A Guide to MythologyClarke, Helen A. (Helen Archibald)
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A Guide to Mythology
Clarke, Helen A. (Helen Archibald)
Mythology -- Juvenile literature
Now it came to pass when Glooskap had conquered all his enemies, even
the Kewahqu’, who were giants and sorcerers, and the M’téoulin, who were
magicians, and the Pamola, who is the evil spirit of the night air, and
all manner of ghosts, witches, devils, cannibals, and goblins, that he
thought upon what he had done, and wondered if his work was at an end.
And he said this to a certain woman. But she replied: “Not so fast,
Master, for there yet remains One whom no one has ever conquered or got
the better of in any way, and who will remain unconquered to the end of
time.”
“And who is he?” inquired the Master.
“It is the mighty Wasis,” she replied, “and there he sits; and I warn you
that if you meddle with him you will be in sore trouble.”
Now Wasis was the Baby. And he sat on the floor sucking a piece of
maple-sugar, greatly contented, troubling no one.
As the Lord of Men and Beasts had never married or had a child, he knew
naught of the way of managing children. Therefore he was quite certain,
as is the wont of such people, that he knew all about it. So he turned to
Baby with a bewitching smile and bade him come to him.
Then Baby smiled again, but did not budge. And the Master spake sweetly
and made his voice like that of the summer bird, but it was of no avail,
for Wasis sat still and sucked his maple-sugar.
Then the Master frowned and spoke terribly, and ordered Wasis to come
crawling to him immediately. And Baby burst out into crying and yelling,
but did not move for all that.
Then, since he could do but one thing more, the Master had recourse to
magic. He used his most awful spells, and sang the songs which raise the
dead and scare the devils. And Wasis sat and looked on admiringly, and
seemed to find it very interesting, but all the same he never moved an
inch.
So Glooskap gave it up in despair, and Wasis, sitting on the floor in the
sunshine, went _goo! goo!_ and crowed.
And to this day when you see a babe well contented, going _goo! goo!_ and
crowing, and no one can tell why, know that it is because he remembers
the time when he overcame the Master who had conquered all the world. For
of all the beings that have ever been since the beginning, Baby is alone
the only invincible one.
OJEEG ANNUNG; OR, THE SUMMER-MAKER
(_North American Indian_)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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