Sagastao and Minnehaha, while of course pleased to see the love of the old chief for their sweet little sister, were sometimes a little impatient when they found that he would have his hour with her before they could draw a Nanahboozhoo story out of him.

“You are all right,” he would say in his dry, humorous way, “as far as you go; you are only Crees,” he would add with a smile, referring to the fact that they had been born among the Cree Indians farther north; “but Souwanaquenapeke is better, as she is a pure Saulteaux.”

This of course would put Sagastao and Minnehaha on the defensive, for in those days their own pride of birth was that they were Cree Indians.  Faithful old Mary, herself a Cree, would of course take their part, and it was very amusing—­laughable at times—­to listen to the wordy strife.  In these discussions Mary was always the one to first lose her temper.  When this happened the penalty was to have the children throw a shawl over her head and thus silence her.  From their loving hands she quietly took her punishment and was soon restored to good nature.  Good-hearted Souwanas then speedily responded to the call for a story.  But the little Souwanaquenapeke must be, if awake, in his arms, or, if asleep, in a little hammock or native cradle beside him.

“What is it to be about to-day?” asked the old man, as the children, full of eager anticipation, drew a couple of chairs up before him.

After some discussion Souwanas decided to tell them the Nanahboozhoo story of how he lessened the power of the rattlesnakes to do harm.

“Nanahboozhoo, in starting off one day from his grandmother’s wigwam, had put on the disguise of a fine young hunter.  He had not gone many miles on his journey before he came to a little tent on the edge of the forest where he found a young Indian mother full of grief over her sick child.  Nanahboozhoo could not but feel very sorry for her, especially when he heard her story that a snake had crawled noiselessly into her tent and had bitten her little girl while she slept.  Nanahboozhoo felt such pity, both for the weeping mother and the bitten child, that at once he set to work to counteract the sad doings of the snake.  He hurriedly went into the forest, and there finding a certain plant he said, ’From this day forward the root of this plant shall be a remedy for all people against the bites of snakes.’

“Then Nanahboozhoo showed the mother that the roots were to be pounded and made into a drink and a poultice.  The glad mother quickly carried out his instructions and the little girl was soon well again.  The Indians have ever since been very thankful to Nanahboozhoo for letting them know of this plant, which they still use for such purposes and which they call snakeroot.  Nanahboozhoo remained until he saw that the little girl was quite recovered.  Then he said: 

“’Now I will fix that snake so that he will not be able to do so much harm in the future.’