“Then they had no doctors in those days?” asked Sagastao.

“No; there were no medicine men in those times.  Although there were those skillful to set broken limbs or attend to any who happened to be accidentally wounded, but that was nearly all.  Then all at once these diseases sent by the angry animals began to appear among them, and, of course, there was much alarm.  The people did not know what had brought them, nor how to get rid of them.  Many people were sick and numbers of them died.

“You see, the animals held their councils in secret, and away from the presence of men, and so it would never have been known if the ground squirrel, called by some the chipmunk, had not gone and told all about the councils to the men.  He had always been friendly to the human race.  He had attended a number of the councils and was the only animal that had ventured to say anything in the favor of man.  By doing this he so enraged the other animals that some of them fell upon him with great fury, and would have torn him in pieces if he had not been able to escape into his hole in the ground.  As it was, they so tore and wounded him with their teeth and claws that the stripes remain in his back to this day.

“Well, when he was healed enough to get around again he visited the abodes of the human race and was very sorry to find that the diseases sent by the other angry animals were causing much suffering and many deaths, so he revealed the whole thing to a number of men and told them to be on their guard.  But even this was not sufficient.  It was felt that, now that these diseases were spreading among them, they must have some remedies for the cure of them or they would all soon be destroyed.

“While thus wondering what they should do their little friend the ground squirrel came to their help again.  He went about among the trees and plants, who were always friendly to man, and he told them of the sad calamities that had come to the human race.

“When the trees and plants heard what had been done by the animals to injure and destroy their friends they speedily held councils among themselves and resolved that they would do all they could to overcome the evil.

“First the great trees held their councils, talked over the matter, and decided what they could do in the way of furnishing remedies to cure these diseases that were doing so much injury.  The pine and the spruce and the balsam trees said, ‘We will give of our gums and balsams.’  The slippery elm said it would give of its bark to make the soothing healing drink.  The sassafras said it would give of its roots to make the healthful tea that will bring back health again.  The prickly ash and the sumach and others volunteered their help, and spoke of the wonderful healing power there was in them, if rightly used.

“When the plants came to their council the numbers that wanted to help were very great.  No one was able to keep a record of them and of the healing powers they professed to have.  There was the mandrake, with its May apples, and the wintergreen, with its pretty red berries; the catnip and the bone-set, which are so good for colds; the lobelia, which is such a quick emetic; the spikenard, the peppermint, the snakeroot, sarsaparilla, gentian, wild ginger, raspberry, and scores of others.  All cheerfully offered assistance.