OE THE UELUGE. 295 



fee, Wis says it may consider itself very lucky that lie 

 did not kill it wliile passing underground. All the 

 bladders are now emptied into a hollow, and form a 

 large lake, in which Wis invites all the animals to 

 come and swim, that they may gather fat : the rabbit 

 and partridge complain, after then* unctuous bath, 

 that they have gathered too much fat, so Wis cleans 

 it from them by running his hand over them ; and 

 this is the reason luhj/ the rabbit has so little fat upon 

 the shoulder, and the partridge a small qimntity about 

 the tail. 



Although the foregoing and other legends are so 

 childish, they should nevertheless be presented, as 

 indications of the simple nature and primitive ideas of 

 the Indian race. Such stories are recounted in a 

 monotonous sing-song to the assembled members of a 

 lodge, and their repetition never tires. The Indian 

 seldom or never laughs boisterously, appreciation of 

 the passages considered the most amusing is marked 

 by a low grunt of approval ; and this is particularly 

 the case where the hero of their tales, which 

 Mr. Wis-kay-tchach most frequently represents, has 

 practised or suffered from some act of duplicity \ these 

 appear to tickle the listeners mightily. 



