the Mohawks went and he also knew

thai the wife was still alive, and that child was killed on the way to the Mohawks'

home, for he had thai power. So the Ojibwa war party started Tor the Mohawk

country and while they were going the old man said, " she has made her escape and

oming back." S they all ran to meel her and they met her. She told a very

had (pitiful) Storj to the men. She said. "On the way vwry eight I had to
l> the fire going all nighl to keep them warm. Some day- they all go out hunt-
ing, hut one had to stay and watch me. One day they all went out but one bad
man wdio stayed in camp to watch me. This bad man made a hie.- lire and went out
ami cut a good-sized stick. Then he took my baby ami ran the stick into him
(through the anus) ami roasted him in the big fire. Well, ['could not do anything
only cry, and this bad man came right in front id' me and began to mock ami cry,
ami facing the other way showed his buttocks. 1 grabbed bis privates ami pulled
all 1 could, and he fell down and 1 go1 up and rolled him to the lire and burnt
him. Then I took bis gun, I did not run away till I killed every one them.
Tow aid.- the evening one came When I was inside the camp, when be got near I
shot bim. He fell dead, and after a while another one came and I also shot him. T
took bis gun which was loaded. The last time two came together. Well, 1
thought, '.I' I kill them this time ] would lie safe, so I made a good aim and Jired
;it the first, lie fell and the other tried to run away; before he got away T shot
him dead and started to run back towards our country." One of tbe Ojibwa war
party took Ik r home, and the rest went on their way to the Mohawk village.
\\ lien they got there they killed some of tbe children to pay tbe Mohawks for what
they did.

This woman made a good plan to get these Mohawks. She did not run away
after she killed the first man for fear tbe rest would chase her and catch her, so
she stayed in camp and killed them as they came in singly from hunting. She
would take the gnu of the man just killed and would be ready for tbe next.

The Mohawks in camping at night fixed some poles around the fire about
two feet from the ground, and would lay on their backs with their feet on the
poles, warming their bind quarters. Tbe Ojibwa woman bad to keep tbe fire
going all night. The killing or torturing of children was the worst thing Indians
could do. This ends this story.

Xote. — All these fights took place in -this locality. The river referred to is the
Gull River. The Ojibwa used to come to where Beaverton now is and then across to
South Bay. Balsam Lake, by another route south of the Portage Road. (This is
borne out by other evidence than York's.) I spoke of the embankment at South
Bay to York, but be had never seen it though he had heard of it, and remarked
that it was " one of tbe fighting grounds."

11

No. 12.
Kama Witches. (No. 1.)

Told by Peter York.

i

* One time an old witch lived in Rama on the west side of Lake Couchiching.
She covered herself with the skin of an owl when she wanted to fly at night for the
purjDose of taking the first joints off the fingers of children, which she used to string
up like old-fashioned, dried apples in her camp. These children would die at once.
She had the power to take these joints off.

| One day she wanted to go to near where Atherley now is, and compelled two

young men to go with her in the canoe, for she had the power to compel young men
to go with her, generally the best of them. She wanted to go to a man's place who
had two black dogs. She wanted these dogs. When she arrived there she asked
the man for the dogs, but he said " No !" She then asked him for one dog, but still
he said " No." She then took a paddle and shoved the canoe off shore saying to
the man, " I shove off with one of your children." (Meaning that one of his
children would die.) The man said, "Maybe you will die yourself before you get
home. The bees will have your meat." She sat in the middle of the canoe with
one of the young men paddling at the bow and the other at the stern. When about
half way home the young man at the stern heard a bee humming overhead and
looking up he saw the bee enter the woman's ear into her head. In a short time
her body was full of bees, eating her up, and she began to twist around and say :

f " Youh, youb," and died in the canoe. The young men put her ovefboard at what

' is now Ground Hog Point, which took its name from her, for she was called
" Kuk-oh-chees," " The Ground Hog."

She had forgotten to take her bag (medicine bag) with her and had left it in
her camp. The man's power was stronger than hers, for he killed her and nothing
happened to him. He had power over the bees. Sometimes when this witch was
looking for children at night she carried a light. The young men went with her
because they were afraid she would kill them if they didn't go.

She said as she died. " Well, anyway I never killed any big people, just chil-
dren," but the people found joints of fingers of grown-up persons on the strings as
well as those of children in her camp.

I Note. — Ground Hog Point is called in Ojibwa Kuk-oh-cheesh. Nay-ash-sheeng.

No. 13.

Rama Witches. (No. 2.)

Told by Peter York.

