Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-29
INDIAN FAIRY STORIES.
Taos 3r Wt.cb Dis and Bulky Is Beaten bI
w.. and n is-

1905 OF " tlth u ahn buah1 - AsfGlfA "
We and Wis-.
Food being the first object Of the In
dians' life. It Is not only natural that
eating and that which leads Up to it
namely. the chase should be perpetu-
ally prominent IN their popular tales,
saws writer in the San Francisco iaqle-
SIDE. In one form or another. therefore.
they are constantly recurrent and some
times with considerable humor. Thus,
q giant. who has stolen the magic white
feather from the youth TO whom 1t be-
longs. turns the lad whom he has
wronged into a dog. and rretends to be
the hero OF the White Feather himself.
But the virtues Of the magic plume re-
main with It's rightful possessor IA very
curious departure. by the way, from
the ordinary rule Of fairy stories. AM
the giant is made a fool Of at every
turn. The enchanted dog goes aud
pulls a stone out Of the river, and II
turns to fine fat beaver. The gan,
goes and does the same and drags home
3 fine healthy stone. The dog breaks
of a chsrred branch from a tree and
reioices the chiefs daughter, who Is
keeping house for him. with large.
Juicy bear. The giant does the same, and
reaches home, sweating under the load
Of a half-burnt tree-trunk. Eventual
". Of course. the impOsture betrays
itself. and the dog, resuming his proper
shape, comes 10 his own again. But It
is worth noting how the idea that
giants must Of necessity be fools,
which is common 10 the fairy tales Of
all other countries. Is also an axiom Of
the red mans folklore. In every
story under the sun he hero. though
small Of stature, always gets the bet
ter Of the colossal but supplemented
giant.
Another illustration Of the magical
production Of food Is the delightful ex-
PLANTATION Of the reason why squirrels
cough. Mansbozho came one day to the
lodge Of the red-headed woodpecker,
and. being invited in, sat down. Now
there was nothing for the guests TO eat.
so the bird flew on the lOdge-pole which
was the bole Of a tamarack tree, and
after a few pecks with his beak found
a creyice, out Of which be pulled some
thing, and 10 it was fine raccoon.
This feat he performed half dozen
times IL succession, and then the
squsws came in and prepared the feast.
Next day the red-headed voodpecker
returned the visit, and Manabozho, who
was pot going 10 be beaten by bird,
had taken care to have s new lodge
built around q tamarack-tree so, apo
logizing, Just as the wOodpecker had
done, for having nothing in the larder,
he hoped up toward the pole, and
cliDging 10 it as he had seen the bird
DO began rappiDg his nose against the
wood. Unable to find any raccoons,
be got so angry that he knocked his
head too hard against the pole and
fell down on the floor stunned. And
the woodpecker went of in huff. A
few days later Msnabozho was stand
ing at his door. wondering how he
could get even with his neighbOr. espe-
cially as 1t was the depth Of winter
and there was nothing but roots to eat,
when be saw two men carrying bear.
He got into conversation with them,
and. speaking Of his own magical pow
ers. was asked TO give an exhibition Of
them. This be did at once by turning
one Of the two men into stone.
And now turn him back into a
man" said the other.
"oh :" said Manabozho, - | cannot
do that, ] only know the first half Of
the trick"
So the second hunter, unable 10 drag
the bear all by himself, len it at Mana
bozho's door whereupon that rascal
At once invited ell his friends to the
great feast, and was prodigiously im-
poriant and fussy at being Sble to ask
hem to come and eat good bears meat
II n time when everyone was living on
roots. But alas as each one filed his
mouth. the bears meat turned into
,shes, and. one after the other, the
,uests began coughing as II they were
.oing to choke. The more they ate the
rorSe the coughing grew, and at last
be host in his Indignation turned them
nto SQUIRRELS. and that is Why squirrels |
opgh so much.