Traditions of the North American Indians, Vol. 1Jones, James Athearn
History
Traditions of the North American Indians, Vol. 1
Jones, James Athearn
Indians of North America -- Folklore
"What is it? what is it?" they all asked, crowding around, for none of
them knew what it was good for, or guessed the use it was to be put to.
The big man told them, in their own language, that it was a thing
wherein to float upon the water, to go to catch fish, and to cross
streams. When he had explained to them what it was good for, he said he
would show them how to use it. He carried the canoe to the water, and
having made a paddle, placed Sasasquit in it, and taught him how to move
the canoe by its aid. Our people were mightily pleased with the gift,
and spent the remainder of the day in learning how to manage it. "The
Great Spirit is very good," said they, "and has shown a great deal more
love for us than Hobbamock has done, for he never gave us any thing for
our worship and sacrifices, except promises and lies." They decided,
however, that they would wait and see what he would do for them before
they bestowed their worship upon his rival.
The next day the Narragansetts came together in the same place, as
soon as they could see the sun, very curious to know what the Evil
Spirit would give them to equal or surpass the Good Spirit's gift.
They waited until Pocasset had finished his invocation, and, with
lessening patience, a still longer time, but in vain. No sound was
heard, no sign was visible. Nothing was seen to announce the coming of
the Bad Man, or any of his friends. Our people grew very angry, and
talked, not only of bestowing all their worship upon the Good Spirit,
and giving him all their choice tribute of oysters and lobsters, but
also of roasting Pocasset. They said, "The priest of the Evil Spirit
is good for nothing. When Sasasquit called upon his master, he heard
him, and at his request sent us a good gift; but Pocasset's master
hears him not, though he has sung him a song which makes our ears cry
for deafness." They had just caught hold of Pocasset, and were going
to pull him to pieces, when there was a great noise of thunder, though
they saw no lightning, and a little creature started up out of the
ground, and stood in the midst of them. Never was a more ugly,
misshapen monster seen upon the earth. He was no bigger than a child
that has seen the flowers bloom and the corn ripen twice. Yet he
appeared to be very old, for his hair was of the colour of the moss
upon the sunny side of the oak; his teeth were rotten and decayed; his
knees were bent out like warped bows; and his voice was not the voice
of a young man, but sounded like the voice of the muck-a-wiss singing
in the hollow woods in the summer moons. His face was covered with
hair of the colour of the feathers of the blue heron, and stood out
like the feathers of a duck that plumes itself in the warm sun, on the
shores of the lake. His skin was blacker than charred wood, or the
black raven. The Narragansetts were dreadfully frightened, and were
going to run away, when Pocasset stopped them, saying, "Don't be
afraid, it is my master.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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