Then soon they began to eat the flesh of the animals,
and presently they found that they preferred the meat thus obtained to the
fruits and vegetables of the earth.
"Formerly they had made their garments out of the fiber of the trees and
plants, which the women carefully prepared and wove; but after a while they
discovered that the skins of the buffalo and deer and other animals, when
well prepared, made better and more durable garments and wigwams than the
materials they had previously used. As time went on the destruction of
the larger animals increased, and men became so much more cruel than
formerly that even the frogs and worms, that in the earlier days were never
harmed, were now destroyed without mercy, or by sheer carelessness or
contempt. Thus the animals came to be in such a sad plight that it was
resolved by them to call great councils of their members together to
consult upon what could be done for their common safety.
"The bears were the first to assemble. They gathered together on the peak
of a great smoky mountain, which the white men now call Cathedral mountain,
and the great white bear from the Northland was appointed chairman."
[Illustration: "Which the white men now call Cathedral Mountain."]
"Well, that was funny," said Minnehaha. "Just fancy a big white bear
sitting up in a chair! Why, he would need a whole sofa to hold him."
"Don't be silly, child," said the patronizing brother. "It was a bears'
council and, of course, the chairs used were bears' and not men's.
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