The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-11-18
THE LITTLE SPIRIT,
Or Boy-Mun, or the Origin OF tn
Firefy.

Firefiy.
In little lodge at a beautiful spot
on Il lake shore. alone with his sister,
lived boy remarkable for the small
ness of his stature. Many large rocks
were scattered around their habitation,
and it had a wild, out of-the-way look.
The boy grew no larger as he advanc-
ed in years, and yet, small us he was,
he had big spirit of his own, and loved
dearly to play the master of the lodge
One day in winter he told his sister to
make him ball to play with, as he
meant to have some sport along the
shore on the clear ice. When she hand
ed him the ball, his sister cautioned
him not to go too far, but he laughed
at her and posted off in high glee,
throwing his bail before him and run
ming after it at full speed, and he went
as fast as his ball. After he had run
some time he saw what seemed -four
dark spots upon the ice, straight be-
fore him.
When he came up to the shore he
was surprised to see four large, tall
men lying on the ice, spearing fish.
They were four brothers, looking ex-
actly alike. As the little boy, man APP
preached them the nearest looked up,
and IN his turn he was surprised to see
such tiny being, and turning to his
brothers, said:
eta look what little fellow is
hereln
The three others looked up, too :;
and seeing these four faces all alike
the little spirit said TO himself ''Four
in one what a time they must have in
choosing their hunting shirtsl'
After they had stared for moment
at the boy, they bent down their heads,
intent in catching their fish. The boy
thought to himself:
"These four faces fancy that | am to
be put off without notice because [ am
50 little. and they are SO broad and
long. They shall find out. | may find
Il way to show that | am not to be
treated SO lightly"
After they had their heads covered
up, the BOWMAN, looking sharply
about, saw that they had caught one
large trout; stealing up slyly, he seized
it, and placing his fingers III the gills,
AMI tossing his ball before him, he ran
off at full speed.
They heard the pattering of his lit
tie feet upon the ice, and when the tour
looked up altogether, they saw their
fine trout sliding away, as if OF itself,
at a great rate, the BOWMAN being 50
small that the fish hid him.
See - they cried, ''our fish is
running away on the dry land !"
When they stood up they could just
see over the fish S head, and that it Vas
the BOWMAN who was carrying it OFF
The little spirit reached the lodge,
and having left the trout at the door,
he told his sister to go and bring III the
fish he had brought home.
She exclaimed: "Where could YOU
have got it? L hope you have not sto-
len it. "
"Oh, he replied, | found it on the
ice; it was caught in our lake; have
we no right to little lake Of orr own
l shall claim iii the fish that comes out
of its waters go and cook it. "
1t was as much as the girl could do
to drag the great trout within doors.
she cooked it, and the flavor was so
delicious that she asked no more ques-
tons as to how he came by it. The
next morning the little spirit OF boy
man set off as he had the day before.
He made all sorts of sport with his
ball, as he frolicked along, high over
his head, or back and forth, and the
ball leaped and bounded about and
glided through the air as if it were a
living thing, and enjoyed the sport as
much as the boy-man himself.
When he came within hail of the four
large men, who we're fishing there every
day, he cast his ball with such force
that it rolled into the ice hole, about
which they were busy The boy stand
ing on the shore of the lake called out
$ Four-in-one, pray hand me my ball F"
mo, indeed" they answered, set
ting up a grim laugh, "we shall not,
and with their fishing spears they
thrust the ball under the ice.
Good" said the BOWMAN, weshall
see" Saying which, he rushed upon
the four brothers and thrust them at
one push into the water The ball
bounded back to the surface, and pick
ing it up, he ran off tossing it before
him, and soon reached home and re-
manned within TIL the next morning.
The four brothers, rising from the
water at the same time, dripping and
wroth, roared out in one voice terrible
threat of vengeance, which they prom
lsed to execute the next day. They
knew that by no means could they
Dvertake him, so great was his speed
BY times the next morning the broth
ers were sitting in their lodge and get
ing ready to look after their revenge.
Their old mother who lived with them,
begged them not to go. Better"
he said, "now that your clothes are
Try, to think no more of the ducking |
han to go all four of YOU and get Your |