TALEI^FTHE 
 BARK LOIX3EX 
 
Tales of the Bark Lodges 
 
 By 
 
 HEN-TOH 
 
 Wyandot 
 
 HARLOW PUBLISHING CO. 
 Oklahoma City 
 1920 
 
Copyright, 1919. 
 
 By 
 HARLOW PUBLISHING CO, 
 
 First Edition November, 1919. 
 Second Edition September, 1920. 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 More than a quarter of a century ago, among 
 the scattered bands of the Eastern American 
 Indians, were many of the older members of the 
 tribe, whom we among ourselves called, "old time 
 Indians." I refer to those tribes whose ances 
 tors had associated with and known the white 
 man and his ways ever since the earliest Colonial 
 settlements were made. 
 
 Amalgamation with the civilized races had 
 lessened the degree of Indian blood and they had 
 become a civilized people. They were educated 
 more or less, and were possessed of an innate 
 refinement of thought and manner. They were 
 reserved, closely observant, earnest and shrewd, 
 and almost always serious. With all that they 
 had gained from civilization, they retained and 
 cherished closely, many of their old manners 
 and customs, adapting these to the ever-changing 
 times. They had a marked character and indi 
 viduality of their own; and among them were 
 those who, to a discriminating mind, were well 
 worth knowing. 
 
 Many of these, however much they had ac 
 quired of the ways of others, failed in their use 
 of ordinary English, to the most humorous de- 
 
 435501 
 
iv FOREWORD. 
 
 gree. The greater number of them yet used 
 their own tribal language, and they found it dif 
 ficult to think something out in this, and then 
 transpose and express it in English. Yet, in 
 spite of the many perplexities, when in the mood 
 to do so, within the family, or circle of inti 
 mates, the English language was often spoken to 
 the exclusion of their own. And with all their 
 natural earnestness and seriousness, they would 
 drive straight ahead, paying no attention what 
 ever to the strange and ludicrous quirks and 
 turns they gave to English as they tried to 
 speak it. 
 
 They lived much in the past of their race, and 
 they delighted to talk and tell of "the olden 
 times." Lore and legend were very dear to 
 them; and during the long nights of winter, the 
 traditions, tales and myths, handed down from 
 one generation to another for centuries, were 
 often related by these older ones. 
 
 I have always loved the old people and their 
 olden tales, and in the broken dialect peculiar 
 alone to the "old time Indian," I have attempted 
 to give some of the old stories originally derived 
 from the Lake Region Tribes. Since these have 
 survived for unknown ages, and have been told 
 and re-told to so many generations; and, since 
 I and many of the friends I have known, have 
 
FOREWORD. v 
 
 found a certain enjoyment in hearing them re 
 lated, I have tried to again re-tell some of them 
 for the pleasure of anyone who may find in 
 them anything to please. Perchance, even I, 
 may thereby win another friend. 
 
 I have tried also to show somewhat of the in 
 dividuality and view-point of these old people 
 of the tribe; and it is to the dear memory of 
 those who have long since passed beyond, and 
 to the few that yet remain, that these stories and 
 tales as now given, are dedicated. 
 
 Doubtless, there will be some readers, who 
 will at once say that the rights and privileges 
 of "Uncle Remus" have been set at naught. I 
 say: not so; and I believe that my life-long inti 
 mate knowledge of Indian life and character en 
 titles me at least to my opinion. Others may 
 have theirs. 
 
 I can well recall the time of my boyhood, 
 when I saw the first of the "Uncle Remus 
 Stories." I was delighted with them because I 
 found so much in them with which I had been 
 familiar from my earliest childhood. I hastened 
 to call the attention of the older members of our 
 family to them. And, more particularly did I 
 hasten to read some of them to a dear old Aunt, 
 a Wyandot woman of the old type, who lived 
 with us. 
 
vi FOREWORD. 
 
 Like myself, she was pleased with them, 
 but at once said as many of the episodes were 
 recognized : 
 
 "They re Indian stories; not whiteman; 
 not nigger." 
 
 I heartily agreed with her, and while we 
 both enjoyed them, we were just a bit indignant 
 because, so to speak, our title had been pre 
 empted. 
 
 Later, when the discussion was taken up by 
 older and far wiser heads than mine, and when 
 Professor Powell of the Smithsonian Institute 
 stated that the stories exhibited more of Indian 
 origin than of negro, I was satisfied as to my 
 claim, and have never since had reason to doubt 
 the fact of their Indian origin. 
 
 That the origin of many of the episodes is 
 purely Iroquoian, is to my mind too clear to 
 admit of doubt or dispute. The Cherokee is an 
 Iroquoian tribe, as is also the Wyandot. The 
 Cherokees removed south at an early day in the 
 history of this country and became slave-holders. 
 Can it be doubted that much of their lore, and 
 many of their old tales and traditions were ab 
 sorbed by the negroes? The Wyandots remained 
 until years later, with their kindred tribes in the 
 north, where these same stories, legends, tales, 
 and traditions had been preserved, with per 
 haps slight variations among the several tribes, 
 
FOREWORD. vii 
 
 for centuries. Yes, even centuries before such 
 thing was dreamed of, as the coming of either 
 the white man or the black man. 
 
 Each of the many stories originally had 
 some special significance which has long since 
 been lost almost entirely. Their preservation 
 was of tribal importance; and it was the duty 
 of some of the older members of the tribe, to 
 relate them to the younger ones. This had 
 been an honored custom among them for un 
 told ages. 
 
 Story-telling furnished a vast source of 
 amusement and entertainment, as well as in 
 struction, to the dwellers in the long bark lodges 
 near the Lake shores, during the winter nights. 
 Stories were never related except at this season 
 of the year; for it was the belief that the many 
 spirits of nature thought to be awake and alert 
 during the other seasons, would be perhaps of 
 fended at hearing so much said about them. So, 
 in the long, cold, and sometimes dreary winter 
 season, when all nature seemed to be soundly 
 sleeping, time was often whiled away, and even 
 hunger and want forgotten while listening to a 
 story well told. 
 
 HEN-TOH, Wyandot. 
 Ottawa County, Oklahoma. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 I. OLD Fox GOES FISHING 3 
 
 II. A DANCE AND A DINNER 16 
 
 III. OLD COON SLEEPS Too LONG 27 
 
 IV. OLD Fox MEETS His COUSIN 37 
 
 V. OLD COON VISITS THE SUGAR BUSH 51 
 
 VI. OLD Fox AND OLD COON TRY A NEW 
 
 VENTURE 61 
 
 VII. A PRE-HISTORIC RACE 74 
 
 VIII. THE EAGLE FEATHER 84 
 
 IX. WHY AUTUMN LEAVES ARE RED 95 
 
 X. THE FERRYMAN 100 
 
 XI. OLD COON TEACHES THE WOLF TO 
 HUNT 105 
 
 XII. THE HOLE IN THE SKY... ..113 
 
TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 I. 
 
 OLD FOX GOES FISHING. 
 
 "What you sed, Bra-ty? Yooht! You al! 
 a time sed tell em OP Ouendot story. What 
 for? He s bout all gone now, Ouendots. 
 You jus lit l bit, you fatha , you motha jus 
 lit l bit mo Ouendot. Look, you hair jus 
 lik a sunshine if you ketch im an tie in 
 bunch. Ouendot, his hair black like a night, 
 
 an fine, jus lik you sistah yonda. Eyes 
 black too. He an you motha an me, all 
 
 looks lik Ouendot." So spoke a pleasant, 
 kindly looking old Wyandot woman to a lit- 
 
 [3] 
 
4 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 tie boy who was sitting with her before a 
 cheery open fire, where a row of streaked, 
 juicy red apples were slowly roasting on 
 the broad hearth. 
 
 The boy replying to his old aunt, said: 
 "Yes, I know, but Neh-ah, I m a Wyan- 
 dot even if my hair is like what you say, 
 and you know I just love to hear you tell 
 me all of the old stories that the little Wy- 
 andot children, yes, and the older ones too, 
 listened to so many, many years ago. That 
 was before they ever knew there was such 
 a thing as a white man, I guess. I like to 
 hear all about the olden times you often 
 tell me about, and how the Wyandots lived 
 and did things then. Anyway, you know 
 that as long as I can claim a little bit of 
 
OLD Fox GOES FISHING 5 
 
 Wyandot blood, I am an Indian, a Wyan- 
 dot, and not a white man." 
 
 More than just a bit pleased, the old 
 aunt said to him: "Well, I s pose it s jus 
 that way, an it be that way too, all a time, 
 with anybody what s Ouendot. Just say 
 kin a proud, Tm Ouendot. Anyway, I tole 
 you all a ol story what I think of, cause 
 you all a time tell a me story bout nowa 
 days, an read to me, book an pay-pa too, 
 bout eva thing what s goin on in worl an 
 all a diffunt place. All a Injun long go 
 use tell em ol story, so young folk can 
 le rn all bout ol times. Some time when 
 hunta s don got back yet with meat, an 
 mebbe so don t got much to eat in lodge, 
 then jus -tell em story long time, and jus r 
 
6 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 kin a fo got he s hungry. He s do that kin 
 in a winta time. But you don eva much 
 hungry; anyway look, we have good roas 
 apple, tzhu-u-wat, prit soon. Well, anyhow, 
 I tole you bout OP Fox an OP Coon, at s 
 his couzzen. They jus all a time try to 
 play trick on each otha them fellas. Jus 
 like long time go, young fellas what go all 
 roun diffunt village, an jus play trick on 
 oP witch womans, an eva body they could, 
 an jus make em big laff all roun cause 
 they foolish em, heap all a time. 
 
 "It s col frosty mornin long time go; 
 winta time. OP Fox he s lazy to get up, 
 jus sleep long time fo he get up an go 
 roun to see what s goin on. By-um-by, 
 he s jus walkin long riva bank, jus sing- 
 
OLD Fox GOES FISHING 7 
 
 in like to he-self, jus like he s feelin kin - 
 a good. He s jus come roun by lit l hill 
 an he see Coon comin up road. He s 
 carry somethin on back, jus puffin lik 
 it s heavy. 01 Fox he s wonda what s got 
 01 Coon. By-um-by he s come long clos , 
 01 Coon, an Fox he see em long string, 
 lots crawfish, what s carryin OF Coon. 
 
 " Good mornin Couzzen, he sed it 01 
 Coon, How you mek it? What fo you 
 sing jus like happy, this time mornin ? 
 Mebbe so it s gif you bad lucks, cause you 
 sing so early. Mebbe so you bettah what 
 you say, cut it out/ 
 
 "OF Fox he jus grin an sed: Good 
 mornin Couzzen Coon, I jus makin up 
 new song fo nex Council Fire; I don* 
 
8 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 tho t bout no bad lucks what you say; but 
 what s you got, all lots a crawfish? Whe-e-e 
 at s fine, how you ketch em? You jus all 
 time lucky hunta , ketch eva thing easy; 
 what makes all a time you do that way? 
 
 "He sed it 01 Coon: Oh, yes, me all 
 time kill em ten. At s caus you don t see 
 me come singin on road befo I eat em my 
 breakfus ; an this kin , I jus pick em up 
 down riva . At s easy. Seems to me you 
 can do bettah as I can, caus you tail it s 
 long an lots a-bushy. 
 
 "OF Fox he think he s make a fun bout 
 his tail, Coon, an sed it: Oh, it s good 
 nuff my tail, but you don sed how you 
 ketch em crawfish; I like to try ketch em/ 
 
 " Oh, you lik ketch em, 01 Coon, he 
 say, It s easy, but you haf to waitin long 
 
OLD Fox GOES FISHING 9 
 
 time, jus waiting but you don t haf to 
 watchin nothin , jus waitinV 
 
 "Fox he say, Well, you tell-a-me, an I 
 do what you sed. I lik to try to-day, right 
 now/ 
 
 "Or Coon he point back which way he 
 come an he say: Right down on riva , 
 roun that bank, it s good place on ice, it s 
 lots lit l hole in ice, all ova . You look, fin 
 good one, big nuff jus put it in, you tail, 
 jus way down in wata ; he ain t cold much, 
 wata . You jus sit there, tail in wata , 
 waitin long time. By-um-by, crawfish he 
 come long 1-o-t-s ov em, he get all tangle 
 up on you tail. You jus waitin long time; 
 afta while it s feel heavy, but you jus 
 waitin some mo an by-um-by when you 
 
10 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 waitin 1-o-n-g time, you jus jump quick, 
 jus high lik you can. You tail it s be pull 
 out hole, an it s all scattah ova ice craw 
 fish, lots ov em. You mus pick em up 
 hurry, fo he s crawl back to that holes. 
 It s sure bes kin fishin I do long time. 
 Sure ketch em plenty crawfish, mebbe. 
 
 "01 Fox he s jus lis n to Coon talk 
 bout it, an he say: Well, I try im what 
 you sed, Couzzen, cause I lik to ketch em 
 mo what you ketch em, crawfish; I think 
 I go try now. 
 
 "Coon he sed: Well, you go try. I m 
 jus bout froze it now, stan here tole you 
 bout it, fishin ; nobody don tole me, I jus 
 mek em that kin fishin . Then he s go 
 on jus lik he s hurry, that 01 Coon. 
 
