A Guide to MythologyClarke, Helen A. (Helen Archibald)
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A Guide to Mythology
Clarke, Helen A. (Helen Archibald)
Mythology -- Juvenile literature
One day it came to pass that Glooskap said to Mikchich, “To-morrow there
will be a great game at ball, and you must play. But because you have
made yourself enemies of all the young men here, they will seek to slay
you, by crowding altogether and trampling upon you. And when they do this
it will be by your father-in-law’s lodge, and to escape them I give you
the power to jump high over it. This you may do twice, but the third time
will be terrible for you, and yet it must be.”
All this happened as he foretold; for the young men indeed tried to take
his life, and to escape them Mikchich jumped over the lodge, so that he
seemed like a bird flying. But the third time he did this he was caught
on the top of the tent-poles, and hung there dangling in the smoke which
rose from below.
Then Glooskap, who was seated in the tent, said, “Uncle, I will now make
you the _sogmo_, or great chief of the Tortoises, and you shall bear up
a great nation.” Then he smoked Mikchich so long that his skin became a
hard shell, and the marks of the smoke may be seen thereon to this day.
And removing his entrails he destroyed them, so that but one short one
was left. And he cried aloud, “_Milooks!_ (M.) My nephew, you will kill
me!” But the nephew replied, “Not so. I am giving you great life. From
this time you may roll through a flame and never feel it, and live on
land or in the water. And though your head be cut off, it will live for
nine days, and your heart, even, shall beat as long when taken from your
body.” So Mikchich rejoiced greatly.
And this came betimes, for he soon had need of it all. For the next day
all the men went on a hunt, and the Master warned him that they would
seek to slay him. Now the young men went on before, and Turtle lingered
behind; but all at once he made a magic flight far over their heads,
unseen, and deep in the forest he slew a moose. Then he drew this to the
snow-shoe track or road, and when his foes came up there he sat upon the
moose, smoking, and waiting for them. Now Glooskap had told them that
they would see some one come out ahead of them all that day, and when
this came to pass they were more angered in their hearts than ever.
So they plotted to kill Turtle, and his nephew, who was about to leave,
told him how it would be. “First of all, they will build a mighty fire
and throw you in it. But do thou, O uncle, go cheerfully, for by my power
thou wilt in no wise suffer. Then they will speak of drowning, but thou
must beg and pray that this may not be; and then they will the more seek
to do so, and thou shalt fight them to the bitter end, and yet it shall
be.”
And as he said, so it came to pass; and Mikchich, being of good cheer,
bade farewell to his nephew. And they seized him and threw him into a
great fire, but he turned over and went to sleep in it, being very lazy;
and when the fire had burnt out he awoke, and called for more wood,
because it was a cold night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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