Presently she filled a dish with food and brought it to Harka. The youth was hungry, and in spite of the strange look of the old woman, he ate heartily.
When he had finished, she took away the bowl. Again the scalps burst into wild laughter, and the hag laughed with them.
After they were silent, she came over and sat down beside Harka and began talking.
“I know why you have come here, Harka,” she said. “You are in search of Pahundootah. I am the Witch Wokonkatonzooeyepekahaichu and Pahundootah is my bitterest enemy. I myself cannot destroy him, but you may be able to do it with my help. It will be a very dangerous business, and you will have to be careful. Now sleep, and to-morrow I will tell you what you must do in order to destroy the sorcerer.”
Harka lay down beside the fire and slept soundly.
The next morning, when he awoke, the breakfast was ready, and after he had eaten, the old woman went into the lodge and brought out a magic pouch. From this she drew a leaden comb, a golden cup, and a blade of sword grass. She also took from the bag a woman’s dress most beautifully shaped and colored.
“Now listen carefully,” said the witch. “Only as a maiden can you come near Pahundootah. Put on the dress, and then I will comb your hair for you.”
Harka did as the old witch bade him. He dressed himself in the beautiful garments, and then the old witch took the leaden comb and combed his hair; and as she combed, his hair grew longer and longer until it hung down below his knees in beautiful shining tresses. His eyes also looked larger, and his face finer, so that any one who saw him would have thought him a surpassingly beautiful young maiden.
The old witch looked at him and burst into laughter, and all the scalps laughed with her.
Then she gave Harka the golden goblet and the blade of sword grass. “Put the grass in your girdle,” said she. “With that and that alone can Pahundootah’s head be severed from his shoulders. Now walk forward until you come to a lake with an island in the middle of it. Upon that island live the sorcerer and his people. As soon as you reach the lake you must begin to dip up the water in the golden cup. The sorcerer will see the gleam of it and come in his canoe to capture you. This you must allow him to do, though you must seem frightened and reluctant, as would a timid maiden. He will take you back to the island with him, and then you must find some way to draw him apart from the others and lull him to sleep. Then you can cut off his head with the blade of grass I have given you and escape before the others find what you have done.”