Whereupon he, with his knife, slew the young men, and
being in great fear of their friends took his canoe and went down the
river to kill a deer. But not daring to return, and being mad for loss
of the Weasels, and fearing to fall into the hands of the enemy, he in
despair took his knife and killed himself.
Yet the Weasels, who had seen the deed done, did not betray him, for
there was at least so much truth left in them. And they lived with the
Sea-Ducks, and I doubt me not went on marrying and mischief-making
after their wont even unto the end of their days. And their kind are
not dead as yet in any land.
* * * * *
This is a fair specimen of many Indian legends. So much of it as is
Micmac was told to Mr. Rand by a highly intelligent Indian, named
Benjamin Brooks, who was certain that the story was of great antiquity.
As I at first heard it, it was limited to the adventure with the Stars,
but I was told that this formed only a part of an extremely long
narrative. It consists, in fact, of different parts of other tales
connected, and I doubt not that there is much more of it. It cannot
escape the reader versed in fairy-lore that the incident of the
water-maiden captured by her clothes is common to all European nations,
but that it is especially Norse; while the adventures of the Wolverine,
and indeed his whole character, are strangely suggestive of Loki, the
Spirit of mere Mischief, who becomes evil.
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