OLD Fox GOES FISHING 11 
 
 He s go lit l way, an jus laff to he-self, 
 much, cause he s jus foolin im, that 01 
 Fox; he don ketch em crawfish that way, 
 lik what he sed it. 
 
 "Fox, he s jus b lieve im all of it; jus 
 cause he s got more big tail than 01 Coon, 
 he s jus think he ketch em heap crawfish. 
 He s go down on ice by riva, jus hurry, 
 cause he s want fin hole, so he can do it. 
 that waitin . He s by-um-by fin it good 
 one, hole, but it s col wind blow strong, 
 jus freezin , but he don care nothin cause 
 he s want try that waitin . He s put in 
 hole his tail, an he s set down on ice. That 
 ice c-o-1 , an jus make sheever, jus lik 
 eva thin . He s jus think it s be good eatin 
 that crawfish, an jus keep on sheever. 
 
12 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 He s don care fo that kin , sheever, he s 
 jus want em heaps crawfish. 
 
 "By-um-by, it s kin pull lit l bit, his 
 tail; it s freezin that wata , but he don t 
 know, he s jus think it s much crawfish 
 tangle on his tail. He s think, I jus wait- 
 in some mo cause it s what mek em come 
 lots crawfish. I sure beat im, 01 Coon, 
 ketch em crawfish, then I tell im, I bes 
 one fishin . So that ol feller, he s jus 
 waitin , an waitin til by-um-by, it s his 
 tail all freeze in ice; it s tight one, freeze, 
 you bet cha. 
 
 "He s waitin lit l mo , an sed to he-self: 
 It s must-a-be many crawfish now, I think 
 time to jump now. So he s try to jump 
 high, but it s freeze tight, his tail, an jus 
 
OLD Fox GOES FISHING 13 
 
 pull h-a-r-d. He s jus almos holler, cause 
 it s make hurt; but he s jus think it s so 
 lots ov crawfish, he don care fo lit l bit 
 hurt. He s jus jump h-a-r-d notha time, 
 an it s almos pull it off his tail; then he 
 jus think, He s foolish me that 01 Coon. 
 He tell lie, he don ketch em this way, that 
 crawfish; he s jus lie all-a-time. He s 
 do me bad one, this trick; but I ll pay back, 
 I ketch im. He s fin out/ 
 
 "Well, anyway, it s freeze up his tail, 
 all tight plenty; what s goin do get em 
 loose, don know, cause it s hurt much eva ? 
 time he s try pull em. Jus pull em h-a-r-d, 
 it s bout break it, his tail. He s feel jus 
 b-a-d, now. 
 
 "By-um-by, he s lookin roun , and see 
 somethin lik black nose, right ova tha 
 
14 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 in hole, clos to bank; then it s come up 
 lit l mo an it s sharp eye, too, an 01 Fox 
 he s sed: Uncle Beaver, I sure got it 
 bad fix, mebbe so you help me/ 01 Fox 
 he s go head tell im, Beaver, what s that 
 he s tell im do, 01 Coon. He s tell im all 
 bout it 01 Fox. Beaver, he s jus lis n, an 
 look like he s try hard not laff, an by-um- 
 by he s go back in watah. He s swim ova 
 unda ice, an he s work long time, jus like 
 eva thin , and he s get em loose OF Fox, his 
 tail ; then he s come up top gen an tell em 
 01 Fox : Now I guess you pull em out ice, 
 you tail, my fren , an nex time he s tell 
 you how do somethin , 01 Coon, mebbe so 
 you don lis n good. 
 
 "01 Fox he s lis n what say, OP Beaver 
 an think it; but he s want do something 
 
OLD Fox GOES FISHING 15 
 
 too, so he s sed it: Uncle, you come, I like 
 fix it somethin so I member it what you 
 do. Beaver, he jus come ova by 01 Fox, 
 an Fox he s jus take hands an gatha up 
 lots lit l sof white snow, an he s jus rub it 
 e-a-s-y all roun it s his nose, OP Beaver. 
 It s jus change color lit l bit that hairs 
 roun his nose, OP Beaver, an meks look 
 nice, lit l bit. It s jus stay that way eva 
 since. 
 
 "That s how he say, Old People, long go 
 it s that way." 
 
II. 
 
 A DANCE AND A DINNER. 
 
 Another evening when the Boy and Neh- 
 ah were sitting before the same cheery fire, 
 while outside the northwest wind swirled 
 and whistled through the bare branches of 
 the walnut trees, Neh-ah, knowing well that 
 a story would soon be asked for, said : 
 
 "Bra-ty, I don tole you bout how he s 
 went to Big Council, 01 Coon, is it? That 
 o? scamp, he s jus know he betta keep out 
 his way, 01 Fox, lit l while, anyhow, caus 
 he s jus hope 01 Coon, mebbe so, his couz- 
 zen he ll forgot it bout that craw-fishin , 
 when he s prit near los it his tail. 
 
 [16] 
 
A DANCE AND A DINNER 17 
 
 "Co se not, he don t fo get it, OF Fox, an 
 he don tole nobody bout that kin fishin 
 neitha ; an he s jus hope UncP Beaver 
 wouldn sed bout it to nobody too. But 
 that OF Beaver, he s good ol fella, and jus 
 heap like im eva body; anyhow, he s jus 
 got tell im his fren that OF Otter. 
 
 "That 01 Otter, he s jus jolly fella, an 
 all a time jus laff good bout all a kin a 
 things ; an that Beaver, he s jus all a time 
 likes to hear im laff big, so, jus tell im 
 eva time, anything, that Otter. 
 
 "Any-how 
 
 "It s jus few days afta OP Coon tole 
 it, his couzzen how to ketch em crawfish, 
 he sed to he-self, OP Coon: Mebbe so I 
 get out a way lit l time, cause Fox he might 
 
18 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 try it somethin to get even/ Any how 
 it s jus bout that time, it s come Rah- 
 shu, it s what you call em moccasin, he s 
 go all roun diffunt village, an tell em 
 somethin , eva body. He sed this one, it s 
 goin be big Council way down notha 
 place. 
 
 "OP Coon he s always like to go, cause 
 he s good singa , an he s talk good some 
 times, too. Anyhow he sed: I go, bet cha 
 01 Fox he s don be there. Then he s jus 
 laff, an he sed : I tell em all those fellas 
 how s 01 Fox he s ketch em crawfish. 
 
 "So s he s get ready an he s go. He s 
 fin lots of em that place when he s got 
 there. Somebody he sed : Where is it 01 
 Fox an* Turtle, it s always come them 
 
A DANCE AND A DINNER 19 
 
 fellas, wonda where is it an why don 
 come/ But afta while 01 Coon tell em 
 bout how ketch em crawfish, OP Fox, he 
 don say that no mo , jus laff good. 
 
 "They all stay that place three-fouh 
 days, talkin bout lots thing, then Coon, 
 he sed : Well, time I go, an he s pick up 
 his lit l drum an start back. He s jus* 
 travel long all day, sometime he s sing 
 lit l bit, sometimes he s talk to he-self. He 
 neva see nobody, til he s jus bout home, 
 when sun, he s bout go ova hill; then he s 
 
 meet Turtle, jus comin long slow, he s 
 goin home too. 
 
 ""Kway, my fren P he s sed it, 01* 
 Coon, What fo you don bin there, Big 
 Council? We look fo you, all time, we 
 want you make good talk. 
 
20 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 "OP Turtle, he sed: I goin bin there, 
 but jus when I start, OP Fox, his woman 
 he come my lodge, an he sed somethin 
 wrong OP Fox, he s bad cross, don like 
 nothin . He want me come see im, OP 
 Fox. So I tell im I go see OP Fox, mebbe 
 so he s sick, I doctah him. So, I go see 
 him, but I can t know what s mattah with 
 im. He s jus cross like dickens all time, 
 an it s heap sore, his tail. 
 
 "OP Coon he s jus lis n an laff lit l 
 bit, then he sed : OP Fox, he be a right in 
 few day. I go, now, I gotta fin suppa 
 some kin . So he s go on. By-um-by he s 
 come out of bush, right by lake, oh it s nice 
 one, that lake, jus blue watah and jus 
 clos to sho it s swim roun lots of goose; 
 
A DANCE AND A DINNER 21 
 
 he s fat one, too. 01 Coon, he s jus look 
 at those lots of goose, then he say: To-ho,, 
 my fren s, you come, I tell it you some- 
 thin ; where I jus come, it s eva body jus 
 sing an dance. It s new dance. You 
 fellas jus come out on nice sand, I show 
 you how do it. It s all those goose, he 
 jus come step out on sand, jus walk like 
 soldier, long string. 01 Coon jus take off 
 belt, his lit l drum, an sed it: Well, my 
 fren s, you jus make it big ring, I stay in 
 niiddel. I sing an beat it drum. When I 
 stop sing an play drum, all you gooses 
 jus shut eyes tight an dance slow jus 
 like what I showed you now. Then 01 Coon 
 he s jus dance nice to show em how, all 
 those goose. He say, 01 Coon: You 
 
22 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 musn t stop dance till I begin sing gen, 
 an jus* keep shut all time, yo eye. It s 
 how they dance eva body, down that place 
 I jus come now. 
 
 "So all that gooses jus make ring, like 
 he s tol em OP Coon, an all jus shut his 
 eye an list n while he s sing good, OP Coon, 
 an jus beat it that drum. He s jus sing: 
 
 Ho-he-yah, ho-ha, 
 
 Yah-dra-wah, ho-ye-yah, 
 Ho-ha, yah-dra-wah. 
 
 "Then when OP Coon, he quit sing- 
 in , all those old goose jus dance roun 
 slow an easy like, all his eye jus shut. 
 Now OP Coon jus reach out queek, an 
 grab one oP fat she-goose, jus snap his 
 head off fore he could squawk, an thro 
 
A DANCE AND A DINNER 23 
 
 it behin him in hurry. Then he s sing 
 agen, an when he s stop sing, those goose 
 jus dance roun slow like, an he grab 
 notha one, fat one, an queek, twis head 
 off an throw behin him, then he do same 
 thing, an get notha one. But jus when 
 he s ketch em las one, lit l oP she-goose 
 dancin , open one eye jus lit l bit, cause he 
 want see if he ain t bes dancer. That she- 
 goose when he see what he s do that OP 
 Coon, jus holler loud an sed: Oh, he s 
 kill us! an all those goose he s fly way, 
 like big hurry. 
 
 "OP Coon he s jus laff, an pick em up 
 his three goose an lit l drum, an start on 
 to his lodge. He s think he s got good sup- 
 pa now. 
 
24 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 "While he s goin long, he s say to he- 
 self: I b lieve I like em betta roas 
 gooses/ So when he s come his lodge, he s 
 fix his gooses, an pick up lots of stick to 
 mek big fire, cause by-um-by it s burn 
 all down an meks good lots coal an* 
 ashes, good place to roas em gooses. It s 
 
 good suppa he s got now, by-um-by, soon. 
 "It s w-a-y down long river, 01 Fox, his 
 lodge. By-um-by he s look out an see big 
 light, big fire on hill clos by his lodge, 01 
 Coon. 01 Fox he look, an he say to he- 
 self: I wonda he s come home, that ol 
 rascal, an what fo he s got big fire. I 
 jus slip roun that way an see what he s 
 do/ So he s call his little nephew what s 
 live with him, an tole im don t need to 
 
A DANCE AND A DINNER 25 
 
 mek fire in lodge, cause he s goin way 
 an not come back til late. It s what he 
 sed, 01 Fox, an tell em nephew: Tou 
 go sleep. 
 
 "Well, bout that time, his fire, 01 Coon, 
 it s all burn down, an make good ashes 
 an hot coal. He s take stick an scrape all 
 way that hot coal, an lay em down that 
 gooses on his back, all, one, two, three, in 
 row, his foot all stick up straight out ashes 
 jus like beans what s jus come up in 
 garden. 
 
 "It s gettin dark now, an wind it s 
 blow. He could hear im up in limbs on 
 tree. 01 Coon, up high on rocky hill, he s 
 set down by fire an jus lis n. He s kin* 
 tired that 01 Coon, an it s jus soun easy 
 
26 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 that wind, an make im feel sleepy like. 
 He s lis n to riva down there, too, jus* 
 soun s good, an by-um-by he s jus sleepy 
 like eva thing. So, he say to he-self: I 
 could take it nap while it s cook, my sup- 
 pa , I do that cause nothin botha it tall 
 "It s some limbs way up high ova he 
 head, jus makin noise cause wind it s 
 blow and jus mek squeek when it s rub 
 togetha that limbs. 01 Cool he s sed: 
 Hey, you noisy fellas up tha , I want 
 sleep lit l nap, you woke me if it s botha 
 anythin bout my suppa . He s say a right 
 that limbs, an by-um-by that 01 Coon he s 
 curl up an sleep good, jus lit l ways from 
 fire." 
 
III. 
 
 OLD COON SLEEPS TOO LONG. 
 
 A stick of wood in the fire-place burned 
 in two, and the sparks went flying up the 
 chimney s black throat. The Boy took the 
 poker and drew the other logs closer to 
 gether. Meanwhile the tall old clock struck 
 off eight resounding peals, finishing with 
 its usual whirr. 
 
