The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-05-28
ORIGIN OF MAPLE SUGAR.
AN OLD LEGEND TOLD BY THE Al
GONQUIN INDIANS.
Atlantic Monthly.

toNQtIN INDIANS,
Atlantic Monthly.
The true story Of the discovery OF
maple sugar making is the legend OF
WOkSis, the mighty hunter. Going
forth one morning to the chase he
ordered Moqua his squaw, to have IA
choice cut OF moose meat boiled for
him when he should return, and that
she might be reminded Of the time he
stuck stake in the snow and made
straight mark out from it in the place
where its shadow would then fall
Moqua promised strict compliance,
and as he departed she hewed off the
desired tidbt with her sharpest stone
knife, and, filling her best kokh with
clean snow for melting, hung it over
the fire. Then she sat down on a
bearSkin and began embroidering a
pair Of moccasins with vari0usly dyed
porcupine quills.
She became so absorbed IN the work
that the kokh was forgotten till the
bark cord that suspended it was burn
ed off, and it spilled its contents on
the fire with a startling explosion that
filled the wigwam with steam and
smoke, She lifted the overturned
rncCn1 thn hnru hv 81 lob
thrust into its four-c0rnered mouth,
and when it was cool enough to handle
she repaired it with a new bail OF bark
and the k0kh was ready for serving
again.
But the shadow Of the stake had
swung so far towards the mark that
she knew there was no time to melt
snow to boil the dinner Happily
she bethOught her Of the great maple
behind the wigwam. tapped merely
for the provision Of pleasant drink,
but the sweet water might serve a
better purpose now. So she filled the
kOkh with sap and hung it over the
mended fire.
In spite Of impatient watching, it
presently began TO boil, whcrcupOn
she popped the ample ration of moose
meat into it and set IA cake Of pounded
corn to bake on the titled slab before
the fire. Then she resumed her en-
broidcry, in which the sharp point of
each thread supplied its own needle.
The work grew more and more inter
estng
So she dreamed and worked, stitch
by stitch, while the hours passed un-
needed, the shadow crcpt past the
mark, the kokh boiled low and the
cake gave forth the smell Of burning.
Alas the cake was ii blackened crisp,
and the once juicy meat was Il Shrivcl-
ed m0rsel IN the midst of a gummy,
dalk-brown substance. She Snatched
kokh and the cake from the fire and
then, hearing her husband coming,
she ran and hid herself in the nearest
thCket of cvergreenS, for she knew
that when he found not wherewth to
appease the rage Of hunger he would
be seized with more terrible one
against her,
Listening awhile with a quaking
heart, and catching no alarming sound
but aware instead Of an unaccount-
able silence, she ycntured forth and
pceped into the wigwam, WOksis sat
by the dre eating with his fingers from
the kokh, while his face shOnc with an
expression OF supreme content aud en-
joyment.
With wonder she watched him
dcvOur the last morsel, but her wonder
was greater when she saw him de-
liberately break the carthcn pot and
lick the last vestige of spoiled cookery
from the shards. She could not re-
strain a surprised cry, and, discover
ing her, he addressed her:
"Oh, woman Of woman, DidSt thou
conceive this marvel Of cookery or
has Klosckcr- Beth been thy instruc-
tor"
Being a woman she had the wit to
withhold the exact truth, but permit
ted him to believe whatever he would.
LET me embrace thee" he cried, and
upon his lips she tasted the first ma
pie sugar
The discovery was made public and
kokhs of sap were presently boiling in
every wigwam. All were so anxious
to get every atom Of the precious
sweet that they broke the kokhs and
scrapcd the piece, just as Woksis, the
first sugar eater, had done. And that
is why there are so many fragments OF
broken pottery and so few whole yes.
soils Ia nc found