Mish-o-sha, the Magician

N the heart of the great green forest once lived a hunter whose lodge

was many miles distant from the wigwams of his tribe. His wife had long

since died, and he dwelt there all alone with his two young sons, who

grew up as best they could without a mother's care.

When the father was away on a hunting trip, the boys had no companions

but the birds and beasts of the forest, and with some of the smaller

animals they became fast friends. Ad-ji-dau-mo, the squirrel, scampering

from tree to tree, would let his nut-shells fall plump on the roof of

the lodge. That was his way of knocking at the door, coming to pay a

morning call. He was a great talker, without much to say--as is often so

with those whose voices are seldom still. But he was bright and merry,

chattering away cheerfully about nothing in particular; and it made no

difference whether you listened to him or not.

Wa-bo-se, the little white hare, was another friend. One winter's day,

when forest food was scarce, O-ne-o-ta, the lynx, was just about to

pounce upon him, when the boys' father let fly an arrow--and O-ne-o-ta

was no longer interested in little white hares.

Wa-bo-se was grateful for this, and sometimes in his shy way he tried to

show it.

The father and the boys lived mostly on big game, like bear and venison.

This meat would be cut in strips, and cured; sometimes it had to last

them many a long day, when game was scarce, or the woods so dry for want

of rain that the twigs would snap under the hunters feet, and warn the

animals he was coming. So the boys were used to being left alone for weeks at a time, when their father was absent.

Then came a season of famine. No berries grew on the bushes, grass

withered on the stalk, few acorns hung on the oaks. Some of the brooks

went dry. Thus it happened that the hunter had gone far in search of

game.

Many months passed. When Seegwun, the elder boy, saw that but little

meat remained, he said to his younger brother Ioscoda:

"Let us take what meat is left, and strike out through the forest,

toward the North. I remember our father saying that many moons distant

lies a great lake called Gitche Gumee, whose waters are alive with

fish."

"But can we find our way?" asked Ioscoda, doubtfully. "Never fear!"

called out a voice from overhead.

It was Ad-ji-dau-mo, the squirrel, frisky as ever, though a little lean

for lack of nuts.

"I'll go along with you," he continued, "and so will Wa-bo-se, the white

hare. He can hop ahead and find the trail, and I can jump from tree to

tree, and keep a look-out. Between us, we are bound to go right."

It proved to be a good idea, and Wa-bo-se took the lead. Where the

trail was overgrown with grass, he would nose his way along the ground,

without once going wrong; where the track was plain, he would run ahead,

then stop and sit up on his haunches, to wait for the boys, his long

ears pricked up and moving, to detect the slightest danger.

But nothing happened to alarm them. The lynx, the wildcat and the

wolf had all fled before the famine, and the silent forest was empty of

savage beasts. On and on they went, till it seemed as if the woods would

never end. Then, one day, Ad-ji-dau-mo climbed a tall pine, from whose

topmost bough he could see far over the forest. The sun was shining

bright; as he cocked his eye and looked toward the north, something that seemed to meet the sky sparkled like silver. It was Gitche Gumee, the Great Lake.

They had reached a place where nuts were plentiful, and many green

things grew that would fatten the white hare. So Wa-bo-se and the

squirrel bade good-bye to the boys, who could now make their way with

ease. Soon they came to the edge of the woods. They heard a piping

cry. It was Twee-tweesh-ke-way, the plover, flying along the beach; in

another moment the great glittering waters lay before them.

Seegwun with his sharp hunting knife cut a limb from an ash-tree, and

made a bow; from an oak bough he whittled some arrows, which he tipped

with flint. He found feathers fallen from a gull's wing for the shaft; a

strip cut from his deer-skin shirt supplied the bow-string. Then giving

the bow and arrow to Ioscoda, to practice with, he gathered some seed

pods from the wild rose, to stay their hunger.

