“When Nanahboozhoo at length got his hand free and came down he found nothing left of his feast but the skull of the bear.  He was very angry, not only at the wolves that had eaten his feast but also at the trees that had held him, the great Nanahboozhoo, in so tight a grip.  As the wolves had run away he could not, at present, punish them, but he resolved that he would so punish these great birch trees that they would never give him such a squeeze again.  So he prepared a great whip and with it he severely thrashed the trees.  Up to this time the birch had been the most beautiful of trees.  Its great trunk was of the purest white, without any blemish or blotch upon it.  But ever since the thrashing Nanahboozhoo gave it it has had to carry the marks of that terrible whipping; and that is why the white birch tree is so covered with scars.

“When Nanahboozhoo had ceased thrashing the trees he found himself so very hungry that he resolved to eat the brains that were in the head of the bear, that had been overlooked by the wolves.  However, he found the skull very hard.  So he transformed himself into a little snake, and in this way got inside of the bear’s skull and enjoyed his feast.  In fact he enjoyed it too much, for when he was through with his eating he could not get out of the skull, he was so full.  However, he was able to roll along, skull and all, but as he could not see where he was going he bumped along in a very erratic manner until at length he tumbled into a big lake and sank at first deep down under the waves.

“When he came up to the surface he just put a part of the head of the bear out of the water, as does the bear when swimming.  Then he listened intently.  It was not long before Nanahboozhoo heard voices saying: 

“’Look!  There is a bear swimming.  Let us kill him.”

“So there was a chase on the lake, and it was not long before the Indians came up, in their canoe, and one of them with his stone ax struck the bear’s head such a blow that he split open the skull.

“This just suited Nanahboozhoo, and instantly he sprang out and made for the shore.

“Then Nanahboozhoo journeyed on and again he began to feel very hungry.  The brains of the bear were not much to one who had had his mind set on eating the whole carcass.  It was not long before he met the raccoon awkwardly carrying a birch rogan that he had stolen from a couple of blind men.  Seeing the merry smile on the raccoon’s face, Nanahboozhoo bade him a good day, and asked him what was amusing him.

“The raccoon, who did not know that it was Nanahboozhoo with whom he was talking, told him how he obtained the dish.  When Nanahboozhoo heard this he was very angry at the raccoon for his heartless trick.