350 



Having coinpletert his talking witli Kingfislier, he started for the sand 

 point mentioned, after lie had made a strong bow and had prepared hull- 

 rnsh tops for arrows. When he got near the sand beach he said to him- 

 self: "I will be a tree-stub". And on reaching the place ho turned into 

 a stub of a poplar tree. Then after while as the sun ascended the heavens, 

 the snakes came out to sun themselves on the sand as they were wont to 

 do. The white bears came last, followed by King Snake. The others had 

 noticed nothing; but King Snake at once noticed the tree-stub. "What 

 is itV" he asked. On scanning it further, he exclaimed: "I believe that is 

 Manabush standing there!" He then turned to one of the chief snakes and 

 .said : "Go to yonder stub. Climb it. Then coil around it and squeeze it 

 hard." This snake chief did as he was bidden. He coiled himself around 

 it and squeezed ; but Manal)ush never moved. After this snake had tried 

 his crushing powers for a considerable time, he gave it up and went back 

 to where King Snake was, saying: "That can't be Manabush." King 

 Snake, however, was not satisfied. He turned to a white bear and com- 

 manded him, also, to examine the supix)sed stub, sayiii'^: "You go and climb 

 on that stub to its very top. Then climb ddwii so as to scratch it as you 

 descend." The bear did as he was told. .MHiial)usli ncnrly veiled, lint never 

 moved. Going back to his master, the bear said : ""That cant lie Mana- 

 bush." Being satisfied. King Snake immediately came ashore and stretched 

 himself on the sand in the sun. 



After all the reptiles were fast asleep. Manabush turned to be a man 

 again. He then took out his bow and arrows and went near King Snake 

 and shot him in the body, but without injui'ing him in the least. He then 

 remembered what Kingfisher had told him, that to injure King Snake he 

 must shoot his shadow. So with the second shot he aimed av the beast's 

 shadow, and instantly the reptile stretched out and gaspe;! in awful pain. 

 Seeing this. Manabush started back to get a few logs together to make a 

 raft, for Kingfisher had told him that if he wounded King Snake, he would 

 flood the world to the top of the trees in revenge. Then the water would 

 go down again. But if he killed him. he would destroy the whole world in a 

 mighty flood. The waters had already begun to rise. So he got on the 

 raft he had succeeded in making and floated about as he watched the water 

 rise until the trees all disappeared. Then the water went down again. 



After it had got dry on the earth again, he went back to tell Chief Wolf 

 what had happened. After narrating this to the wolf tribe, he went back 

 to the lake where he had had the encounter with King Snake ; he knew by 

 the world's not being destroyed utterly that this snake had onl.y been 

 wounded. Consequently, he had it in his mind to make sure of his killing 

 him. l)e the consequences what they would. 



As he was walking along the shore of the lake on his return, he heard 

 something rattling. Looking ahead, he saw a large frog-like, old lady of 

 the bad-witch type jumping along. She had a rattle which she used in 

 doctm-ing the sick. She also had a pack of basswood on her back. 



"Helloo. grandma," he shouted to her. "Where are you going?" 



