XXXVII. THE NORTH WIND’S DEFEAT
(Chippewa)
Shingebis the great loon-bird lived in a lodge alone. It was by a great lake over which thick ice had come.
He had only four logs of wood for his fire for the whole winter. But each log would burn a whole moon, and as but four moons were cold, there was wood enough.
Shingebis cared for no one. He liked the cold. When the wind blew the coldest he would go out to where the reeds grew through the ice, and pulling them up, dive down into the holes for fish.
Kabibonokka, the cold north wind, felt ashamed that there lived anything which did not fear him.
“Why, this is wonderful. Here lives one who cares no more for me than I do for him. I will try once more to see if he will give up to me.”
Then came the wind from the north ten times colder than ever. Great drifts of snow were heaped everywhere.
Still the fire burned in the lodge of Shingebis. Every day he went as before and pulled up the rushes [[190]]and reeds from the ice, and dived down for the fish which were always there.