“Be quiet, and do not interrupt Souwanas,” said Minnehaha, who often felt called upon to restrain her brother’s impulsiveness.

“Of course,” Souwanas continued, “Gray Wolf had so suffered that he had very little to say, and if ever teased about Waubenoo he fell into a great passion.

“Waubenoo herself was too sensible to gratify their idle curiosity, but the very return of her brightness, and her unwillingness to talk about the matter, only added to the foolish desires of outsiders to find out what had really occurred.  So some of these naughty busybodies began questioning the children when they could get them away from Waubenoo, for in her presence they were as mute as she was.  They pestered and bothered the children and tried in various ways before they succeeded.  But one day, while Waubenoo was away overhauling her traps, some of those wicked meddlers visited her wigwam and succeeded in getting one of the smallest ones—­I just forget now whether it was a boy or a girl.”

“A girl, of course,” shouted Sagastao.

“No, indeed; I am sure it was a naughty boy,” said Minnehaha.

“Well, no matter which; but one of them said:  ‘Nanahboozhoo!’

“This one word, Nanahboozhoo, was quite enough to startle and alarm them, for Nanahboozhoo was also much feared, as he sometimes did dreadful things.

“The fact that Nanahboozhoo had been in their very midst, although they were a long time in hearing anything more than the one word from the now frightened children, was quite enough to excite the whole village, for the news was soon spread abroad by the tattlers.

“Such busybodies could not be satisfied with only hearing that Nanahboozhoo had visited the wigwam of Waubenoo.  Of course they wanted to hear about what he said and did, and I am sorry to have to say that after a while, with coaxing and presents, they managed to get from the children the whole delightfully exciting story.

“When Gray Wolf, who was so jeered and laughed at by all who dare, heard from the gossipers how it had happened that he had received such a thrashing he was doubly wild and furious.

“When Waubenoo found out that all was known about how Nanahboozhoo had helped her she was very sorry that her little brothers and sisters had been so naughty and disobedient.  She also knew that now she would have to be more careful than ever against the movements of Gray Wolf.  But the fact was that he had been so cowed by his beating that he was afraid to openly attack her, lest she should get Nanahboozhoo to help her again and it might be worse for him than it was at his first meeting.  But he treasured up revengeful feelings in his heart and resolved that at some time or other he would dreadfully punish her.

“Some years passed by, and the older children, next to Waubenoo, were able to do most of the hunting and fishing as well as to be on guard against any of the evil doings of Gray Wolf.  Thus they were able, in a measure, to repay their sister, whom they dearly loved, although they were so thoughtless, for all her great kindness to them.