this story, as in that of Balder and Loki, it is the very apparent
harmlessness of the bane which points the incident. Manobozho's father
_says_ that a black rock will kill him; but it does not, although
he flies before it. Glooskap declares that a handful of down will cause
his death. The _double entendre_ of the swoon is entirely wanting
in the Western tale, as is the apparent harmlessness of the medium of
death. In the Edda the mistletoe, the softest, and apparently the least
injurious, of plants, kills Balder; in the Wabanaki tale it is a ball of
down or a rush. The Chippewas change it, like savages, to a substantial
root and a black rock, thereby manifesting an insensibility to the point
of the original, which is that the most trifling thing may be the cause
of the most terrible events.




_How Glooskap changed Certain Saucy Indians into Rattlesnakes_

(Passamaquoddy.)


You know At-o-sis, the Snake? Well, the worst of all is Rattlesnake.
Long time ago the Rattlesnakes were saucy Indians. They were very
saucy. They had too much face. They could not be put down by much, and
they got up for very little.

When the great Flood was coming Glooskap told them about it. They said
they did not care. He told them the water would come over their heads.
They said that would be very wet. He told them to be good and quiet,
and pray. Then those Indians hurrahed. He said, "A great Flood is