Another old witch once lived in Eama. She disguised herself in a turkey's
skin when she wished to fly. She caused many people to die. One day when all
the people were having a bee to hoe corn she went to the bee, leaving her turkey
skin in her bag (medicine bag) at her home. There was a little boy who lived
with her and who had often watched her through a hole in his blanket when she
was dressing herself in this turkey skin, and thought that he avouIc! like to try it
bimself, so he took the turkey skin out of the bag and put it on. The skin was
very much worn by now and had lost lots of feathers and was ragged, but still
preserved the power to fly. So the boy flew over to the hoeing bee. and all the

1-J

people began to saj : " Look al the witch, look at the witch," and the witch herself
-an to gel verj mad (angTy) and art crazy when she saw the boy in her turkey
skin. The boy lit on the ground and the people rushed over and took off the skin
and found thai it was onl\ a boy. The witch's son who was also there took an axe
and rushed up to his witch mother and said. " Yon musi stop causing people to die,
or else I'll j mi t the axe to your head." She said, " No ! she would not." Whereupon

ho struck hoi' on the head w till the axe and killed her on the spot.

No. 1 I.

Tn e Sot [al Problem.

Told by I '<l a- York.

C Once a .-mall party left the Rama Reserve for the purpose of going on a hunt

/up the Gull River water-. Amongsl this party was a had man who had left his

wife on the Reserve and had taken another woman with him, which was a very had

thing to do. Alter being on the hunt for some time this man died and was prepared
tor burial, and a grave was dim. Me was left in a place just outside the camp for
three days before burial. One of the children of the camp wdio happened to go and
look at the body, came hack and said that clothes were pushed oil' the body's face
and breast, so the older people went to see. They found this was so and the man
coming to life, lie came to life ami said that he had been in heaven ami was sorry
for what he had done by leaving his wife on the Reserve, etc.. but that he knew he
was going to die in exactly a month from that day at midday, and would never see
i Kama again. After a short while the party moved camp on their homeward
I journey, and at Balsam Lake when the month was just about to be up the man
said thai he was going to die and knew he could not stop it. So he made a little
camp and went in there. He was all right the night before and also on the morn-
ing of the last day. but before noon he said bis time was near and began to act
terribly crazy-like. His eyes stuck out and he chewed his tongue and rolled around
his camp in terrible agony. He acted so strangely and shook bis camp so much
that he so frightened the others that they were afraid to go near him and so left
him alone to die. His actions continued till noon when the man died in horrible
pain. Thus was he punished for leaving his wife and taking another woman.

No. 15.

Wixtigoes (Giants).

Told by Peter York.

In olden times people used to believe that if a person fasted for a period of
about ten or twelve days be would learn something about bears or lions, or some-
thing very strong, and if he dreamed of any of these animals he would be just as
strong.

One time a man had a dream that he could fight with the Wintigoes any time.
He could be just as big and just as strong, and during one winter time he knew
that the "Wintigo was coming to eat them (i.e. his family). He said to his wife
"The "Wintigo is coming to-night, and is going to eat us. and if my drearn fails we
shall be eaten by the Wintigo." The night came and the man went out to meet the
Wintigo a little wav off. The wife listened for a little while, then she heard trees

13

flying all over and she saw two great, big men biting each other and hitting each
other with great, big trees, and also with their hands. This kept on for a long
time, till all at once it went past, and she watched if her man would come home.
After a while he came out of the woods just as small as he was when he went out
to fight. He said, "1 won the battle For the first time since 1 had my dream.
You come over with me and I will show you where I finished the Wintigo." They
both went out till they came to the place where they saw, as if somebody had been
underbrushing, so fierce was the battle that all the underbrush and small trees were
knocked or trampled down. At the far end of this place they saw a great big
man lying down dead, with his big kettle and a great big knife, for the Wintigo was
going to kill and eat these people. So the man and wife went to work and gathered
up wood and made a big fire and burned the Wintigo to ashes.

No. 16.

Little Lynx Story.

Told by Peter York

Black Bear had a very good winter one time. It was a very hard winter for
the smaller animals on account of the snow and frost and storms. This big Black
Bear used to go on the deer runways and catch a deer and eat him up, and the
Lynx used to watch the Black Bear climb up in a tree and jump on the deer as
they passed along the runways, which they had in the winter months, and which was
an easy thing for a big black bear to do. Once when the Lynx was very hungry he
could not catch anything as there was too much snow. Well, he thought that he
would try and kill a deer, so he went out on one of their runways and watched for
a deer to come along. Soon he saw one coming and he climbed up a tree and when
the deer- came under the tree the Lynx jumped on his back. The Deer started off
wild and went all over the woods, but the Lynx still held on having a good hold and
the Deer could not shake him off. The Deer knew that there was a leaning tree
in the bush so he made for that, knowing that he could knock the Lynx off as he
ran under the tree. The Deer ran very fast and as he ran under the tree there
happened to be a knot on the under side of the tree where the Deer went, so the
Lynx got his back skinned from his head to his tail. It also just happened that an
Indian was out hunting that way and tracking deer. He saw a deer track which
was a very bad oue with blood all over. So he followed it up till he came to the
Lynx lying dead and a little farther on he found the Big Buck dead too. The Deei
had got so tired that he lay down and died. So the Indian had good luck finding
them both.

