So some of these naughty busybodies began questioning the
children when they could get them away from Waubenoo, for in her presence
they were as mute as she was. They pestered and bothered the children and
tried in various ways before they succeeded. But one day, while Waubenoo
was away overhauling her traps, some of those wicked meddlers visited her
wigwam and succeeded in getting one of the smallest ones--I just forget now
whether it was a boy or a girl."
"A girl, of course," shouted Sagastao.
"No, indeed; I am sure it was a naughty boy," said Minnehaha.
"Well, no matter which; but one of them said: 'Nanahboozhoo!'
"This one word, Nanahboozhoo, was quite enough to startle and alarm them,
for Nanahboozhoo was also much feared, as he sometimes did dreadful things.
"The fact that Nanahboozhoo had been in their very midst, although they
were a long time in hearing anything more than the one word from the now
frightened children, was quite enough to excite the whole village, for the
news was soon spread abroad by the tattlers.
"Such busybodies could not be satisfied with only hearing that Nanahboozhoo
had visited the wigwam of Waubenoo. Of course they wanted to hear about
what he said and did, and I am sorry to have to say that after a while,
with coaxing and presents, they managed to get from the children the whole
delightfully exciting story.
"When Gray Wolf, who was so jeered and laughed at by all who dare, heard
from the gossipers how it had happened that he had received such a
thrashing he was doubly wild and furious.
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