“It seems that there was quite a large settlement of people who had among them a couple of blind men.  As these Indians were hunters they had to be on the move a good deal of the time following the game.  As the other people were kind-hearted, instead of killing these old blind men, now that they were unable to hunt, they arranged for them a wigwam in a safe, quiet place, near the lake.  Then they gave them a kettle and bowl and other necessary things and cut a large pile of wood and placed it close at hand.  In order that they might be able to get water for their cooking and yet not stumble into the water their friends fastened a rope, for their guidance, from the door of the wigwam to a post on the edge of the lake.

“The old men were now quite comfortable.  Their friends came frequently with abundant supplies of food and the blind men were able to do their own work and were happy together.  They divided the day’s work so that one day one would be the cook while the other would bring in the wood and go for the water.  Next day they would change about.  It gave each enough to do, and not too much.

“For a long time the two men lived contented and happy.  But it happened that one day the raccoon was out prowling along the shore, looking for something to eat, when he happened to find the end of the rope that was tied to the post at the water’s edge.

“Now you must know,” said Souwanas, “that, next to the wolverine, the raccoon is the biggest mischief in the woods.  He is full of tricks, but he is very cunning and suspicious.  So before he interfered with the rope he cautiously followed it up and found that its other end was at the wigwam of these two old blind men.  Hearing no noise, he cautiously peered into the wigwam and saw them both sleeping near the fire.  There was a smell of something good to eat, and the raccoon decided to wait around to see if he could not get hold of it.

“While he was thus waiting the old men woke up, and one said to the other, ‘My brother, I am feeling hungry; let us prepare our dinner.’

“‘Very well,’ said the other; ’it is your turn to go to the lake for water while I make the fire.’

“When the raccoon heard this he ran down to the lake and quickly untied the rope from the stake and, drawing it back, tied it to a clump of bushes on the land.  When the old man with the kettle felt his way along the rope until he reached its end he tried to dip up the water as usual, but all in vain.  There was nothing but the dry earth and bushes.  Not finding any water he returned to his brother with the sad news that the lake had dried up, and that already bushes were growing where yesterday there was plenty of water.  When his brother heard this doleful story he laughed at it, and said: 

“’Why, that cannot be possible.  No bushes could grow up in such a short time.’

“However his brother declared it was the case, and so the other one said, ‘Well, let me go, and see if I can find some water.’