The Myths of the North American IndiansSpence, Lewis
History
The Myths of the North American Indians
Spence, Lewis
Indian mythology -- North America; Indians of North America -- Folklore
The young beaver obeyed, and as Ictinike took the pouch from him he
said: "Tell your father that he must visit me."
When the young beaver arrived home he acquainted his father with what
had passed, and the Beaver showed signs of great annoyance.
"I knew he would say that," he growled, "and that is why I did not want
you to go near him."
But the Beaver could not refuse the invitation, and in due course
returned the visit. Ictinike, wishing to pay him a compliment, was
about to kill one of his own children wherewith to regale the Beaver,
and was slapping it to make it cry in order that he might work himself
into a passion sufficiently murderous to enable him to take its life,
when the Beaver spoke to him sharply and told him that such a sacrifice
was unnecessary. Going down to the stream hard by, the Beaver found a
young beaver by the water, which was brought up to the lodge, killed
and cooked, and duly eaten.
On another occasion Ictinike announced to his wife his intention of
calling upon her grandfather the Musk-rat. At the Musk-rat's lodge he
met with the same tale of starvation as at the home of the Beaver, but
the Musk-rat told his wife to fetch some water, put it in the kettle,
and hang the kettle over the fire. When the water was boiling the
Musk-rat upset the kettle, which was found to be full of wild rice,
upon which Ictinike feasted. As before, he left his tobacco-pouch with
his host, and the Musk-rat sent one of his children after him with the
article. An invitation for the Musk-rat to visit him resulted, and the
call was duly paid. Ictinike, wishing to display his magical {271}
powers, requested his wife to hang a kettle of water over the fire,
but, to his chagrin, when the water was boiled and the kettle upset
instead of wild rice only water poured out. Thereupon the Musk-rat had
the kettle refilled, and produced an abundance of rice, much to
Ictinike's annoyance.
Ictinike then called upon his wife's grandfather the Kingfisher, who,
to provide him with food, dived into the river and brought up fish.
Ictinike extended a similar invitation to him, and the visit was duly
paid. Desiring to be even with his late host, the god dived into the
river in search of fish. He soon found himself in difficulties,
however, and if it had not been for the Kingfisher he would most
assuredly have been drowned.
Lastly, Ictinike went to visit his wife's grandfather the Flying
Squirrel. The Squirrel climbed to the top of his lodge and brought
down a quantity of excellent black walnuts, which Ictinike ate. When
he departed from the Squirrel's house he purposely left one of his
gloves, which a small squirrel brought after him, and he sent an
invitation by this messenger for the Squirrel to visit him in turn.
Wishing to show his cleverness, Ictinike scrambled to the top of his
lodge, but instead of finding any black walnuts there he fell and
severely injured himself. Thus his presumption was punished for the
fourth time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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