🧚 Nanabush and the Ducks. (no. 2.)

Told by Mrs. Joseph Kenice.1

The other plan that Nanabush made to get these ducks was this: He and his mother made a big camp (lodge or wigwam) and invited all the different kinds of ducks to come to a big dance on such a day set apart for the dance.2 All the ducks came and when they came up Nanabush started to sing a song.3 Before the dance started he told the ducks that they had to keep their eyes closed when they danced and had to dance around the middle of the camp.4 Nanabush seated himself near the door and as the ducks would dance near him he would grab them and twist their necks and throw them behind him (York exemplified this by gestures) and got quite a lot this time.5 But one of the birds, a diver, opened her eyes a little bit and saw what Nanabush was doing.6 She made for the door and told all the ducks to run away.7 Nanabush made for the one that told on him.8 He got the duck in the door as she was going out and reached out his foot and stamped on her as she went past, and this is the reason the diver has flat feet and legs that stick out behind.9 These are some of Nanabush’s works while he lived.10 This ends this story.11

Note by G. E. L.—The song that Nanabush sang for the ducks was called “Ki-ah-wah-na,” which, according to York, means “Something that has been used to get such a thing or to do such a thing with.12 May have been an axe or a knife, etc.” This is very indefinite, but is just what York explained, that it was difficult to understand.13 I fail to see any connection with the ducks as in other variations of this story.14

NO. 3.15