Algonquin Indian Tales

Obtained the Fire from t

ildren opened out the gifts and presented them. He was more than delighted with a suit of black clothes sent him from a distance by friends who

thes is in heaven, or, if not yet dea

d not make such a fuss over the man who made them; he was paid for making them," said Saga

he child handed her gift after gift of warm clothing and food her joy knew no bounds, and, old as she was, when some warm shoes were given her, she sprang up and began s

Spirit has

ays I had li

hed and sad

O so cold!

have plen

y body, shoes

ble, nor sorr

rit the rest

ch member, professed to be much shocked at seeing her thus dancing, as though in the wild excitement of the Ghost Dance. But both Sagastao and Minnehaha stood up for the old

for now the merry jingling of more dog bells was heard, and who should co

. The visitors-who quickly saw and were delighted with the transformation-greeted him as though he were some distinguished stranger. This vastly amused the children. Screaming with laug

here with such a fine shawl and brilliant handkerchief on, an

y, that is Kinnesasis's wife, with her ne

woman and made her get up and show herself off in her n

in them, papa! Wouldn't you like to

cted the attention of the parents to some other matter, and so the mischievous child did not s

man and his daughters first obtained the fire which Nanahboozh

legend, saying that he did not think the father an

't know them very well, then, if you don't know th

ed with them and expressed their desire to listen to this story that

around which the white visitors with

the setting sun. We reached the land of the great mountains, and there, with our people of those regions, we spent some moons. It was while we were among them t

mes in great thunderstorms, when the lightning had set fire to dead trees-and indeed in this latter way the Indians had become acquainted

now all dead, and others that could only live in the hottest countries, lived all over these great lands. Then there was abundance of fruit and nuts and roots that were all very good for food. Then some great disaster happened to the world and soon it began to grow colder a

of the earth by a magician called Sistinakoo, and that it was kept very carefully surrounded by four walls, one within the other, in each of which was a single door. At the first door a great snake kept guard. At the second door a m

couraged. They thought it would be impossible for any

when the great snake nearly made a meal of him. Thoroughly frightened

kept getting colder and colder and ice and snow were now to be found in lands that had previously been

hat some of the animals, even the great buffaloes, had dwelt in those underground regions before they came to dwell on the surface of the earth. He said that the coyote, the prairie w

so careful about letting people have it, wh

get the mastery over men, and the whole world be burned by it, and they thought that they would c

tell us the rest of the story,

king of the coyotes and told him of their wish that he should

ess he reached the outer wall, where he waited, a little distance from the door, until the snake was taking his usual sleep. Then he quickly stepped past him. Knowing the habits of the other animals, he waited until they were asleep and then he noiselessly passed them all. Even Sistinakoo himself was

l the doors and was far on his way to the top of the ground. The fire was gladly received by the people, but after some time, when some big prairies and forests had been burned up by it, the men got fearful that the world might be destroyed

ather that, good as the fire was to warm us, and cook our food

legend, especially by his older listeners, who saw much in it tha

ck home for their suppers. So, after farewell greetings to Kinnesasis and his wife, one cariole