An arrow, badly aimed by his brother, fell into the lake, and Seegwun

waded in, to recover it. He had walked into the water till it reached

his waist, and put out his hand to grasp the arrow, when suddenly, as if

by magic, a canoe came skimming along like a bird. In the canoe was an

ugly old man, who reached out, seized the astonished boy, and pulled him

on board.

"If I must go with you, take my brother, too!" begged Seegwun. "If he is

left here, all alone, he will starve."

But Mish-o-sha, the Magician, only laughed. Then striking the side of

the canoe with his hand, and uttering the magic words, _Chemaun Poll_,

it shot across the lake like a thing alive, so that the beach was

quickly lost to sight. Soon it came to rest on a sandy shore, and

Mish-o-sha, leaping out, beckoned him to follow.

They had landed on an island. Before them, in a grove of cedars, were

two wigwams, or lodges; from the smaller one two lovely young girls came

out, and stood looking at them.

To Seegwun, who had never before seen a girl, these maidens looked like

spirits from the skies. He gazed at them in wonder, half expecting they

would vanish. For their part they looked at him without smiling; in

their dark eyes were only sympathy and sadness.

"My daughters!" said the old man to Seegwun, with a chuckle that

displayed his long, yellow teeth. Then turning to the girls:

"Are you not glad to see me safely back?" he asked,"and are you not

pleased with my handsome young friend here?" They bent their heads

politely, but said nothing.

"It's a long time since you were favored with such a visitor," he went

on, in a loud whisper to the elder girl. "He would make you a fine

husband."

The maiden murmured something under her breath, and Mish-o-sha gave her

a wicked look.

"We shall see, we shall see!" he muttered to himself, laughing like a

magpie, and rubbing his long, bony hands together.

Seegwun, much troubled in mind, and hardly knowing what to make of it

all, resolved to keep his eyes open. Luckily Mish-o-sha was sometimes

careless. He walked on ahead, and entered his lodge, leaving the others

together; whereupon the elder girl, approaching Seegwun, spoke to him

quickly: "We are not his daughters," she said. "He brought us here as he

brought you. He hates the human race. Every moon he seizes a young man,

and pretends he has borne him here as a husband for me. But soon he

takes him off in his canoe, and the young man never comes back. We feel

sure Mish-o-sha has made away with them all."

"What must I do?" asked Seegwun. "I care less for myself than for

my little brother. He was left behind on a wild beach, and may die of

hunger."

"Ah!" said the maiden. "You are really good and unselfish;

so, no matter what comes of it, we must aid you. Koko-ko-ho, the

great owl, keeps watch all night on the bare limb of that big cedar.

Wait till Mish-o-sha falls asleep, then wrap yourself from head to foot

in his blanket, and steal softly to the door of our lodge. Whisper my

name,Nin-i-mo-sha, and I shall come out and tell you what to do."

"Nin-i-mo-sha," murmured the youth. "What a beautiful name!" Then,

before he could thank her, the girls were gone.

Mish-o-sha now appeared, and made a sign to Seegwun to join him. The old

man seemed to be in a good humor, and passed the time telling stories;

but Seegwun was not deceived by this pretense of friendship. When the

Magician was sound asleep, he rose, wrapped Mish-o-sha's blanket around

him, and walked carefully to the door of the little lodge.

"Nin-i-mo-sha!" he whispered, and his heart beat fast; for Nin-i-mo-sha

in the Indian tongue is "My Sweetheart." "Seegwun!" she answered; and

his name, meaning "Spring," came like music from her lips.

She drew aside the curtain, and came out.

"Here," she said, "is food that will last your brother for several days.

Get into Mish-o-sha's canoe, pronounce the magic charm, and it will take

you where you wish. You can be back before daybreak."

"But the owl?" asked Seegwun. "Will he not cry out?" "Walk with a stoop,

the way Mish-o-sha walks," she explained. "Ko-ko-ko-ho, when he

sees you, will cry 'Hoot, hoot!' You must answer, 'Hoot, hoot, whoo!

Mish-o-sha.' Then he will let you pass."

Seegwun did as he was told, and was soon skimming across the lake.

