X A LITTLE BROTHER OF THE BEAR 283 



straits for a meal, since no crayfish would venture 

 near shore. At length he bethought him of an 

 expedient to decoy his enemy. Knowing that the 

 crayfish feed. on worms, he procured a quantity of 

 old rotten wood (filled with worms), and stuffing it 

 into his mouth and ears, and powdering it over his 

 body, he lay down by the water's edge, to induce 

 the belief that he was dead. An old crayfish came 

 warily out of the water, and crawled around and over 

 the body of his enemy ; then called to his fellows : 



"Assibun is dead, — c.ome up and eat him!" 



When a multitude had gathered the raccoon 

 sprang up and devoured the whole crowd. While 

 he was still busy with the fragments of his feast, 

 a little female crayfish, carrying her infant sister 

 on her back, came up, seeking her relatives. Dis- 

 covering what had happened, she went boldly up 

 to the monster, and said : 



" Here, Assibun, you behold me and my little 

 sister. We are all alone. You have eaten up our 

 parents and all our friends, — eat us, too." 



Then she sang a long death-chant, the end of 

 which was in this strain : 



" Once my people, lodge and band. 

 Stretched their numbers through the land ; 

 Roving brooks and limpid streams, 

 By the moon's benignant beams. 

 First in revel, dance, and play, 

 Now, alas! ah! where are they? 

 Clutch us, monster, — eat us soon 



Assibun, amoon." 