 "Neh-ah, it only said eight, can t you go 
 on and tell me if that poor Old Coon, hun 
 gry as he was, got to eat his fine supper; or 
 did it all burn up while he was taking such 
 a good nap. He made such a great fire, 
 I m wondering." 
 
 [27] 
 
28 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 After turning to the boy s mother, who 
 was sitting near by sewing, and address 
 ing a few words to her in Wyandot, the 
 Old Aunt said : 
 
 "No, it don burn it up, his suppa . Spec 
 he don bin so mad if it did. He no bizness 
 lay there an go sleep it so good ; but he s 
 jus all a time such a smart, it s jus good 
 nough fo him. I tole you lit l mo bout 
 it, then you go bed. 
 
 "Well, 
 
 "It s a ready come up, big moon, down 
 tha in east; but it s jus sleepin yet, 
 01 Coon, don wake im up, nothin . By- 
 um-by, up there in rocks, bove where it s 
 sleepin/ 01 Coon, you could see em sharp 
 nose an sharp eyes too, jus roun edge 
 
OLD COON SLEEPS Too LONG 20 
 
 of rock, lookin down where s sleep, Or 
 Coon. Then when see he s sleep good, 
 that Coon, 01 Fox he s come down, jus 
 walkin easy, he don t step on rocks, no 
 nothin , jus walk sof an don mek it 
 noise. He s look all roun that Fox, an 
 by-um-by he s see em that six goose foots 
 stickin out row in ashes. 
 
 " Ah-e-e-e, he jus sed it easy, that s 
 reason he s got big fire, 01 Coon. I glad 
 I m fin it, an I glad I m come see bout 
 it that big fire. I lik em roas gooses, an 
 I could jus bout eat em three of it. He s 
 good one, hunta, my Couzzen; but must 
 a-be it s heap tired now. Too tired, can t 
 eat em; well, I eat em that goose/ 
 
 "He s look at that 01 Coon all-a-time, 
 but he s jus sleepin good now, so Fox 
 
30 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 he s jus step roun easy an get stick, an 
 scrape way ashes from that gooses. It s 
 roas nice, an jus smell good. It s some 
 limbs up there in trees jus sque-e-k, but 
 it don botha him, 01 Coon. 
 
 "Fox, he s get busy eat it that goose an 
 by-um-by it s jus nothin lef but pile 
 bones it s got lots meat on yet, cause he s 
 jus eat it bes part, that Fox. He s got 
 nuff fo he s eat all of it; jus can t eat 
 no mo . It s jus sque-e-k all-a-time that 
 limbs, but don wake it up nothin that 01 
 Coon. 
 
 "When he s eat all he want, that Fox, 
 he pick up all-a bones an put em back 
 in ashes, an he s cova all up gen jus 
 lik it s don botha it nothin ; an 5 he s 
 
OLD COON SLEEPS Too LONG 31 
 
 stick in row gen, all that goose foots 
 in ashes, jus same lik he s fix it, 01 
 Coon. 
 
 "It s lit l pile sof ashes clos by, an he s 
 go there, 01 Fox, an he s jus dance all 
 ova it, so s he could fin it his tracks, that 
 OF Coon when he s wake up. He sed it: 
 I think my couzzen he bin glad I come 
 see im, he bin glad I don woke im up, 
 cause he s heap tired. 
 
 "He s jus fix it eva thin that Fox, then 
 he s go down hill towa ds riva . It s fine 
 night, moonlight, an he s jus walk long 
 riva bank til he s feel kinda tired and 
 sleepy-like that s cause he s eat so much 
 goose. By-um-by he s come to big one 
 tree what s stan way out ova riva . It s 
 
32 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 look like good place to sleep, so he s clim 
 lip an fin good place to stretch out, an 
 by-um-by he s go sleep. Big moon, it s 
 yellow, shine jus ova that Fox, down 
 through limbs what don ? got no leaf on it, 
 and mek good shadow that Fox down in 
 clear wata; it s jus 15k he s down tha in 
 wata, that Fox. 
 
 "Well, by-um-by up on hill, that 01 Coon 
 he s jus wake up in hurry an he s sed: 
 I guess I take good nap, mebbe. An 
 he s jus stretch he-self an look roun . 
 He s jus think: Well, I got good suppa 
 anyhow, must-a-be cook good now. 
 
 "He s go in hurry ova to fire an reach 
 out bofe hands an ketch holt goose foots 
 to lif it out of ashes. He s jus lif kind-a 
 
OLD COON SLEEPS Too LONG 33 
 
 hard, lik it s heavy, an he s jus tumble 
 back an roll ova holdin that goose foots 
 in his hand. He s jus feel lik funny, an 
 he say: I guess it s cook too much, my 
 suppa ." 
 
 "He s get up an go ova there fire gen, 
 an take it out that otha goose-foots one 
 at time. He s don know what s mattah, 
 an he s jus look lik funny eva time he s 
 take it out that goose-foots; then he s take 
 stick an scrape way that ashes, an don 
 fin nothin jus pile bones with lit l bit 
 meat on it. He s jus much mad, an he s 
 sed it: 
 
 " He s jus bin here, some lazy thief an 
 steal it my supper. I jus like to seen it, 
 I bet I bust im his nose. I jus like to fin 
 
34 TALES OF THE BAKK LODGES 
 
 out who done it, I bet I poun it good. 
 Must-a-be it s that 01 Fox, he s the one. 
 He s jus think he s get even fo that craw- 
 fishin I tol im how to do it. At jus 
 joke, that one. It s m-e-a-n trick, this one. 
 It s a right for him, jus wait I ketch im, 
 I poun im an lick im good, I don care 
 fo hund ed snakes, how much he s holler, 
 when I fin im. He s jus get madda all 
 time that 01 Coon, an he s jus shake his 
 fist at those limb up in trees, an sed: 
 What fo you don do it like I sed it, 
 wake me up when I sleep it? I tole you 
 that way, ain t it? He s jus pickin meat 
 off those bone, while he s scold it that 
 limbs, an he s jus mad like eva thing. 
 He s jue scold som mo that limb, and 
 sed it: 
 
OLD COON SLEEPS Too LONG 35 
 
 " What f o you don keep still now, 
 you don have to mek noise, you jus mek 
 me mad all a time. If don stop you mekin 
 noise, I come up tha when I finish pick 
 this bones, an I mek you stop. That 
 limb he s jus keep on squeek, sqe-e-e-k, 
 all-a-time, an it s so mad that 01 Coon 
 jus hurry and eat that bones, so he could 
 go up an whip it those limb. 
 
 "When he s get thro eatin that bone, 
 he jus look roun and by-um-by he s fin 
 it that place where he s dance, 01 Fox. 
 01 Coon he s fin it that tracks, an when 
 he s look at it, he s jus m-a-d, some mo . 
 An he s jus pick on that limbs som mo , 
 an sed it: I jus come up tha an I 
 fix it you fellas. So he s jus go up 
 
36 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 that trees til he s come to that place where 
 that limb it s kin a broke, an it s in fork, 
 an wind it s blow an jus make it that 
 noise where it s rub. 01 Coon, he s jus 
 take hold that big limb with bofe han s 
 an he s jus goin throw down. He s so 
 mad he don see that mebbe so might pinch 
 im that limbs, cause it s jus swing. Fust 
 he s know it just ketch im his hand, that 
 limb, an just pinch im tight. Oh, it s 
 hurt like eva thing. He s jus pull an 
 pull, that Coon, an jus make worse. By- 
 um-by he s pull it out; but it s hurt b-a-d 
 his hand. He s sure get hard time, that 
 01 Coon. He s jus slip off try to sleep 
 mebbe." 
 
IV. 
 
 OLD FOX MEETS HIS COUSIN. 
 
 It had been snowing, and outside a keen, 
 sharp north wind was rioting everywhere. 
 The Boy, having finished his evening chores, 
 came in with some hickory logs for the 
 fire-place. 
 
 The fire-light alone lit up the room, and 
 the old brass andirons glinted in its glow. 
 Neh-ah was sitting in her usual place, and 
 the Boy, taking his, said: 
 
 "Neh-ah, this is a fine evening for some 
 more stories about Old Fox and Old Coon. 
 I know it is so cold outside that no snakes 
 
 [37] 
 
38 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 or grass-hoppers or anything else will hear 
 you telling them." 
 
 "Yooht! What fo you don get tired 
 hear em ol story? Jus seem like you 
 want it all a time, ol story. Guess you 
 betta go you UncP Jim, Canada, cause he 
 could tole you that kin Injun story, all kin 
 til you get tired to lis n. Long go when 
 we all young folks, we go down Gram nia 
 Hunt, his house, winta time, an jus lis n 
 to ol story, lots of em. Was bes one to tell 
 em story, Gram ma Hunt. Neva did get 
 tired to lis n, an he s jus lik it to tole us 
 that kin too. Only was some kin story 
 jus fo 0? folks, he don tole to us that 
 ones. 
 
 "What bout I tole you las time? Oh, 
 yes, 01 Coon he s los it his good gooses 
 
OLD Fox MEETS His COUSIN 39 
 
 suppa , an 01 Fox he s bin fill up plenty. 
 
 "Well, seems like when 01 Coon so 
 mad an mek that big talk bout how he s 
 lick im that Fox, he s heard im sed it, 
 that Mista Skunk; so that Skunk, he s 
 jus go right now an tole im bout it 
 that Fox what he s sed it that Coon, how 
 he s goin lick im. Then he mad, that 
 Fox, and he tell im Skunk: You jus 
 see, I lick that Coon, myself, fust time 
 I seen it. 
 
 "He don had no chance fo few day 
 tho , cause that Coon he s jus stay at 
 home, cause it s bad sore, his hand. 
 
 "One night, it s kin a late, that Coon 
 he s think, I guess I go ketch em craw 
 fish/ So he s go down by riva an ketch 
 
40 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 em good many, take em his lodge an 
 have good suppa . He don take it no 
 naps this time. 
 
 "When he s done his suppa he s jus 
 think, I take lit l walk cause don bin no 
 where, long time/ So he s start out long 
 riva bank. Eva thing jus seem like good 
 to that 01 Coon, he s jus trot long sing 
 low like to he-self. He s jus like happy, 
 an jus keep on goin . By-um-by he s 
 get sleep like, an jus wish he s back his 
 lodge; but it s long ways, so he sed it: 
 I fin some place take nap. Right that 
 time he s come long clos by that big tree 
 What he s seen it 01 Fox. Jus grow 
 leanin ova wata. 01 Coon, he s think it 
 good place, so he s clim up in lit l fork 
 
OLD Fox MEETS His COUSIN. 41 
 
 limb. He s jus fix good bout go sleep, 
 an he s hear somethin . 
 
 "It s big moon yet, an jus bright. OP 
 Coon he s look down riva -bank an he s 
 see it comin 01 Fox, jus trot long trail. 
 He s jus keep still, OP Coon, like he s 
 sleep; but he s look straight down unda 
 him an he s see his shadow in wata , looks 
 jus like him. He s look at that OP Fox 
 an he s lookin at that shadow, too. He s 
 jus lookin m-a-d, an OP Coon he s hear 
 him sed it, OP Fox: Here it is that 
 Coon, in wata lookin fo craw-fish now. I 
 jus slip up an jump on im give im 
 lickin . So, Fox he s jus slip up edge 
 riva -bank, eye jus snappin . He jus 
 mek big jump down in wata where he 
 
42 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 think it that Coon. He jus make it b-i-g 
 splosh, an prit soon come up top wata ? 
 an he s jus sputtah an blow b-i-g, jus 
 like almos choke im. Then he s hear 
 that Coon up in tree jus laff 1-o-u-d, an 
 say: Hey, Couzzen, it s early to swim, 
 ain t it? I hear Gran fatha Turtle he 
 sed it, you mustn t jump when you don 
 look, an you mustn t be too hurry/ 
 
 "That Fox he s crawl out on bank an 
 he s jus sheever. He don sed nothin , jus 
 commence pick up stick an brushes an 
 pile it foot of tree, lit l ways clos to mek 
 fire. He s put 1-o-t-s stick an mek it 
 big fire, an when it s burn good, he s jus 
 sit down foot that tree, that Fox, jus 
 like he stay there till he s come down tree, 
 that Coon. 
 
OLD Fox MEETS His COUSIN. 43 
 
 "Prif soon, Coon he s sed it: My 
 Couzzen, sure you not goin set tha long 
 time. You coat lots wet, mebbe so ketch 
 em bad cold. I glad to come down talk 
 to you, mebbe so gif some my tobacco to 
 smoke, cause must-a-be wet yours afta 
 you jump in riva . I spec I stay here 
 tho , it best one, cause I could see good 
 up this tree. Mebbe so somebody comin 
 long to botha you, I seen it an tole you 
 bout it. 
 
 "01 Fox he don sed nothin , jus set by 
 fire, back up gainst tree, an jus keep it 
 shut, his mouth. It s hard work tho , that 
 kin . That Coon he could drop in wata 
 an get way ; but he jus think he s stay in 
 tree an talk an foolish im his couzzen. 
 
44 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 By-um-by, he sed it: Well, I sleep it lit l 
 bit now/ So, he s curl up an sleep it. 
 
