What do
you want?" she said, and turned her back toward him. "Tell me," he said,
"what time the swan passed. I am following it, and come out and point
the direction." "Do you think you can catch up to it?" she said. "Yes,"
he answered. "Naubesah" (foolishness), she said. She, however, went out
and pointed in the direction he should go. The young man went slowly
till the sun arose, when he commenced travelling at his accustomed
speed. He passed the day in running, and when night came, he was
unexpectedly pleased to find himself near another town; and when at a
distance, he heard the watchman crying out, "We are visited;" and soon
the men of the village stood out to see the stranger. He was again told
to enter the lodge of the chief, and his reception was, in every
respect, the same as he met the previous night; only that the young
woman was more beautiful, and received him very kindly, but although
urged to stay, his mind was fixed on the object of his journey. Before
daylight he asked the young woman what time the Red Swan passed, and to
point out the way. She did so, and said it passed yesterday when the sun
was between midday and _pungishemoo_--its falling place. He again
set out rather slowly, but when the sun had arisen he tried his speed by
shooting an arrow ahead, and running after it; but it fell behind him.
Nothing remarkable happened in the course of the day, and he went on
leisurely. Toward night, he came to the lodge of an old man. Some time
after dark he saw a light emitted from a small low lodge. He went up to
it very slyly, and peeping through the door, saw an old man alone,
warming his back before the fire, with his head down on his breast. He
thought the old man did not know that he was standing near the door, but
in this he was disappointed; for so soon as he looked in, "Walk in,
Nosis,"[68] he said, "take a seat opposite to me, and take off your
things and dry them, for you must be fatigued; and I will prepare you
something to eat." Odjibwa did as he was requested. The old man, whom he
perceived to be a magician, then said: "My kettle with water stands near
the fire;" and immediately a small earthen or a kind of metallic pot
with legs appeared by the fire. He then took one grain of corn, also one
whortleberry, and put them in the pot. As the young man was very hungry,
he thought that his chance for a supper was but small. Not a word or a
look, however, revealed his feelings. The pot soon boiled, when the