[Footnote: The reader of Rabelais cannot fail to recall
here the remarks of the author as to the extraordinary manner in which
it pleased the giant Gargantua to come into the world. The Armenians
believe that Christ was born through the right side of the Virgin. The
Buddhists say the same of Buddha's birth. (Heth and Moab, London,
1883.) Another and as I believe the correct account declares that
Malsum the Wolf was born from his mother's armpit.] And as they planned
it so it came to pass. Glooskap as first came quietly to light, while
Malsumsis kept his word, killing his mother.
The two grew up together, and one day the younger, who knew that both
had charmed lives, asked the elder what would kill him, Glooskap. Now
each had his own secret as to this, and Glooskap, remembering how
wantonly Malsumsis had slain their mother, thought it would be
misplaced confidence to trust his life to one so fond of death, while
it might prove to be well to know the bane of the other. So they agreed
to exchange secrets, and Glooskap, to test his brother, told him that
the only way in which he himself could be slain was by the stroke of an
owl's feather, [Footnote: There are different readings of this
incident. In Mr. Band's manuscript the alleged means of Glooskap's
death is described as being a cat-tail flag (_haw-kwee-usqu'_,
Passamaquoddy), while a handful of bird's down is the bane of Malsum
the Wolf.
Pages:
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37