 "Afta long time he s woke up. It s 
 shine bright, big moon, way high. He s 
 look down an its settin by tree yet, that 
 Fox, jus soun sleep it. Coon he s jus 
 slip down e-a-s-y, til he s clos to that 
 Fox. He sleep it good, could heard im 
 snore. Coon, he s jump easy down on 
 groun . He don move nothin that Fox, 
 sure nough sleep it. He s bad one, that 
 01 Coon, he s jus take it long one, stick, 
 dry leaf on end, an he s tickle it his nose, 
 that Fox; but he s so sleep don botha him 
 nothin . 
 
 "That bad one, 01 Coon, he sed it to he- 
 self: It prit good chance, mebbe so I 
 make it notha tricks on my couzzen. 
 
OLD Fox MEETS His COUSIN. 45 
 
 "So, he s jus slip long down by riva - 
 bank where he fin it lots sticky mud, it s 
 red. He s get big one, chunk, that muds 
 an jus spread on flat rock, an put it on 
 wata , jus stir lit l bit an make it heap 
 sticky, just like what you call it, moh-lass. 
 Then he s took it that muds an jus rub 
 all ova his face, that Fox, put lots that 
 muds on his eye. He s jus step back lit l 
 bit, that Coon, an look at him, that Fox, 
 an he s jus laff good to he-self, an sed 
 it: My poor couzzen sure have good 
 time to wash it face in mornin , if it s dry 
 good that muds. I spec I start home now, 
 mebbe so it s time. 
 
 "Well, he s started that 01 Coon an go 
 lit l piece, then he s jus roll ova on groun 
 an jus laff big at that Fox till he s tired. 
 
46 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 "It s bout gone that moon, jus comin* 
 daylight in east, when he s woke up that 
 Fox. What s matta ? He s woked up sure ; 
 but can t see nothin , can t open it his eye, 
 not jus lit l bit. He s jus stagger an 
 run into stump an bush, jus fall down, 
 almos tumble in riva . It be good thing 
 he did, cause soak it up that muds; but 
 he don done it. 
 
 "He s jus rub it that dried muds but 
 he don come off, an eye jus stick em 
 tight shut, can t open. He s sure bad fix 
 this time, an jus m-a-d like dickens. Jus 
 sed it all a bad name could think of bout 
 that 01 Coon, jus cuss him heap, I guess. 
 It s don do no good that kin tho . 
 
OLD Fox MEETS His COUSIN. 47 
 
 "Well, he try to find path go to his 
 lodge, but jus get tangle up in briar- 
 patch, an it s stuck im all ova . It s b-a-d 
 lucks fo him that Fox, sure. He jus don 
 know what do nex . So, he s jus set still 
 lit l bit, study what do. Prit soon he s 
 hear, tap, tap, tap, on dead limb way up 
 high his head. He s lis n gen an heard 
 it, tap, tap, tap. 
 
 " Yoh-ho, my fren , he s sed it, come 
 here, got big trouble me, mebbe so you 
 could he p it. 
 
 "It s come fly down hurry, that lit l 
 speckle wood-pecker bird, an sed it; 
 What s mattah, my fren , what I can do 
 he p it you now? 
 
 "Fox he say: I like to have you tried 
 
48 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 it, pickin this dry muds off my eye, so s 
 I could see how open it my eye/ 
 
 " Mebbe so, it s too much sharp my 
 bill , it s sed it that wood-pecker bird. *I 
 pick em prit hard, but I see what I do, I 
 don hurt you, I can he p it. So it s go 
 to work, wood-pecker bird, jus set on end 
 his nose, that Fox, an pick em e-e-a-s-y 
 as can, but it s sure make im come blood, 
 cause it s sh-a-r-p that wood-pecker bird, 
 his bill. Well, that Fox he could see how 
 open it his eye, prit soon an jus looks 
 good to him, eva thing. That lit l bird 
 tell im to washin his face good in riva . 
 
 "That 01 Fox, he s feelin kin a good 
 gen, an jus thank it that wood-pecker 
 bird, an sed it: What I can do fo you, 
 
OLD Fox MEETS His COUSIN. 49 
 
 my fren , cause you sure do big he p with 
 me? 
 
 "That lit l wood-pecker bird he sed it: 
 Oh, my fren , long time I jus wish I 
 could had it on my head, lit l spot, red 
 
 jus 1-e-e-t l one spot, not big one like he s 
 got, Great Wood-pecker, Quank-quank- 
 queh. 
 
 "Fox he s sed it: That s good, my fren , 
 I fix it that lit l spot, red one. So he s 
 took it some blood on his face where it s 
 drop down, an he s paint it lit l spot, red 
 one, on his head, that lit l she wood-pecker 
 bird. It s jus stay there, too, that spot, 
 eva since. 
 
 "Oh, he s so glad that lit l she wood 
 pecker bird, jus fly up in tree an try his 
 
50 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 bes sing, but can t do it much. Well, he s 
 got it red spot anyway, an jus lots happy. 
 "That Fox, he s jus trot off on trail 
 long riva an try to think what could do 
 get even with him, that Coon." 
 
V. 
 
 OLD COON VISITS THE SUGAR 
 BUSH. 
 
 The Father had been mending a crack in 
 one of the Mother s treasured old maple- 
 wood bowls, made more than a century 
 ago by a Wyandot, when the tribe lived in 
 Canada, along the beautiful Detroit. 
 
 The Boy having watched the work of 
 pouring the melted lead into the broken 
 place in the bowl, turned to his aunt and 
 said: 
 
 "Neh-ah, you and I will make sugar this 
 year. We ll tap the trees down along the 
 bluff, and have some real maple syrup. We 
 
 [51] 
 
52 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 can take our lunch every day and have a 
 sure enough camp. You can tell me stories 
 while we boil down the sap/ 
 Neh-ah nodded assent and replied: 
 "Yes, that jus like you, always think 
 some way to get story. Anyhow, I don tole 
 you yet, what he s do nex 01 Fox an Coon, 
 an what you talk bout minds me of it. 
 He s always mek it maple-suga Ouendots. 
 It s lots a work, too, but he don care fo 
 that. Could jus keep im busy do somethin 
 all a time. Don had no clock, no ah-man-ac 
 them days, tell em how much time gone. 
 I spec don get ol so quick, peoples them 
 days." 
 
 "Well, days bin get lit l long, sun he s 
 start go back north. It s time come bright 
 
OLD COON VISITS THE SUGAR BUSH. 53 
 
 night an frosty mornin , an kin a warm 
 sunshine day-time. It s jus bout time go 
 suga -bush, those people, tap tree an 
 mek em maple suga . Jus make lots of 
 it, put in mo-cocks, use in winta time. 
 It s kin a hard works mek em suga them 
 days, cause got to mek-em lots trough 
 birch-bark, ketch em sap. He s got b-i-g 
 trough too, mek em out a big log. Don 
 had no kettle them days; jus have to put 
 em hot rock in big trough; but he don 
 care fo nothin them peoples, don care fo 
 hundred snakes, cause he s jus got lots a 
 times, them days. Don got no times do 
 nothin now days. 
 
 "Jus bout this time year, he s jus like 
 it to follow them peoples to suga-bush, 
 that Coon. He s alway jus like it, poke 
 
54 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 roun in suga -carnp, come night, an he s 
 sleep it them peoples. That 01 Coon he s 
 jus 1-i-k-e it to put it his nose in trough 
 an drink it lit l bit sap, s-w-e-e-t one. He 
 like it good that sap, an sometime if he 
 don found it in lit l trough, he s try to get 
 one drink out a that b-i-g trough. It s 
 hard to do that one tho , cause mebbe it s 
 prit hot that sap in big trough, an it s 
 always jus keep cover up that big trough 
 with nice boa ds, white ones, jus mek it 
 out a lin-wood, them peoples. 
 
 "Afta he s put it on that Fox that dry 
 muds, it s long time no seen each otha that 
 Fox an that Coon. He jus thought it 
 01 Coon, it s prit near even to him, that 
 Fox; an mebbe so he won t try nothin 
 notha kin tricks. He don want see im 
 
OLD COON VISITS THE SUGAR BUSH. 55 
 
 tho , an jus keep out a way, cause he 
 might try mek notha tricks on im, that 
 Fox. It s jus go on that way fo days, 
 an 01 Coon jus bout think: Well, I 
 guess mebbe so he s fo get it, that las trick, 
 my couzzen. 
 
 "But that Fox, he don fo get it nothin , 
 no seh. He s prit sharp, an he jus all a 
 time got it, that what you call em 
 Vatch-full-a-waitin . He s know it 01 
 Fox, bout his couzzen all a time likes to 
 foolish roun that suga -bush, when that 
 peoples he s mekin suga , an he s know 
 it how he like it to drink that sap, heap 
 s-w-e-e-t. So, he s just keep it, his watch- 
 full-a-waitin/ an when Skunk tole im: 
 *01e Coon not home, bin gone three-fou 
 
56 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 days/ that Fox jus sed it: I spec mebbe 
 so it s gone suga bush, my couzzen, I 
 guess I go see/ 
 
 "Well, he s start that Fox to go suga - 
 bush. It s fine days an when gets there, 
 jus see all a peoples heap busy, work. 
 Fox he s jus slip roun edge ov camp, all- 
 a-time he s lookin fo sign ov that Coon. 
 He s look 1-o-n-g time, an by-um-by he s 
 fin tracks long edge lit l branch, that 
 Coon he s bin lookin crawfishes, mebbe so. 
 
 "It s late in evenin , while he s sleep it 
 some place that Coon, 01 Fox he s jus get 
 busy. Afta that peoples he s gone to all 
 lit l ones, trough, to get it, sap, Fox he s 
 come long behin , an he s jus turn it, 
 bottom up, eva one that lit l trough. Then 
 
OLD COON VISITS THE SUGAR BUSH. 57 
 
 he s go look in big trough. It s prit near 
 full sap, it s hot. 
 
 "So he s sne-e-k roun some mo an 
 watch it good ol squaw cover it big trough, 
 all good with that white boa d. He s jus 
 watch it roun till it s all fix it, eva thing, 
 an them peoples it s all sleep it. Then that 
 Fox he s slip up by big trough, an jus push 
 it two that boa ds, lit l ways part. 
 
 "Well, he s jus push it ova them two 
 boa ds til end of it right on edges ov big 
 trough. It s smell good that sap, prit near 
 mak em Fox want some he-self; but he 
 don botha it, fraid might ketch im his 
 own trap, I spec . When he s all done fix 
 it, that Fox, he s jus go lit l ways, hide in 
 bushes an watch for him, that Coon. He s 
 
58 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 wait long time, an by-um-by he s hear it 
 comin somebody, jus grumblin to he- 
 self. It s that 01 Coon, an Fox he s hear 
 him sed it: Wonda what fo so steengy, 
 them peoples; jus turn em upside bottom 
 all lit l trough. Can t fin lit l bit sap. 
 Mebbe I could get drink on big trough if 
 don turn it upside bottom, too. 
 
 "01 Fox he s keep it still, jus kin a 
 chuckle tho , cause he knows goin ketch 
 im that trap what he fix it fo 01 Coon. 
 
 "That Coon jus come pokin long slow 
 like, till he fin it that big trough. He s 
 jus walk all roun kin a easy, jus sniffin 
 an lookin fo crack. Fox he s fix it chunk 
 right front where he s fix it that boa ds, 
 an that 01 Coon he s jump on that chunk, 
 
OLD COON VISITS THE SUGAR BUSH. 59 
 
 his nose stick up in air, an* jus get good 
 whiff that saps. It s kin a hot Well, he s 
 set on chunk lit l bit an jus lookin roun . 
 He don t seen nothing then he s jus mek 
 notha jump an he s Ian right on end ov 
 that boa ds what s he push it ova that Fox. 
 That boa ds he jus slide ova otha way 
 queek, an that 01 Coon he s jus go ker- 
 plum in that hot saps. 
 
 "Them boa ds make big rattle noise an* 
 it s wake im up that 01 Squaw. He s 
 come out lodge see what s matta an come 
 by that big trough jus time he s crawl out 
 01 Coon. He s got big stick in his han 
 that squaw, an jus hit that Coon good 
 whack on side when he s run way. He s 
 jus go hurry, 01 Coon, an by-um-by when 
 
60 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 he s go thro bush, somebody sed it: Hoh, 
 Couzzen, you like it to take good wash in 
 hot sap, ain t it? Mebbe so ain t good nough 
 wata ?" 
 
VI. 
 
 OLD FOX AND OLD COON BOTH TRY 
 A NEW VENTURE. 
 
 "Neh-ah. you said there was one more 
 story about Old Fox and Old Coon and that 
 it was a long one, too. Now, this evening 
 while everyone else is gone and just you 
 and I are sitting by the fire, won t you tell 
 it to me? I ll go down cellar and get some 
 of those apples we like so well, and we ll 
 have a regular party." 
 
 After his return with the apples, ani 
 after putting some hickory logs on the fire, 
 the Boy seated himself in his accustomed 
 place and waited for the story. 
 
 [61] 
 
62 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 "I wonda what s goin do when it s all 
 gone, story. If you bin live long time go, 
 ol man they took you, an jus mek story 
 tella out o you, so you could tell em all a 
 young mans when you get be oP man. Now- 
 days jus have book an noose-paypa an 
 eva thing an write down. It s seem funny 
 to Injun first time he know that kin , jus 
 think white man mek paypa talk. Mebbe 
 so you could write it somethin story, some 
 day, then won t have tell em, just could 
 read it anybody. 
 
