^"ewixtJ fiction 149 



over the fire. Then taking the wand from its skin wrapping, when 

 the water began to boil he gently tapped on the kettle, saying, " I 

 want you to grow, my kettle." He was so much amused by the in- 

 crease in size of the kettle that he kept on tapping it and repeating 

 the magical words, until there was hardly room enough in the lodge 

 for him, because the kettle and the mush which it contained had 

 grown so large; so, climbing to the roof, he continued to tap the 

 kettle until it touched the sides of the lodge. He was so busy that 

 he did not see his uncle approaching. The latter from a distance saw 

 him on the roof, and watched his actions. As he approached the 

 lodge he heard the nephew say, " Oh, grow ! my kettle. Oh, grow ! 

 my little kettle," and then he knew that the youth had discovei'ed 

 everything. This made the uncle very sad and depressed. He called 

 to his nephew : " What have you done now, my nephew ? " The youth 

 replied in delight : " Oh, I have so much pudding that we shall have 

 a grand feast." Then he told his uncle everything. 



The uncle asked, "Did you use all the chestnut? " The youth re- 

 plied, " Yes. There was only a small bit here." Thereupon the poor 

 uncle exclaimed: "Jiy doing this you kill me. That is the only kind 

 of food T can eat. I shall die of hunger now. That kind of chestnut 

 does not grow everywhere, and only a person who has great orenda 

 (magic power) can get it." "Oh, pshaw ! " replied the nephew; "I 

 know where there are whole trees full of chestnuts of this kind. I 

 can get a large bagful for you, my uncle. So do not worry." The 

 uncle, unconsoled, replied : " No, it is not possible for you to do so. 

 This is a bad thing that you have done. This chestiuit would liave 

 lasted me for years. Now I never can get another; I shall starve to 

 death. I may as well tell you about it, for I must soon die." 



Then, shaking the kettle slightly to decrease its size so that he 

 could get into the lodge, the uncle said : " There is but one tree in the 

 world that bears such chestnuts. Seven sisters who are great sor- 

 cerers own that tree. Many men have lost their lives in trying to get 

 these chestnuts." The youth confidently replied, " I am sure that I 

 can get you one." The uncle answered : " No, you can not. You are 

 yet only a small boy. You would lose your life. These seven women 

 have a great eagle perched upon a very tall tree to watch it. Night 

 and day he guards it. Not a living thing can come near the tree, for 

 if even a man try his utmost the eagle would discover him and 

 scream out a cry of distress. Thereupon the sisters would come forth 

 and beat the intruder to death no matter who he might be. Men have 

 often taken the forms of various birds and animals to try to deceive 

 them, but so far they have all failed in their attempts. These seven 

 sisters have beaten to death everything that has come near that chest- 

 nut tree." But this kindly advice did not change the youth's resolve 

 to make the attempt to get some of these well-guarded chestnuts. 