Having landed on the beach, he began to bark like a squirrel; and at

this friendly signal his brother ran up and flung his arms around him.

Seegwun made a shelter for the boy, and told him he would come

again. Then he returned in the canoe, and was soon fast asleep in the

Magician's lodge.

Mish-o-sha, who trusted in his owl, suspected nothing. How should he

know what lovers can do when they put their heads together?

"You have slept well, my son," said he. "And now we have a pleasant

journey before us. We are going to an island where thousands of gulls

lay their eggs in the sand, and we shall get all we can carry away."

Remembering what Nin-i-mo-sha had said, Seegwun shivered. But she

kissed her hand, and waved him a good-bye; and this put heart in him.

As the canoe sped away, he made sure that his hunting knife slipped

easily in its sheath, and he did not take his eyes off Mish-o-sha for a

moment.

When they reached the island the gulls rose in great numbers, and flew

screaming above their heads.

"You gather the eggs," said the Magician, "while I keep watch in the

canoe."

Seegwun hastened ashore, glad to quit the old man's company. Then the

Magician cried out to the gulls:

"Ho, my feathered friends! Here is the human offering I promised you

when you agreed to call me master. Fly down, my pretty ones! Fly down,

and devour him!"

Striking the side of his canoe, he abandoned the youth to the mercy of

the birds.

With harsh cries, the gulls swept down on Seegwun. Never had he heard

such a clamor. Ten thousand wings beat the air, and stirred it like a

storm. Whirling and darting they came upon him in a cloud. But Seegwun

did not flinch. Shouting the _Saw-saw-quan_, or war-cry, he seized the

first bird that attacked him. Then grasping it by the neck, he held it

high above his head in his left hand, and with his right hand drew his

knife, which glittered in the sun.

"Hold!" he cried. "Hold, you poor fools! Beware the vengeance of the

Great Spirit."

The gulls paused in their attack, but still circled around him, with

sharp beaks extended.

"Hear me, O Gulls!" he continued. "The Great Spirit gave you life that

you might serve mankind. Slay me, and you slay one made to rule over all

the beasts and birds. I tell you, beware!"

"But Mish-o-sha is all powerful." screamed the gulls. "He has bidden us

destroy you."

"Mish-o-sha is no Manito," answered Seegwun. "He is only a wicked

magician who would use you for his own evil ends. Bear me on your wings

back to his island; for it is he who must be destroyed."

Then the gulls, persuaded that Mish-o-sha had tricked them, drew close

together, that the youth might lie upon their backs. Rising on the wind,

they carried him across the waters, setting him down gently by the lodge

before the Magician had arrived there.

Nin-i-ino-sha rejoiced when she saw it was really Seegwun. "I was not

mistaken in you," she told him. "It is plain that the Great Spirit

protects you. But Mish-o-sha will try again, so be on your guard."

The Magician now arrived in his magic canoe. When he saw Seegwun he

tried to smile pleasantly. But having had little practice in thinking

kind thoughts, he only grinned like a gargoyle, which, excepting perhaps

the hyena, has the most painful possible smile. >

"Good, my son!" he managed to say. "You must not misunderstand me. I did

it to test your courage; and now Nin-i-mo-sha is sure to love you. Ah,

my children, you will make a happy pair!"

Nin-i-mo-sha turned away to hide her disgust, but Seegwun pretended to

believe the malicious old man was in earnest.

"However," continued the Magician, "I owe you something for having

seemed to play you such a trick. I see you wear no ornaments. Come with me, then, to the Island of Glittering Shells, and soon you will be attired as becomes a handsome warrior."

The island where they landed was indeed a wonderful place, covered with

colored shells that gleamed in the sun like jewels.

"Look!" said Mish-o-sha, as they walked along the beach. "Out there a

little way. See it shining on the bottom." Seegwun waded in. When the

water reached his thighs, the Magician made a leap for the canoe, and

shoved it far out into the lake.