 "Las time, that OF Coon jus bin foolin 
 roun suga -camp, aint it? Good fo nothin 
 jus spoil it all big trough sap fo that poor 
 ol Injun woman. Anyhow, bout that time, 
 spring jus begin think bout turnin ova . 
 
THEY TRY 4 NEW VENTURE. 63 
 
 "Them days jus get some mo long. 
 South wind, he s come now an mek it 
 all broke up ice in riva an jus go float 
 way. It s kind a blue smoky all roun an 
 you could smell it that brush an leaf it s 
 bin burnin , caus it s garden patch clean up 
 them peoples. Buds on tree it s swell up 
 an no mo peoples in suga bush, all gone 
 back to village. Prit soon plant corn patch, 
 when leaf on hick ry tree bout big as squir 
 rel, his ear. 
 
 "That Coon don see it, 01 Fox, since 
 time 01 Coon he s fall in big trough. Some 
 body sed it he s gone mek visit with fren 
 way down end of lake, Ol Fox. 
 
 "Coon, he s jus study all a time how 
 get even on that Fox fo las trick he s bin 
 
64 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 play. Jus think all kinds, cause he s want 
 make em bes trick yet on that Fox, cause 
 he s prit mad to him yet. 
 
 "Well, South Wind he s drive it all way 
 that snow and ices, even that patches long 
 north side hills. Early mornin you could 
 heard it lots wild gooses and cluck. Jus 
 go, honk, honk/ like what you call it 
 auto bile, when jus go long road like 
 dickens, an seen somethin, in road, now- 
 days. That goose an ducks he s comin 
 back from south, an he s jus stop ova , 
 visit few days all long. Could fin it lots 
 good eat in marsh long riva , jus fore it s 
 run in lake. 
 
 "01 Coon an eva-body jus glad to see 
 come back, an jus holla to him somethin 
 
THEY TRY A NEW VENTURE. 65 
 
 when he s fly ova. He s all a time glad 
 ketch em two-three, too, if he could do it, 
 foolish em or somehow. 
 
 "One day, sun mo than half ova , 01 
 Coon he s start out try to ketch em goose. 
 It s lots of em down marsh, an he s want 
 try new way ketch em. He s jus slippin 
 long e-a-s-y like, riva -bank, an he s meet 
 im Lit l Fox, it s his nephew, OF Fox. He s 
 live with im, his uncle, an he s treat im 
 mean, all a time, that uncle. Jus mek 
 im work hard, that po lit l nephew, an 
 feed im nothin cep scraps. Eva-body 
 know that kind, an jus feel sorrow fo it, 
 cause that uncle jus whip it an mean to 
 it all a time. He s prit near starve , you 
 could count it his rib, an jus few hair on 
 
66 TALES OF THE BAKK LODGES. 
 
 it, his tail. Seem like, all a time, he s goin 
 dodge somethin that lit l fella . 
 
 "His garden-patch, 01 Fox, it s good 
 one, beans, pumpkin, eva thing all good; 
 cause that nephew an his aunt jus work 
 it plenty. 01 Fox, he don t work lit l bit, 
 but he s jus all a time brag it that garden- 
 patch, an he s always tole it that nephew: 
 Took care of it my garden-patches/ 
 
 "Well, that time when he s met im 01 
 Coon, that Lit l Fox, he s look like he feel 
 prit good, that lit l fella, an he s tole it to 
 01 Coon, his uncle bin gone on visit way 
 down lake. 01 Coon he s always feel sor 
 row for im, that lit l fella, an jus all a 
 time be good to him. Jus take him go 
 hunt, an showed it an tole it lots a things 
 
THEY TRY A NEW VENTURE. 67 
 
 bout how to hunt. He s tole im tho musn t 
 tell im you uncle, cause it jus mek im 
 mean to lit l fella some mo . So, when he 
 seen im that time, 01 Coon, he s sed it: 
 Well, Lit l Fella , my couzzen, what you 
 look fo this time, is it come home you 
 uncle? 
 
 "Lit l Fox he s say: Mebbe so he s come 
 back tomorro mornin . Mr. Skunk he s 
 tole him las night, my aunt, when he s 
 stop lit l bit our lodge. We bin all clean 
 up garden-patches, an I jus think I go 
 hunt it some game. OP Coon sed it: 
 Well, young fella , jus stayed by me. I 
 got good way, new one, try to ketch em 
 gooses, mek em good one dinner, bofe of 
 us, mebbe. Lit l fella, he sed it: Uncle* 
 
68 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 you all a time mek good one, hunt, good 
 one ketch em, all a time kill em ten, I 
 spec so we ketch em heap this time. 
 
 "So, they jus trot long togetha an 01 
 Coon jus splain bout that new way ketch 
 em gooses. He s goin fin it lit l bunch 
 gooses what s bin eat plenty, an jus swim- 
 inin roun , prit clos to sho. Cause if he 
 belly full, he don think bout nothin botha 
 im, he s sed it, that Coon. He s got long 
 rope, lit l one, what he s made out sof 
 bark. It s stout one, too, an he s tie on it 
 that rope, three-fou slip-knot. When he s 
 fin it lit l bunch gooses, he s goin dive in 
 wata an swim unda where s that gooses, 
 an put it that slip-knots ova his foots, 
 many as he wants them gooses. Jus jerk 
 
THEY TRY A NEW VENTURE. 69 
 
 em queek an swim to bank an pull em 
 in them goose. 
 
 "Well, afta-whiles they fin it lit l bunch 
 ov gooses, an that Coon he s tried that new 
 way ketch em. Prit soon he s got three 
 ov it, jus like he sed it. It s su ah good ketch 
 em that way. They jus go on some mo 
 an by-um-by seen it notha lit l bunches 
 goose. He s swim it close to bank. 01 Coon 
 he sed it: Lit l Couzzen, you like tried it 
 this time? It s good chance. So, lit l fella 
 he s take that string an he s go afta it that 
 gooses, an prit soon he s swim to bank jus 
 pullin three fat goose. He s jus feel b-i-g, 
 that lit l fella, an OF Coon he s jus glad f o 
 him too. 
 
 "So then, start home an OP Coon sed it: 
 To-morro go gen, lit l fella , cause won t 
 
70 TALES OP THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 stay long now them goose, jus go north. I 
 come by you lodge when sun jus pass mid- 
 del, an we go ketch em some mo lots a 
 gooses mebbe. 
 
 "Nex day 01 Coon he s go down by that 
 place what he sed it; but he ain t there, Lit l 
 Fox. He s wonda what s matta lit l fella, 
 don come. He s look prit soon an seen it 
 that lit l fella jus workin hard in that 
 garden-patches. Coon he s jus whistle low 
 like, an that lit l fella he s heard it an he s 
 come down there where is it 01 Coon. 
 
 "Coon, he s sed it: Well, what s matta ? 
 Le s go ketch em gooses gen. That lit l 
 fella s he s jus look sorrow, an he s tell it, 
 01 Coon, can t go, cause his uncle, it s come 
 home. He say his uncle ask im how he s 
 
THEY TRY A NEW VENTURE. 71 
 
 ketch it that gooses, an when he tole him, he 
 sed it why don ketch em mo , he sed it his 
 uncle : I could eat all of it that many my 
 self. Lit l fella sed it, I tole im go gen to 
 day, but uncle jus say, he go he-self, an tole 
 him lit l fella get long rope, stout one, bes 
 he could find, cause he s goin try ketch em 
 gooses, he-self. So lit l fella say he got im 
 good rope fo his uncle, an that uncle he jus 
 went down to wa ds lake to tried it his lucks. 
 He tole him, lit l fella to stayed home an 
 clear out notha garden-patches. That Lit l 
 Fox he s jus look sorrow, an that Coon he s 
 lis n to him, an jus thinkin lit l bit. 
 
 "By-um-by they jus heard it way down 
 by lake, b-i-g squawk noise, an lots a honk, 
 honk, soun like lots a auto biles, I guess, 
 
72 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES. 
 
 jus soun funny like holla lots a gooses. 
 Jus bofe stop talk an lis n. Seems like 
 comin close by, so that Coon an lit l fella 
 jus run top lit l hill, it s close by, where 
 could see betta down on lake. It s look that 
 way, an could seen it b-i-g bunch gooses, 
 jus fly eva which way an down low, jus 
 make lots a squawkin an honk-honk noises. 
 That Coon an lit l fella jus look at each 
 otha , like say, what s matta ? Prit soon 
 it s kin a strat en out that bunch a goose, 
 jus fly mo high up, an then start out 
 fly comin this way. When it s come lit l 
 close, looks like they could seen it some- 
 thin hang down, jus swingin like, unda 
 that bunch a gooses. Jus comin close now, 
 bout fly right ova where it is that Coon 
 an Lit l Fox. Then they seen it, what tis; 
 
THEY TRY A NEW VENTURE. 73 
 
 it s that Or Fox. That rope it s tie tight on 
 his middel, an it got lots goose foots tie on 
 it too. He s jus swingin , looks like ridin 
 good. When he s go by close, he s jus 
 holla 1-o-u-d, that 01 Fox an sed it: 
 Nephew, took good care my garden- 
 patches, an jus keep right on ridin f-a-s-t. 
 
 "01 Coon, he s try it not to smile an he s 
 say: Well, Lit l Fella, I guess mebbe so, 
 he tied it too much goose foots on his 
 string, you uncle, he s got prit good string 
 seem like. It s new way travel, but I spec 
 he go long ways an fin it new place, 
 mebbe so. I spec not come back, long time, 
 mebbe so betta go some tell him, you aunt. 
 
 "That 01 Fox he prit smart, afta . all, 
 I spec mebbe so he s first one ride on airy- 
 plane, ain t it?" 
 
VII. 
 
 A PRE-HISTORIC RACE. 
 
 "Neh-ah, in the last story, Old Fox was 
 certainly right up to date/ wasn t he? He 
 had an aeroplane with a motor that couldn t 
 go dead on him, and besides, he had a honk- 
 honk that could scare everything out of the 
 way. Now that there aren t any more 
 stories about Old Fox and Old Coon, I won 
 der what you are going to tell me next. 
 I ll read you some more of the Arabian 
 Nights and you can think up some others." 
 <r Well, that good, but spec betta tole you 
 notha one tonight, cause jus bin think 
 bout it today, when you tole to me bout it 
 
 [74] 
 
A PRE-HISTORIC RACE 75 
 
 that air-ship race, you read in noose-pay- 
 pa . That one mind me bout it, and jus* 
 think it all ova this afta noon while I m 
 piecin quilt. 
 
 "It s bout one o you great-gran fathas I 
 spec, cause you b long to Big Turtle clan, 
 jus same as me and you motha , an our 
 motha, cause all a childrens have to b long 
 same clan as motha . Long go, always bin 
 lots a good chief an warrior in Big Turtle 
 clan. He s leader long go, way back, don 
 know how many hund ed years. Lots ol 
 story tole bout it. Big Turtle he s hoi the 
 world on his back fo long time. Some day 
 I tole you bout it. 
 
 "That 01 Turtle, he s the one, he smart 
 all a time. He jus same since long time 
 
76 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 go, all a time know it what do. He can t 
 scared him nobody, an can t beat im 
 nothin . He s eva time come out head. 
 
 "That why, long time go, 01 Buffalo, 
 he s eatin roun clos edge of timber. He 
 don t hungry, he s jus bite ova here, ova* 
 tha . By-um-by he see 01 Fox in bushes, 
 he sed it: Yo-ho, my fren, come ova 
 here, I like tell you this/ 
 
 "01 Fox he s lit l smart too; he s crawl 
 out trap e-a-s-y; he s hard to fin it, too, 
 sometime you hunt fo him. He s jus* 
 wonda what s want 01 Buffalo, an what s 
 got say; but he s come ova tha , jus 
 jumpin easy an he s sed it: Well, my 
 big fren , what you got say? 
 
 "01 Buffalo, he says: My frien , I got 
 
A PRE-HISTORIC RACE 77 
 
 make race with Turtle. You kind a smart, 
 an you got sharp eyes, you be judge, see 
 who beat em. You tell him, 01 Turtle, 
 I beat im on a groun or in a wata , jus 
 how he like, I don care nothin . You tell 
 im come tomorro ova there by lake when 
 sun come up jus bout high as sycamo 
 
 tree. You tell eva-body an he can come 
 see race. I be down tha , you tell im 
 that, OF Turtle. He s always best one, 
 eva time; but I don t think he could run, 
 it s too short his legs. Mebbe so he s run 
 good in wata , tho . Me too, I could run 
 fas in wata or anyhow. I bet I could beat 
 im . 
 
 "01 Fox he say: I tell im 01 Turtle 
 an I tell im eva body. I go now/ So 
 
78 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 he s go down by his lodge, 01 Turtle, an 
 tell im all what he sed it, 01 Buffalo. 
 
 "That Turtle, he s jus lis n an don say 
 somethin for long time. By-um-by he 
 say: That s good, I run race on wata . 
 First one come to that island ova there, 
 he s the one what beat. You tell im, 0V 
 Buffalo, I be on han . I don say jus what 
 I m do, but I do im. To-morro , wher^sun 
 shine good, I come. 
 
