Algonquin Indian Tales

Nanahboozhoo-How He Lost His Brother Nahpootee,

oozhoo that we are h

d by Sagastao, who always was anxious

n began in

at have passed since he lived have, like the fogs and mists, made it less easy to say exactly who he really was, but I will try

the living child in soft dry grass, laid it on the ground at one end of her wigwam, and placed over it a great wooden bowl to protect it from harm. Then in her grief she took up the body of Wenonah, her daughter, and buried it, with the dead child, at some distance from her wigwam. When she returned from thus laying away her dead she sat down in her wigwam, and for four days mourned her loss. At the end of that time she heard a slight noise in he

p on its haunches and hopped slowly across the fl

t is the matter? What has happened? A great Munedoo (spirit) is born somewhere.' And at once they began to dev

s he was able to do, seeing he was more than human, for his father was the West Wind and his mother a great-granddaughter of the moon. Sometimes he was the beautiful white rabbit; then he would be a wolf or a wolverine; then he would be a lovely bird. He could even change himself to look like a dry old stump or a beautiful tree. Sometimes he would be like a little half-frozen rabbit; then he would be a mighty magician, and

one could make. His grandmother made him four sticks, and with these he used to beat time when singing his queer songs. Some of them were very queer, and ended up with 'He! he! ho

y uncles I'

I'll change

emies the fir

mth the chil

will be Na

k may the be

y deeds ever

rting around

and taught them the arts of surgery and medicine, but as the years went by he did some things that caused him to be feared very much. His unc

. The name of this brother was Nahpootee, which means the Skillful Hunter. Nanahboozhoo was very fond of him, and took great care of him. He grew very rapidly, and he and Nanahboozhoo were very great friends. Like Nanahboozhoo, Nahpootee could disguise himself in any form he chose. One favorite form he often assumed was that of a wolf, as he was often away on hunting excursions. The evil spirits,

he evil Munedoos dwelt in the bottom of the very lake on the shores of which they had built their wigwam. So he warned his brother, Nahpootee, never to cross that lake, but always to go around on the shore, and for some time he remembered this warning and was not attacked. But one cold winter day, when he had been out for a l

e began searching everywhere for his loved, lost brother. One day when he was walking under

oing there?' ask

nisew replied, 'and soon they are going to throw his

oozhoo very angry, but h

' he said, 'and I'll give you th

aker was Nanahboozhoo, the brother of

friendly tone. 'I only want to give you this beautiful

e bird so that the beautiful white shell should be over the breast. Then he pretended to tie the ends behind, but just as he had made a half knot in the cord, and was going to tighten it and st

the result of his own carelessness, in not keeping on the land, he would not be restored to live here, but was

the evil spirits dwelling under the land or water were much terrified, for they knew they would be terribly punished by Nanahboozhoo if he should ever get them in his