AN INDIAN LEGEND 



"Wus long time 'go my grand-dad's dad 

 he tell my granddad, my granddad he tell my 

 old dad, an ' he tell me, an ' my dad he heap 

 old man when he tell. 



"Way down dis big, big lake dere's little 

 island. She much more big long time 'go 

 dan she am now. Good Indian he lived dere 

 in wig-warn, had squaw an' three papoose. 

 He great hunter. He beaver know. He trap 

 lot, big beaver king. 



"Some day he no hunt. Stay home, make 

 garden, plant much. Keepa cow, keepa hoss, 

 keepa pig. One day he work way off in field. 

 Squaw she 'tend papoose in wig-warn. Down 

 lake cum floatin' big tree, much branch, 

 much leaf, on him. 



"He float slow. He cuma nearer an' nearer 

 where landin' was. You look at tree you 

 see nuthin'. Your eye he wrong. You look 

 sharp you see. Leaves dey cover up pretty 

 good. More half dozen bad Indians dere. 

 All painted. War paint. On war path, 

 'udder tribe 'nudder men, bad men, steal, 

 kill, no good. No see 'tall, keep still. 



"All time keep pushin', push big tree make 

 him go island. Keep still all time. Den big 

 tree he cum 'shore. He stay dere bad In- 

 dian he make no noise, just wait. All sudden 

 103 