"Come, King of Fishes!" he called. "You have always served me well. Here

is your reward."

Then, striking his canoe, he quickly disappeared. Immediately an

enormous fish, with jaws wide open, rose to the surface a few feet away.

But Seegwun only smiled, saying as he drew his long blade:

"Know, Monster, that I am Seegwun--named after him whose breath warms

the ice-bound waters and clothes the hills with green. The cowardly

Mish-o-sha, fearing the anger of the Great Spirit, seeks to make you

do what he dares not do himself. Spill but one drop of my blood, and it

will dye the waters of the lake, in which all your tribe will miserably

perish.' "Mish-o-sha has deceived me," said the King of Fishes. "He

promised me a tender maiden, and has brought instead a youth with the

eyes of a warrior. How shall I aid you, my Master?"

"Wretch!" exclaimed Seegwun. "Rejoice that he did not keep his frightful

promise. You deserve to die at my hands, but I give you a chance to

repent. Take me on your back to the island of Mish-o-sha, and I will

spare your life."

The King of Fishes hastened to take Seegwun astride his broad back, and

swam so swiftly that he reached the island soon after Mish-o-sha. The

Magician was explaining to Nini-mo-sha how the youth had fallen from the

canoe into the jaws of a big fish, when along came Seegwun himself, strolling up from the Lake as if he had returned from an everyday excursion. Even so, Mish-o-sha still sought to excuse himself.

"My daughter," said he. "I was only trying to find out how much you

cared for him."

But all the while he was saying to himself that the next time he would

not fail. And the next time was the very next day.

"My owl is growing old, and cannot live much longer," he explained. "I

should like to catch a young eagle, and tame him. Will you help me?"

Seegwun consented, and went with him in the magic canoe to a rocky point

of land reaching out into the lake. There, in the fork of a tall pine,

was an eagle's nest, in which were some young eagles, who could not yet

fly.

"Quick!" said Mish-o-sha. "Climb the tree before the old birds return."

Seegwun had almost reached the nest when the Magician spoke to the pine,

commanding it to grow taller. At once it began to rise, until it was

so high, and swayed so in the wind, that he felt it would take all

his courage to get down again. At the same time the Magician uttered a

peculiar cry, at which the father and mother eagles came swooping from

the clouds to protect their young.

"Ho, ho!" laughed Mish-o-sha. "This time I have made no mistake. Either

you will fall and break your neck, or the eagles will scratch your eyes

out."

Striking his canoe, he vanished in the mist.

The eagles now circled around Seegwun, who, resting on a branch, thus

addressed them:

"My brothers, behold the eagle's feather in my hair! It proves my

admiration for your bravery and skill. Yet in me you see your master;

for I am a man, and you are only birds. Obey me, then, and bear me to

Mish-o-sha's island."

This praise pleased the eagles, who respected the youth's cool courage.

Mounting on the back of the enormous male bird, Seegwun was borne

through the air, and set down safely on the enchanted island.

Mish-o-sha now saw that neither bird nor beast would harm this handsome

youth, who seemed to be protected by some powerful Manito. It must be

done some other way.

"One more test," he said to Seegwun, "and then you may take Nin-i-mo-sha

for your wife. But first you must prove your skill as a hunter. Come!"

They made a lodge in the forest; and Mish-o-sha, by his magic, caused

a snow-storm, with a stinging gale from the north, like a flight of

icy arrows. Seegwun, that night, before going to sleep, had hung his

moccasins and leggings by the fire to dry; and Mish-o-sha, rising first,

at daybreak, took one of each and threw them into the flames. Then he

rubbed his hands, and laughed like a prairie wolf.

"What is it?" asked Seegwun, sitting up.

"Alas, my son!" said Mish-o-sha. "I was just too late. This is the

season of the moon when fire attracts all things. It has drawn to it one

of your moccasins and leggings, and destroyed them. Yeo, yeo! I should

have warned you."