No. 17.

Nanabush and the Four Men. (No. 4.)

Told by Peter York.

A good many years ago four Indians wanted to know something about "how
to be a man that would know how to fight and never get hurt." Well, they talked
about it and decided to go and see Nanabush and ask these things. They made the
journey, which took them two long years to get to his place. On the way up they
could hear Nanabush beating his drum and saying to them, " Come on, my children."
Well, one day they heard him saying, "You will get to my place in the morning."

14

The morning came and they .-aw a clean place; everything looked to be good.
The) saw a big camp bere and went to the door and rapped. Nanabush said,
•■ ( ome in, my children," and shook bands with them. They talked a little while
when Nanabush said something to his daughter, who was a ver) Dice-looking girl,
and she started to cook something which was bear meat, and Look some blueberries
and cooked i hen i (both) in a very little pol (about the size of a cup). While those
men were watching the girl one of them thought, " I could eal all that in the pot
with one spoonful." Nanabush knew what this fellow was thinking about and
said, " Yon will see if you can eat that much." They all sal down and started to
eat oui of the little pot. The) ate all thai they wanted and the pot was still Pull.
Nanabush said, " You men can't eat it all." After the meal Nanabush said. " Now
you must tell me what you want to knew. Yon have walked for a long time."
The firsl man said to Nanabush. " I would like to knew if there is a battle in our
intry, and I would like to knew thai if 1 was shot at I would like the ball not to
hit me."' Nanabush said, "This will happen so, you jusl think about mc when
going to ti-ht."

The nexl man came before Nanabush and said. " I am a hinder and I would
like to call the game to me when I want them, some wild beasts." Nanabush said,
"This will be SO, when von go hunting you call just what you want and they will
come."

The third man came before Nanabush. " Well." he said, " 1 would like to get
myself a wife, nobody likes me." Nanabush said. " 5Tou see my daughter, you take
her and she will be your wife."

T ie fourth man came before Nanahush and said. " I would like to live forever."
Nanabush said (in reproach), " We all know that every man has got to die, and
you would like to live forever." He reached our his hand and took the fourth man
and placed him on his side, when the man became a granite stone, and there were
only three men that came back home. Everything that Nanabush said was so.

Nanabush said to the one that wanted a wife, that he must not speak to her
till the) got home, and they all started home happy. On the last day before reach-
ing home the man who had Nanabush/s daughter wanted to talk to her, so he spoke
her, but before he had finished his words the girl was missing and could not be
found, so he gol home without a wife. This ends this story.

No. 18.

N w \i.r>ii and the Young Man and Wife. (No. 5.)

Told by John York.

A good many years ago two families lived on an Island. One family had one
. and the other one daughter. The two young people got married and lived for a
little while when the young wife took sick and died. The old people buried her on the
Maud, but the young: husband went out after the burying, and the old people saw
him lie down near the grave. Just as soon as he closed his eyes he saw his Avife
-'dug away. He followed her for a long time but could not ^et near enough to
catch her. so he went on till night came. She said to him (her husband). "We
will camp here," and she made her camp a little way ahead. He made his camp
behind hers. The next morning came and they started again. On their way he
saw a big house by the roadside, but before they reached the house he heard some-
body talk to him and who told him that " this was the place where all the dogs
live that you ever owned. The ones that you have used badly, and they will pay

15

you for what you have done to them while living." The man that spoke said to
him, •" I will help you. You take these bags of shoes and when the dogs attack you
throw the shoes at them." When the young husband got to the house the dogs
attacked him. He dropped the bags of shoes and the dogs attacked the shoes and
the young man passed out and saw his wife ahead of him the same as usual. The
night came again and they camped out once more. The next clay came and about
noon they saw another hoitse on the road ahead. AVhen they came to this house
they saw some people who invited them to eat, but they did not eat. This was the
last house to be seen before they got to the place where they were going. They went
on till they saw a great big house. The wife went in ahead and the man came in
behind. When he got in he saw nothing but a big room full of little beds, but
nobody was in the house. He went all over the house but could not find his wife
so he went out and looked around. He saw another house nearby and went over
to it. He rapped at the door and someone said, " Come in." He went in and saw
an old man sitting down who said to him, " You have come a long wav to trv and
get your wife back. Once they get in that big house you can't see them any more,
but, if you want help I can help you a lot." " I will be very much obliged if you
will," said the young man. " Well," the old man said, "There will be a big dance
in the big house to-night. They do that every time a new man or a new woman gets
here. 1 will hide you in my pocket and at the dance I will catch her." The night
came. As soon as the sun went down people could be heard running around all
over (spirits or ghosts).

