At first it was difficult for them to
recognize the staid little gentleman in his full suit of broadcloth as the
lively but generally ill-clothed Kinnesasis. The visitors--who quickly saw
and were delighted with the transformation--greeted him as though he were
some distinguished stranger. This vastly amused the children. Screaming
with laughter at Kinnesasis's pretense of keeping up the farce, they
shouted out, "Why, this is only our dear old Kinnesasis. He is no great
stranger. It is only Kinnesasis with his new clothes."
"Well," then was asked, "who is that charming old lady over there with such
a fine shawl and brilliant handkerchief on, and such fancy new shoes on her
feet? Surely she is a stranger."
"No! No!" the children again shouted. "Why, that is Kinnesasis's wife, with
her new presents on! My! doesn't she look nice!"
Here the little ones seized hold of the happy old Indian woman and made her
get up and show herself off in her new apparel, of which she was just as
proud as Kinnesasis.
"And she gave us such a jolly dance in them, papa! Wouldn't you like to see
her do it again?" cried Minnehaha.
But here Kinnesasis, pretending to be shocked beyond measure, in a most
diplomatic manner directed the attention of the parents to some other
matter, and so the mischievous child did not succeed in making a church
scandal by inducing one of the flock to dance before the missionary.
"Tell us, Kinnesasis," said Sagastao, "how it was that that old man and his
daughters first obtained the fire which Nanahboozhoo so cleverly stole from
them and gave to the Indians long ago.
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