224 THE MENOMINI INDIANS [eth.ann.14 



forest in which these wigwams were lived an old woman who was said 

 to be a witch, and who had a ball by means of which she was enabled 

 to steal children. She would throw the ball toward a wigwam, how- 

 ever far away she might be, and when a child attempted to pick up the 

 ball, it would slowly roll away from the pursuer toward the hut of the 

 old woman, and in this way entice them to her home. 



One day the old woman threw the ball toward the wigwams of the 

 hunters. One of the little boys saw it, but in attempting to pick it up 

 the ball rolled away; so the boy followed it from place to place, until at 

 length he came to the old woman's hut, into which the ball rolled. The 

 old woman then said to the boy, "Come in, my grandson, and sit down, 

 for you must be tired." The boy sat down as the old woman had asked 

 him, when she fed him. She then asked the boy if he had ever fasted, 

 when he replied that he had not. The old woman then said, " To obtain 

 power and assistance from the ma'nidos, you must fast." The boy agreed 

 to do this, and laid himself down on some robes at the end of the hut. 

 Here he lay for ten days, fasting and gaining the good will of the dif- 

 ferent animals and birds, the ana'maqki'u, which came to him from day 

 to day. 



At the expiration of the ten days the old woman said to the boy, " My 

 grandson, you have fasted ten days; now it is time that you eat some- 

 ' thing." The boy then arose and ate of the food which the old woman 

 placed before him. Then she said, " My grandson, you have now fasted 

 ten days, and the ma'nidos must have favored you for this ordeal. Did 

 you receive their favor?" 



" No," replied the boy, " I have not received the favor and influence 

 of all ; there are still some ma'nidos who have kept at a distance and 

 would not grant my desire." 



"Then," said the old woman, " you must fast ten days more." 



The boy again laid himself down and fasted for ten days more, at the 

 end of which time he turned over, with his face to the wall. He con- 

 tinued this fast for twenty days, after which the old woman spoke to 

 him, saying, "My grandson, come and eat something." 



The boy arose and partook of the food which the old woman had 

 prepared for him. Then she said to him, " My grandson, you have now 

 fasted for many days, and the ma'nidos must have granted you power; 

 have you received the favor of all of them?" 



The boy replied, " No, grandmother, there are still some ma'nidos 

 who keep away from me, and hesitate to grant the power I want, 

 because I have not fasted long enough." 



"Then, my grandson," said the old woman, " fast again, and you will 

 receive the favor of all the ma'nidos." 



The boy again went to the couch of robes and laid down, where he 

 fasted for fifty days more. He was so weak that the old woman thought 

 him dead, but she approached the spot where he lay and gave him 

 some food. The boy soon began to revive and to gain strength, wheu 



