362 



The Story 

 of Kopseep 



in the river. And that is perhaps why 

 Nature takes away the salmon's appetite 

 and keeps it for him all the while that he 

 is going on a journey in fresh water. 



As he lay in his eddy resting, or play- 

 ing with any bright-colored thing that the 

 current brought him, a troop of little silver 

 smolts went hurrying and flashing by on 

 their way to the sea. Though he knew it 

 not, they were the little sisters that he had 

 left as parr in the shallows when he went 

 away, four months ago. No wonder Kop- 

 seep did not recognize them; for they were 

 hardly as big as the caplin that he had been 

 eating by scores for weeks past. He watched 

 them curiously as they darted past, wonder- 

 ing where they came from and why they 

 hurried so; then he moved up under the 

 falls and began to jump and poke his head 

 out of the foam to study the place, as the 

 salmon were doing, before he took his leap. 



He tried it at last: flung himself headlong 

 into the falls and was promptly knocked end 

 over end, and in a wink found himself bruised 

 and quivering back by his own rock again. 



