🧚 Myths and Folk-lore of the Timagami Ojibwa., part 6 · page 2

(11) Origin of the Constellation Fisher (Ursa Major).88 [40]89

The Fisher (mustela pennanti) was living somewhere in this world.90 Nobody knows where.91 Now in those times they had no summer.92 It was winter, winter all the time.93 They knew that summer existed somewhere, but it never came to them, although they wanted it very much.94

Now, once upon a time a man captured some little birds which are called ni·bənis·e “summer (guardian) birds.”95 He tied them in bundles and kept them with him all the time.96 That was the reason why it was continually winter, for so long as he held these birds, they could not bring summer to the North Country.97 The people pondered very much how to go about freeing these birds from the creature who kept them.98 At last somebody discovered where this creature lived, and they decided that some one would go and try to free the Summer-birds.99 Now the Fresh-water Herring lived in the same wigwam with the man who kept the Summer-birds.100

The Fisher at last decided to go and free the birds, so that summer would come.101 He travelled a long while and reached the wigwam where the captor and the Herring lived.102 When he went in, he found the Herring alone.103 He captured the Herring and put some pitch on his mouth, so that he could not cry out.104 Then Fisher took the bundles of birds and tried to break the bindings, so that he could free them.105 Using his teeth at last he tore open the bundles and the Summer-birds flew free into the air.106 Then the pitch broke from the Herring’s mouth and he cried out, “Fisher breaks the bundle!107 The Summer-birds!108 Fisher breaks the bundles with his teeth!109 The Summer-birds!”110 Two or three times he cried out, until their captor heard him.111 Then he came up running, but when he arrived, the Fisher and the Summer-birds were already far away.112

The Fisher ran very fast to save himself.113 His pursuer had a bow and arrow with which he was going to kill him, but the Fisher sprang into the sky and climbed way up, with the hunter following behind him, still trying to shoot him with his bow and arrow.114 All he succeeded in shooting, however, was his tail, which is broken where it was wounded.115 [41] Although they chased him continually, they never got him.116

(12) The Young Loon.117

Once in the autumn of the year, when the birds were ready to fly to the south for the winter, a young Loon was unable to fly far enough to go with the rest of the birds.118 So he said to his mother, “I cannot go back south with you, as I am not strong enough.119 But I will stay here all winter in this place, and in the spring, when you come back, I will meet you here at this very spot.120 When you come back and find me here, it will be on a misty morning.”121 So they all flew away to the south, and the young Loon was left behind for the winter.122 The mother was very sad because she had to leave him and because he was not strong enough to go with them.123

In the spring time, when the ice is breaking up in the lake, and it becomes misty, the Indians say, “The Loon is coming back from her winter sojourn in the South.”124

(13) The Giant Pike.125

At that time there were two people living who got married and had some daughters and sons.126 These grew up and married.127 One of the sons married and had children, two sons.128 The grandfather of these died.129 Then the father and mother died, and left the children with only their grandmother to look after them.130 At this time they were big enough to shoot bows and arrows and to go in a canoe with their grandmother to set the night lines [42] for fish.131 They lived only by fishing, because the grandmother was too old to do anything else.132

So these two boys used to play around, shooting bows and arrows for fun, just as the Ojibwa boys do now.133 They used to play near a lake.134 Then their grandmother would say to them, “Don’t swim in that lake.135 There is a big pike in there and he might swallow you.”136 The older boy believed his grandmother, but the younger did not.137 So one day, while they were playing, the younger boy by mistake shot his arrow out in the lake.138 He could see it floating on the surface, so he took off his clothes to swim to it.139 But his brother said, “You know what grandmother told you.140 The big pike might swallow you.”141 But the boy started to swim nevertheless, saying, “Koga′miko” (“swallowed in the water”) with each stroke that his arms took.142 When he called this out, the big pike came and swallowed him.143

His brother began crying and ran back to his grandmother in the wigwam, saying, “My little brother is koga′miko, ‘swallowed in the water’.”144 Then his grandmother began crying and the two were crying together.145 Soon after this they again set their night lines.146 When they looked toward the lake, three days later, they saw the float sticks together and the boy said, “We have a fish.”147 But the grandmother cried and would not look toward the lake where her grandson had died.148 But soon she went along in the canoe, crying, and pulled in the line.149 At the end was a very large fish, and they could see that his stomach was full of something.150 He was so large that they could scarcely pull him into the canoe.151 However, they managed to get him in and then they paddled to the shore and dragged the fish to a place where they could conveniently clean it.152 They cut his belly, which was distended, and out jumped the younger brother.153 “I’m scalded with the intestines!154 (Nin­babe′nəs,)” [43] he cried.155 “I’m scalded.156 I’ve been here three days.”157 He was already beginning to be digested.158 The grandmother was very glad to get her grandson back again.159 That is the end.160

(14) Lynx and His Two Wives.161

There was a time when Lynx had two wives, the one a Rabbit and the other a Marten.162 The three lived in a wigwam.163 At this time Lynx drove beaver during the winter time.164 [44] Rabbit was a very good hunter.165 But Lynx this winter had very poor luck and they became very hungry.166 Lynx beat his wives because they couldn’t find the beaver.167 He said to them, “If you don’t get some beaver for me, I’ll eat both of you.”168 At this they became very much frightened.169 So Rabbit went to a beaver place, and putting a stick in the hole, she felt a beaver in it.170 Then Rabbit went home and told Marten, and they both were glad to get a beaver and save their lives.171 Then they both went back to the hole.172 While Rabbit was pulling the beaver out of the hole and had hold of his hind quarters, Lynx came along and tickled Rabbit, so that she let go and the beaver escaped.173 Lynx was bent on mischief.174 He said, “If you don’t get some beaver, I’ll kill you tonight.”175