III. MENABOZHO CAUGHT
(Chippewa, 1895)
enabozho killed a large moose when hunting. He put the meat in boxes made of birch bark and hid the boxes by a sweet-water tree, which the white men call a maple tree.
There was much moose meat, and it would last many weeks. There was much moose fat, so Menabozho made more birch-bark boxes and hid the fat in them near an oak tree. He hung the mooseskin in the branches of the tree.
Menabozho sat on the ground and ate much moose meat; while he was eating he heard a noise over his head and saw that two trees were pulling each other. A tall tree had fallen into the top of a small tree, and it was caught. The wind tried to pull the tall tree away, but the little tree held it tight, and the branches made a noise like something alive. Menabozho did not like to hear such a loud noise when he was eating. [[231]]
He climbed into the little tree and tried to pull the tall tree away. His arm was caught between the two trees, and he was like a bear in a trap. The two trees pinched Menabozho’s arm very hard.
While he was in the trap trying to get loose, a wolf came along under the trees; she had two young wolves with her.
“Look out!” said Menabozho; “don’t go near that sweet-water tree. There is nothing for you in these woods.”
The old mother wolf knew Menabozho and his tricks. She found the birch-bark boxes and called to her little ones.
“Come down and eat, Brother Menabozho,” said the old wolf. She knew she was safe, for the trees held him close.
The wolf and her young ones played with the empty boxes when the meat was gone; they broke them all, then ran toward the oak tree.
“Don’t go there; the tree may fall on you!” said Menabozho.
“Come, children,” said the wolf, “use your noses and you will find more food.”
They found the moose fat in the other boxes. Wolves can eat all the time. These wolves ate up the sweet moose fat, and Menabozho fought with the trees to get out of the trap they made for him. He [[232]]tried to pull up the tree he was in by the roots, but he could not do it with one hand.
When the wolves were done eating, a great wind came and blew the trees apart. Menabozho came down the tree very fast, but the wolf and her young ones were very strong from their good dinner. They ran away where no one could find them.
Menabozho liked to play tricks on everything. He did not like it when they played tricks on him, and now he had no meat nor fat. There was only the moose head left.
He put his head into the moose head to eat the meat. He could not get out, and there he was caught again in a trap, and this time he could not see, but he could use his arms and feet.
“I don’t care,” said Menabozho. “It is a good trick. I will get away.”
He ran against a tree. Menabozho put his arm around the tree and said: “What is your name, Brother Tree?”
“My name is White Oak,” was the answer.
“White Oak does not grow near water; I must go further,” said Menabozho.
Soon his moose head struck another tree. “O my brother, what is your name?” asked Menabozho.
“My name is Basswood,” said the tree.
“Basswood grows near water,” said Menabozho. [[233]]
He ran along a little further and fell over the bank into a river, and he swam with the strong current down the stream. He knew there were many Indians in a teepee village near that river, and they would help him.
Menabozho kept the moose head out of the water and made a great noise. He heard the Indian boys whoop and knew they had seen him. The hunters got their canoes and came out to him with their tomahawks, for they thought it was a moose and they would get much fat meat.
The Indians broke the moose head with their tomahawks and found Menabozho. He was always good to the Indians, and many times he helped them in their hunting.
“It is a good trick,” they all said; then Menabozho laughed, and they were glad to see him.
The chief made a great feast in his teepee. Menabozho told many stories, but he did not tell how the wolves, the trees, and the moose head all played tricks on him.
Ooranah, Chippewa Indian, near Ashland, Wis. [[234]]
Indian Picture Writing on Stone
From a Photograph
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