As he wandered on he saw an
object moving toward him. He had not long to wait before he saw that this
object was a great black bear. He pulled up a young tree by the roots and
hid himself, preparing to kill the bear when he should come near. When the
bear came near Nanahboozhoo made a big jump out of his hiding place and
killed the bear with one blow. Then he built a big fire, and having singed
all the hair off the bear he cut him up and nicely roasted him. When the
meat was cooked Nanahboozhoo cut it up into fine pieces, for he intended to
enjoy his feast by eating leisurely.
"While he was thus busy preparing his feast he was annoyed by a strange
sound among the tree tops that rubbed together when the wind blew.
Nanahboozhoo was very quick-tempered, and as the noise continued he
determined to stop it. So he left his feast on the ground and climbed away
up one of those trees to the spot where the other pressed against it. He
was endeavoring to pull the two great trees apart when one of his hands got
caught between them and was firmly held. While struggling to get loose he
heard a pack of wolves running toward his bear meat. This made him struggle
the harder to get his hand free. The fierce wolves soon scented the food
and had a good time devouring it, in spite of the shoutings of
Nanahboozhoo.
"When Nanahboozhoo at length got his hand free and came down he found
nothing left of his feast but the skull of the bear. He was very angry, not
only at the wolves that had eaten his feast but also at the trees that had
held him, the great Nanahboozhoo, in so tight a grip.
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