VI. MENABOZHO SWALLOWED BY A LARGE FISH
(Chippewa, 1895)
One day Menabozho went fishing with hook and line in Gitchee Gumee, the Big Sea Water. A large fish came along and swallowed the hook and line, swallowed Menabozho and his canoe, swallowed everything, just like a big sea cave.
When Menabozho waked out of his sleep he saw a squirrel sitting on the canoe beside him. The fish had swallowed him, too.
Menabozho said: “Brother Squirrel, where are we?”
The squirrel answered: “Menabozho, we are in a great fish.”
Menabozho found his bow and arrows in the canoe and shot an arrow upward. It killed the great fish. The body of the fish began to rise to the top of the water. Menabozho prayed to the Great Manitou that the wind might blow from the south. The Great Spirit heard his prayer and sent the south wind. It blew the great fish to the north shore of Gitchee Gumee, where Nokomis lived. [[240]]
The great fish floated on the water like a little sun-fish; when it touched the shore the birds fed on its flesh, and Menabozho came out and went to his grandmother, Nokomis.
After their greeting was over Menabozho went back and found the birds still feeding on the fish.
“Go away, my little brothers,” he said.
Each bird took a piece of the fish and flew away, and Menabozho then cut up the great creature and made much fish oil; he had a great plan in his mind and was glad to have this oil.
A wicked manitou lived on an island in Gitchee Gumee. This island had miles of blackest pitch on all of its shores; not even a water manitou could swim through this pitch. Menabozho carried the fish oil over and poured it on the pitch; wherever the oil touched the pitch it was never sticky again.
Menabozho found the wigwam of the wicked manitou. All day long he shot arrows at this wigwam. The manitou came out and laughed at him.
A woodpecker called out, “Hit him in the back, Menabozho!”
The manitou just then turned to run, and Menabozho hit him and he fell. The woodpecker flew down by Menabozho. His white feathers were stained by the pitch, but Menabozho painted his head with war paint. He is one of Menabozho’s brothers.
Ooranah. [[241]]