S^wS] FICTION 427 



said: " I have dreamed, and my Dream Being declared that it is 

 necessary in order to avoid some unknown calamity that my son-in- 

 law kill the Great White Beaver that lives in the Lake of the En- 

 chanted Waters, and that with its flesh he must prepare a feast for 

 the Dagwanoenyent." The son-in-law replied: "It is all- right, 

 Oh ! mother-in-law. I will attend to this to-morrow morning. So 

 go to bed, and let it not worry you." 



The ne.xt morning the young husband set out for the Lake of the 

 Enchanted AVaters. Having arrived there he soon found the Great 

 AVhite Beaver. With but a single arrow he shot and killed it. But 

 as soon as he lifted its body out of the lake the enchanted waters pur- 

 sued him with great fury. These waters were reputed to be so full 

 of evil enchantment that the flesh of any living thing coming in con- 

 tact with them immediately fell from the bones. Knowing this, the 

 young husband ran for his life, bearing the bodv of the Great White 

 Beaver. At last, reaching the lodge in safety he triumphantly threw 

 the carcass of the Great White Beaver down on the ground, and at 

 that instant the waters of the lake quickly receded. The old woman 

 was now in a great rage at the turn of affairs. At times she cried 

 out, "Oh ! he is a terrible man. I thought that surely his bones would 

 now be in that lake. Oh, my poor son! Oh, my poor son!" It 

 seems that the Great White Beaver was no other than her sen, who 

 was a great sorcerer, and who assumed this formidable shape to de- 

 ceive other shamans and sorcerers and to lure them to certain de- 

 struction. But evidently his orenda had been overcome by that of 

 the }'0ung brother-in-law, his sister's husband. 



Having dressed the dead Beaver in accordance with established 

 custom on like occasions and having had its flesh cooked, the young 

 man invited the Dagwanoenyent and the Gaasyendiet'ha to come to 

 the feast given in their honor. Coming, one and all, they filled the 

 lodge to overflowing, the Dagwanoenyent being little else than great, 

 horrid, round heads with long hair and with great flaming eyes. Their 

 host comnumded them to eat everythnig — flesh and bones — and to 

 drink the broth, for it was an " eat-all " feast. When the feast had 

 been devoured to the last morsel, the ugly old heads began to smack 

 their lips, and they praised ironically the feast, saying: "What a 

 splendid feast, a fine dinner, the old woman has given us. Oh! 

 how sweet and toothsome was her son's flesh." Then the Great 

 Heads ^"* grinned at one another derisively. Now, beside herself 

 with rage, the old woman, seizing a club, drove all her unwelcome 

 guests out of the lodge. 



The next night the old woman again rolled and tossed on her bed, 

 finally falling into the fire, crying out, Agil Agi! The wife of the 

 young man had told him that this time her mother would dream 

 that he and his mother-in-law must go into the sweat-lodge — the man 



