Owl also likes the lower levels, so the Indians camp often on the higher lands where he does not come.
CHIPMUNK
Thompson River
One day, as Grizzly Bear came along the trail, Chipmunk called her names and mocked her. Grizzly Bear rushed at Chipmunk. Chipmunk ran under a log. Grizzly Bear rushed at her again. Chipmunk did the same thing. Grizzly Bear shouted, “I’ll get you!” and the fourth time almost caught her. Her claws scratched Chipmunk’s back. Therefore the chipmunk has stripes on his back even today, because Grizzly scratched her in that way.
Later, Marmot met Grizzly Bear. He teased her in the same way that Chipmunk had, and the very fourth time that Grizzly rushed at him, she almost caught him, and scratched him, too. So Marmot also has stripes, even today.
Indian Defensive Armor
The first two designs are body armor, the third a shield
From “Memoirs, American Museum of Natural History”
MUSKRAT’S TAIL
Cree
Once Wisagatcak killed a bear; then he skinned it, and cut it in pieces, and cooked all of them. While he was cooking, he looked up and saw Muskrat in the river. Now the bear’s grease would not harden, so Wisagatcak told Muskrat to swim through the water with it. Muskrat did so, and when he returned Wisagatcak made his tail much thinner and smaller. Muskrat formerly had a broad, fleshy tail like Beaver’s, and it was a great annoyance to him.