This old man was the man who sang at the dance so he started the dance a
little after dark. He who was sitting in the pocket Avas watching his Avife. He
saw her coming and dancing too. When she got near the old man caught her and
got a very small box and put her in and Avent out. This broke up the dance. The
old man took the box to his house. There were two little boxes, one for the Avife,
and another in Avhich was an oil of some kind. The old man said to the young
husband, " It took you four years to get here and you will get back in tAvo days.
Beware (listen) and do Avhat I say. When you get home, get tAvo small stones and
make them hot, open the box of oil and let it melt on the stones. Cover yourself
and the boxes with blankets. You listen till you hear her speak and then open the
box. You Avill see her alive again." The young husband did all this when he got
back home and his wife came to life again. They came to Avhere they started at first
on the Island. There Avas nobody living there this time so they sat doAvn and after
a little while he said, " Do you see that point up there? Watch a little while and you
Avill see tAvo canoes coming this way. There will be our parents in them." The
canoes came out in the lake straight for the island and when they came near they
stopped. The old people said, " Someone's at the grave." The two young people
spoke, "Come on, we got back here again aliA^e." The old people almost jumped
out in the Avater when they saAV their children and heard them talking.

In olden times people used to believe in feeding the dead by burning some
bread and meat (food) over the grave, and this Avas what brought the parents back
to the island at this particular time.

Note. — (The old man in this story is ISTanabush, Avho Avas also the man that
spoke about the dogs.)

This story is from John York. Avho claims it is a true story and happened in
the days gone by.

16

\o. 1!>.

The l.i i ii.K I >og Story.
Told by Peter York.

In the old days people used to have faith in their dogs. One time a man had

a very -mall, little dog. When h" went oul hunting lie put the little dog inside of
his coat. Every time the little dog tried to hark the man knew thai there was sonic
game near.

One night while the man was asleep the little dog licked hfm on the face till
he woke up, which went to show that there was trouble at hand. The little doff
tried io take his master outside the camp. They both went out and the little dog
gan to roll in the snow. Every time he rolled he grew bigger. He rolled till lie
_"t to be a- big as a good-sized calf, then he .-topped and watehod the lake. They
saw a great, big <\<>'j; coming across the ice to kill the man.. The man's dog went
out to meet tin's one ami conquered it. This big dog was a grey-looking one with
no hair.

No. 20.
Killing the Old People.

Told by John York.

In the days gone by when an old man or woman got helpless they used to be
killed outright.

One time while two families, one of which had an old woman, were out camp-
ing, they deeided to kill the old woman. They told her that they were going to
move to some other place. They took her by the hand and led her to the bush
some distance away where they stopped in a lonely place and told her to sit there
till they got ready to build a camp. Instead of making a camp they went hack
home and left her to die. The old woman was left on a river bank, and it happened
that one of the hoys was out hunting that way and when he was coming back home
he saw hi- grandmother sitting by the river side. He wondered how she got
there, but told her to get in the canoe and took her back to camp. He left her
near the camp telling her to come in after dark. The hunter then went into the
camp and after a while the old woman came in. Everybody sat still, they did
not know what to say. as they had thought that she would have died that night out
on the river hank. She never told how she came back, neither did her grandson,
so it was never known to the rest. The people quit killing the old people from that
time. They never did it again. The Indians used to do this ; when people got too
old they were killed to he got out of the way.

No. 21.

Ojibwa and Mohawk. (No. 5.)

Told by Peter York.

The Mohawks were so had that they used to kill for nothing. One time there
were three Ojibwa brothers, and one day the Mohawks met one of the brothers and
killed him. They hid him in the bush and took his scalp home. When the other
two came to know that their brother had been killed they got mad (angry) and

both got ready with war clubs and lots of shot and powder. When they got to
the Mohawk village their enemies were waiting for them to come. These brothers
did all they could; they killed about three to five hundred of the Mohawks. While
the fight was going on, one of the two 0 jib was got shot in the leg, and the leg
was broken below the knee, but he fought on till he got tired and sick. " WTell," he
said to his brother, " we are going to get beaten. I will die in their hands, you run
away and tell our people what has happened." The other brother started back
home and left his brother to be killed, who was killed some time later. The one
that got home told all the people what had happened. Everybody got ready to go
down and kill all the Mohawks. When they got to the place where the fight was
they saw the dead man sitting up dressed in some very nice things, such as buck-
skin clothing, but his scalp was taken.

When the Ojibwas got to the Mohawk village their captain gave a big yell to
show the Mohawks that there was going to be a fight, and started to kill everyone
who was in the village. When they got through they searched the place for the
scalp that was taken from the brother and when they found it they burnt the village
and started back home. When they got there they had a big time over the re-
covered scalp.