 "Fox, he s go back tell im, 01 Buffalo, 
 what say 01 Turtle. All what he see on 
 way, he tell em bout race. He sed it: 
 *You tell em eva-body, you tell em come. 
 
 "Nex day, ain t sun-up yet, 01 Wolf 
 he s go down by lake. He s make it fire, 
 make smoke jus go straight up, so can see 
 eva body, an by-um-by, all come. 
 
A PKE-HISTORIC RACE 79 
 
 "Prif soon he s come along, OP Turtle; 
 jus come slow an go down clos to edge 
 wata . He don say nothin , jus go slow, 
 lookin roun. Buffalo an Pox come too, 
 an bofe jus talkin all a time. Then come 
 eva body, Deer an Bear, Coon, he come 
 too. Turkey, Prai chicken, Duck, an 
 Quail, Hawk he s tha too, an Little Turtle, 
 Snipe, an OP Beaver, Porkypine, Snake, 
 an Mud-Turtle; it s come eva body I guess. 
 
 "While all jus talk an visit roun , 
 Buffalo he s go down where OP Turtle he s 
 settin close to edge wata , he sed it : Well, 
 my fren , you legs prit short, but I beat 
 you this race, I think. Turtle he don 
 say nothin , jus lookin cross lake to 
 islan . Buffalo sed it: Tou say we race 
 
80 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 on wata , I tell my fren Fox be judge. 
 It s high rock right ova there, so Fox he s 
 clim up an set down, an he could jus 
 seen it, eva thin . 
 
 "Buffalo sed it: Well, it s re dy. Wolf, 
 you howl it, an hit it three times queek on 
 drum, an we start. Wolf, he say, AP- 
 right , an he took he place. Prit soon he s 
 howl, an hit it three times on drum queek ; 
 they gone. Buffalo he s swim fast to ads 
 islan . Turtle he jus slip in wata , an 
 can t see him, nobody. He s go jus like 
 that wa boat you tell it bout on otha side 
 Big Wata ; that Gemmany Keeza sum- 
 ma-rine, unda wata , an when Buffalo 
 jus lit l mo an half-way, swimmin fas , 
 01 Turtle jus crawl out slow on sho of 
 
A PRE-HISTORIC RACE 81 
 
 islan . Eva body looks funny, and Pox he s 
 say: Turtle he s beat im. 
 
 "Beaver he s try it an Turtle he s beats 
 im. Nex Deer he try; he s way behin* 
 an Turtle crawl out on islan . Coon he s 
 sed it: I sure can beat im, I re dy now/ 
 He s jus got start, when Turtle crawl out 
 on otha side. Well, then Turkey say: I 
 want beat im. He can t do nothin . 
 Turtle he s right on islan when Turkey 
 he s come. Prai chicken he say: Tm 
 good racer, I could beat im ; but Turtle 
 got tired waitin for him on islan befo 
 Prai chicken got tha an start back. Quail, 
 he s whist l big, an sed it: I m the one 
 could beat im Turtle/ Turtle neva sed 
 nothin , jus get re dy. They start an* 
 
82 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 befo eva body don* heard Quail, his wings 
 any mo , Or Turtle he s crawl out on 
 islan . 
 
 "Pox, he s got tired sayin Turtle s 
 beat im ; so he said it: You can t do it, 
 nobody. You can t beat im, Turtle. He s 
 good racer in wata cause he s all a time 
 good swimma . All what s got beat, mus 
 gif to him somethinV 
 
 "Well, all them fellas what s got beat, 
 Buffalo, Deer, Bear, Raccoon, Turkey, 
 Prai chicken, an Quail, they jus cut it off 
 lit l bit they own meat. They gif to him, 
 Turtle, jus one piece to time. Turtle he s 
 took it each lit l bit when they gif to him ; 
 don sed nothin , jus eat all of it. 
 
 "Then Fox he s sed it somethin , gen: 
 Long as he live that Turtle, it be jus 
 
A PRE-HISTORIC RACE 83 
 
 same; if them peoples kill im an roasted 
 it or make em soup, it s tasted jus like 
 all a kinds game meats. Turtle, he s take 
 it first place, at head all kin s animal. He 
 wise an brave, an he don all a time talk, 
 he s do somethinV 
 
 "Turtle, he don sed nothin . Jus ten 
 his own business, don t buck in nowhere. 
 Don botha nobody. It was that way. 
 
 "But Turtle he s don tell it them peoples 
 that ol Turtle, his brothah, look jus like 
 im, live on that islan ." 
 
VIII. 
 
 THE EAGLE FEATHER. 
 
 "That race you told me about was a 
 good story, Neh-ah, anyway that s what I 
 think. Can t you think of another one 
 about Old Turtle to go with it?" 
 
 "It s jus all a time that way. I tole you 
 one an you jus want it notha one kin 
 a like it Some day it s goin be all gone, 
 story, what goin do then?" 
 
 "Oh, let s don t think about that. I know 
 you ve got a whole lot of them yet, and if 
 you do run out, why I ll just ask for some 
 of the best ones, and you can tell them 
 
 [84] 
 
THE EAGLE FEATHER 85 
 
 again. I never get tired of listening to any 
 of them." 
 
 "Yooht you jus like that OF Turtle, he 
 jus get the best of im eva body. Don 
 botha him nothin an he s just all a time 
 go on an ten to his own bizness. He don 
 worry bout it something he s jus think it 
 out some way eva-time to come out head, 
 an he s do it too. I spec that s why he s 
 good leader, cause he jus all a time lis n, 
 an lookin an thinkin fo he-se f. 
 
 "Well, I tele you bout eagle featha . 
 It s bes kind like em, Injun. Long time 
 go, can t wear it eva body; womans, he 
 don wear t all, an young buck he couldn t 
 wore it till he s do something big. OF 
 time it s that way. Nowdays, jus* stick 
 
86 TALES OP THE BAFK LODGES 
 
 im in his hat, eagle featha all a Injun, 
 an any body. Jus same like that iron 
 crosses what he s gif to all he so jers, that 
 Gemmenny Keeza , you read me bout 
 em in paypa . 
 
 "It s this way he s get it, eagle featha , 
 first time, Injun. It s long go, jus com 
 mence worl I spec . It s ol man an he 
 nephew live togetha , jus them two, it s 
 all a people, them days. OP man he s jus 5 
 stay in lodge all a time. Young fella 
 he s go out get it, game, hunt. Well, one 
 time come back lodge, don t get it nothin . 
 Uncle he s ask im what got, an young 
 fella sed it: NothinV Next day it s same 
 way, an jus same way, notha times. It s 
 three time, then when come back, young 
 
THE EAGLE FEATHER 87 
 
 fella , an his uncle sed it gen, that young 
 fella sed it: I pull it out eagle featha , 
 an sure nough, he s got it that featha in 
 his hand. 01 man he s jus shook it, his 
 head an sed it: Oh, it s a big danger. 
 
 "So he s tole young fella hang it that 
 featha in smoke hole, top of lodge. He s 
 do it, an prit soon they seen it that eagle 
 fly slow like, ova that smoke hole. He 
 don got that featha tho . 
 
 "01 man, he s sed it gen: That s a 
 big danger, must call animals to Council. 
 Musn t let get it, Eagle, that featha . So 
 young fella he s go tell em come to Coun 
 cil, bout that danger. By-um-by they all 
 come; Big Turtle, Otter, Skunk, Porkypine, 
 an all of em. 01 man tell em, We musn t 
 
88 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 let Eagle an his fellas take it way from 
 us that feathaV He s pick out his crowd 
 to hoi it that featha . All them animal 
 jus talk heap bout what he can do. Some 
 run fas , some could hide good, an some 
 could jus make it big noise to scared it 
 anything. OF man he s tol Deer don t want 
 im, cause can t run fas nough. He don 
 want Wolf, he s too much howl, an Bear 
 cause he s too much all a time sleep it. 
 
 "He s pick it out Big Turtle, Porkypine, 
 an some mo fo he side. Prit soon they 
 seen it, Eagle jus fly low ova smoke hole, 
 gen. Some them fellas what he don take 
 it, OP Man fo his side, jus get mad to 
 him, an sed it: We goin he p it, Eagle/ 
 
 "Turtle, he s slip roun an got it that 
 
THE EAGLE FEATHER 80 
 
 featha , an tole it his men: Le s go/ 
 They start off lit l ways an come to big 
 tree. Turtle sed it: Le s dim up/ So 
 all of em clim tree. They look way off 
 an seen it comin Eagle. Jus bout that 
 time it s come big wind. It s rotten that 
 tree, an jus broke it an fall down. They 
 jus go eva which way, all them fellas. 
 Porkypine, he s all cover up with rotten 
 wood, but he s chawed it way an crawl 
 out Mebbe so that s why he s all a time 
 like to chawed it rotten woods, Porkypine. 
 An he s kin a hurt too, lit l bit, Porky- 
 pine, so, whett Turtle say: Le s go, 
 hurry, Porkypine say he can t travel. 
 Then he s tole im Turtle, Get on my back, 
 an* he s give him basket ashes to scatta* 
 
90 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 on his tracks, that Turtle, so can t fin 
 trail, nobody, them otha fellas. 
 
 "He s got it that featha , Turtle. Well, 
 it s started all of em. Turtle Porkypine 
 on he back, they las one. Porkypine he s 
 jus get it busy scatta ashes on Turtle, his 
 tracks; but shucks, it don t hide em track 
 t all, jus make easy to see it trail. 
 
 "They jus go on hurry, an way, an 
 it s prit nea get to riva , when he s heard 
 em comin, Eagle an his bunch. Jus bout 
 edge of wata , Turtle, an they jus holla, 
 Who-o! an jump out an ketch em that 
 Turtle, Eagle, his bunch. They try to take 
 it way Turtle, that featha ; but can t do 
 it. Turtle got it in he mouth an can t 
 let it go, an won t give up, that Turtle, 
 e tha . 
 
THE EAGLE FEATHER 91 
 
 "So he sed it, them fellas: We fix it, 
 OF Turtle/ An one of it jus mek it 
 fire an when it s burn good, they jus 
 pick im up Turtle an carry im bottom 
 side up top, an jus hoi him ova fire. 01 
 Turtle sed it: Oh that such a nice, I jus 
 like it that kind, plenty hot, don t took me 
 out a fire my fren s, I like it. Them fellas 
 jus mad an sed it: It don t hurt im 
 fire, le s took im out, whip im. So they 
 take it out fire, an some fellas get good 
 sticks an jus beat im, Turtle, on his back. 
 Turtle jus commence sing, jus like it was 
 beatin drum, them fellas, an jus seem 
 like a happy. He s mad some mo them 
 fellas, an Turtle he s got it yet that 
 featha . 
 
92 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 "Somebody sed it: Le s throw im in 
 riva . So they pick him up an start do 
 that. That Turtle he s jus scream, an 
 sed it he s fraid a wata an jus beg em 
 not put im in riva . He s jus push back 
 an holla an don t want go tall, jus mek 
 em big fuss. Them fellas jus glad then 
 to heard im, an sed it: We jus throw 
 it in deepes wata we could find. An 
 sure nough they jus pitch im that Turtle, 
 way out in deep wata , ka-zowey. They 
 could seen him sink down bottom of riva 
 an layin on his back, like dead, but he s 
 got that featha, yet. 
 
 "Well, them otha fellas think its dead, 
 Turtle; but prit soon they seen im swim 
 out cross riva an dim up on big log, 
 
Brii 
 
THE EAGLE FEATHER 93 
 
 an he s jus wave that eagle featha an 
 jus give big wah-whoops. 
 
 "So, them fellas hold council, an they 
 sed it: Somebody mus go get it, that 
 featha ; but don t want go nobody, cause 
 fraid of wata. By-um-by talk some mo , 
 an send it, Otter. He s swim out that 
 log quick, an Turtle, he s jus set there 
 an hoi it up that featha . Bout time 
 Otter he s get there, an goin crawl on 
 that log, Turtle, he s drop in wata on otha 
 side log. He s go unda log prit quick on 
 otha side, gen, an he s bite on end Otter 
 his tail. Then jus go roun an roun that 
 log Otter an Turtle. That Otter he s jus 
 holla ; Ow-we-e, he s hurt me, ow-we-e! 
 Prit soon that Turtle, he s bite off piece 
 
94 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 tail an Otter, he s get way, hurry, an 
 swim to sho . 
 
 "Turtle, he s get on log gen an wave 
 that eagle featha an jus whoop em heap. 
 
 "They couldn t beat im nobody, that 
 Turtle, that s cause he s bes one yet." 
 
IX. 
 WHY AUTUMN LEAVES ARE RED. 
 
 A WYANDOT MYTH. 
 
 It had been a clear winter s day, not cold 
 and with just enough bright sunshine on 
 the first light snow that had fallen. The 
 boy had been out in the woods with his 
 dog; and down in a sheltered place along 
 the bluffs, he found some dog-wood shoots 
 yet bearing their brillantly colored leaves. 
 Gathering some of these he had brought 
 them home and placed them in an old silver 
 flagon that stood on the mantel-piece. They 
 made a wonderful bit of bright, cheery color 
 in the room. 
 
96 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 Of course he called his Aunt s attention 
 to them, for he well knew how much she 
 liked bits of bright color. 
 
