"Well," replied Sagastao, "if you will tell us better stories than those
Souwanas can tell us about Nanahboozhoo, all right, we will listen to them.
But, mind you, we are going to hear his Nanahboozhoo stories too."
"O, indeed," said Mary, with a contemptuous toss of her head, "there are
many stories better than those of his old Nanahboozhoo."
"Won't it be fun to see whose stories we like the best, Mary's or
Souwanas's!" said Minnehaha, who foresaw an interesting rivalry.
Mary had now committed herself, and so, almost without realizing what it
would come to, she found herself pitted against Souwanas, the great
story-teller of the tribe. However, being determined that Souwanas should
not rob her of the love of the children, she was tempted to begin her
story-telling even though the children were exhausted, and so it was that
when the lad asked a question Mary was ready.
"Say, Mary," said Sagastao, "the mosquitoes bit us badly to-day. Do you
know why it is that there are such troublesome little things? Is there any
story about them?"
"Yes. Wakonda, one of the strange spirits, sent them," said Mary, "because
a woman was lazy and would not keep the clothes of her husband and children
clean and nice."
"Tell us all about it," they both cried out.
Mary quieted them, and began the story.
"Long ago, when the people all dressed in deerskins, there was a man whose
name was Pug-a-mah-kon. He was an industrious fellow, and had often to work
a good deal in dirty places.
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