“Very well,” they answered; and he soon found himself a large brant, all the others standing gazing in astonishment at his great size.
“You must fly as leader,” they said.
“No,” answered Paup-puk-keewiss; “I will fly behind.”
“Very well,” rejoined the brant. “One thing more we have to say to you Brother Paup-puk-keewiss” (for he had told them his name); “you must be careful, in flying, not to look down, for something may happen to you.”
“Well, it is so,” said he; and soon the flock rose up into the air, for they were bound north. They flew very fast—he behind. One day, while going with a strong wind, and as swift as their wings could flap, as they passed over a large village the Indians raised a great shout on seeing them, particularly on Paup-puk-keewiss’s account, for his wings were broader than two large mats. The village people made such a frightful noise that he forgot what had been told him about looking down. They were now scudding along as swift as arrows, and as soon as he brought his neck in and stretched it down to look at the shouters, his huge tail was caught by the wind, and over and over he was blown. He tried to right himself, but without success, for he had no sooner got out of one heavy air-current than he fell into another, which treated him even more rudely than that he had escaped from. Down, down he went, making more turns than he wished for, from a height of several miles.
The first moment he had to look about him, Paup-puk-keewiss, in the shape of a big brant, was aware that he was jammed into a large, hollow tree. To get backward or forward was out of the question, and there, in spite of himself, was Paup-puk-keewiss forced to tarry till his brant life was ended by starvation, when, his spirit being at liberty, he was once more a human being.
As he journeyed on in search of further adventures, Paup-puk-keewiss came to a lodge in which were two old men, with heads white from extreme age. They were very fine old men to look at. There was such sweetness and innocence in their features that Paup-puk-keewiss would have enjoyed himself very much at their lodge if he had had no other entertainment than such as the gazing upon the serene and happy faces of the two innocent old men, with heads white from extreme age, afforded.
They treated him well, and he made known to them that he was going back to his village, his friends and people, whereupon the two white-headed old men very heartily wished him a good journey and abundance of comfort in seeing his friends once more. They even arose, old and infirm as they were, and, tottering with exceeding difficulty to the door, were at great pains to point out to him the exact course he should take; and they called his attention to the circumstance that it was much shorter and more direct than he would have taken himself. Ah! what merry deceivers were these two old men with very white heads.
Paup-puk-keewiss, with blessings showered on him until he was fairly out of sight, set forth with good heart. He thought he heard loud laughter resounding after him in the direction of the lodge of the two old men; but it could not have been the two old men, for they were certainly too old to laugh.