 He saw her look thoughtfully at their 
 scarlet and crimson and was all interest, 
 yet not surprised when she said : 
 
 "OF Ouendots use s tell story bout how 
 come leaves get prit color in fall times. Not 
 long one, story, but jus kin a nice. Cou se 
 it s bout some animals, cause seems like 
 long time go they was live first, fo peo 
 ples. They somethin like peoples, too, I 
 guess, cause they do so much things all a 
 same like. 
 
 "Didn t I ever tol you what s reason it s 
 red an color, all tree leafs in fall time? 
 
 "Well, it s like this one: Long go when 
 
WHY AUTUMN LEAVES ARE RED 97 
 
 it s all fix it up, Sky-land, by Little Turtle, 
 Deer, he s got in hurry an went up tha 
 fore it s all fix it fo animals. It s jus 
 mek em mad, all of em, cause that Deer 
 he s all a time such hurry to buck in. 
 
 "Afta while when it s all ready eva- 
 thing, Bear, it s his time to go up tha , so 
 he s go up by that nice road what he s fix it, 
 Little Turtle, an when he s got up tha prit 
 soon, he s meet im, Deer. He s sed to him : 
 What fo you come here so hurry, fo he s 
 tol you, Little Turtle, it s ready? Deer, 
 he s awfu proud like an he s jus shook his 
 head, an sed it: Nobody but Wolf could 
 ask that to me, he s the one to sed it, not 
 you. An by-um-by, he s sed it, notha 
 gen: Til jus give you whippin , Bear, 
 
98 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 cause you such a smart/ an that Deer his 
 eyes jus like fire, an hair on his back, jus 
 stan up straight cause he s mad. 
 
 "Bear, cause can fraid him nothin , 
 he s jus stan tha waitin fo that Deer to 
 jump on him, I spec . 
 
 "Then Deer start it. Bear jus growl big, 
 mek loud noise, jus like shake sky, an he 
 sharp claw jus tear that Deer, an Deer, 
 his sharp horn an foot, jus cut that Bear. 
 They fight long time an mek big noise. 
 They could heard it them otha s down on 
 Great Island. Then they sent him up that 
 Wolf to stop it that fight. 
 
 "Wolf, he s get up tha an he s got hard 
 time to mek stop it that big fight, that Deer 
 an Bear; but he s do it prit soon, an when 
 
WHY AUTUMN LEAVES ARE RED 99 
 
 that Deer, he s run way, his horn jus all 
 drippin with blood, that Bear s. That blood 
 jus fall down on tree leafs on Great Island, 
 an mek it all red color. It s that way yet, 
 ev time come roun that time they fight 
 it, that Deer an that Bear, leafs jus get 
 that way, red. 
 "They sed it long go, 01 Ouendots." 
 
X. 
 
 THE FERRYMAN. 
 
 When this story was finished, the old 
 clock hadn t yet, as Neh-ah sometimes re 
 marked: "He s sed it, eight." 
 
 The Boy was ready with another sug 
 gestion, and said: "Now Neh-ah, you ve 
 told me such a good story about the red 
 leaves, I think you ll have to tell an 
 other about a rabbit. Old Jolly and I 
 brought home seven. You d hardly believe 
 it, but Jolly run one into a b-i-g hollow red- 
 oak that stands down on the hill-side. Some 
 one had cut a hole in one side of it and I 
 crawled in; and down in the old hollow 
 
 [100] 
 
THE FERRYMAN 101 
 
 roots running all round, I kept pulling out 
 rabbits until I had seven. Mebbe we won t 
 have a pot-pie, and I ll sell some of them in 
 town, too." 
 
 Neh-ah listened smilingly to the Boy, 
 then said: "Well, guess can t cross riva 
 no mo nobody, cause must be you kill all 
 the ferrymans. You don t give im no good 
 chance or mebbe so they foolish you like he 
 done to one fella, one time. 
 
 "I didn t tell you befo bout Rabbit, is it? 
 He s live long time go down on riva , an he s 
 got good canoe, an jus took em eva-body 
 cross riva , like what you call it ferry-boat, 
 aint it? 
 
 "Well, one time Rabbit, he s sittin down 
 on riva bank, jus singin an waitin like, 
 
102 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 an* prit soon he s holla somebody, otha* 
 side of riva. Rabbit, he s look and seen it, 
 OF Wolf, so he s jus don mek no tention, 
 jus keep on singin like don t heard nothin . 
 That Wolf, he s mean one, all a time want 
 kill em somebody, an Rabbit he don t like 
 em. 
 
 "Prit soon Wolf sed it: Hey, you fella 
 you feet it s crooked out, come took me 
 cross riva . 
 
 Rabbit, he s jus ke p on singin , an by- 
 um-by he s say : "Long go, I all a time dance 
 plenty at feast, at s why it s crooked out, 
 my foots." 
 
 "Wolf sed it: Hey, you fella, at s got 
 1-o-n-g ears, jus stick it up straight, come 
 took me cross riva . 
 
THE FERRYMAN 103 
 
 "Rabbit, he say: My ears stick it up, 
 cause long go I could wear many eagle 
 featha , ain t it? 
 
 "Wolf, he sed it: Hey, you fella , it s 
 split you lip, come take a me ova rivaV 
 
 "Rabbit, he say: It s that way my lip, 
 cause long go, I whistle much at big dance, 
 ain t it? 
 
 "Wolf, he s jus mad now, and sed it: Oh, 
 you jus brag heap, all a time, I get you 
 now. Then he s jus jump in riva an 
 swim cross. Rabbit he s run an Wolf he s 
 took af ta him. He s run long ways an jus 
 gettin tired, but Wolf, he s comin , he s prit 
 close now. Rabbit, he s come to hollow tree, 
 an he s jump in hole, jus time Wolf he s 
 goin ketch im. 
 
104 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 "Wolf, he s mad, an he jus goin stand 
 by that hole till that Rabbit, he s come out, 
 n en he ketch em sure, so he s stay right 
 tha . Rabbit he s rest lit l time, n en he s go 
 out notha hole an go back to his canoe. 
 L-o-n-g time afta Wolf, he s get heap tired 
 that what you call it, watch-ful-a-waitin , 
 an he s go back down riva . He s look otha 
 side an seen it that Rabbit sit on his canoe, 
 jus like bin tha all a time. 
 
 "That s time he don ketch im Rabbit, 
 that 01 Wolf, ain t it?" 
 
XL 
 
 OLD COON TEACHES THE WOLF TO 
 HUNT. 
 
 Neh-ah and the Boy were sitting just in 
 the fire light one night when the old woman 
 said: 
 
 "You jus always like it to hear em so 
 much story bout 01 Fox an 01 Coon, I 
 jus happen today, think of notha one kin 
 a like it. Tain t 01 Fox tho , cause he s 
 gone an I don eva hear if he s come back. 
 Mebbe so if you heard it some day bout 
 his come back, you could tell that story. 
 But that 01 Coon he jus always took eva* 
 
 [105] 
 
106 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 chance what come long to play trick on 
 somebody. 
 
 "Any-how, I tole you this story jus same 
 way you Uncl Jim Clark use tole it long 
 go in Canada. He was good one to tole 
 story, only some-time he jus put in lots a 
 cuss words like he all a time sed it white- 
 mans. Them Injun boy long time go at s 
 jus first thing learn Inglis , it s the cuss 
 words. I guess it s cause in Injun langwige 
 they don got none, cuss words. 
 
 "It s long time afta he s gone that Fox, 
 one day OP Wolf he s prowlin long riva 
 an he s meet im that Coon. 01 Coon he s 
 bin on visit way out west to pra rie peoples, 
 an he s bring it home big bundl buffalo 
 meat. He s jus eatin piece when he s come 
 long 01 Wolf. 
 
OLD COON TEACHES WOLF TO HUNT 10*7 
 
 "Wolf he s sed it: Hello, my Couzzen, 
 what kin meats you eat em, an where you 
 get it? I don had no good meats fo long 
 time, it s kin a sca ce now days, ain t it? 
 
 "01 Coon he s jus kin a grin, an gif to 
 him piece of meat, that Wolf, an he s sed it: 
 Oh, it s a buffalo meats what I got. I ketch 
 em that kin buffalo out on pra rie, where 
 I bin few day. It s lots of it there, buffalo, 
 an it s kin easy to ketch em that kin too. 
 
 "Wolf, he s jus eatin an it s sure taste 
 good that meats. Prit soon he s say : How 
 you sed it s easy to ketch it that kin ? He s 
 big one than you are, an could run fas . I 
 don see how you mek it easy to ketch em 
 that kin . 
 
 " Well, Coon sed it, I could tole you 
 
108 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 how it s easy ketch em, you wants to tried 
 it. He s big one, but he s easy to fraid, an 
 when he s heap fraid, he s jus scare to 
 death, jus run til it s kill himselV 
 
 "Wolf he s say: You ketch im that 
 way? 
 
 " Yes, I ketch im, he sed it Coon. I 
 jus tole you all bout it an you could tried 
 it an ketch em good, then you have lots a 
 good meats. You could start fo prai rie pri t 
 soon an come to edge, long bout dark come, 
 jus befo . You jus look roun good an fin 
 it bunch buffalo, eat roun close to bushes. 
 You watch em n afta whiles its tired eat 
 it, an it s lay down sleep it. When he s good 
 lay down sleep it, you jus go long easy, slip 
 up behin an you jus tied it, that buffalo, 
 
OLD COON TEACHES WOLF TO HUNT 109 
 
 his tail roun you-sel , you middel. It s 
 long hair on his tail, that fella". You mus 
 tied it good, so can t slip off, cause if slip 
 off, he s turn roun jus step on you, sure. 
 When get it tie up good, you jus mek big 
 noise whoo, whoo. Buffalo he s so scare 
 he s jump up an run, an you jus took good 
 ride, cause you jus go with im, an jus all 
 a time go whoo, whoo. That buffalo he jus 
 run heap, he s so scare, an prit soon he s 
 jus drop dead, then you mus cut it, his 
 throat, an you got heap good eat. 
 
 "Wolf, he s jus lis n, an he s sed it: 
 
 " It s soun good, I guess mebbe so, I 
 
 tried it. Le s go, you jus watch a me, I 
 
 kill em buffalo. 
 
 "So Coon he s go long, an they start it 
 
110 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 for pra rie. It s bout dark when they gets 
 to edge of timber, an right clos by seen it 
 bunch buffalo. Wolf an Coon jus lay down 
 rest lit l bit, an watch it that buffalo. Afta 
 while it s got nuff eat it, an jus all laid 
 down to sleep it. 
 
 "Wolf, he s jus feelin prit good an he s 
 pick it out big fat, she one buffalo. Well, 
 when he s sleep it good that ol she one, 
 buffalo, Coon tell him betta go now, an he s 
 slip out easy an he s tied he-se f good to 
 that she one, buffalo, his tail, an when it s 
 all tie up tight, Wolf, he s jus go holler: 
 Whoo, whoo. That she one, buffalo, he s 
 fraid plenty. He jus jump up an holler: 
 Bra-a-h, bra-a-h, an jus go run, he so 
 scare, jus like what s say white peoples: 
 
OLD Fox TEACHES WOLF TO HUNT 111 
 
 scare like hell/ He sure run fas an* that 
 Wolf he s jus hoi tight on his tail, that she 
 one, buffalo, an jus ride fas too. Eva once 
 while, buffalo jus kick im in ribs an 01 
 Wolf he s go up in air. Prit soon he s gone 
 out a sight, buffalo an wolf. 01 Coon he s 
 jus kin a chuckle an sed it to he-self: I 
 guess mebbe so, my couzzen, he s get prit 
 good ride, now, won t get back fo many 
 moons, mebbe so, spec he s go long ways/ 
 "But that Wolf, he don ride such long 
 time, cause that she one, buffalo, he s come 
 to big mud hole, wide one, an jus bout time 
 he s get middel that mud hole, he s mek 
 big kick an that Wolf, he s break it loose 
 from tail, jus go up in air, an come down 
 tchi-wash in that sof muds. He s kin a 
 
112 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 glad too, cause don want it no buffalo meats 
 now. He s crawl out mud hole kin slow, 
 cause prit sore, an start off kin a limp, an 
 he sed it to he-self: That Coon he s don 
 say how long got to ride it, that buffalo. I 
 guess he s jus mek it foolish with me. 
 Nex time I don t tried it what he say. 
 
 It s jus same kin he s always foolish im 
 that 01 Fox. He s bad rascal that Coon. 
 
XII. 
 
 THE HOLE IN THE SKY 
 
 OR 
 HOW THE SUMMER BECAME 
 
 LONGER. 
 
 "Well, I guess that Old Coon never did 
 stop playing his pranks. I only wish that 
 more of his tricks had been told in other sto 
 ries, for it is sure fun to listen to them." 
 So the Boy said one evening when he was 
 not quite sure that Neh-ah had another 
 story for him. He was right pleasantly sur 
 prised when she at once said : 
 
 "I goin tell you notha one Uncle Jim s 
 Story. 01 Tah-too-tahn-yoh, he s ol Jib- 
 
 [113] 
 
114 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 way man what s marry to Ouendot woman, 
 an live mongst our people in Canada, long 
 go. Lots a boys jus go down his house 
 winta time an he s tell em ol story, some 
 times prit near all night. They jus pitch 
 in an cut it lots wood fo ol man an he s 
 tell em ol story. It s good story, this one, 
 I like it my-se f . 
 
