Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-07-17
Legend of Frog Rock.

begenu OF frog hoCk,
ON the west shore OF lake Temiscamin-
que, about ten miles north of the Hudson
Bay Companys post, there rises from the
lake preCipiCe. perpendicular and abrupt,
s. wall of solid rock. of the HuTonian for
nation, with a horizontal cleavage, on the
face of which are to be found occasional
ledges, formed by the action of the frost.
Among the Indians this is known as The
Frog Rock. and the following legend will
probably throw some light on the origin of
the name.
suppose that in the whole world there
iS not found more omnivorou> being
than an Indian | should have said "om-
ui-Carnivorous" for his is essentially a
meat diet He eats bear beaver. lynx.
fisher. fox. msrtcn, mink muSkrat. mice.
otter. poTcupine, squirrel. in fact every an
lmal that runs One would think that he
would riraw the line At skunk, but no, he
looks upon skunk, properly skinned and
cooked as deiiCaCy However. he has
hi> weak point he draws the line at frogs
They seem 10 be with him forbidden fruit,
ni> tastes having probably evolved the in
tcTdiCtlon. The evolution of customs and
laws is constant contest between cause
and effect.
Many years ago there lived at Matawag
amiugue an Indian named kodjee>h He
was wild. harum-scarum Young fellow
who did not particularly observe the laws
laid down by the old men Of the tribe re
garliug the "modus vivendi.' He was a
Liberal and had the audacity 10 despise
the customs Of his ancestors, customs
sanctioned by ancient observance He
would not treat the skulls of the bears
which he slew with the Difference due 10
an animal that claimed distant relationship
with himself, nor would he throw the
bones Of his beaver into the water. but
would give them TO his dogs, a >acrileg-
ous offence and one worthy of awful pun
shmcut
II was pruphe-Ied Of this young man
that evil would befall him The Manitou
would not allow the sacred inJunctinns put
upon his people TO he thus openly gnor-
"a without rctributiou following the Of
fender. and the wise men shook their heads
with an oracular 'ki,h," nearing colo
guially "hpld on" while the old women
talked a. old women do and maguiiied the
i'll doiugs Of the Young man 10 such an ex
tent that more than half the Indian maid
ru> OF the tribe were in love with him.
But kodjcc>h cared for none Of these
things. nor did he care for the dusky
maidcus who admired 80 much wicked
ness. for his heart had gone out to the
lovely Bchaybickouse who was 4 posi-
bic more lively than himself, and very
hard 10 catch. Before her he would dance
in very taking manner. and should she
happen 10 be dancing with him he would
swing" her with such violence that she
would almost come To the ground But
even this violent court-hip failed 10 make
an impression on the obdurate Bchaybick-
ou>e In vain did be ply the glit,ernz
paddle with a graceful flourish a, he sent
his swift running canoe through the foam
ing rapids, until, half hid by the rushing
waters. he would appear to her a. II rid
ing on the back of mighty "kenoshie"
the strong swimming pike, or AT times,
most reckless when he knew that she was
watching him with admiration, mounting
on the gunwales OF his fragile craft, would
he run q rapid, standing up with an air Of
unConCern a. II he were walking on the
shore But still the hard hearted Behay-
bickOuse would not listen to his suit until,
driven 70 desperation, lie one day address
ed her thus
"Bebaybickouse, what is there that |
can 10 70 win your love-"
You cannot win my love" she said
You have not heart enough"
Try me, he answered, Il would dare
ANYTHING | would even eat frog"
Eat frogs then, answered Bebaybick-
ou>e. You dare not"
'ki>h." said kodjeesh, and he went
forth determined to eat the first frog be
met.
That day he was hired to take letters to
the trader in charge of Tem-camingue,
which in those days was trading post Of
the Northwest company. The journey is
long one. but kodiee>h did not feel IL,
for his heart was light. BebaybicKouse
would soon he his. and the thought made
/ HIM glad. The season was far advanced
and it was not until he had reached Terlis-
camingue lake that he saw single frog.
Here, however. a. he was padding close
10 the shore at the foot Of the mighty rock.
described above, he saw sitting on ledge
IN the rock, close to the water, fine fat,
phlegmatic looking frog.
-.Ah-hah," he cried, ''here is the very
frog that ! was looking for and which
will eat to win my Bebaybickouse, say
ing which he cautiously approached and
with his paddle sent the unsuspecting bac-
trician sprawling into the water. He then
picked it up, and selecting the first con
| venieut place to land, he went ashore lit
| fire. and for the first time in his life was
! able to appreciate the delicate flavor of
| frog.
Memo pi- gan" lit tastes NICE, he NUT
tered to himself: my ancestors were
fools, and Bebaybckouse is not SO hard
| to win after all"
| Hardly had he thus soliloquized before
| he heard an awful voice, proceeding as i,
were from the depths of the lake, and this
! is bat il said
| Thou eater of frogs, thou shalt be pun
ished."
| Kodjeesh trembled and. jumping into
| his canoe padded with all his might away
| from the voice" When he had reached 6
| less forbiddng section of the shore he re
| laxed little and as nothing dreadful had
| happened to him so far, he began to think
that he might have been deceived and thai
| the voice was nothing but the echo of the
rock BY the time he had reached tht
| post. his destination, he fairly laughed a
| himself for the fright he had been in. anC
| his soul even "hankered" after frog.
! As he was returning, though trift
awed by the sJmbre shadows of those
mighty rocks, and occasional misgiving.
! that after all the "voice" might have beeI
a reality. he could not help casting glance
at the ledge whereoD the frog had sat
What was his astonishment at seeing thu
same frog. quietly sitting in the sam'
place with the same air of deep abstrac
ton and apparently none the worse fo
having been eaten
How tempting he looks. thought Kod
ieesh IL have half mind to make m.
dinner of him. l suppose he would tast'
lust as good second time. Better no
though, for have his other feet and heat
to show Bebaybickouse.
Instinctively he glanced into his tel
pail, where he had placed the head an'
feet of the frog which he had eaten, TO
security. but what was his astonishmen
and dismay to find that they had vanished
No feet and head of frog were there.
He knew that it would be useless goinl
back to Bebaybickouse without tanglbl
proof of his daring; and fearing, more
over, that he would not meet with anothe
frog during the rest of his journey home
he determined in spite of the awful warn
ing he had received, to again eat the fro!
on the rock. He found no difficulty in re
heating the proceedings Of the dav before
and it is needless to say he enjoyed tn
dainty meal which his love for Bebay
bickouse and the frog had provided him
only this time he did not trust the bea
and feet to his tea pail. but for the SAX
Of greater security he knotted them up il
the corner Of the handkerchief In which