II. STORY OF THE DELUGE
(Chippewa, 1900)
enabozho, the great land manitou, did not like the water manitous or spirits. One day he saw the chief of the water manitous asleep on a rock, and he shot and killed him with a magic arrow; then the little water manitous called the big rivers to help them and chased Menabozho up a high hill.
The water reached halfway up the hill; the water manitous called all the little rivers then to help them. The water chased Menabozho to the top of the high hill. He climbed up a tall pine tree, but the water came up to his chin; it could not go over his head, for there is not water enough in the whole world to drown the great Menabozho.
He waited a long time while he stood on the top of the pine tree. The rivers would not go back, and he could not see any land.
A loon flew over his head and then dived into the great water. Menabozho said: “Brother Loon, come [[228]]to me. I must make land for us to stand on. Will you dive down and bring me a little sand?”
The loon put down his head and went through the deep water, but it was too deep even for the great loon-bird. He came up again, but he had left his breath in the deep water. Menabozho caught him as he floated by the pine tree, but he found no sand in his bill nor on his feet.
An otter put his head out of the water close by Menabozho.
“Brother Otter, dive down and bring me up a few grains of sand. We must have land to put our feet upon.”
The otter knew he must do as Menabozho told him, so he put his head down into the deep water. He came up, but he had no life any more, and Menabozho could not find any sand in his paws.
A muskrat came swimming by just then. “Brother Muskrat, you are very brave. Will you dive down to the sand under this deep water and bring me a few grains? I must make land for my brothers,” said Menabozho.
The muskrat was brave, for he dived down, but he came up just like the otter. He had no more life, but he had a little sand in one front paw.
Menabozho held the sand in his own hand and dried it in the sunshine. He blew it with his breath far out [[229]]on the water, and it made a little island. Menabozho called the sand back to him. He dried it in his hand again and then blew it to its place on the deep water. He did this for two days, and the island grew larger every time it was sent back. Menabozho left the tree and walked on the land.
He called to his brothers, who are the trees, animals, and everything on the land, to come and live on this land. The water had to go back to its place. [[230]]