"I listen," said the Knight.
"A long, long time ago," said Sassacus, "the Master of Life, Kiehtan, went to a large flat island, in order to complete his work of creation. He there created a multitude of animals, some of which were so large that he was unable to control them. It is said that remains of gigantic beasts are still to be found upon the island, which were never finished. It was out of clay that Kiehtan formed the beasts, while the inferior manitos looked on and rejoiced in his labor. He made in the side of each animal an opening, whereinto he crept, and so warmed it into life. It the animals pleased him he permitted them to swim to the great pasture land, and to fill the woods; if they pleased him not, he first withdrew the life, and then turned them into clay again. Once he made so large a beast that he was afraid to give him life. There were also other smaller, to whom he gave not life, because he considered them not useful. Once he made a creature, in the form of a man, which he also rejected, but he forgot to take the life away from him, and this is the evil spirit, Hobbamocki."
"And thou believest this fable, as wild as ever sprung from the unbridled license of an Oriental story-teller?"
"Sassacus believes as the wise men of his nation believed, when he was a little pappoose, and as their fathers believed, when they were papooses, and as his people have always believed, for more summers than there are stars in the sky. But do not the white men believe in Hobbamocki?"
"They do, though they give him a different name," answered the Knight. "He was a Great Spirit, who was expelled from heaven, or the happy hunting grounds, because of his wickedness."
"Was he not very happy there, and had all that he wanted?" inquired the Pequot.
"He was happy and preeminent above all other manitos in glory and power."
"How then became he wicked?"
"That is a question which our wise men have never been able to answer. But he envied the greatness of the Master of Life, and desired to occupy his place."
"Can your Hobbamocki be in two places at once?"