naughty children not holding their tongues, Waubenoo was turned into the
Whisky Jack.

What the little children overheard had very much excited their curiosity,
and so when Mary was putting them to bed they demanded from her the full
story.

As this was one of the Saulteaux Indian legends, while Mary was a Cree, she
was not familiar with it. She told the children that she knew nothing about
it, but this by no means set their curiosity at rest.




CHAPTER IV.


The Love Story of Wakontas--His Test of the Two
Maidens--His Choice--The Transformation of Misticoosis.

A few days later Mary was annoyed by having the children tell her frankly
that they did not think she was a first-class story-teller. For if she had
been she ought to have been able to answer Minnehaha's question about what
Nanahboozhoo did to Maheigan when he tried to catch Waubenoo.

Mary was vexed at herself that she was unable to answer the question, for
she well knew that the children would not rest satisfied until they had the
story told them by some one, possibly Souwanas himself. Indeed, knowing
them so well, she had fully resolved to post herself from one of the noted
story-tellers who have all the Indian legends at their tongue tips. But as