how, in early Christian times, long, long ago, Galahad and other boys had to fast and watch by their armor during the long night hours before they could become knights, to wear spurs and shield and sword?  In just the same way a brown Ojibway lad had to make a long fast in order to win the love of his Guardian Spirit, who would after that watch over him to make him brave and strong.  It was a very important event in a boy’s life, like graduation from school or college nowadays.  For this meant the graduation from boyhood into manhood, the winning of a warrior’s diploma.

The father of Iadilla was a brave warrior, a famous chief.  But he wished his son to become even better, wiser, greater than he had been.  He resolved that the boy should fast longer and harder than ever a lad had fasted before.  For he believed that this was the way to make him the noblest of his race.  Iadilla was a fine handsome lad, but he was the youngest one who had ever made the trial, and there were many bigger boys than he who were not yet warriors.  The other chiefs said that he was not yet old and strong enough.

But Iadilla’s father declared that it was time, and bade his son gather courage and pride for the ordeal.  “For,” he said, “it will be no easy matter, my son, to become the greatest chief of the Ojibways.”

“My father,” replied Iadilla, humbly, “I will do as you wish.  I will do what I can.  But my strength is not the strength of the bigger boys; and I think it is yet early to talk of my becoming greatest of the Ojibways.  Yet make trial of me, if you wish.”

The father of Iadilla had made a little tent of skins where the boy was to live during his fasting time; where he was to lie without food or drink for twelve long days, waiting for a message from the Guardian Spirit whose love was to be the reward of such a trial.

When the time came, the old man led Iadilla to the lodge and bade him lie down on the bed of skins which had been prepared for him.  And Iadilla did as he was bid, for he was a brave and obedient lad.

The days crept by, the long, long days of waiting, while Iadilla lay in the lodge bearing hunger and thirst such as no Ojibway lad had ever before known.  All day and all night he lay still and spoke never a word.  But a dreadful fear was in his heart lest he should not be able to endure the fast for the twelve days which his father had set.

Every morning his father came to the lodge to praise and to encourage him, and to rejoice in one more day checked from the long time of fasting.  So eight days passed, and the old man was proud and happy.  Already his dear son had done more than any Ojibway lad, and the whole tribe was praising Iadilla, saying what a great chief he would be in the days to come.

But on the ninth morning, when the father peeped into the lodge to see how bravely his son was faring, the boy turned his head toward the door and spoke for the first time in all those long days.  He was very thin and pale, and his voice sounded weak.