DENS MORE] PLANTS USED IN ARTS 383 
grandmother if she knew of any bird whose feathers he could put on 
the arrows to make them effective. The old woman replied “ No. 
The only bird whose feathers would make the arrows effective is a 
bird that lives in the sky, at the opening of the clouds. One would 
have to go up there to get the feathers.” Winabojo began to think 
how he could go up there and get the feathers that he was determined 
to have. At last he said to himself, “There is a high cliff on the 
edge of the lake. I will go up there and stay a while.” 
When he reached the high cliff he wished that he might change into 
a little rabbit. So he became a little rabbit and lived there. One 
day he went on a very high part of the cliff and called to a big bird, 
saying, “ Eagle, come here. J am a cunning little animal. I would 
be a nice plaything for your children.” The bird flew down and 
saw the little rabbit playing there. The rabbit was the cunningest 
thing he had ever seen. The big bird was the thunderbird and he 
alighted on the top of the high cliff, near the little rabbit. Finally 
he took the little rabbit and flew up, up toward the opening in 
the sky. 
When the thunderbird came to his nest he called to his children, 
“T have brought you something very cunning to play with.” His 
wife spoke to him very crossly and said, “ Why did you bring that 
rabbit up here? Have you not heard that Winabojo is on the earth? 
There is no knowing what you have picked up.” But the little 
rabbit was very meek and quiet, letting the children play with him 
as they liked. The big birds were seldom at home as they went 
away to get food for their children. 
All at once, one day, Winabojo began to talk to himself and he 
said, “ These children throw me around as though I was nothing. 
Don’t they know I came here to get some of their feathers?” The 
next time the old birds went away he changed into his human form, 
took a club, killed the little thunderbirds and pulled off their feathers. 
He hurried around and tied the feathers up in bundles for he was 
sure the old birds would soon be home. When all was ready he 
jumped off. He was not killed because he was a manido: (spirit) 
and nothing could hurt him. He was unconscious for a time after 
he fell on the earth but he was not hurt. Soon there was a great 
roaring in the sky with flashes of lightning. The thunderbirds were 
coming after him. Winabojo jumped up when he saw the flashes of 
lightning and heard the thunder. The lightning was the flash of the 
thunderbirds’ eyes and the roaring was their terrible voices. He 
snatched up the bundles of feathers and ran for his life. Wherever 
he went the flashes and the roaring followed him, but he held on to 
the feathers. He had gotten what he wanted and he did not intend 
to lose them. The thunderbirds kept after him and at last he felt 