No. 22.

Nanabush. (No. 6.)

Told by John York.

It was never known how Nanabush Avas born, only that he was working foi
God for many years (York says 2,000 years, which is evidently his expression tc
denote a very long time) looking after the world, such as to regulate the weather,
rain, snow, and other things.

Nanabush did have a wife once, but only one child which was a girl. While
living together he made up his mind to send his wife away to look after the dead,
those that died long years ago, where she is now.

The old man is here somewhere in the north. She looks after the dead and he
looks after the living. He will not die, nor will be sick, and is the only man that
will live as long as the world lasts. He never works and always has plenty to eat,
and lots of tobacco which he keeps in a skunk-skin bag. (In those days skunks
were as big as a big Porcupine.) Nanabush is getting very grey sitting all the
time smoking his pipe.

If you look sometimes in the north sky you will see the sky white at night.
• This is the time that Nanabush is poking his fire or making his fire.
L Note. — Nanabush is often referred to as " The Old Man."

No. 23.
Nanabush and his Wife's Chair. (No. 7.)

Told by John York.

Nanabush went to hunt beaver one time. He placed his wife to watch for
the beaver and she sat on a rock watching for the beaver to come out. She heard
her man calling for her, he had killed the beaver. She went over and fixed the
meat and dried it. This beaver was a great big one (a giant). His tail was very
wide (about 5 feet). The rock on which she sat is just like a big chair and is on
the Kama Eeserve. Lots of people go to see it.

LS

No. 24.

The Tailless Si i rgi on.

Told hi/ John York.

Our time then was a Family camping at Sturgeon Lake (Victoria County);
■ da) the old man went out to fish through the ice, and while fishing he saw
a queer-looking fish. He speared il and killed it. then took it home and cooked it:
all the I'amiU ate of it. and in a very short time they all took sick and died. These
sturgeon from Sturgeon Lake arc decended from a serpent- which was cut in two
a Long time ago, bul lived and bred young ones with do tails.

Note. John York said he u^nl to camp at Sturgeon Lake years ago. Had
heard these Bturgeon jumping at night, but had never caught any.

Sturgeon Lake has no sturgeon. The name may be given to it from its shape.
There arc no sturgeon in this chain of lakes, now known as the Kawartha Lakes.

No. 35.

X W M'.l -ll \\|i THE 1 M CKS. (No. 8.)
Told bij Joim York.

One time Nanabush was walking, very tired and hungry. He came to a lake
and looking around he saw a very nice sandy beach. Well, he thought, this is a
nice shore to kill some ducks. There were lots of ducks on the lake. He called
one of the ducks which came to him. He asked the duck, " Is your Chief Duck
here at any place?" " Yes. He is here at the present time. He is chief of all
kinds of ducks,*' the duck replied. Nanabush then said, "I would like to see him
and have a talk." The duck said. " If you would like to see him I will go and get
him." Nanabush said. "Yes, go and bring him here." The Chief Duck came.
' \\ ell." Nanabush said. " do you know what is going to take place here very soon?"
" No." said the Chief Duck. "Well/' said Nanabush, "there is going to he a big
dance." "Who is going to furnish the music?" said the Chief Duck. "I am
going to furnish the music," said Nanabush and he reached out his hand and got
his drum and began to sing, which made the Chief Duck dance right there.
•Well.'* said the Chief Duck, "when is this big dance coming off?" Nanabush
said. *' If you like to have it to-night, we can have it to-night.'' "Well, it just
suits me, and I will tell all the kinds of ducks to come," said the Chief Duck.
This pleased Nanabush very much, and the Chief Duck wont away.

Nanabush got everything ready. He made a big camp and made a big fire
inside. Night came and all the ducks came in from all around. About dark
Nanabush started to sing. Lie told the ducks that as soon as they came inside they
would have to close their eyes. He started singing one of his songs which pleased
all the dicks. He told them, "The time is now on" and all the ducks started to
come in dancing with their eyes closed He told them that they had to pass
through right in front of him. Every one of them passed him and he grabbed them
and twisted their necks. He got a lot of them, but one opened his eyes a little
bit and saw what Nanabush was doing. This duck made a big yell and told all
the (remaining) ducks what Nanabush was doing, and made for the door, but
before he got out Nanabush kicked him and stepped on his feet (we now call this
duck the Diver).

