At once the birds all opened their eyes and took wing. They flew very rapidly indeed. But Cyngabis was way over in one corner and he was the very last man to get out. Wiske-djak tried to catch him, but he got away.
Now Wiske-djak began to cook the birds for a feast. He built the fire outside the tepee, after poking the earth loose with a stick. Then he buried his birds in the hot earth, with the hot coals above them. Then he went to sleep.
Now some Indians came around the point in a canoe. They saw the smoke of the fire, and they saw something strange lying beside the fire. Therefore they went nearer.
Indian Pipes
From “Memoirs, American Museum of Natural History”
One Indian said, “Look out, it might be Wiske-djak up to more of his mischief!” But another Indian went ashore, saying, “I’ll see who it is and what he is doing.” When he came close to the fire, there lay Wiske-djak, sure enough, and sound asleep. But the Indian couldn’t see why he should have a big fire on a warm day until he saw ducks’ legs sticking out of the earth under the hot coals. At once he went back to his friends and told them all about it.
The Indians all jumped out of the canoe. They said, “Ha! We will take Wiske-djak’s ducks and geese and eat them ourselves.” With their paddles they dug up all the birds, twisted the legs off, and put the leg bones back in the earth. They looked just as Wiske-djak had placed them. Then the Indians paddled off.
Soon Wiske-djak waked up. He got up and looked all around. No one was there. Everything looked just as it had when he went to sleep. He looked at the dying coals, and said, “I guess those birds are pretty well cooked by this time.” He went all around the coals, pulling out the ducks’ legs. They came out very easily. He was surprised. “They must be very tender,” he thought. He dug around in the earth, but not one thing did he find. Wiske-djak was disgusted.
WISKE-DJAK AND THE PARTRIDGES
Algonquin