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“You have enraged the evil beasts!” the Lord told him; “The earth 
will be flooded. Take one each of every beast, and of all those who fly. 
Build a great canoe,” He told him. 
At that time, we are told, before this earth was flooded^ all kinds of 
animals ate each other. Even the buffalo ate men, no matter where they 
were. That is the way things were. Wisahketchahk took one of every 
kind, in pairs, one male and one female. Of all who fly and of all who 
walk about this earth, of each he took two. Then he built a great canoe. 
Then deep darkness came. All the stars ceased to be. Everywhere the 
earth was flooded, when he had finished the great canoe. Then, when the 
flood was everywhere, and all the mountains of rock were submerged, then 
they drifted about. At last he nearly starved to death. His wife starved 
to death. Then, when all the creatures that dwell in the water, the evil 
beings, tried to kill him, when in vain they came there, and he slew them, 
then at last all creatures feared him. Presently God descended to him. 
Thus He spoke to him: “If you cannot scrape up some earth, then 
never will these waters recede,” He told him. 
It was forty cubits to the bottom; the flood had covered all. 
“Now how am I to do?” he thought, none the less. 
But he had all the beasts on his ship. Presently he bade the loon 
try to take up some soil. It turned out quite unable. Then presently he 
employed the otter. It was entirely unable to do it. Although he employed 
all, as many as are good divers, they could not at all scrape up any earth. 
Then in time he sent the muskrat. It was a long time coming back. A 
little earth was sticking to it. Again he bade it go. Again it brought some. 
Four times he sent it off to fetch earth. 
“It is enough!” the Spirit told him. 
Thus it was that the Indians were given this by the spirit powers, 
that first they had an earth here. For then all the water ceased to be. 
Then Wisahketchahk went away from here. Then the Spirit decreed 
that he was to have man as a companion, and decided to create man. He 
made two human beings of earth. Then before He brought the men to 
life, from each of them He took the lowest rib, and then He brought them 
to life. 
When man first spoke, after being created, we are told that he said, 
“Water!” 
When he spoke again, we are told that he said “My food!” 
They were feared by all creatures, for no cause. Then the man was 
named. “Dug-out-Canoe” the first man was named. Then the woman. 
Four of them dwelt there, being in different wise related, so as to make a 
family. 
Then from there the raven was first sent out to make the circuit of 
the earth. In the outcome he was needs rejected. Then the eagle was 
sent out. 
In the time that began then, people never died. They lived quietly 
and undisturbed, until at last they came to be many. They found how 
to keep themselves alive. From that time to this in successive generations 
has come the Cree, the Indian. 
Of all the different peoples I understand this story which is desired. 
Of how the Cree lived, as the Cree have come down through the gener- 
ations to this time, all of this I know. And of the Christian worship which 
the white man has brought here with him, of this, too, I know all, of how 