19

Nanabush picked up all the dead ones and buried them in the ashes to cook.
When he got them all fixed he lay down and told his anus to watch. He went to
sleep and it happened to be that there was a lion close by who ate all the ducks.
When Nanabush woke up he went to work and looked for the cooked ducks, which
were gone. He said to his anus, " I told you to watch, I will burn you for not
doing what I told you to do."' He laid his anus towards the fire and began to
shove all the hot coals in to it. He started off and went through where there Avere
a lot of little trees, going right over them. He twisted around and looked at the
little trees which were red with his blood and said, " In future people will call
those trees red willows." He went on to a rock which he slid down; on looking
back he saw the blood-stains on the rock which he called " red granite " (i.e. which
became the red granite of nowadays).

Note. — This lion was probably the American panther.

No. 26.

Origin of Birds.

Told by John York.

One time a man shot another with his bow and arrow for stealing his wife.
He watched the actions of his wife and this man and saw them sleeping together
in a bush, when he shot them with his arrows and killed them both. He went to
work and cut up about half the man into little bits and threw these up in the air.
The pieces of meat did not fall back again, but became different birds, such as the
blue jay, robins and others. He cut some more pieces a little bigger arid threw
these up in the air too, when they became gulls, cranes and such-like birds.

No. 27.

The People Who Be.came Serpents.

Told by John York.

Two families were camping out some years ago. One old man had a good boy
who was hunting all the time, getting all kinds of game and always having plenty
to eat. The other family had a daughter, and one time the two young people got
married. The girl's mother did not like this because the young man had good
luck always. This old woman was a witch and she could do anything she liked.
One time this bad old woman went out just a little way in the bush and put a bone
on the road (trail), so to let this .young man step on the bone and get hurt. When
this young man came home in the evening lie happened to step on the bone and
got hurt, which laid him up nearly all winter, and they all got hard times. While
this young man was in the camp before lie got better, they got so poor that they
had to go. to some other place. The husband ol the old witch went out alone to a
little lake some miles away to see if there were any fish there. He cut a hole in the
ice and let down his decoy. He did not take a spear with him. He saw some big
fish and then went home and told his people that he saw a lot of fish. They all
decided to move near the lake and that family went. Only the sick man did not
like to go till he got better. He was just about getting better when the other
family went away. He went out hunting and got some game for himself, wife,
father and mother. They lived there till on towards spring when the ice went
away. The other campers never came back to see them. One day his wife said,
" I would like to go and see my mother." " Well," he said, " you can go and see

her." She went out and found the lake and saw the camp, but she could not see
anybody, or do signs, or no smoke in the rain;'. She went near and spoke. After
a while some one tried to speak inside the camp and said. " We have eaten a fish of
some kind and I am sure it was a big snake; we have all got to be snakes."

The young wife looked in and saw that her mother (the witch) was all snake
except her head, and the rest of the family were the same way. She weid home
and told what -he had seen hut the resl did not go to see them for a long time.
One day they went down to see what the others looked like. They looked in the
Camp hut there was nobody home, then they went down to the lake and saw the

others sunning themselves the same a- other snake-. The two families all became
big serpents.

No. 28.

'I'm Indian Boy Who Married \ King's Daughter.
Told by John York,

i A most curious blending of the old and the new. (;. E. L.)
A good man\ years ago there were two brothers Living in a camp away hack
in the woods where nobody else was to be seen. Their father and mother had
lied when they were little boys. The elder hunted all the time and got a lot of
leer and other kinds of game. The younger was busy in looking after the venison,
jutting it up and drying it. When he got it all dried he pounded it up very fine,
same as corn meal, and put it away in hags for to use in the winter.

One time the younger tried to think of something that he ever did before.
lie thought there must be some people some place nearby. He thought, "this
evening when my brother comes home I'll ask him about this." His brother came
home at night and after supper the younger began to ask him if there were any
Indians living nearby. "Well." the older hoy said to his brother, "yes, there
are some people living to the west who are called 'white men,' and some people
living east of us, but it is a long way." The younger boy began to get lonesome
thinking about these people whom he would like to see, so one day he asked his
brother if he would let him go and see some of the white people. " Well," his
brother said. " it will take you four days to get there; you go straight west all the
time." " Well, I will go to-morrow and I will try and get back in a week," the
younger said. He got ready the night before he started the journey. He left
camp just about daylight and walked all day. When night came he made camp
for the night. The next day he started early in the morning, the same as he did
the first day. On the fourth day while walking he noticed somebody had been cut-
ting some tree.- with a wry sharp thing. He looked at the stumps for a long time.
He never saw an axe before. He went on a little farther. He heard some one
cutting something. He went on till he saw a man who was very white. He
thought. "• this must be a whiteman." He got to where this man was working and
sat down close by. They began to speak to each other. The white man asked
him where did he come from. The Indian told him where he came from and said,
" I just came to see the people and I am going to camp near the city." The white
man said, " I have got a little shantv here in the bush and if you like to stay in it
you are welcome." The Indian said. " 1 don't know what yon call a shanty till I
see it." The white man said. " 1 will show you the shanty. You come along," and
they both went up to where the shanty was. The white man showed the Indian all
the "rigging," such as dishes and pans, the like of which the Indian never saw
before. The white man gave him some meat, bread, tea, and sugar, things this
Indian never ate before.

