“’My father and mother and the rest of the family will soon be returning to the wigwam, tired and hungry, and the best thing I can do will be to have a good dinner ready for them all.’  So, only taking time to comb and brush her luxuriant hair and make herself neat and tidy for her work, she set about cooking the meal.  She skillfully prepared venison and bear’s meat, and the finest of fish.

“Hardly had she finished her work and seen everything nicely cooked before she heard the happy shoutings of her younger brothers, and the sweet birdcalls of her little sisters.

“As Omemee and her sister Misticoosis hurried out to greet them they were surprised to see the handsome stranger gliding along in his beautiful canoe alongside of the larger one of the family.  Of course, the sight of their lover excited the two girls.  Misticoosis, who had spent all the hours in arraying herself in her finery and adornment, boldly thrust herself to the front, and crowded out the modest Omemee, who was flushed by the busy work of cooking the dinner, and was wisely dressed in a costume which harmonized with her face and with the work in which she had been engaged so industriously.

“The instant the handsome young Indian landed—­fancy the amazement of the two girls to notice that he had on his feet the same beautiful moccasins that, not many hours before, Omemee had given to the aged feeble man!  Before anyone could utter a word he came striding up to the girls, and said: 

“’As an old, weary man, I came to your wigwam a few hours ago.  Misticoosis gave me nothing but abuse, yet my only crime was that I was old.  Her tongue went on and on without stopping, and all of her words were words of abuse for the old man and anger that he should have been left to live so long.  But Omemee, kind-hearted Omemee, pitied the poor old man.  She made him sit down on a couch of deerskins, that he might rest his tired limbs.  She built a fire and warmed him.  She took of the best of the venison, and made him food and drink, and then ere he left she put on his feet the most beautiful of her moccasins.  All her gifts to the unknown old man were the best she had.

“’See the beautiful moccasins, the gift of Omemee!

“’I was that old man—­I am now the lover long seeking a bride.  I have made my choice.  Two beautiful maidens for a time divided my heart.  There is no division now.  By testing them I have found out that only one is lovely within.

“’That no man may have to put up through life with the unceasing clatter of the tongue of Misticoosis, she will be from this time the unbeautiful aspen tree, while her tongue shall be the leaves that will never again be still even in the gentlest breeze.  The leaves of other trees shall rest at times, but the aspen leaves, now the tongue of Misticoosis, shall ever be restless and unquiet.’

“And even while he was speaking, Misticoosis, who was amazed and ashamed at the words he spoke, became rooted to the ground, and gradually turned into an aspen tree.