IROQUOIS MYTHS AND LEGENDS 



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" Too many nuts — too far from the tree — this is a pine forest 

 — the hickory grows hours away," thought Nuk-da-go. "To- 

 morrow at noon I will return." 



By the following noon when the shadows returned, the Nos- 

 gwais had hidden the nuts under the moss which he patted down 

 close to the stone. " Ha, ha ! " croaked he, " who would think 

 of looking for nuts under an old moss-grown stone," and he trilled 

 a low song to the marsh. 



But the wise Nuk-da-go knew, and determined that the thieves 

 should be punished; so he called a council of all the chiefs of the 

 forest clans, to whom he related what he had witnessed, and 

 advised a thorough investigation. Said the Nuk-da-go: " I have 

 made a discovery. Thieves dwell in our midst. They must be 

 secured and punished." 



At the council it was noticed that neither the woodchuck nor 

 frog were present, and as Jo-nis-gy-ont was their nearest neighbor, 

 he was commissioned to go for them and bring them before the 

 council. Jo-nis-gy-ont gladly undertook the commission, hoping 

 to regain the nuts he had lost, and soon returned but without frog 

 and without woodchuck, to report that he had found them and 

 delivered, the summons, but the frog jumped so far he could not 

 overtake him, and the woodchuck hid in his burrow. 



But the wise Xuk-da-go was not to be baffled, and hastening to 

 the pine he sent down his strong power under the moss-covered 

 stone and into the burrow, ordering the culprits to come forth, 

 when a meek looking frog and a shame-faced woodchuck appeared 

 and reluctantly followed Nuk-da-go to the council. 



" Why are we brought here? " together they asked. " We know 

 nothing of this ! " they indignantly exclaimed, and the woodchuck 

 stroked his grizzly whiskers while the frog in rage puffed his sides 

 to near bursting. 



Then said Nuk-da-go: " See the culprits !- — -their bravado is 

 useless and will not avail. I pronounce them the thieves who 

 robbed the Jo-nis-gy-ont. I discovered them in the act and I ask 

 that they be punished." Nuk-da-go then informed the council 

 that, having cause for distrust, he had watched the movements 

 of the culprits, and then related what he had seen; thereupon a 

 committee was sent to the pine to investigate, and returning with 

 the stolen nuts, the thieves were convicted. 



As Nuk-da-go had so faithfully watched at the pine, he was 

 chosen the judge to sentence the culprits. Before proceeding, he 

 stated to the council that, with the Indian animals, death was the 



