A Guide to MythologyClarke, Helen A. (Helen Archibald)
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A Guide to Mythology
Clarke, Helen A. (Helen Archibald)
Mythology -- Juvenile literature
“Give some meat to your grandfather.”
One of them obeyed, and coming near to Manabozho, he presented him the
other end of his own bushy tail, which was nicely seasoned with burs,
gathered in the course of the hunt.
Manabozho jumped up and called out:
“You dog, now that your stomach is full, do you think I am going to eat
you to get at my dinner? Get you gone into some other place.”
Saying which Manabozho, in his anger, walked off by himself.
“Come back, brother,” cried the wolf. “You are losing your eyes.”
Manabozho turned back.
“You do the child injustice. Look there!” and behold, a heap of fresh,
ruddy meat, was lying on the spot, already prepared.
Manabozho, at the view of so much good provision, put on a smiling face.
“In amazement,” he said; “how fine the meat is!”
“Yes,” replied the old wolf, “it is always so with us; we know our work,
and always get the best. It is not a long tail that makes the hunter.”
Manabozho bit his lip.
They now fixed their winter quarters. The youngsters went out in search
of game, and they soon brought in a large supply. One day, during the
absence of the young hunters, the old wolf amused himself in cracking the
large bones of a moose.
“Manabozho,” said he, “cover your head with the robe, and do not look at
me while I am busy with these bones, for a piece may fly in your eye.”
He did as he was bid; but looking through a rent that was in the robe, he
saw what the other was about. Just at that moment a piece flew off and
hit him on the eye. He cried out:
“Tyau, why do you strike me, you old dog?”
The wolf answered, “You must have been looking at me.”
“No, no,” retorted Manabozho, “why should I want to look at you?”
“Manabozho,” said the old wolf, “you must have been looking or you would
not have got hurt.”
“No, no,” he replied again, “I was not. I will repay the saucy wolf this
mischief,” he thought to himself.
So the next day, taking up a bone to obtain the marrow, he said to the
wolf:
“Brother, cover your head and do not look at me, for I very much fear a
piece may fly in your eye.”
The wolf did so; and Manabozho, taking the large leg-bone of the moose,
first looking to see if the wolf was well covered, hit him a blow with
all his might. The wolf jumped up, cried out, and fell prostrate from the
effects of the blow.
“Why,” said he, when he came to a little and was able to sit up, “why do
you strike me so?”
“Strike you?” said Manabozho, with well-feigned surprise; “no; you must
have been looking at me.”
“No,” answered the wolf, “I say I have not.”
But Manabozho insisted, and as the old wolf was no great master of tricky
argument, he was obliged to give it up.
Shortly after this the old wolf suggested to Manabozho that he should go
out and try his luck in hunting by himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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