212 THE MENOMINI INDIANS [bth.ann.14 



men to the opposite side of the lake, where they might live in safety, 

 as the settlement was exposed to the attack of enemies, when they 

 might easily be captured and killed. So the relations of the old men 

 got a canoe, some food, a kettle, and a bowl and started across the 

 lake, where they built for them a wigwam in a grove some distance 

 from the water. A line was stretched from the door of the wigwam to 

 a post in the water, so that they would have no difficulty in helping 

 themselves. The food and vessels were put into the wigwam, and 

 after the relations of the old men promised them that they would call 

 often and keep them provided with everything that was needful, they 

 returned to their settlement. 



The two old blind men now began to take care of themselves. On 

 one day one of them would do the cooking wbile the other went for 

 water, and on the next day they would change about in their work, so 

 that their labors were evenly divided. As they knew just how much 

 food they required for each meal, the quantity prepared was equally 

 divided, but was eaten out of the one bowl which they had. 



Here they lived in contentment for several years; but one day a 

 Raccoon, which was following the water's edge looking for crawfish, 

 came to the line which had been stretched from the lake to the wigwam. 

 The Raccoon thought it rather curious to find a cord where he had not 

 before observed one, and wondered to himself, "What is this? I think 

 I shall follow this cord to see where it leads." So he followed the 

 path along which the cord was stretched until he came to the wigwam. 

 Approaching very cautiously, he went up to the entrance, where he 

 saw the two old men asleep on the ground, their heads at the door and 

 their feet directed toward the heap of hot coals witliiu. The Raccoon 

 sniffed about and soon found there was something good to eat within 

 the wigwam; but he decided not to enter at once for fear of waking the 

 old men ; so he retired a short distance to hide himself and to see what 

 they would do. 



Presently the old men awoke, and one said to the other, "My friend, 

 lam getting hungry; let us prepare some food." "Very well," replied 

 his companion, "you go down to the lake and letch some water while 

 I get the fire started." 



The Raccoon heard this conversation, and, wishing to deceive the 

 old man, immediately ran to the water, untied the cord fiom the post, 

 and carried it to a clump of bushes, where he tied it. When the old 

 man came along with his kettle to get water, he stumbled around the 

 brush until he found the end of the cord, when he began to dip his 

 kettle down upon the ground for water. Not finding any, he slowly 

 returned and said to his companion, "We shall surely die, because the 

 lake is dried up and the brush is grown where we used to get water. 

 What shall we do?" 



"That can not be," responded his companion, "for we have not been 

 asleep long enough for the brush to grow upon the lake bed. Let me 