21

The Indian would like to go to town one day and see the place. He went out
and looked around. He picked up some rags and made a very nice quilt. He
sold this quilt for $25.00. He made a lot of them and sold them all at $25.00 each.

One day a nice-looking, young man came up to see him and told him that there
was going to be a big feast on Wednesday at the big hall up town. He went clown
to it with this young man. The feast was a French one. The King wanted to find
a good cook, and every time the King had a feast there was a different cook. When
the hour came to eat they all sat down and the King came out and also sat down
and started to eat. He just tasted and went away. This will show that he didn't
like it. The cooks were all men. This King wanted to find a good cook for his
only daughter. When the feast was over the King came out again and said to all
the people, " Who will try again for next week's feast?" Some of the boys knew that
the Indian boy was a good cook, and one of them went over to the Indian boy and
asked him if he would try. Well, the Indian boy was a little shy at first, but he
thought he would try. He went to his little shanty and thought about it all the
time, and how he would make things look nice. The feast clay came and he went
over to the place and started in to cook. When he got ready about four o'clock
in the evening he got some girls to help him with the tables. About six o'clock
lie called the people to " come in." All the bovs and girls said to one another
" This Indian man is going to get his for sure." The waiter called to the King that
everything was readv. The King came in and saw everything was srood. he
started to eat and he ate a lot this time. He told the people that he had found a
good cook at last. He called his daughter to come out: this girl was never seen
only from a distance. She came out and stood by her father. The King called
the Indian young man to come to where they were. The Indian came up and the
King called a preacher and had the young couple married right there, and they
stayed there at the King's house.

One day the people had an excursion out on the lake. There were about five hun-
dred people on board. They went a long ways out on the lake. The Indian's wife did
not like to go on this excursion so she did not go, but the Indian went, although
his wife did not like him to go, but he wanted to go badly. One of the bovs
thought that this would be a good chance to kill the Indian, so three boys trot
together and made a plan to throw the Indian overboard. Thev got him to go to
the back end of the steamboat and then grabbed him by the legs. Down be went
into the water. Nobody saw him, only the boys that thrust him down. He swam
around for a long time and then began to think about his wife and his brother.
He could not see land any place. He heard some bird up in the air and on look-
ing up he saw a hawk. He began to call the bird and the bird came down to him.
He asked the bird if there was an island close by, and the bird said, " Yes, there is
a rock not far from here." The Indian said. " I'd like to ask you if you could
take me to the rock." " I will try," said the bird. " Take hold of my leers and T
will take you to the rock." The bird got so big that it had no trouble in takimr
the Indian to the rock. When they got there the Indian sat on the rock not know-
ing where to eat. Well, he thought he would get the bird to go to the citv and sret
him something to eat. So he called the bird and the bird came near. He told the
bird to go to a big house with a big verandah. The bird flew away and she was
away for two hours, then she came back with a nice little parcel of nice cakes which
the Indian's wife had given to the bird. The Indian had a good lunch. The wife
did not know where he was. There was a big reward to anybody that had seen him
or had seen him killed.

81

The big bird came to the rock, where the tndiaD was. in the evening, and said to
him, "' Maybe 1 could take yon home if yon pa] me what I want. I would like to
gel tlif firsl baby yon Bee when yon gel hon (While the Indian was away there

was a l»ai.\ born at borne.) '•Well." the Indian Baid, "I will do thai." They
started i>> cross the big lake to gel home. They gol close to Bhore when the bird
gol tired and had to come down in the water about a hundred yards from shore.
Anyway the Indian Bwam to shore and wenl home. When he gol there he saw a

little baby hoy. for his wife had a child hoi'll. Well, he thoughl he had to give it
to the bird, which he did. and his wife was glad that he wenl and gave up the boy

to the big bird.

No. 89.

John York's < >\\ \ Story.

When he was a young man the Mohawks were hail at thai time. Xohody un-
allowed to go oul alone anywheres. He wanted to hunt very badly so lie and
another young man went out one morning quite a Ion,? ways oil' the Reserve to hunt
hear and duck. They gol to Mud Lake (Carden Township) the next day about
the noddle of the afternoon. They shot about twenty-live duck that night. 'The
next morning early they heard something across the narrows: they looked and saw
a great, big, black hear. They gol in their canoe and got near enough to shoot and
kill the bear. While looking at the dead hear they heard another one coming down
to drink, near where they were standing. They both shot and killed this one.
They took the two hears in their canoe ami started for home. After going down
the lake a little way he looked up and saw three bears in a big oak tree. The two
hunters got out of the canoe and went to the tree. He shot the big one hut did
not kill him outright, hut had to shoot again. This left only one more shot ready
for use. as they had one double and one single-barrel shot guns. The other two
hears came down the tree. TTe shot one of these and killed it and the last hear
had to come down when there was no shot ready for him. He (York) grabbed
the hear by the legs till the other hunter not his gun loaded. The hear was a cub
hut fought like an old bear, tearing the clothes off the man. The hunters got the
live hears and took them home. When they got home there was a bisr feast and
everybody came and ate some hear meat, for their friends thought the hunters
had been killed by the Mohawks.

