“At length, as they rose up higher and higher in the blue sky, Nanahboozhoo shouted out in his delight as far away in the distance he recognized the wigwam of his grandmother, Nokomis.  Indeed so delighted was he that for a moment he let go his hold on the buzzard and swung up his arms in his excitement.  The treacherous buzzard noticed this, saw it was the opportunity for which he had been watching, and circled round so suddenly that his body was tilted over, and before Nanahboozhoo could regain his grip he slipped off the smooth back and fell like a stone to the ground.  So terrible was the force with which he struck the earth that he was knocked senseless, and lay there for a long time like one dead.

“But, as I have told you, Nanahboozhoo was more than human and nothing could really kill him.  So it happened that after a while he recovered his senses, but he was annoyed, disgusted, that he had allowed the buzzard to play such a mean trick on him.

“Then he prepared to resume his journey, and of course he looked up to see if there were any sign of the buzzard.  He had not far to look, for there, up in the sky, not far off, was the old buzzard laughing at the trick he had played upon Nanahboozhoo, and much pleased with his own cleverness in deceiving one known to be so crafty.

“‘Laugh away, old buzzard,’ said Nanahboozhoo.  ’You have had the best of me this time, but look out!  For I will put a mark upon you for this trick of yours that will enable your friends and your enemies to recognize you both by day and by night.’

“But the buzzard, from his high safe place in the sky, only laughed back in derision, and said: 

“’No, indeed, Nanahboozhoo, you will do nothing of the kind.  You have been deceiving the other creatures, but in me you have found your match.  You cannot deceive me.  And now, especially as you have threatened me, I will always be on the watch for you.’

[Illustration:  “Nanahboozhoo then mounted on the back of the great buzzard.”]

“Nanahboozhoo made no reply to this boastful speech, but he did a lot of thinking, and he soon had his plans laid to teach Mr. Buzzard a lesson he would never forget.

“Resuming his journey he pushed on as though nothing had happened.

“The buzzard was at first suspicious and watched him for some time.  Then seeing nothing unusual in his movements he flew away into the distant sky.

“Nanahboozhoo, in order to carry out his plan to punish the buzzard, resolved to turn himself into a dead deer.  He knew that the buzzard lived on dead animals of all kinds.  He chose a high spot, visible from a great distance, and there he laid himself down and changed himself into the body of a great deer.  It was not long before the various animals and birds that subsist on such things began to gather round this dead body.