“But nothing would turn away his anger, and if it had not happened just then that some friendly Indians came along he would have cruelly beaten her.  Before them he durst not strike her, and so, muttering some threats, he sulkily strode away into the forest.

“Poor Waubenoo was now sadly troubled.  Lighthearted and free, she had cheerfully worked and toiled for her loved ones, but now here comes this cruel, fierce-looking man, whom she could only look on with fear and dread, and threatens to drag her away from them all.  Gray Wolf, for that was his name, had a bad reputation among the Indians.  The young men shunned him and the maidens took good care to be out of the way when he was around.  That he would persist in his attempts to get Waubenoo all were convinced, but that he should succeed no one desired.  Still, while Indian ideas on some of these things are so peculiar that no one seemed disposed to interfere, at the same time some of them were generally on the lookout for her protection.  As for brave Waubenoo, while certain that he would still trouble her, she was resolved never to submit to him.

“Thus the weeks rolled on, with Gray Wolf looking for some opportunity to carry her off, and making several attempts to do so, which Waubenoo, ever alert and watchful, succeeded in preventing.

“At length his persistent attempts became so annoying that she was obliged to neglect much of her work in order to keep on her guard.  Food was getting scarce because she dared not now go far from her wigwam to hunt for the partridges and rabbits and other small creatures she was so clever in snaring.

“At length she resolved to go to Nanahboozhoo and seek his aid in getting rid of this troublesome fellow.  When Nanahboozhoo heard her sad story he became very angry.  He was indignant that such a commendable maiden, one who had been so kind to her little brothers and sisters, should be bothered by a big, selfish, lazy fellow who only wanted her because she was so industrious and so clever at her work.

“Nanahboozhoo had heard much about her kindly treatment of the children, and of her skill in providing for their wants, so he lost no time in going back with her to her wigwam.  At first the younger children were much afraid of him, as they, like all other Indian children, had heard such wonderful tales about him.  But he was in such a jolly good humor that day, and was so delighted with everything he saw about Waubenoo’s wigwam and with the proofs of her industry that he soon made friends with all the children.  How to go to work to give Gray Wolf such a lesson that he would never trouble them any more he hardly knew at first.  However, he had not been there many hours before he had to come to a decision, for one of the little children came rushing into the wigwam with the terrible news that Gray Wolf, carrying a big dog whip and looking very angry, was coming along the trail.  Nanahboozhoo only laughed when he heard this, and he very quickly decided what to do.  ‘Sit down there,’ he said to Waubenoo, ’in that dark side of the wigwam, with a blanket over your head, and keep perfectly still until I call you; and you, children, must keep quiet.  Do not be frightened or say a word, no matter what happens.’