Folk-Lore and Legends: North American Indian | Page 7

you not turn me into a beaver
like yourself?"
"I do not know," replied the beaver; "I will go and ask the others."
Soon all the beavers showed their heads above the water, and looked to
see if Pauppukkeewis was armed, but he had left his bow and arrows in
a hollow tree a short distance off. When they were satisfied they all
came near.
"Can you not, with all your united power," said he, "turn me into a

beaver? I wish to live among you."
"Yes," answered the chief, "lie down;" and Pauppukkeewis soon found
himself changed into one of them.
"You must make me large," said he, "larger than any of you."
"Yes, yes," said they; "by and by, when we get into the lodge, it shall
be done."
They all dived into the lake, and Pauppukkeewis, passing large heaps
of limbs of trees and logs at the bottom, asked the use of them. The
beavers answered--
"They are our winter provisions."
When they all got into the lodge their number was about one hundred.
The lodge was large and warm.
"Now we will make you large," said they, exerting all their power.
"Will that do?"
"Yes," he answered, for he found he was ten times the size of the
largest.
"You need not go out," said they. "We will bring your food into the
lodge, and you shall be our chief."
"Very well," answered Pauppukkeewis. He thought--
"I will stay here and grow fat at their expense," but very soon a beaver
came into the lodge out of breath, crying--
"We are attacked by Indians."
All huddled together in great fear. The water began to lower, for the
hunters had broken down the dam, and soon the beavers heard them on
the roof of the lodge, breaking it in. Out jumped all the beavers and so
escaped. Pauppukkeewis tried to follow them, but, alas! they had made

him so large that he could not creep out at the hole. He called to them
to come back, but none answered. He worried himself so much in
trying to escape that he looked like a bladder. He could not change
himself into a man again though he heard and understood all the
hunters said. One of them put his head in at the top of the lodge.
"Ty-au!" cried he. "Tut-ty-au! Me-shau-mik! King of the beavers is in."
Then they all got at Pauppukkeewis and battered in his skull with their
clubs. After that seven or eight of them placed his body on poles and
carried him home. As he went he reflected--
"What will become of me? My ghost or shadow will not die after they
get me to their lodges."
When the party arrived home, they sent out invitations to a grand feast.
The women took Pauppukkeewis and laid him in the snow to skin him,
but as soon as his flesh got cold, his jee-bi, or spirit, fled.
Pauppukkeewis found himself standing on a prairie, having assumed
his mortal shape. After walking a short distance, he saw a herd of elks
feeding. He admired the apparent ease and enjoyment of their life, and
thought there could be nothing more pleasant than to have the liberty of
running about, and feeding on the prairies. He asked them if they could
not change him into an elk.
"Yes," they answered, after a pause. "Get down on your hands and
feet." He did so, and soon found himself an elk.
"I want big horns and big feet," said he. "I wish to be very large."
"Yes, yes," they said. "There," exerting all their power, "are you big
enough?"
"Yes," he answered, for he saw he was very large.
They spent a good time in playing and running.
Being rather cold one day he went into a thick wood for shelter, and

was followed by most of the herd. They had not been there long before
some elks from behind passed them like a strong wind. All took the
alarm, and off they ran, Pauppukkeewis with the rest.
"Keep out on the plains," said they, but he found it was too late to do so,
for they had already got entangled in the thick woods. He soon smelt
the hunters, who were closely following his trail, for they had left all
the others to follow him. He jumped furiously, and broke down young
trees in his flight, but it only served to retard his progress. He soon felt
an arrow in his side. He jumped over trees in his agony, but the arrows
clattered thicker and thicker about him, and at last one entered his heart.
He fell to the ground and heard the whoop of triumph given by the
warriors. On coming up they looked at the carcass with astonishment,
and, with