SMITH) THE MAN AND HIS STEPSON. 85 



whicb they would kill. So be went home and told his story, and the 

 warriors started out and finally found traces of the boys, and in time 

 found the carcasses of the animals almost reduced to bftnes. Two of the 

 men died of the stench. 



THE MAN AND HIS STEP-SON. 



This tale was narrated by a granddaughter of Brant. 



A certain man had a step son whom he hated. He devised all means 

 of getting rid of him. At last an idea struck him. He went out hunt- 

 ing very often, and one day he saw a porcupine's hole. " The very 

 thing," said he. When he came home he called his step-son. " See 

 here," said be, " I have found a porcupine's nest. I want you to creep 

 into the bole and catch some of the young ones. Come, crawl in." The 

 boy obeyed, and as soon as his heels were in, the step-father closed up 

 the hole and made him a prisoner. 



When he had found himself betrayed he cried and cried till he cried 

 himself asleep. When he awakened he found that be was in a room. 

 He saw an old woman walking around. She brought him something to 

 eat, but it was so bitter that he refused. Then she called many animals 

 around her to a council — wolves, bears, foxes, and deer. She told them 

 that there was a boy there who could not eat the food that she lived on, 

 and asked what they would advise to give which might support a human 

 being? The fox said, "I live on geese and fowls. I'll take him, but 

 still he can't eat raw food." 



The council decided that it was useless for him to assume the charge. 



Then the deer and each animal in turn told what they lived upon, but 

 none could ofter proper food for a lad. 



Last of all the bear spoke. "I live," said he, " on nuts, and he can 

 live with my young ones." So this was agreed to. All the animals 

 promised to assist in getting the nuts, and the boy was given over to 

 the keeping of the bear. He kept him for several years. One day the 

 bear said, "A hunter is coming ; he means to chop down the tree." 



True enough, next day a dog ran barking up, and the tree was cut 

 down and the old bear and two cubs were killed. 



The hunter thought there might be still another cub, so he looked into 

 the tree. The boy made a noise just like the cubs. The hunter caught 

 him, and was so astonished at his appearance that, instead of killing 

 him, he took hiui to his wigwam, tamed him, and taught him to speak 

 and to grow up like a man. After some years he forgot he had lived 

 like a bear. He marrietl a daughter of the hunter, but his mother-in- 

 law was always angry because he never brought home tender bear-meat. 

 So at last he went hunting and killed a bear, but on his return home he 

 fell on a sharp stick and was instantly killed. 



