At this Nanahboozhoo with a mighty effort plunged his knife
with all his power deep into the monster's heart.
"The instant he did this Mooshekinnebik was thrown into a number of mighty
convulsions, and in one of them, with one tremendous effort, he fairly
threw himself out of the water on the shore, and there he died.
"So great and terrible had been these dying convulsions that all the
creatures inside, and even Nanahboozhoo himself, had become unconscious
from being so knocked about.
"How long they remained so they did not know. Nanahboozhoo was the first to
regain his senses, and he was indeed very sorry to see that all of his
comrades were still unconscious. He had some difficulty in getting out from
under the bodies of his comrades, who were piled up on him. He was glad
that the monster was dead, but he was uncertain whether they were on the
shore or at the bottom of the water. So he speedily determined to find out.
He climbed up over the bodies of his comrades to the place that he thought
was the thinnest, and there, with his keen knife, he began cutting through
the roof of this queer prison.
"To his great delight he was soon able to see the sunshine coming through.
When he had cut a hole big enough to let in some air and sunshine he took
up his magic singing sticks and began singing, for the purpose of reviving
all those imprisoned with him. His song was not much to us, but it was a
great deal to those shut up in such a prison.
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