In the morning Wunzh's father came to him with food. “My son,” he said, “you have fasted long. It is seven days since you have tasted food, and you must not sacrifice your life. The Master of Life does not require that.” “My father,” replied the boy, “wait until the sun goes down to-morrow. For a certain reason I wish to fast until that hour.” “Very well,” said the old man, “I shall wait until the time arrives when you feel inclined to eat.” And he went away. The next day, at the usual hour, the sky stranger came again. And, though Wunzh had fasted seven days, he felt a new power arise within him. He grasped the stranger with superhuman strength, and threw him down. He took from him his beautiful garments, and, finding him dead, buried him in the softened earth, and did all else as he had been directed. He then returned to his father's lodge, and partook sparingly of food. There he abode for some time. But he never forgot the grave of his friend. Daily he visited it, and pulled up the weeds and grass, and kept the earth soft and moist. Very soon, to his great wonder, he saw the tops of green plumes coming through the ground. Weeks passed by, the summer was drawing to a close. One day Wunzh asked his father to follow him. He led him to a distant meadow. There, in the place where the stranger had been buried, stood a tall and graceful plant, with bright-colored, silken hair, and crowned by nodding green plumes. Its stalk was covered with waving leaves, and there grew from its sides clusters of milk-filled ears of corn, golden and sweet, each ear closely wrapped in its green husks. “It is my friend!” shouted the boy joyously; “it is Mondawmin, the Indian Corn! We need no longer depend on hunting, so long as this gift is planted and cared for. The Great Spirit has heard my voice and has sent us this food.” Then the whole family feasted on the ears of corn and thanked the Great Spirit who gave it. So Indian Corn came into the world. THE NUTCRACKER DWARF BY COUNT FRANZ POCCI (TRANSLATED) Two boys gathered some hazelnuts in the woods. They sat down under a tree and tried to eat them, but they did not have their knives, and could not bite open the nuts with their teeth. “Oh,” they complained, “if only some one would come and open the nuts for us!” Hardly had they said this when a little man came through the woods. And such a strange little man! He had a great, great head, and from the back of it a slender pigtail hung down to his heels. He wore a golden cap, a red coat and yellow stockings. As he came near he sang:-- “Hight! hight! Bite! bite! Hans hight I! Nuts bite I! I chase the squirrels through the trees, I gather nuts just as I please, I place them 'twixt my jaws so strong, And crack and eat them all day long!” The boys almost died of laughter when they saw this funny little man, who they knew was a Wood Dwarf.