Seegwun held his tongue, though the thing was plain enough. Mish-o-sha

meant that he should freeze to death. But Seegwun, praying silently to

his Manito for aid, took from the fireplace a charred stick with which

he blackened one leg and foot, murmuring at the same time a charm. Then

putting on his remaining moccasin and legging, he was ready tor the

hunt.

Their way led through snow and ice, into thickets of thorn, and over

bogs half-frozen, where Seegwun sank to the knees. But his prayer had

been heard; the charm worked, and the youth walked on, dry shod. With

his first arrow he slew a bear.

"Now," he said, looking the Magician full in the eye. "I see you are

suffering from the cold. Let us go back to your island."

At Seegwun's bold look, Mish-o-sha bent his head, and mumbled some

foolish answer. At last he had met his match; and he knew it.

"Take up the bear on your shoulders!" commanded Seegwun.

Again the Magician obeyed. For the first time they returned together

to the island, where the two young girls looked on in amazement to see

the proud Mish-o-sha staggering under the weight of the bear, grunting

with helpless rage.

"His power is broken," agreed Nin-i-mo-sha, when Seegwun had told her

all. "But we shall never sleep in safety until we are really rid of him.

What is best to do?"

They put their heads together; and when they had talked it over,

Nin-i-mo-sha laughed merrily.

"He deserves a greater punishment," she said. "The world will not be

safe as long as he has life. Yet what we plan to do will revenge us,

without shedding a single drop of blood." The next day Seegwun said to

the Magician:

"It is time that we rescued my brother, whom we left all alone on the

beach. Come with me."

Mish-o-sha made a wry face, but prepared to go. Landing on the beach,

they soon spied the boy, who joyfully clambered into the canoe. Then

Seegwun said to the old man:

"Those red willows over on the bank would make good smoking mixture.

Could you manage to climb up there and cut me some?"

"To be sure, my son, to be sure," answered Mish-o-sha, walking rapidly

toward the willows. "I am not so weak and good-for-nothing as you seem

to think."

Seegwun struck the canoe with his hand, pronouncing the magic words,

_Chemaun Poll_; and away it went with the two brothers aboard, leaving the Magician high and dry, and gnashing his yellow teeth.

The girls ran to meet them at the shore, Nin-i-mo-sha rejoicing that the

old man had been left behind, while her sister could think of nothing

but the attractive boy who looked so much like his big brother.

"But Mish-o-sha can call the canoe back to him," said Nin-i-mo-sha,

"until a way is found to break the charm. Some one must keep watch, with

his hand upon it."

Ioscoda begged permission to do his part; so they left him, with night

coming on, sitting on the sand and holding fast to the canoe.

It was a tiresome task for a little boy already weary with long waiting.

To amuse himself he began to count the stars. First he counted those

in the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, then the ones that look like a

high-back chair, and the three big bright ones in the belt of Orion the

Hunter. He did not know them by these names, which were given them long

afterward; but he recognized the cluster called O-jeeg An-nung, the

Fisher, who brought Summer from the sky because his boy was cold.

Ioscoda also was cold, sitting there in the wet sand. But Indian boys

do not complain. Yet seeing the Fisher stars, he thought of his own dear

father, and wondered where he might be. Had Ioscoda been a white boy,

instead of a red, we think the sand he sat on might have been a little

wetter for his tears. As it was, he found himself looking at the sky

through a kind of fog. What was it? He rubbed his eyes, lost his count,

and began all over again.

The worst of it was that Indians could reckon only with their

fingers--unless you include their toes; and Ioscoda's toes were tucked

away snugly in his moccasins, quite out of sight and question. How many

fingers had he counted--and how--many--stars--?

The fog, or whatever it was, filled his eyes. Lap, lap! went the little

waves, rocking the canoe like a cradle. Soo, soo! sighed the wind in the

cedars. All else earthly nodded and was still; even the stars blinked

and winked, as if weary of watching the world.

And Ioscoda slept.

Whoo, whoo! The cry of Ko-ko-ko-ho, the owl, shrilled evilly on the

ears. It was only for a moment. The shadows lifted, a squirrel barked.

