They then came to the place where the boys had started in chase.  One had dropped his small bundle.  “Take that, Hiawatha,” said the old wolf.  “Esa,” he replied, “what will I do with a dirty dogskin?” The wolf took it up; it was a beautiful robe.  “Oh, I will carry it now,” said Hiawatha.  “Oh no,” replied the wolf, who at the moment exerted his magic power; “it is a robe of pearls!” And from this moment he omitted no occasion to display his superiority, both in the art of the hunter and the magician above his conceited companion.  Coming to a place where the moose had lain down, they saw that the young wolves had made a fresh start after their prey.  “Why,” said the wolf, “this moose is poor.  I know by the tracks, for I can always tell whether they are fat or not.”  They next came to a place where one of the wolves had bit at the moose, and had broken one of his teeth on a tree.  “Hiawatha,” said the wolf, “one of your grandchildren has shot at the game.  Take his arrow; there it is.”  “No,” he replied; “what will I do with a dirty dog’s tooth!” The old wolf took it up, and behold! it was a beautiful silver arrow.  When they overtook the youngsters, they had killed a very fat moose.

Hiawatha was extremely hungry; but, alas! such is the power of enchantment, he saw nothing but the bones picked quite clean.  He thought to himself, “Just as I expected, dirty, greedy fellows!” However, he sat down without saying a word.  At length the old wolf spoke to one of the young ones, saying, “Give some meat to your grandfather.”  One of them obeyed, and, coming near to Hiawatha, opened his mouth as if he was about to snarl.  Hiawatha jumped up saying, “You filthy dog, you have eaten so much that your stomach refuses to hold it.  Get you gone into some other place.”  The old wolf, hearing the abuse, went a little to one side to see, and behold, a heap of fresh ruddy meat, with the fat lying all ready prepared.  He was followed by Hiawatha, who, having the enchantment instantly removed, put on a smiling face.  “Amazement!” said he; “how fine the meat is.”  “Yes,” replied the wolf; “it is always so with us; we know our work, and always get the best.  It is not a long tail that makes a hunter.”  Hiawatha bit his lip.

They then commenced fixing their winter quarters, while the youngsters went out in search of game, and soon brought in a large supply.  One day, during the absence of the young wolves, the old one amused himself in cracking the large bones of a moose.  “Hiawatha,” said he, “cover your head with the robe, and do not look at me while I am at these bones, for a piece may fly in your eye.”  He did as he was told; but, looking through a rent that was in the robe, he saw what the other was about.  Just at that moment a piece flew off and hit him on the eye.  He cried out, “Tyau, why do you strike me, you old dog?” The wolf said, “You must have been looking at me.”  But deception commonly leads to falsehood.  “No, no,” he said, “why should I want to look at you?”