The otter at once made the attempt, but after a while he came up
to the surface apparently quite dead. Nanahboozhoo reached out and lifted
him in and placed him in a sunny spot on the raft. Then the beaver tried.
He took a great header and down he dived, resolved to succeed if possible,
but after a time even he came up apparently as lifeless as the otter.
Nanahboozhoo lifted his body up out of the water and laid it in the sun by
the side of the otter. The muskrat next volunteered to try what he could
do, so down he dived and, after a much longer time than the others had been
down, he too floated up senseless and cold. Nanahboozhoo took him up, and
as he did so he noticed that there was earth in his mouth and on his paws.
He carefully collected this in his hand, and then placed the body of the
muskrat beside the otter and the beaver. He then blew upon the earth and
thus made it dry and porous, so that when it was placed in the water it
would not sink but float. He then put a lively little mouse upon it, which
by running round and round upon the earth made it grow larger and larger.
Nanahboozhoo then put a squirrel upon it for the same object. Then the
marten and mink--for the new earth was now so extended that it could hold
up these light animals.
"For a time Nanahboozhoo had to guard the now rapidly growing young world
from the larger animals with a stick, for fear they would sink it. They
were all very tired of having to remain huddled together so long on the
raft, and were eager to follow the smaller creatures that seemed so happy
on the new earth, even if it were not very large as yet.
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