^XJS] FICTION 135 



the chief's potent son-in-law, and the old chief and his people there- 

 after lived there in comfort and peace. 



21. Deadoendjadases (The Eakth-Girdler) and the Old Woman's 

 Grandson 



An old woman and her grandson lived together in a lodge in a 

 large forest. They were both feeble and poor, for the old woman 

 had no able-bodied person to help her and her grandson was still a 

 very small boy. The old woman cried much of the time, therefore, on 

 account of their needy condition. Every day, however, she went into 

 the forest to gather firewood. She felled trees by burning, and 

 when they were on the ground she burned them into pieces of such 

 length that she would be able to carry them to her lodge ; but whether 

 she was going or coming from the forest she wept without ceasing. 



At last her little grandson said to her, " Grandmother, why do you 

 cry all the time, both night and day? Tell me, will you? " In reply 

 she said, " I had many brothers and relatives, but they are all dead 

 now." Then she took the little boy by the hand, and drawing him to 

 a door, she opened it and led the boy into another room, in which he 

 had never been before. This room was full of articles of dress of 

 every kind and of weapons, ball clubs, balls painted (with symbols 

 of) heads, and a drum. The boy wondered at what he saw here 

 and wanted very much to touch the various articles, but his grand- 

 mother told him that he must not remain in the room, nor should he 

 touch any of the things. 



The next day when she had again gone after wood for fuel the boy 

 went to the forbidden room and beat the drum, whose sound was so 

 pleasing that he was delighted. Taking a ball and a lacrosse club 

 he went out of doors and began to play ball — that is, lacrosse. He 

 threw the ball with the club and it flew far away toward the east. 

 So he ran after the ball until he found it in a large clearing. And 

 this place was so pleasant that he was very glad to be there. But he 

 soon started for home, arriving there before the grandmother had 

 returned with the wood to the lodge. 



On the following day, while his grandmother was absent in the 

 forest, the little grandson again visited the mysterious room and 

 plaj'ed around in it; but he did not forget to be home before his 

 grandmother returned. He did likewise for several days. But finally 

 he beat the drum so heavily that the old woman heard him far away 

 in the forest. She hastened home at once and scolded the lad for his 

 disobedience, saying, " Why did you go into that room when I told 

 you not to go there nor to touch any of the things? " " Oh, grand- 

 mother," he replied, " do not talk about that, but tell me where are 

 all our friends — my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and 

 my cousins? " The grandmother said deprecatingly : "Oh, you can 



