Nanebojo said, “Oh, no indeed, you go away! Every time I do anything you come around and bother me!” Then he went up the hill again with his sack on his back, and rolled himself downhill, laughing loudly.
Again the ducks said, “Let us roll downhill just once.”
Nanebojo said, “Very well. You may roll downhill just once,” and he told them to get into the bag. Just then some geese flew by overhead. They stopped to watch. Nanebojo also saw them.
Nanebojo carried the ducks to the top of the hill, laid down the bag, filled it with ducks, tied the neck, and started it to rolling down the hill. He ran beside it, laughing very loudly, while the ducks quacked. They all made much noise. When the bag of ducks reached the bottom of the hill, Nanebojo emptied out the bag, and told them to go away. Then he went up the hill with the sack on his shoulder, and again he rolled down-hill, laughing loudly, but always keeping one eye on the ducks and one on the geese. “If I lose one, I may get the other,” he said. Every time he rolled down, the geese came nearer. Nanebojo pretended not to see them. At last they came very near indeed and asked him if they might roll down. “Let us roll down just once,” they said.
Nanebojo said, “No!” and kept right on rolling downhill. The geese were about to fly away when Nanebojo said, “Oh, well. If you want to, you may roll down once.”
The geese were very glad to get into the sack. Nanebojo squeezed them in together very tightly, saying, “If you are close together, you will have more fun.” Then he shouldered the sack and started up the hill.
Nanebojo walked a long, long time. He walked up to the top of the hill and then he walked down on the other side. The geese after a while thought he had walked too long a time. They called out, “Where are you going?” but he made no answer and walked straight on.
When Nanebojo reached his grandmother, he said, as he laid down the sack, “You heat some water while I go and get more from the spring.” Then he went out after he had said, “Do not untie the sack.” When he had left the lodge, Grandmother untied the sack, wondering what was in it. At once the geese flew out and got away. Not one was left.
ADVENTURES OF NANEBOJO
Ojibwa