hoffman] ORIGIN OF MENSTRUATION 175 



coming along a trail leading to the wigwam, snorting and grunting, so 

 he kept very quiet. Presently the Bear came into view, waddling from 

 side to side and making directly for the wigwam, which lie entered. 

 Then Mii'mibush got a piece of dry birchbark and lit one end of it, 

 making a fierce blaze ; he then went quietly up to the doorway of the wig- 

 wam, and, pulling aside the cover, saw the Bear with his grandmother. 

 He threw the burning bark at the Bear, striking him on the back just 

 above the loin. The Bear, frantic with pain, rushed out of the opposite 

 door of the wigwam, and sped away through the woods and down the 

 hill toward a stream. Before reaching the water, however, the flames 

 had burnt the hair from the Bear's back, because the bark was still 

 adhering to his body, and he fell dead. 



After Ma'nabush had thrown the blazing bark at the Bear, he ran 

 away from the wigwam to hide in the brush, but when he saw the Bear 

 running away through the woods, he followed him, and ere he came up 

 to where the Bear was, the latter was already dead. Taking up the 

 carcass, Ma'nabush carried it back to his wigwam, which he entered 

 and threw the body down on the floor before his grandmother, saying, 

 "There, grandmother, I have killed a bear; now we shall have some- 

 thing to eat." 



" How did you kill him, my grandson?" said the grandmother. 



"I killed him," replied Ma'nabush, not wishing to admit that he had 

 burnt him to death. 



Ma'nabush cut up the Bear and offered a piece to his grandmother; 

 but she cried out excitedly, "No, my grandson, that was my husband; 

 I can not eat it." 



Ma'nabush then took up a clot of the Bear's blood and threw it at 

 his grandmother, hitting her upon the abdomen, saying, '-There, take 

 that!" Then she replied, "For that act your aunts will always have 

 trouble every moon, and will give birth to just such clots as this." 



Ma'nabush then ate all he wanted of the meat and put the rest aside 

 for another time. 



MA'NABUSH AND THE BEAR ANA'MAQKi'U 



A few days after the above occurrence Ma'nabush decided to go on a 

 journey to see how his uncles were faring, and to learn if he could 

 be of assistance to them. He traveled far, and at the close of one day 

 he saw a wigwam and approached it, rinding therein a family consist- 

 ing of six persons — the father, mother, three sons, and a daughter. 



( >n entering the wigwam Ma'nabush said, " My friends, I am glad 

 I have found you, for I want to see how all the people are getting along. 

 So it will always be; some will live here and others will live else- 

 where; all will be scattered, but it is better so that each will have 

 enough game to hunt for food." 



Mii'mibush, being asked to enter and partake of the little they had, 

 did so, and remained there. 