The first of these following tales was told to me some eighl or ten years
ago by Ben Simcoe, an elderly Indian from the Rama Reserve. Ontario County,
near Lake Couchiching, and is probably a modern version of an older tale, as it
introduces the negro and white man. The word "TTe" in the story stands for
•• God " or the " Creator." I could not get definitely from the Simcoe who it did
stand for. Be seemingly did not know much about earlier Indian beliefs and
conditions.

The remaining three stories were told to me this summer by Jonas George,
Chippewa, of Rama Reserve, aged about sixty-four, professed Christian. His
Indian name is Wash-a-ghe-zik, which means "A (dear day.''

G. E. Laidlaw.

The sketch of the two little shiny men setting lightning at the tree, also the
•• Monster," were drawn by Wash-a-ghe-zik.

23
The Creation or Man.

Told by Ben Simcoe; Chippewa (Ojibwa), of Rama Reserve, Ontario County.

He (the Creator) took some clay and made a man. "lie baked it; it was not
done enough. He threw it away; it was no good. This was the white man.

He took some more clay and made another man and baked it. This one was
baked too much, and was burnt. It was no good. He threw this away. This was
the negro.

He took another bit of clay and made a third man. He baked this and it
came out all right, It was just right. This was the Indian, better than the white
man or the neo-ro.

D

Thunderbolt.

This story was told to Wash-a-ghe-zik by his father, and was told to his father
by his grandfather.

A young Indian, many years ago, went out to hunt early one morning, and
coming on noon he got hungry and started back to camp. In passing a pine stub
that had been struck by lightning he saw "something" sticking in the tree where
the lightning hit. He pulled this "'something" out and looked at it. It was
about two fingers broad, and about one hand long. He put it back again in the
tree exactly like he found it, and went on. When he came to camp he told his
father about it, and his father and several other men, together with the young man.
went back to examine it. Neither bis father or the men witli him could pull this
"something" out, but the young man could ; so he pulled it out, wrapped it up and
took it to camp. This " something " would tell the young man some hours before
a storm came up that the storm was coming, so that the Indians could make camp.
The young man used to dream that he could split trees by pointing this " some-
thing " at them, but never tried it. He kept this for many years. He was about
eighteen years old when lie found it, and lived to be forty-seven. He died un-
married and his name was forgotten.

The " something" was shiny and quivering, and nobody knew what it was
made out of. It was lost shortly before the man died. Wash-a-ghe-zik had no name
for this " something,'' and said the Indians could not make up a name for it.

Nim-Mah-Kie.

r

Once, a long time ago, before the white man came to 'Canada, an Indian struck
out through the bush to hunt. It came on a storm and be took a line for camp,
which was by a little lake away up north. It came on worst', and the Indian
crawled under a projecting pine tree. lie saw the lightning strike several trees,
and looking very closely at one tree thai was struck he saw a little man (about

• two feet high) standing by one side of the tree, and looking again at the tree he
saw another little man standing at the other side of the struck tree. Both these
men were fine little fellows, all black and shining, and are called Nim-Mah-Kie
(Thunder). They climbed up in the air like they were climbing ladders, and dis-
appeared. After they went up more lightning came down. These little men set
the lightning at the trees and make the thunder. Thunder and lightning keep
the monsters down on the land and in the lakes.

■.'I

Monsters,

These monsters, which are uboul twelve feel long anil aboui one and one-half
to two feel thick, and which liave long jaws full of teeth, and Look like half fish
and half snake, live in hills near lake-. They have underground passages Erom the
hills to the water, and can sometimes be -ecu early in the morning. In small lakes
ami bays of larger lakes they move around with great swiftness, Eorcing the weeds
and Boating sticks, etc., up high on the Bhore, similar to Bwirling your hand around
in a wash basin. Sometimes they do this with so much force thai they leave the
small lakes partially dry. One of these monsters lives in the hill just north of
where the old Indian portage from Lake Simcoe enters West. Bay, Balsam Lake
(now Portage Road). Another lives in the hill at Aiherley, Rama Reserve Lake
Couchiching, and another lives up north in a lake the name of which is now for-
ten. Thunder and lightning kill these monsters.

:

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