Far before men knew themselves, in the light before
the sun, Glooskap and his brother were as yet unborn; they waited for
the day to appear. Then they talked together, and the youngest said,
"Why should I wait? I will go into the world and begin my life at
once." Then the elder said, "Not so, for this were a great evil." But
the younger gave no heed to any wisdom: in his wickedness he broke
through his mother's side, he rent the wall; his beginning of life was
his mother's death.
Now, in after years, the younger brother would learn in what lay the
secret of the elder's death. And Glooskap, being crafty, told the truth
and yet lied; for his name was the Liar, yet did he never lie for evil
or aught to harm. So he told his brother that the blow of a ball, or
handful of the down of feathers, would take away his life; and this was
true, for it would stun him, but it would not prevent his returning to
life. Then Glooskap asked the younger for his own secret. And he, being
determined to give the elder no time, answered truly and fearlessly, "I
can only be slain by the stroke of a cat-tail or bulrush."
And then the younger, having gathered the down of bird's feathers,
struck the elder, so that he fell dead, and therein he told the truth.
But he soon recovered, and in that was his deceit. Howbeit it was well
for the world and well for him that he then gathered bulrushes and
smote his younger brother, so that he died.
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