^™^-] LEGENDS 659 



seek for nuts. lie learned that they prized the chestnut above all 

 other kinds of nuts; that next to these they highly prized honey; and 

 next to this they prized huckleljerries and mulberries. It was the 

 custom of these people in gathering these things to work independ- 

 ently to get for themselves as much of these articles of food as was 

 possible when they were in season. 



After the lapse of many days spent thus the headman of this 

 lodge, who had brought the child there, said to his little guest : " Now 

 I am about to tell you something. You must tell the human beings 

 when you have returned to your home what I will now reveal to 

 you as our wishes. You shall tell them that we have strong desires 

 that there might be found a way by which we could be enabled to 

 give aid to mankind whenever they may be forced into a critical 

 situation by means of sickne&s, which is wont to befall mankind. 

 You shall know that we have observed in the past that disease travels 

 about from place to place ; and it comes to pass, as we have observed, 

 that when it has'selected its victim this person at once realizes that 

 he has pains in a certain part of the body. It is well known that 

 if they would remember to call on us we certainly have the power to 

 cause this evil thing to turn aside so that it shall pass on one side or 

 the other of the person, in such manner that the person will not be- 

 come very ill and he will soon recover his usual health. 



" Now look at what belongs to us and which it is our custom to use. 

 Examine this carefully. It is this that we use when it so happens 

 that a man while out hunting takes a course directly toward the 

 place in which we abide. This object is held up before us, and the 

 hunter is turned away from us." 



The young child, on looking at the object, saw a forked wooden rod 

 in the hands of the strange man. Thereupon the man said to the 

 child: "This is the way in which I regidarly use this thing." So 

 saying, he held the forked rod up before himself, and continued: 

 " The support of the forks must point toward the hunter, and as he 

 follows the direction of the rod he is bound to pass on one or the 

 other side of the place in which we abide. As he passes I guide the 

 rod around past my side toward the rear of our position. Thus we 

 ward off the hunter from finding and injuring us. 



" It is this thing we shall use in giving aid to mankind in their 

 necessities if they will only appeal to us to aid them, and this is the 

 way in which we shall proceed to do so. In the first place, when 

 the people desire to make their appeal to us they shall prepare a 

 drink composed of huckleberries and of mulberries, into which they 

 shall put maple sugar. When they have prepared this drink they 

 shall collect native tobacco, which they shall cast upon the fire, at the 

 same time saying : ' Oh, you Bears ! do you now partake of this native 

 tobacco — tobacco which our Creator has provided for us, and with 