Wa-bun, the East Wind, rising above the rim of the waters, let loose his

silver arrows. It was day.

Ioscoda sat up, only half aroused, and looked out over the lake. Was he

still on the wild beach, waiting for his brother? Then he remembered,

and gave a guilty start. The canoe was gone!

Gone, but come again! There it appeared, gliding straight toward him;

and in it sat Mish-o-sha.

"Good-morning, child!" called the Magician, as the canoe grated on the

sand. "Are you not glad to see your grandfather again?"

Ioscoda clenched his small fists. He was very brave, and he was angry.

"You are _not_ my grandfather," he said, "and I am _not_ glad to see you

again."

"_Esa, esa!_ (Shame, shame!)" chuckled the old man. "But Seegwun will be

glad to see me, and so will my dear daughters. I hope they have not been

worried about me."

He was much pleased with his cleverness in outwitting them all, and was

now as impudent as before. But Seegwun bided his time. He thought of

another plan.

"Grandfather," said he, "it seems that we must continue to live here

together. Let us therefore lay in a supply of meat for the winter. Come

with me to the mainland. I am sure you must be a mighty hunter."

Mish-o-sha's vanity was his weakest point.

"_Eh, yah!_" he answered, boastfully. "I can run all day with a dead

deer on my back. I have done it."

"Good!" said Seegwun. "The wind is going north again, and we shall need

all our strength on the march."

Now Seegwun had somehow learned the Magician's dearest secret, which

was this: Mish-o-sha's left leg and foot were the only parts of his

body that could be harmed. No arrow could pierce his heart; a war-club

brought down upon his head would be shivered into splinters. As well

strike him with a straw. But his left leg and foot. Ah! It was not for

rheumatism that his legging was so well laced. And _why_ did he always

sit down with his left foot tucked up under him? Ha! Why, indeed?

Seegwun had found the answer.

They made a rude lodge in the forest, just as they had done before. And

again it came bitter cold; only this time it was Seegwun that brought

the storm. He could not help laughing. There was the blazing fire, and

there on the couch was Mish-o-sha, sound asleep.

Seegwun softly rose, took both the Magician's moccasins and leggings,

and threw them into the flames.

"Get up, grandfather," he called. "It's the season when fire attracts

all things, and I fear you have lost something you may need."

When Mish-o-sha saw what had happened he looked so frightened that

Seegwun was almost sorry for him. But remembering Nin-i-mo-sha and his

little brother, he could think of no other way. "We must be going," he

said.

They set out through the snow. My, how cold it was! Mish-o-sha began to

run, thinking this would help; while Seegwun followed, fearing that if

he led, the Magician might send an arrow through his back. After running

for an hour, the Magician was quite out of breath, and his legs and feet

were growing numb and stiff.

They had come to the edge of the forest, and reached the shore of the

lake. Here Mish-o-sha stopped. When he tried to take another step, he

could not lift his feet. How heavy they had grown! He tried again; but

something strange had happened. His toes sank into the sand, and took

the form of roots. The feathers in his hair, and then the hair itself,

changed gradually into leaves. His outstretched arms were branches,

swaying in the wind; bark appeared on his body.

Seegwun looked and wondered. That which had been Mish-o-sha was no

longer a man, but a tree, a sycamore hung with button-balls, leaning

crookedly toward the lake.

At last the wicked old Magician had met his master. No more would his

evil spell be cast on the young and innocent Seegwun lingered a moment,

to make sure that Mish-o-sha would not come to life. Then he took his

way across the water, where the others, anxiously awaiting him, were

told the good news.

"Mish-o-sha is no more," said Seegwun. "He can never harm us again. Let

us leave this place where we have suffered so much, and make our home on

the mainland."

So together they went forth, his sweetheart, her sister, and the boy,

with Seegwun showing the way. The trail he took led them again to the

great forest, and once more to the lodge from which he had set out. And

there they lived happily for the rest of their days.