^"/^■^] FICTION 155 



proach stealthily the spot where she was picking berries by herself 

 and to speak to her at all hazards. He did not get the opportunity 

 until the next day. 



On going again to the spot he had chosen as the best place to meet 

 her, he concealed himself and awaited the coming of the seven sisters 

 to their daily task of gathering berries. By good fortune the young- 

 est sister came directly to the place near which the ardent gallant 

 was concealed, and he lost little time in making his presence known 

 by speaking to her in very low tones lest the other sisters should 

 hear him. The sister addx'essed, turning around, saw him and at 

 once fell in love with him, for he was a fine-looking young man. He 

 said to her, " I greatly desire to speak to you, but I do not want your 

 sisters to overhear me, for I am afraid of them." So she stopped 

 picking berries and listened to what he had to say to her. They con- 

 versed together for a long time. At last he remarked : " I must go 

 lest your sisters discover me. I will meet you here tomorrow." 



After her lover had gone the youngest sister tried very diligently 

 to fill her basket with huckleberries, but she did not have time to do 

 so before the eldest sister called out, "Come, now, my sisters, our 

 baskets are full, and we must go home." They started toward their 

 lodge, but missing their youngest sister, called her until she came. 

 She acted shyly, being afraid to go very near them lest they should 

 detect any odor which would let them know that she had been 

 near a man. Then they asked her, " How is it that you have not 

 tilled your basket?" To deceive them she feigned illness, but the 

 eldest sister, going near her, exclaimed in disgust : " Oh, pshaw ! 

 She emits the odor of a man. Indeed, she has been near a man." 

 The youngest sister attempted to deny this charge, for she was afraid 

 of her sisters; but they would not believe her. Too well did they 

 know the odor of a man. They were very angry, and they scolded 

 and threatened her; but she was now thinking of the young man, 

 and so did not care what they said or did. 



The next day they started out again to gather huckleberries, and 

 the youngest sister went directly to the spot where the young man 

 had promised to meet her. She was more than delighted to see him 

 there awaiting her coming. She sat down with him and they made 

 love to each other. The other sisters, being very busy, forgot to 

 watch her, as they did not expect that anyone would have the temerity 

 to lurk, unwelcome, in their huckleberry patch. Finally she told him 

 how angry her sisters were on the preceding day because her basket 

 was not full, and so they began to pick berries together. When her 

 basket was nearly full, the eldest sister again called out: "Come, 

 sisters ! our baskets are full. We must now go home." 



The youngest sister lagged behind as long as possible, and the other 

 sisters waited for her until she came up to them. When she drew 



