124 LEGENDS AND TRADITIONS 



the sandy beach. Snow and ice disappeared. Warm weather came. 

 When the proper time arrived, the father took his how and quiver one 

 fine morning, and repaired to the lake. Having chosen a convenient 

 spot near the sandy beach, he there took up his position, and in order 

 to avoid detection, transformed himself into an old pine tree scorched 

 all over. About noon the sea gods appeared on the surface, and after 

 having carefully surveyed their pleasure ground and its vicinity, and 

 perceiving no danger, swam towards the shore, landed, and reclined 

 upon the sand. But not being used to sunshine, they were soon over- 

 powered by the heat, and fell into a deep sleep. The father had now 

 the power of inflicting a deadly wound upon any of them, so he quietly 

 bent his bow, took a deliberate aim, and let fly his flint-pointed arrow 

 into the side of one of the slumbering monsters. 



The water deities being thus startled from their pleasant repose, and 

 finding one of their compeers terribly wounded, were driven in their 

 rage beyond all bounds. They immediately plunged into the deep and 

 commenced to agitate the waters, which soon overflowed the banks of 

 the lake, sending forth floods in all directions, sweeping everything 

 before them. Until the whole earth was buried under water. In the 

 meantime, Nanahboozho perceiving his perilous situation, took refuge 

 on the highest point of the earth, but the flood came up to him rapidly ; 

 he then got upon a pine log that was floating by, being the only means 

 within his reach by which he could save himself from immediate de- 

 struction. Sitting upon this log he was driven and tossed about by 

 the fury of the elements until at length .they exhausted their rage, 

 then the waters becam.e Still. 



As soon as the fair weather commenced, Nanahboozho took into his 

 consideration various schemes by which he might be enabled to recover 

 the lost world. Whilst meditating deeply, he happened to notice a 

 muskrat that was on his log canoe, he forthwith commanded the ani- 

 mal to dive and endeavor to briiig up a piece of mud from the bottom. 

 The muskrat plunged at once into the water and went down ; after a 

 long time he came up to the surface apparently dead. His master 

 took him up, and on examining the arms of the animal, he found a 

 lump of clay under one of the shoulders ; this lump he pressed be- 

 tween his hands, and when he made it very thin, he carefully placed 

 it upon the surface of the water. This piece of mud became a 

 large island in the course of a few days, which continued to increase 

 until the earth was formed as we have it now. The new earth again 

 became the habitation of human beings, covered with luxuriant ver- 

 dure, and furnished Avith other necessaries for the use of man and 



