"You must all close your ears, so that you can hear nothing. When the
time is over you may return."
The man's name was Oscoon. [Footnote: Oscoon (M.): the Liver.] He led
the people away. He closed their ears; he did not close his own. Once
he heard-a far-away whoop. It was not very terrible. But he said
nothing. After a time, the scouts who were sent out returned. They
reported that the Kookwes had departed. They had not even seen him. It
was a great escape.
The people thought much of Oscoon. They made him their chief. In a few
days the Fish-Hawk returned. He spoke to Oscoon: "Did the giant come?"
"He did." "You escaped?" "By following your advice, we did." "And in
which direction did he go?" [Footnote: Here the Fish-Hawk inadvertently
betrays himself. In the Edda, Loki changes himself into a falcon and
flies to Jotunheim to make mischief, as usual. Odin also changes
himself to a hawk or eagle when he is chased by the giant Suttung.
There is a strong Norse color to all this tale. The Fish-Hawk is very
Loki-like and tricky.] "Surely you, who know so much about him, must
know that better than we do." Then the Fish-Hawk saw that he was found
out. He flew away, and never returned to the town to play the prophet.
He who would cheat must watch his words well.
As in the preceding tradition, there has been tacked to this a fragment
of a very poor French tale about a king, a great city, a royal
carriage, and the forest of wild beasts, borrowed from so many old
European romances.
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