_How Glooskap made the Elves and Fairies, and then Man of an Ash
Tree, and last of all, Beasts, and of his Coming at the Last Day._
(Passamaquoddy.)
Glooskap came first of all into this country, into Nova Scotia, Maine,
Canada, into the land of the Wabanaki, next to sunrise. There were no
Indians here then (only wild Indians very far to the west).
First born were the Mikumwess, the Oonabgemessuk, the small Elves,
little men, dwellers in rocks.
And in this way he made Man: He took his bow and arrows and shot at
trees, the basket-trees, the Ash. Then Indians came out of the bark of
the Ash-trees. And then the Mikumwees said ... called tree-man....
[Footnote: The relater, an old woman, was quite unintelligible at this
point.]
Glooskap made all the animals. He made them at first very large. Then
he said to Moose, the great Moose who was as tall as Ketawkqu's,
[Footnote: A giant, high as the tallest pines, or as the clouds.] "What
would you do should you see an Indian coming?" Moose replied, "I would
tear down the trees on him." Then Glooskap saw that the Moose was too
strong, and made him smaller, so that Indians could kill him.
Then he said to the Squirrel, who was of the size of a Wolf, "What
would you do if you should meet an Indian?" And the Squirrel answered,
"I would scratch down trees on him." Then Glooskap said, "You also are
too strong," and he made him little.
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