The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-03-23

him.
But little Jo-nis-ont had his own
ideas still-and so did Nuk-da-go,
chief of the squirrel tribe, who was
listening, unseen.
That night Nuk-da-go came back
to the forest to look into the matter.
He found little Jo-nis-gy-ont fast
asleep; and down beside the rocks,
where Brother Woodchuck had his
home, he could see the dirt flying
fast. Brother Woodchuck was dig
ging for dear life. Nuk-da-go
watched and as soon as the hole was
big enough, Brother Woodchuck be-
gan filling it with hickory nuts. Then
he ran to the hollow tree, and in a
few minutes was back with more
nuts, which he dropped into the hole
and covered carefully from sight.
Then Nuk-da-go went over to the
edge of the marsh, where there was
stirring in the thick moss. Nuk-
da-go watched. Soon he saw Brother
Frog carefully lifting the moss, while
hickory nuts. Then Brother Frog
hoped away in the direction Of the
hollow tree, and soon he was back,
with his cheeks bullying. Then he
dropped more hickory nuts, which he
pushed carefully under the moss.
"The hickory-nut tree is half
hours journey away. said the wise
Nuk-da-go. II will look into this
matter further"
The next day Nuk-da-go went
| about among all the forest people
and told them that little Jo-nis-gy-
ont's store of nuts was being robbed.
Shall we call council?' he asked.
"Shall we bring all the forest people
together to find out who is the rob-
ber?"
And all the forest people said,
Eyes, yes"
That night the council was held,
and all the forest people came ex-
cept Brother Frog and Brother
Woodchuck, who begged to be ex-
cused.
''No one can be excused from the
council" declared Nuk-da-go, who
had been appointed chief. JOINS
gy-ont, as you are their nearest
neighbor, I appoint you to go and
bring them"
Jo-nis-gy-ont fastened back, but
when he told his errand, Brother
Frog jumped far out into the marsh
and pretended not to hear, and
Brother Woodchuck slipped into his
home under the rocks, out of sight.
But Nuk-da-go would be obeyed,
so he went after them himself, and
being Chief of the Council and Chief
of the tribe, Brother Frog and
Brother Woodchuck had to come out
when he called them, and they fol-
lowed him along to the council, look
ing very meek and very mean indeed.
Then Nuk-da-go stool up before
all the woods people and told them
why he had called them together,
and what he had seen. And when he
had finished telling them about little
Jo-nis-gy-ont's store of nuts, and
rocks, and under the moss, the woods
people looked at Brother Frog and
Brother Woodchuck and they said,
1--WE will go and look into this, too"
So all the company of woods peo-
pie went to the hollow tree near the
pine and looked at Jo-nis-gy-ont's
poor little pile of nuts. Then they
went and uncovered the nuts by the
rock, and the nuts that were tucked |
beneath the moss. Then they looked |
at Brother Woodchuck and Brother
Frog, and asked, What have you to
say?" !
But Brother Woodchuck and |
Brother Frog hadn't word to say!
They just looked mean and ashamed.
Then the woods people decided |
that Nuk-da-go should be the judge.
So he. told Brother Frog to sit before
HIN and he said, II pronounce you
guilty of stealing your neighbor's
nuts, and you must be punished.
You are fat and lazy. Your food
flies past your door, and you have
only to put out your tongue and
catch it, Your little neighbor has
to travel far for his food. You sleep
all winter and have no need to store
supplies. Jo-nis-gy-ont stays awake
dAu muol cdI. CO youA CAAuO 40
doubly bad, and this shall be your
punishment: Hereafter you shall
not be able to eat nuts, for you shall
lose all your teeth. Go to your home
now and steal no more"
Brother Frog hoped away, very
said and very much ashamed, and
with the first hop every one of his
teeth dropped out-and the frog
tribe have had no teeth from that
day to this.
Then Nuk-da-go turned to
Brother Woodchuck and said, "You.
too, are found guilty of stealing your
neighbours nuts, and you shall be
punished. Like Brother Frog, you
are fat and-lazy. You sleep thru the
winter and need no food, while Jo-
nis-gy-ont must work hard for his.
Go home. You shall not lose your
teeth--for Brother Woodchuck was
holding his paws tightly over his
mouth and quaking with fear-but
from this day on you and your tribe
shall live upon leaves and grain and
the growing things Of the fields and
forests, but no more shall you enjoy
the taste of flesh. or the sweet meata u