THE STORY OF THE STRAWBERRY. 65 



ing, too, searching for dainty morsels in the form of grubs. 

 As he swallows them he utters a satisfied cor-r-ruk, and re- 

 news his search. Chickadees, wrens, song sparrows and 

 bluebirds are among the number, all living in harmony, 

 though at other seasons they may be enemies. During 

 the cold months hostilities are suspended and all live 

 peacefully together until the coming of spring shall dis- 

 solve their partnership. 

 Camp Dennison, Ohio. 



The Story of the Strawberry. 



The Indians have many stories, designed to explain 

 things. They are not always true — perhaps never are 

 wholly true — but are nearly always interesting. Mr. 

 James Mooney, who has spent a great deal of time among 

 the Cherokees, has learned many of these tales and trans- 

 lated them into English for the Bureau of Ethnology at 

 Washington. One of them explains the origin of the 

 strawberry in this way : 



' ' When the first man was created and a mate was given 

 to him, they lived together very happily for a time, but 

 then began to quarrel, until at last the woman left her hus- 

 band and started off toward the Sun land, in the east. 

 The man followed alone and grieving, but the woman kept 

 on steadily ahead and never looked behind, until the Great 

 Apportioner (the Sun) took pity on him and asked him 

 if he was still angry with his wife. He said he was not, 

 and the Sun then asked him if he would like to have her 

 back again, to which he eagerly answered yes. 



So the Sun caused a patch of the finest ripe huckleber- 

 ries to spring up along the path in front of the woman, but 

 she passed by without paying any attention to them. Far- 

 ther on he put a clump of blackberries, but these also she 



