351 



"I Mill i^oiiii; l<i Kitiu: SiiJikc's li(His(> (u ddcldp liiiii," answorod llio Truy- 

 lady. 



"Why, what is (ho niafler with Kiiij^ Siiai<o. ^''-'indraa?" 



"One grrcat god. ^Manabusli, shot Kiiij^ Snake for revenge." 



"(Jrandiiia. (cadi nic your niediciiie." hrok»> in Manahnsh. "I will pay 

 yon." 



TcMiipled with (ho pr(Hiiis(>d pay. (ho ohl niodicino-frog-iady told him all 

 about her dootorinj? and medicine songs. Then after he had learned all 

 she could impart, he killed her and, .skinning her, put the skin on himself. 

 He then took the rattle and the pack of basswood bark and started for the 

 village where King Snake lived. On the way he stopped where the old frog- 

 lady had lived. There he made himself much at home and waited an invita- 

 tion to doctor. The evening following his arrival, a messenger came to him 

 saying: "Grandma, you are again ro(inos(od to come and doctor King 

 Snake." 



"All right," answered ]Manabush. 



Then imitating the old frog-lady, he started to finish his killing of King 

 Snake. Moreover, realizing the dire results tliat would follow, he got a 

 lot of trees togetlier for a raft, as lie journeyed toward that snake's house. 

 Getting everything in readiness, he entered that reptile's yard. As he 

 entered the door he noticed his nephew's skin hanging as a curtain to the 

 doorway. The sight of it made him feel so badly that he almost cried. He 

 entered the house, they, of course, supposing him to he the old-medicine- 

 frog-lady. They had him enter the room where King Snake lay very weak 

 and sick. On entering, he took his rattles and started to sing the medicine 

 songs he had learned from the aged frog-lady. As he sung, he crawled 

 nearer and nearer to King Snake's side. As he did so, he saw that the arrow 

 ho had shot at the previous time was still imbeded in the flesh with the 

 broken end still sticking out. He waited. At the opportune moment he 

 pushed the arrow completely in and instantly killed King Snake. He then 

 immediately fled from the house, singing to cover his tracks and to pre- 

 vent suspicion. 



He knew the consequence of his act and made with all speed for his raft, 

 and none too soon, for while he was still running the water reached knee 

 deep in depth. The raft also began to float away just as he got on it. Soon 

 then the whole world was submerged. In this catastrophe the animals com- 

 menced to swim around trying to get somewhere where they would be 

 safe from the raging waters. Some succeeded in getting onto the raft ; 

 others hung to it. For four days they were floating as if it were in the 

 middle of a great ocean ; there was no land to be seen anywhere. The 

 whole land surface of the earth had been swallowed up. 



Manahnsh had forgotten to get a handful of dirt from mother earth 

 before getting aboard his raft. So on this fourth day of tempestuous 

 waters he called a council, saying: "We must do something. We can not 

 stay here on this raft for all time. AVe must get some dirt." 



In accordance with the decision of the council, Manabush chose Beaver, 

 Otter, Loon, and Muskrat as divers to try their hands in getting some earth 



