Before
he left he made her promise that she would not leave the wigwam until his
return.
"The woman, as soon as she was sure that her husband was really gone,
picked up the marten. On examining it she was convinced that it was not
dead, only knocked senseless by the falling log, so she rubbed it, and
breathed into its nostrils, and then with a reed blew air into its lungs.
"Sure enough, the life was in it, and the first sign it gave was a big
sneeze or two. At this the woman wrapped it up in a warm covering and held
it until it was well again. The marten, of course, was very much frightened
when it found itself in the hands of a woman. It was about to struggle to
get free, when the woman spoke to it in its own language. At this it was
very much surprised, and more so when the woman told it how she had given
it back its life, and that now in return it must do what she desired.
"Any animal or human being would be willing to promise as much when its
life had been thus restored to it.
"'I will do anything I can for you,' said the marten.
"'I want you to go to your king marten,' said the woman, 'and tell him that
a beautiful lady has heard so many wonderful things about him that she is
very anxious to have a visit from him.'
"This the marten promised to do, and it was not very long before the king
marten came. Of course he had to be very cautious, as he had been warned of
the many who were watching the silly woman.
Pages:
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188