422 SENECA FICTION, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS [eth. ann. 32 



One day she got into a hot dispute with a Chipmunk. Finally the 

 Chipmunk said : " Why do you boast so much ? You have no re- 

 markable orenda.'' At this sally the Bear, becoming very angry, 

 asserted that she had so great magic power that she could, if she 

 wished, prevent the sun from rising in the morning. The Chip- 

 munk retorted, "No, you have not; you can not do that." "Wait 

 and see," replied the Bear. The Chipmunk, not to be fooled, de- 

 clared he would wait, saying, " We shall have the sun at the usual 

 time." When the sun rose, as usual, the Chipmunk, laughing, made 

 spoi't of the Bear and her boasting. Finally, the Bear got so terribly 

 angry that she turned on the Chipmunk, who made his escape by 

 flight, for fortunately his burrow was near; but as he reached it, 

 the Bear was so close upon him that she stretched out her paw to 

 chitch him, and the Chipmunk just slipped from under it into the 

 hole. The next day the Chipmunk appeared with three marks on 

 his back — marks of the Bear's claws, which the Chipmunk carries to 

 this day. 



79. The Great White Beaver and the Lake of the Enchanted 

 Water 



Once in old times there lived a grandfather and his grandson in a 

 lodge in a forest far from any village. All the other people of their 

 tribe had been carried away through sorcery practiced by theii- 

 enemies. .The grandfather therefore carefully guarded from witches 

 and wizards his grandson, who was the only hope and comfort of his 

 declining years. 



One day the little grandson, almost breathless, ran into the lodge 

 exclaiming: "Oh, grandfather! I have heard something which is 

 very wonderful, crying out, Kidji'dey " Oh ! " answered the grand- 

 father, " that is the bird which is called Chickadee ; it is the first 

 kind of game that a young hunter kills." Taking his cue from this 

 reply, the lad, seizing his bow and arrows, went out and after many 

 fruitless attempts killed the chickadee and brought its body into the 

 lodge to his grandfather. Thereupon the grandfather set up in the 

 ground in front of the fire two small forked sticks and laid across 

 another stick in the two forks. Having dressed the chickadee, he 

 hung it on the cross stick to broil, singing and dancing with great 

 joy, saying, " Now my grandson will become a great hunter." 



At another time the grandson ran into the lodge, crying out: "Oh, 

 grandfather! I have seen something with four legs, a black face, 

 and with four stripes around its tail; it was large and fat." " Oh ! " 

 answered the grandfather, "that is what is called Dju'ii'ka'; ^'^^ it is 

 the second kind of game that a young hunter kills. It has good meat 

 and fine fur." Renewing his hunting, the lad soon killed the Dju'ii'ka' 

 and brought its body into the lodge. The grandfather sang and 



