The chief circled the council, holding the belt before every man but no one moved or lifted a hand.
“What!” said the chief, “are real men cowards! Has no one a heart and mind and arm strong enough to take this belt!”
Standing in the doorway of the council house was a boy, awkward in figure and uneven of feature. His parents were dead and his home was with his grandparents. He was accounted of a lowly family and as of foolish mind. The chief wished to make a laugh to break the seriousness of the situation and so called out, “Why not try Tedo‘!” The chief did not smile although the entire assembly laughed, but holding the beautiful belt out to the boy said, “Are you Oñgwĕhoweh?”
The boy grasped the belt and threw it over his shoulder.
“Do you know what you have done?” asked the chief solemnly.
The boy nodded his head and clasping the wampum ran from the council to his grandmother’s lodge.
“Oh grandmother!” he cried, “I have taken the belt to kill the nīa’´gwahē, he who blocks trail to our new ‘friend’.”
“What, you!” exclaimed the grandmother. “Why you are nothing but a ragged simpleton!”
“Well hurry then, and prepare my owĭs´hä,” said the boy, “for I am to kill nīa’´gwahē and need food for my journey.”
The old woman pounded the parched corn and mixed it with maple sugar.