It
rose; it was an awful sight,--a kind of monstrous head, with great
forked horns and terrible eyes. She was stiff as a stone with fear. The
lost gun lay crosswise on the prongs of the horns. It moved slowly on
through the eddy, glaring at her. It came nearer and nearer; the gun
was within her reach, but she was too frightened to touch it. Then the
monster passed by and sank into the water, and was seen no more, nor
was the gun.
They got her back with trouble from the place where she sat. The
_m'teoulin_ was furious with rage at her, that he had taken such
pains for nothing. He said, "This serves you right for your impudence
and forwardness. Learn your proper place, and never undertake to do
what is none of your business." He then condoled with the husband, but
said, "If you could give me all you could think of, I could never get
your gun again."
By this women may learn not to speak too quickly, or propose to do
men's duties, "_Hu 'sami n'zama wiuch wee lel n'aga samee n'gamma
wiool petin'l._" (P. "Too quick with the tongue, slow with the hands.")
[Footnote: Though the Weewillmekq' is a worm inhabiting the forest and
found in dry wood, it is certainly identified, or confused, by the
Passamaquoddy Indians with the alligator, or some kind of a horrible
water-goblin, which appears to have many points in common with the
_Chepitchcalm,_ or dragon of the Micmacs.
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