“Yes, but, mismis” (grandfather, Minnehaha’s pet name for Souwanas), “you surely know a nice story in which Nanahboozhoo helped some one without getting into trouble himself.”

“Of course I do, my grandchild,” said the old man, “and I know you will be pleased with it.

“My story is about a lovely Indian maiden who was bothered by a cruel hunter.  He was determined that she should marry him, although she did not like him, and Nanahboozhoo came to her rescue.

“The maiden’s name was Waubenoo.  She had the misfortune to lose both her father and mother when she was about eighteen years old.  There were four children, all much younger than she, left in her sole care.  They had no uncles or aunts, or other relatives, near, to take care of them, and so Waubenoo had to hunt and fish to get food for her little brothers and sisters.  Fortunately her father had left a number of good traps and nets, and plenty of twine for snares, and so the industrious girl got on fairly well.  The great lake near her wigwam was well supplied with fish, and the forests all round had in them many rabbits and partridges and other small game.  When great storms arose on the big lake, and Waubenoo could not go out alone in her birch bark canoe to visit her nets, some of the Indians, who were pleased to see how kind and industrious she was, would overhaul her nets and bring in what fish were caught.  Thus she toiled on, and with the assistance of these kind Indians she did very nicely.  Her little brothers and sisters loved her dearly, and did what they could to help in the simpler and easier part of the work.  Every decent person among the Indians was pleased with her industrious habits, and often, in their quiet way, had some cheery words of encouragement for her.

“But there was one exception, and this was a selfish Indian hunter who, seeing what a fine-looking, strong woman she had become, and so clever in her work with both nets and traps, resolved that she should be his wife, to work for him and do his bidding.  This man had been married before and, if the reports were true which had been told, it was likely that his wife had died because of his cruelties to her.  So he resolved, in his selfishness, to take Waubenoo from caring for her brothers and sisters to be his wife, and to hunt and fish for him, that he might live a life of idleness.

“Her parents being dead this selfish young Indian did not have to go to her father to buy her to be his wife.  All he thought he had to do was to go and tell her she had to be his wife and come and do as he commanded her.  So harsh and cold were his words, and so very rough and forbidding his looks, that, while Waubenoo was frightened, she was grave and high spirited enough to indignantly refuse his request, and to order him never to trouble her again.

“This, of course, made him very angry.  He refused to go, and continued to insist on her going with him.

“Fearing that he might revenge himself upon her by doing her or the children some harm, she told him that it was her duty to stay with the little ones whom the death of the parents had left in her care; that they might perish if she now left them.