So he shaken hands witt is nuncel
kick hororch good by do him. Tell is uncle you--I shall not be kill and
I am going Lever (to live)--we may meet again."] And they seized him
and threw him into a great fire, but he turned over and went to sleep
in it, being very lazy; and when the fire had burnt out he awoke, and
called for more wood, because it was a cold night.
Then they seized him yet again, and spoke of drowning. But, hearing
this, he, as if he were in mortal dread, begged them not to do this
thing. And he said they might cut him to pieces, or burn him, as they
would, but not to throw him into the water. [Footnote: This in the
original is extremely like Brer Rabbit's prayer not to be thrown into
the brier-bush. As this legend is one of the oldest of the Algonquin,
and certainly antedating the coming of the whites, I give it the
priority over the negro.] Therefore they resolved to do so, and dragged
him on. Then he screamed horribly and fought lustily, and tore up trees
and roots and rocks like a madman; but they took him into a canoe and
paddled out into the middle of the lake (or to the sea), and, throwing
him in, watched him sink as he vanished far down below. So they thought
him dead, and returned rejoicing.
Now the next day at noon there was a hot sunshine, and something was
seen basking on a great rock, about a mile out in the lake.
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