It was rather late when we left War Eagle's lodge after having learned why the Indians never kill the Mice-people;and the milky way was white and plain,dimming the stars with its mist.The children all stopped to say good night to little Sees-in-the-dark,a brand-new baby sister of Bluebird's;then they all went to bed.
The next day the boys played at war,just as white boys do;and the girls played with dolls dressed in buckskin clothes,until it grew tiresome,when they visited relatives until it came time for us all to go to their grand-father's lodge.He was smoking when we entered,but soon laid aside the pipe and said:
"You know that the otter skin is big medi-cine,no doubt.You have noticed that our warriors wear it sometimes and you know that we all think it very lucky to wear the skin of the Otter.But you don't know how it came to be great;so I shall tell you.
"One time,long before my grandfather was born,a young-man of our tribe was unlucky in everything.No woman wanted to marry him,because he couldn't kill enough meat to keep her in food and clothes.Whenever he went hunting,his bow always broke or he would lose his lance.If these things didn't happen,his horse would fall and hurt him.
Everybody talked about him and his bad luck,and although he was fine-looking,he had no close friends,because of his ill fortune.
He tried to dream and get his medicine but no dream would come.He grew sour and people were sorry for him all the time.Finally his name was changed to 'The Unlucky-one,'which sounds bad to the ear.He used to wander about alone a good deal,and one morning he saw an old woman gathering wood by the side of a River.The Unlucky-one was about to pass the old woman when she stopped him and asked:
"'Why are you so sad in your handsome face?Why is that sorry look in your fine eyes?'
"'Because,'replied the young-man,'I am the Unlucky-one.Everything goes wrong with me,always.I don't want to live any longer,for my heart is growing wicked.'
"'Come with me,'said the old woman,and he followed her until she told him to sit down.Then she said:'Listen to me.First you must learn a song to sing,and this is it.'
Then she sang a queer song over and over again until the young-man had learned it well.
"'Now do what I tell you,and your heart shall be glad some day.'She drew from her robe a pair of moccasins and a small sack of dried meat.'Here,'she said,'put these moccasins on your feet and take this sack of meat for food,for you must travel far.Go on down this river until you come to a great beaver village.Their lodges will be large and fine-looking and you will know the village by the great size of the lodges.When you get to the place,you must stand still for a long time,and then sing the song I taught you.
When you have finished the singing,a great white Beaver,chief of all the Beavers in the world,will come to you.He is wise and can tell you what to do to change your luck.After that I cannot help you;but do what the white Beaver tells you,without asking why.Now go,and be brave!'
"The young-man started at once.Long his steps were,for he was young and strong.
Far he travelled down the river--saw many beaver villages,too,but he did not stop,be-cause the lodges were not big,as the old woman told him they would be in the right village.
His feet grew tired for he travelled day and night without resting,but his heart was brave and he believed what the old woman had told him.
"It was late on the third day when he came to a mighty beaver village and here the lodges were greater than any he had ever seen before.
In the centre of the camp was a monstrous lodge built of great sticks and towering above the rest.All about,the ground was neat and clean and bare as your hand.The Un-lucky-one knew this was the white Beaver's lodge--knew that at last he had found the chief of all the Beavers in the world;so he stood still for a long time,and then sang that song.
"Soon a great white Beaver--white as the snows of winter--came to him and asked:
'Why do you sing that song,my brother?
What do you want of me?I have never heard a man sing that song before.You must be in trouble.'
"'I am the Unlucky-one,'the young-man replied.'I can do nothing well.I can find no woman who will marry me.In the hunt my bow will often break or my lance is poor.
My medicine is bad and I cannot dream.
The people do not love me,and they pity me as they do a sick child.'
"'I am sorry for you,'said the white Beaver --chief of all the Beavers in the world--'but you must find my brother the Coyote,who knows where OLD-man's lodge is.The Coyote will do your bidding if you sing that song when you see him.Take this stick with you,because you will have a long journey,and with the stick you may cross any river and not drown,if you keep it always in your hand.
That is all I can do for you,myself.'
"On down the river the Unlucky-one travelled and the sun was low in the west on the fourth day,when he saw the Coyote on a hillside near by.After looking at Coyote for a long time,the young-man commenced to sing the song the old woman had taught him.When he had finished the singing,the Coyote came up close and asked:
"'What is the matter?Why do you sing that song?I never heard a man sing it be-fore.What is it you want of me?'
"Then the Unlucky-one told the Coyote what he had told the white Beaver,and showed the stick the Beaver-chief had given him,to prove it.
"'I am hungry,too,'said the Unlucky-one,'for I have eaten all the dried meat the old woman gave me.'
"'Wait here,'said the Coyote,'my brother the Wolf has just killed a fat Doe,and per-haps he will give me a little of the meat when I tell him about you and your troubles.'
"Away went the Coyote to beg for meat,and while he was gone the young-man bathed his tired feet in a cool creek.Soon the Coyote came back with meat,and young-man built a fire and ate some of it,even before it was warm,for he was starving.When he had finished the Coyote said:
"'Now I shall take you to OLD-man's lodge,come.'
