Passing there before a cabin (_goatte_),
With a single kick while running
He upset the boiling kettle,
So that all the meat went rolling,
Rolling ruined in the ashes,
And the soup upon the hearth-stone."
This is, in both cases, the very first act of an animal, created and
living only for mischief, on coming to a magic or artificial life.
The legends of Finland and Lapland are as important as the Norse to
explain the origin of our Indian mythology.
_How Lox came to Grief by trying to catch a Salmon._
(Passamaquoddy.)
Kusk, the Crane, had two brothers. One of these was Lox, the Wolverine,
or Indian Devil. And his other brother was Koskomines, the Blue Jay.
Kusk was very lazy, and one day, being hungry, thought he would go and
get a dinner from Lox. Lox served him a kind of pudding-soup in a
broad, flat platter. Poor Kusk could hardly get a mouthful, while Lox
hipped it all up with ease.
Soon after, Kusk made a fine soup, and invited Lox to dinner. This he
served up in a jug, a long cylinder. None of it had Lox. Kusk ate it
all.
The next day the pair went to dine with Blue Jay. Blue Jay said, "Wait
till I get our food." Then he ran out on a bough of a tree which spread
over a river, and in a minute fished out a large salmon. "Truly,"
thought Lox, "that is easy to do, and I can do it."
So the next day he invited the Blue Jay and Crane to feed with him.
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