"One old catfish who had been the leader because he could tell the
biggest tales and hide under the mud quicker than any of the others
finally said: 'We are the best fish in the water, as you all know, so
I think it will be a good plan to fight everything that comes near the
water from the land!'

"'Shall we fight the big hawk who wades in the water and catches some of
us?' asked a little kitten fish.

[Illustration]

"'Kitten fish should be seen and not heard!' the old chief catfish
answered quickly. I do not believe we should harm the hawk. He is not
large enough. I was thinking of the large beast who comes wading along
the shores and eats the grasses that grow beneath the surface. You know
he has to raise his head every once-in-a-while in order to breathe, so
if we should all hang on to him we could pull him under the water.'

"So the catfish, although they were so frightened that their fins grew
stiff, decided that they would follow their chief, for they expected he
would be the first to hide under the mud when the big beast came.

"Finally old Omasko, the elk, came down to the river to feed, and the
old chief catfish swam out and pulled on Omasko's whiskers, and all the
other catfish cried: 'See how brave and fearless the mighty catfish
are!' and they all swam out and pulled Omasko's whiskers, too. This made
Omasko very angry, for he never harmed any fish in his life.

"He began jumping and pawing with his heavy hoofs, and smashed all the