 "Long time go, ol people use tole bout 
 it, it s jus col all a time, prit near. I think 
 mebbe so, it s that time, faint very ol world, 
 cause it s them days, peoples and animals, 
 jus kin a all a same like, sometimes they be 
 peoples, sometimes some kin animal, jus 
 what kin they like. They know how to do 
 eva-thing them days, got power, jus like 
 what call white peoples now, witch, I guess, 
 
How THE SUMMER BECAME LONGER 115 
 
 anyhow, could do jus what want do, any 
 thing. 
 
 "Well, it s them days, good hunta , he s 
 lodge not far from Big Watah ; but it s no 
 body live clos by, jus him an woman, an 
 got one boy, lit l fella, jus bout half way 
 grown to man. It s big country, lots tree, 
 big ones all run where he s live, that hunt- 
 ah. He s got strong power, could prit near 
 do it anything. Sometime he s man, an 
 sometime he s that lit l kin animal what 
 dey call it, Fisher, jus kin a like that Otter, 
 at s his Couzzen, an kin a looks like im, but 
 he ain t that big. That 01 Otter, he s kin 
 a funny fella, he s jus all a time, laff an 
 sing, an have good fun. He s all a time 
 talk heap, too; but he don sed nothin much-, 
 
116 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 jus talk. He s good fella, tho, an jus try 
 to do it anything what tell im, somebody. 
 
 "That hunta he s all a time kill em heap 
 deer, an eva kin a game, so, jus have 
 plenty to eat. That woman, he s good one, 
 too, jus take care that game what he s kill 
 em, dried that deer meat an smoke im, an 
 mek that fine buck-skin fo moccasin an 
 leggins. 
 
 "They jus like im, heap, that lit l fella 
 too. That hunta he s mek im good lit l 
 bow an arrows, an showed im how hunt 
 bird an squirrels; an that woman, he s 
 mek em lit l moccasins an leggin an 
 huntin shirt. Snow shoes too, cause it s jus 
 plenty snow that country all a time. It s 
 that way them days, jus col an snow prit 
 near all time. 
 
How THE SUMMER BECAME LONGER 117 
 
 "That lit l fella he s jus go hunt by him- 
 se f an bring em back to lodge, bird an* 
 squirrels; but he s jus get prit near freeze 
 it eva time. His finger jus bout freeze it, 
 an can t shoot good, an sometime jus mek 
 im mad, an jus cried, cause it so cold, don* 
 know what do. He s jus wish it don be so 
 much freeze it an cold f o so many days. 
 
 "Well, one time, that lit l fella , he s bin 
 hunt, an jus comin back to lodge. Oh, it s 
 col , an that lit l fella , he s bout froze 
 it now. He s comin long, an he s seen 
 it, squirrel, it s sit on bush lit l way 
 head, it s eatin somthin . He s wonda 
 that lit l fella why don run, squirrel, an 
 he s jus fix it his arrow to shoot it. Bout 
 that time, that squirrel, he sed it: 
 
118 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 "Grandson, musn t shoot it, me. Put it 
 down you bow cause I got somethin to sed 
 to you. You jus lis n an you do what I sed 
 it. Long time I seen it you don t like it heap 
 col an snow, I seen you huntin an jus 
 can t help it, cry some time, cause heap col . 
 It s too plenty col all a time, anyhow, I 
 don like it too. Now I tole you what do, an 
 we fix it mo summa time. You f atha , he s 
 strong power, he could do it prit near any 
 thing. When you get you lodge, you mus 
 jus cryin all a time. Yo motha , he s want 
 know what s matta , you jus don sed 
 nothin , jus cryin , an cryin heap. Jus 
 keep it cryin all a time til he s come, you 
 f atha ; then when he s ask it what s matta 
 don sed nothin f o long time, but jus cryin 
 
How THE SUMMER BECAME LONGER 119 
 
 an cryin jus likes feel so bad, can t sed 
 nothin . Then afta whiles, you tell im: 
 Me, I don t like it too much col all a time, I 
 jus want mo summa times. Just sed it: 
 Oh, my fatha can t you have him, some 
 body, make it mo summa times, an don 
 have it so much col an snows. Oh, I don* 
 like it so much col . 
 
 "So, that lit l fella, he tole im, squirrel, 
 he do that way, an he s got to lodge, he s 
 jus cryin an cryin , jus like it hurt some- 
 thin but don know what. He motha ask 
 it what s matta , but jus shook head an 
 don t sed it nothin , jus push way what s 
 want im to eat it, his motha , an jus keep 
 cryin til it s come his fatha , then he s do 
 jus like what s tole im that squirrel. 
 
120 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 "Well, he fatha sed it: My son, I try do 
 that what you sed it. It s much hard thing 
 to do, but I tried, cause my son want it 
 that kin / So that lit l fella he s stop it 
 cryin an eat it what gif to im his motha . 
 That Fisher sed it, he mus make feast an 
 call council for his frens . Nex day they 
 cook it whole bear, an sen word to Otter, 
 Beaver, Lynx an Badger to come that 
 feast an council. Well, afta whiles, it s 
 come eva body an had it big eats ; then all 
 a them fella jus sit round an prit soon 
 smoke it peace-pipe, then jus talk bout it, 
 what s got do. 
 
 "Afta talk bout it long time, all them 
 otha fellas sed it they go with that Fisher 
 an he p im. He sed it, they go in three 
 
How THE SUMMER BECAME LONGER 121 
 
 days. Time come that Fisher he tole it 
 goodby, that woman, an lit l fella , an he s 
 jus feel heap bad, cause he s know mebbe 
 so he don seen it no mo . 
 
 "Then he s start all of it, an jus go on, 
 don t meet im nothin til bout twenty days, 
 it s come to foot of high mountain. Jus 
 could look up as want to, an can t see it 
 top, it s h-i-g-h, that mountain. They fin 
 it tracks, like kill it somethin , somebody, 
 jus while go; you could see bloody, an that 
 track goin up mountain. That Fisher he 
 sed it, betta follow it that track, mebbe- 
 so fin it somethin eat it. So, jus followed 
 it, track, an prit soon, come to lodge. Fish 
 er, he tole em, mus be still, don laugh fall. 
 
 "By-um-by, they saw ol man stan in 
 
122 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 door that lodge. He s jus crooked eva 
 which way, jus 9 all twist up. He s got b-i-g 
 head, an funny kin teetch, jus all stick out 
 an he don t had no arms. Them fella s they 
 wonda how he could kill em anything. That 
 ol man he s ask em come in his lodge, cause 
 it s jus bout night, come. 
 
 "That ol man, he s strong Monedo, he 
 could do anything. Well, afta whiles oP 
 man he s bring out big bowl meat, an he s 
 jus gif to them fellas some f o their suppa . 
 He s jus move roun heap funny, an that 
 Otter, he jus can t he p it, an prit soon he s 
 laugh. That Monedo, he s jus look at im, 
 an jus jump on him goin smother 1m, 
 cause it s that way he s kill it anything. But 
 that Otter, when he s felt oP crooked man 
 
How THE SUMMER BECAME LONGER 123 
 
 light on he s head, he s jus slip out from 
 unda im an he s jus run out door an get 
 way; but that Monedo he s sed it bad fo 
 im that Otter. 
 
 "Rest of em they eat, an smoke an talk, 
 prit near all night. That ol man he s tole 
 Fisher he could do what s he s want do ; but 
 it s a hard one to do, an mebbe so, it s kill 
 im. He s tole im which way to go, an sed 
 it fo them to do like he said it, an if follow 
 that road, it sure take em right place. Whe 
 he s tole em all bout jus what to do it, eva - 
 body sleep it lit l time. 
 
 "Come nex mornin , started go on. Jus* 
 gone lit l ways an meet it tha Otter, he s 
 bout freeze it, an kin a hungry; but that 
 Fisher, he s took long some that meat what s 
 
124 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 gif to im that ol crooked man, so that Otter 
 he s eat it. He don laff this time. 
 
 "Weir jus travel eva day till it s bout 
 twenty days gen, an they come to that 
 place what s tell em bout, that Monedo. 
 It s the highest mountain, yet. Have to 
 clim long ways fo get to top, but they get 
 up tha an jus sit down rest and smoke it, 
 peace-pipe, cause got to do that kin ask em 
 Great Spirit, he p em. Jus put it tobacco 
 in that pipe, an hoi it up to sky, then to 
 no th, an east, an south, an west, then to 
 earth then smoke it. It s so high up that 
 mountain, that looks like sky right tha , 
 an think, an look all roun fo long time, 
 an afta whiles, that Fisher, he sed it, We 
 mus get ready, an he s tell em, We got to 
 
How THE SUMMER BECAME LONGER 125 
 
 mek hole in sky. He s tole it that Otter 
 try it first. Jus jump up gainst it hard as 
 you can, mebbe so break it hole. Otter, he s 
 jus kin a laff, an sed it, I tried it, mebbe 
 so. He s jus jump hard, jus hit that sky 
 so hard it s jus bounce im back, an prit 
 near knock stuffin out that Otter. He s 
 fall on snow right on he s back, an it s kin 
 slick that snow, an that 01 Otter he s jus 
 go slidin like eva thing, clear to bottom that 
 mountain. I bet he s neva travel that fas 
 gen. When he s come to bottom, he s shake 
 he-se , an sed it, I think mebbe so, I gone 
 home, I don like make it that jump notha 
 gen, so he s jus pull it out fo home. 
 
 "Well, that Beaver, he s tried it, an it s 
 fall down all a sense knock it out that fella . 
 
126 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 Then Lynx, he s tried it an it s jus all a 
 f-a-r, an it s plenty grass, plenty tree ; 
 same kin , jus laid tha like s dead. 
 
 " Now, he sed it, Fisher, to Badger, 
 You tried it, it s strong, you people an ? 
 could do heap. 
 
 "Badger he s jus tried hard, an it s 
 knock im back that sky, but don hurt im, 
 so, he s jus jump up an he s tried it notha 
 gen. This time, its look s kin a like it s 
 crack, that sky, so Badger, he s jus puff 
 up b-i-g, an he s jump, like a white peoples 
 sed it: jus like a hell. It s bust hole in 
 sky an Badger he s go through an that 
 Fisher, he s jus jump in right afta im. 
 
 "Them two fellas jus look roun an oh, 
 it s fin place, jus like a prai e, could see 
 
How THE SUMMER BECAME LONGER 127 
 
 plenty all kin s flower. Jus lit! stream run 
 eva which way, lots a birds jus ever kin 
 prit ones jus singin eva direction, oh it s 
 jus like a nice eva where. Right ova tha 
 they seen it some good ones lodges an way 
 ova good ways off could seen it lots a peo 
 ples jus playin ball, havin good time. 
 
 "Don t seen nobody in them lodges but 
 could see lots mo-cocks an baskets an it s 
 all jus full all kin birds, prit ones. That 
 Fisher he s jus think of that lit l fella an 
 they jus cut it open them mo-cocks an bas 
 kets all they could an let it out all those kin 
 birds an all of it jus go big bunch an fly 
 down that hole in sky what s made it Bad 
 ger. An all that warm weather what s 
 roun tha it s go down that hole too, an 
 
128 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 jus spread out all roun . Prit soon them 
 peoples way ova tha they see it them fellas 
 what s doin an jus come run ova that way; 
 but time they get ova tha it s bout all gone 
 through that hole, all a summa time weath 
 er, jus bout lef nothin cep its tail, an one 
 fella s he s come runnin , an he s hit it with 
 big club, an jus broke it off tail; summa 
 time bout to went through that hole. 
 
 "That Badger, when he s seen em comin 
 them fellas he s jus run fo that hole but 
 that Fisher, he s jus keep on lettin out lots 
 mo bird fo that lit l fella , an he s stay 
 too long, that hole it s growed up an can t 
 get through. Well, he s jus strike out run- 
 nin cause to get way from them otha fel 
 las, an he s run fas . Prit soon he s come 
 
How THE SUMMER BECAME LONGER 129 
 
 to tall tree an he s clim up. They come, 
 them fellas , an shoot at im, arrows; but 
 that fella you couldn t hurt im if you hit 
 Mm, jus one place arrow could hurt im, jus 
 bout one inch end of he s tail. Prit soon 
 one arrow hit im on that place. It s prit 
 bad. He s look down tha an seen it one 
 them fellas , he s got totem same like what 
 he s got. So, he s holla to him, this fella , 
 an he s tole im, you my couzzen, tell em 
 don kill me. When dark come them fellas 
 quit shoot, an that Fisher, he s come down, 
 he s feel prit bad, cause it s bleed heap. So 
 he s start crawl long to north, mebbe so he 
 fin hole in sky he can go through; but he s 
 jus keep travel til he s bout give out, don 7 
 fin none. So, he s stretch out his legs, his 
 
130 TALES OF THE BARK LODGES 
 
 head to no th, an sed it: Well, I did that 
 what s want, lit l fella. It s make it betta 
 f o all of its peoples, have mo summa times 
 now, maybe eight o nine moons, summa 
 time, then he s jus die. Them fellas 
 fin it nex day, stretch it out dead. You 
 could see it in sky now, it s tha yet. While 
 peoples call it that stars, Big Bear." 
 
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