Part 9 (1/2)
”'Ah, Great Mystery! why do you punish a poor girl so? LetThe pale ht At this very hour the news of the disaster was brought horief, but Winona's spirit had floay No one ever saw her again
”This is enough for to-day, ain to-morrow”
II The Stone Boy
”Ho, , as I entered his lodge on the third day ”I hope you did not dream of a watery combat with the Ojibways, after the history I repeated to you yesterday,” the old sage continued, with a co upon his face
”No,” I said, meekly, ”but, on the other hand, I have wished that the sun ht travel a little faster, so that I could come for another story”
”Well, this time I will tell you one of the kind we call myths or fairy stories They are about s that ordinary people cannot do at all Sos, for they partake of the nature of men and beasts, or of men and Gods I tell you this beforehand, so that you may not ask any questions, or be puzzled by the inconsistency of the actors in these old stories
”Once there were ten brothers who lived with their only sister, a young maiden of sixteen summers She was very skilful at her embroidery, and her brothers all had beautifully worked quivers and bows embossed with porcupine quills They loved and were kind to her, and the maiden in her turn loved her brothers dearly, and was content with her position as their housekeeper They were great hunters, and scarcely ever re the day, but when they returned at evening they would relate to her all their adventures
”One night they caame, as usual, all but the eldest, who did not return It was supposed by the other brothers that he had pursued a deer too far froame than he could well carry; but the sister had a presenti dreadful had befallen him She was partially consoled by the second brother, who offered to find the lost one in the ly, he went in search of hi all had returned safely, save the brother ent in search of the absent Again, the next older brother went to look for the others, and he too returned notheir sister alone
”The reat She wandered everywhere, weeping and looking for her brothers, but found no trace of the beside a beautiful little strea on their way She could see the glea pebbles at the bottom, and one in particular seemed so lovely to her tear-bedi it within her skin garment into her bosootten herself and her sorrow
”At last she went hoh she could not have told the reason why On the following day she sought again the place where she had found the pebble, and this time she fell asleep on the banks of the stream, When she awoke, there lay a beautiful babe in her bosom
”She took it up and kissed it many times And the child was a boy, but it was heavy like a stone, so she called him a 'Little Stone Boy' The maiden cried no more, for she was very happy with her baby The child was unusually knowing, and walked almost from its birth
”One day Stone Boy discovered the bow and arrows of one of his uncles, and desired to have them; but his mother cried, and said:
”'Wait,man' She made him some little ones, and with these he soon learned to hunt, and killed srown to be a big boy, he insisted upon knohose were the ten bows that still hung upon the walls of his ed to tell hio in search of my uncles,' exclaimed the Stone Boy
”'But you will be lost like therief'
”'No, I shall not be lost I shall bring your ten brothers back to you
Look, I will give you a sign I will take a pillow, and place it upon end Watch this, for as long as I aive me some food and so the bow of one of his uncles, with its quiver full of arrows, the Stone Boy departed As he journeyed through the forest he spoke to every ani for news of his lost uncles Sometiht he heard an answer, so he walked in the direction of the sound But it was only a great grizzly bear who had wantonly reatly provoked
”'Was it you who answered face?' he exclairowled and said:
”'You had better be careful how you address me, or you may be sorry for what you say!'