hoffman] TRANSFORMATION OF THE BROTHERS 181 



of tlie Bear chief and her servants were spared, because she had tried 

 to prevent her brother from punishing the two elder brothers of the boy. 



When the young- huntsman entered the wigwam of the bears he saw 

 the condition of his brothers, and while gazing at them, utterly unable 

 to devise some means of relieving them of the bear's paws and legs 

 into which their hands, arms, and legs had been changed, the sister of 

 the Bear chief came to him and said, " Little boy, take some moss out 

 of that spring and let your brothers smell of it; then they will be 

 restored to their former condition." The little boy thanked the sister 

 of the Bear chief for this information, and going to the spring near the 

 feet of his elder brother took from it a handful of wet moss and held it 

 to their nostrils, whereupon the bear skin became detached and dropped 

 from their arms and legs. 



The three brothers then left the wigwam of the ana'maqki'fi and 

 returned to their sister, who now required their help and protection. 



The myth then continues, but Mii'niibush appears to have retired 

 from the field, remaining at the wigwam of the hunter while the young 

 men went out. 



HOW THE YOUNG HUNTER CAUGHT THE SUN 



Because the youngest brother had restored to his sister her elder 

 brothers, she made for him a fine robe of beaver skins trimmed with 

 colored porcupine quills. He was very proud of this garment, and wore 

 it almost constantly. 



One day while the two elder brothers were out hunting in the forest, 

 the youngest went away to hide himself and to mourn because he was 

 not permitted to join them. He had with him his bow and arrows and 

 his beaver-skin robe; but when the Sun rose high in the sky he became 

 tired and laid himself down to weep, covering himself entirely with his 

 robe to keep out the Sun. When the Sun was directly overhead and 

 saw the boy, it sent down a ray which burned spots upon the robe and 

 made it shrink until it exposed the boy. Then the Sun smiled, while 

 the boy wept more violently than before. He felt that he had been 

 cruelly treated both by his brothers and now by the Sun. He said to 

 the Sun, "You have treated me cruelly and burned my robe, when I did 

 not deserve it. Why do you punish me like this?" The Sun merely 

 continued to smile, but said nothing. 



The boy then gathered up his bow and arrows, and taking his burnt 

 robe, returned to the wigwam, where he laid down in a dark corner and 

 again wept. His sister was outside of the wigwam when he returned, 

 so she was not aware of his presence when she reentered to attend to 

 her work. Presently she heard someone crying, and going over to the 

 place whence the sound came she found that it was her youngest 

 brother who was in distress. 



She said to him, " My brother, why are you weeping?" — to which he 

 replied, "Look at me; I am sad because the Sun burned my beaver-skin 



