ko - ko of course bethought him of the bones , for that was just what , as he knew , had occurred to onwee bahmondang under the like circumstances . he had the bones in his bosom ; and now it was necessary for him to be a squirrel . he immediately called on several guardian spirits whom he knew of by name , and requested them to convert him into a squirrel . but not one of all them seemed to pay the slightest attention to his request ; for there he hung , the same heavy - limbed , big - headed , be - clubbed , and be - blanketed ko - ko as ever . he then desired that they would turn him into an opossum ; an application which met with the same luck as the previous one . after this he petitioned to be a wolf , a gophir , a dog , or a bear - if they would be so obliging . the guardian spirits were either all deaf , or indifferent to his wishes , or absent on some other business . ko - ko , in spite of all his begging and supplication and beseeching , was obliged to be still ko - ko . " the bones , however , " he said , to himself , " are good . i shall get a nice rest , at any rate , if i am forced to climb as i am . " with this he drew out one of the bones from his bosom , and shouting aloud , " ho ! ho ! who is there ? " he thrust it into the trunk of the tree , and would have indulged himself in a rest ; but being no more than a common fish - bone , without the slightest savor of magic in it , it snapped with ko - ko , who came tumbling down , with the door of the lodge which he had shaken loose , rattling after him .
the guardian spirits were either all deaf , or indifferent to his wishes , or absent on some other business .
what did ko-ko think was the reason for the guardian spirits' lack of attention ?
what did ko-ko think was the reason for the guardian spirits' lack of attention ?