Their heads and their hearts were very light. They forgot their hunger. They danced faster than ever before; their feet left the ground and they were dancing in the air. The six boys were around their leader who was singing. Up, up, went the boys into the sky. Their parents saw them and called to them to come back. They could not do it. Whirling, floating, dancing, they took their places in the sky, where every one may see them. The leader stopped his singing and tried to return. As he was not content in the Great Star Wigwam, his light is not so bright as that of the six other stars. XXXIII. THE CHIPMUNK’S BLACK STRIPES (Iroquois) The porcupine was chosen head chief of the animals because nothing could hurt him. This was when animals had tribes and chiefs like the Indians. Soon after the porcupine was made head chief he called a great council. When the animals were all seated in a ring around the council fire, he asked them this question: “Shall we have night all the time or daylight?” Then the animals were divided. There was much talking. Some wanted it to be night always. Some said it was best to have it always day. The bear wanted it always dark. He had a big voice and kept chanting: “Always night. Always night.” Each animal said something. The little chipmunk had a loud voice and kept singing: “Light will come. Light will come.” He has a loud voice yet. The council was held in the night. The animals could not decide what was best, but the chipmunk kept saying: “Light will come. Light will come”; and before any one knew it the sun began to rise. The night animals, with the bear for a leader, were very angry. The chipmunk saw the day was coming and began to run. The bear said it was because he was afraid and ran after him. The great bear was clumsy. The little chipmunk was quick, but the bear nearly caught him as the chipmunk ran into a hole in a hollow tree. The bear struck him, and the black stripes down the chipmunk’s back show where the bear hit him. The chipmunk and his tribe won, and night and day have come ever since that council. XXXIV. THE ECHO GOD AND THE NORTHERN LIGHTS (Iroquois) The Iroquois seem to have been the only nation to worship with feast and dance the echo god of the hills. When at war with other Indian nations or tribes, the chiefs and warriors of the Iroquois would go out and call: “Gohweh! Gohweh!” meaning, “I am telling you!” as many times as there were enemies slain. They did this very boldly, for they never believed that strange nations could hear or understand them or the echo’s answer. If any of their own people were slain, the cry was, “Ohweh!” which meant, “Our own!” When they were on the warpath and night overtook them, the scattered ones were gathered in by using the call to the echo god.