TURNER] FOLKLORE. 341 



with his grandmother. One day, feeling very hungry, for they were 

 extremely poor, he asked his grandmother if he could set a net to 

 catch fish. The old woman laughed at the idea of a hare catching 

 fish, but to humor him, she consented, for she was indulgent to him 

 because he was her only charge and looked forward to the time wlien 

 he should be able to support her by his own exertions, and not to rely 

 on the scanty supplies which she was able to obtain. These were very 

 meager, as she was infirm, and dreaded exposure. She then told him 

 to go and set the net, but added that she had no fire to cook them 

 with, even if he should catch any. The hare promised to procure fire 

 if he caught the fish. He went to set the net in a lake where he knew 

 fish to be plentiful. The next morning he went to the net and found 

 it to be so full of fish that he was unable to take it up. He lifted one 

 end and saw there was a fish in every mesh of the net. He shook 

 out some of the fish and then drew out the net. Part of the fish were 

 buried, and a large load taken home. He put the fish down 

 outside of the tent, and went in. He told the old woman to clean the 

 fish and that he would go across the river to the Indians' tent and get 

 the fire with which to cook them. The old woman was speechless at 

 such proposed rashness, but as he had been able to catch so many fish 

 she refrained remarking on his contemplated project of obtaining fire in 

 the face of such danger. While the old woman was cleaning the fish he 

 went back after the net which he had put out to dry on the shore of the 

 lake. 



He folded it up, placed it under his arm, and ran to the edge of the 

 river which was tar too wide to jump over. He used his cunning and 

 assembled a number of whales. These animals came puffing up the 

 stream in obedience to his command. He ordered them to arrange 

 themselves side by side across the stream so that he could walk across 

 on their backs. He most dreaded the Indians, but jumped into the 

 water to wet his fur. This being done he sprang from one whale to 

 another until he was safe on the opposite shore. He then laid down in 

 the sand and bade the whales to disperse. Some Indian children soon 

 came playing along the sandy bank and saw the hare lying there. 

 One of the children picked up the hare and started home with it. 

 When the boy arrived and told how he had obtained the hare he was 

 directed to put it in the iron tent (kettle) where there was a bright fire 

 crackling. 



The child put down the hare, upon which an old man told the boy to 

 kill the hare. The hare was terribly frightened, but opened a part of 

 one ej'e to ascertain whether there was any place of exit beside the door. 

 In the top of the tent he observed a large round hole. He then said 

 to himself: " I wish a spark of fire would fall on my net." Instantly 

 the brands rolled and a great spark fell on the net and began to bui-n 

 it. The hare was afraid of the fire, so he sprang out of the hole in the 

 apex of the tent. The Indians saw they had been outwitted by a hare, 



