🧚 Wiske·djak Cycle., part 1 · page 2

The Bear’s bladder was hanging in some willow trees where he had thrown it when he had cut him up.100 And he went over and filled the bladder with the grease, so that he could cool it.101 He tied the neck of the bladder so that it would hold the grease.102 “Now,” said he to himself, “even if they have taken all my meat and bones, I’ll have the grease.103 I’ll just tie it by a string to a stick and let it float in the river until it is cool, and then I’ll make a good meal of that anyway.”104 So he tied the bladder of grease to a stick and let it swing in the current of the river to cool it.105 A Muskrat came along.106 “Kwe, Muskrat!107 Where are you going?” said Wiske·djak.108 “Oh! anywhere,” answered the Muskrat.109 “Well, then, come work for me,” said Wiske·djak.110 “Come, tie this bladder on your tail and swim further out in the deep water where it is cold and cool it for me.111 Don’t swim too fast and go easy or you might break the bladder and spill my grease.”112 “All right,” said the Muskrat, “I will do it for you and you will tell me how fast to go.”113 Then Wiske·djak tied it to his tail and the Muskrat started off with it.114 He made a plan meanwhile.115 The Muskrat swam way out.116 “Hold on,” said Wiske·djak, “you’re going too fast.”117 But the Muskrat swam farther and when he got far enough, he snapped the string with his tail, broke the bladder, and dove out of sight.118 The grease spread all over the water.119 Wiske·djak cried and ran out into the water and tried to scoop up the grease in his hands to save some of it, but it all escaped him.120

When he had lost his grease, he thought of his bouillon, and went back to his pail, but when he got there, he found that the Wolverine had come and eaten it all up.121 Then he searched about to see if he could even find a small bone.122 There was not a thing left.123 After a while he saw a string of little ants going back and forth from under a log.124 “I wonder what they are doing,” thought he.125 “Maybe they have something hidden under there.”126 He followed them and looked under the log, and there were the ants eating away on the Bear’s skull, devouring the brains.127 “If I could get in there myself, I could get some of those brains,” said he.128 He tried different ways to reach in, but could not get at it.129 “If I could only put my head in that hole, I could eat some.130 I wish my head was as small as a snake’s head, then I could get it in.”131 Then his head began to get small like a snake’s head and he poked it inside the skull and began eating a great snack.132 He licked the skull clean and said, “Well, I had a meal.133 Now, if I could only get up and out, I would be all right.”134 But when he tried to get his head clear of the skull, he could not, because his head had turned back to its original size and was fast inside the skull.135 He couldn’t see where he was going.136

Then he sat down on a log, thinking what to do next.137 “If I knock my head against a rock, I might break my own head.”138 Then he thought of the Indians and started off in search of a camp to get help.139 He was blinded by the skull and could not see where he was going.140 Soon he banged against a tree.141 “What’s your name?” he asked of the tree.142 “Maple,” was the answer.143 “Well, I’m in high ground.144 I won’t find any people camping way up here.”145 Soon he banged against another tree.146 “What’s your name?” he asked.147 “Beech,” was the answer.148 “I’m still in high ground,” said he; “I must strike lower ground.”149 Soon he banged against another tree and asked its name.150 It answered, “White-pine.”151 “Still in high ground,” said he, “but getting lower.”152 The next tree he bumped against proved to be a red pine.153 “Still in high ground.154 No Indian camp here.”155 At last he banged against a balsam and then a spruce.156 “I am getting on low ground now,” said he.157 Pretty soon he got into ragged bush and struck a rough-bark tree.158 “What’s your name?” he asked.159 “Cedar,” said the tree.160 “Aha!161 Now I’m in low ground and may strike a camp at last.”162 He went on and soon got into very tight bush and struck an alder.163 “Aha!164 Now, I am close to a lake.165 I will soon find a camp.”166 Next he got tangled up in knee-high twigs.167 He asked them what their name was and they told him willows.168 He said, “Am I near a lake?”169 “Yes,” they answered.170 “Can you see people?”171 “Yes, up at yonder point there is a camp,” they answered.172 “Is it far?” he asked.173 “No, not far,” said they.174 So he went on and got into something still lower.175 “What’s your name?” he asked.176 “Grass,” was the answer.177 Now he walked on and got into water, deeper and deeper.178 “If the people would only see me, I would be all right,” said he.179 Next he started to swim.180 He splashed about and made a noise to attract the people if any were about.181 Suddenly he remembered about the skull on his head and said, “If the people see me, they might think that I’m a bear and try to kill me.”182 So he swam on.183

Sure enough the Indians saw him.184 They recognized Wiske·djak by his antics and thought he was trying to play some trick on them, so they laughed about it and quietly paddled up close to him.185 They pretended they thought he was a bear and made out as though they were going to kill him.186 Wiske·djak swam as hard as he could for his life.187 “Hand me my axe,” said one of the Indians, “till I kill him.”188 “Stand aside till I shoot him with my arrow,” said another.189 “Hurry up, paddle hard or we’ll lose him,” said a third.190 They all kept shouting and making a great pretence to get after him, all the time laughing at Wiske·djak and splashing with their paddles as though trying to keep up with him.191 Wiske·djak all the time struggled ahead in great fear, expecting any moment to be killed.192 At last he got across the lake on the other shore and his feet struck bottom.193 He landed on a flat rock with the Indians behind him.194 Suddenly he slipped and fell on his head.195 The bear skull cracked and fell off and left his head free.196 Then he saw the Indians.197 “Don’t shoot!198 Don’t shoot!” cried he.199 “I’m Wiske·djak.”200 Then he took to the bush and escaped.201