Malecite tales / by W.H. Mechling.

  • Mechling, W. H.
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Malecite tales / by W.H. Mechling. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    washed his wife^s face with it and again it restored to her her former beauty. She looked just as when he had married her. Thunder, her brother, then said, ‘^We must have a wedding feast all over again, because, although I was absent, I knew all about your marriage, being unable to be present. We were on a journey southward to kill a huge serpent.” Mikumwesu’s brother-in-law then went out and saw a big moose. It was so large that he had to resort to his power in the use of lightning in order to slay the beast. But even this did not avail him any, for Gluskap had taken from him the power to kill with lightning. All he could do with lightning was to kill ser- pents that were dangerous. He then returned and told his brother of the big moose, as tall as the trees, that he could not despatch. Mikumwesu said to his brother-in-law, ^‘Take my bow and go out and shoot him. You will find it outside leaning against the wigwam. He hunted round, but could not find the bow. He did notice a little bow which appeared to him clearly to be a child’s bow. Accordingly he came in and reported to his brother that he was unable to find it. Mikumwesu said, ‘Tt is indeed quite strange that you who are a Thunder and can see over everything and can see through the mountains are unable to see that bow. Here is the bow.” Thunder replied, ‘T did see that bow, but thought surely that that was a child’s bow.” “You should have known better. Try to lift it.” Thunder tried to raise it, but was unsuccessful, although it was exceedingly small. Mikumwesu, however, easily succeeded in raising it and he gave it to Thunder. The latter then could handle it with ease just as though it was a feather, so light did it seem. And he remarked to Mikumwesu, “You could not kill anything with this.” “Then put it down,” replied Mikumwesu. Thunder complied with the words, “I shall go and fetch my own bow. My grandmother must have a bow somewhere.” He asked his grandmother where he could find his father’s bow. His grandmother said that it was up in the winter camp, stick- ing under the polls. He brought it to Mikumwesu and said, “This is a man’s bow.”
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