"but can you tell me whether
any one lives in this lake, and what brings you here yourself?" "Yes!"
responded the bird; "the Prince of Serpents lives here, and I am
watching to see whether the obiquadj of Manabozho's grandson will not
drift ashore, for he was killed by the serpents last spring. But are
you not Manabozho himself?" "No," he answered, with his usual deceit;
"how do you think _he_ could get to this place? But tell me, do the
serpents ever appear? when? and where? Tell me all about their habits."
"Do you see that beautiful white sandy beach?" said the bird. "Yes!" he
answered. "It is there," continued the Kingfisher, "that they bask in
the sun. Before they come out, the lake will appear perfectly calm; not
even a ripple will appear. After midday (na-wi-qua) you will see them."

"Thank you," he replied; "I am Manabozho himself. I have come in search
of the body of my son, and to seek my revenge. Come near me that I may
put a medal round your neck as a reward for your information." The bird
unsuspectingly came near, and received a white medal, which can be seen
to this day.[23] While bestowing the medal, he attempted slyly to wring
the bird's head off, but it escaped him, with only a disturbance of the
crown feathers of its head, which are rumpled backward. He had found
out all he wanted to know, and then desired to conceal the knowledge of
his purposes by killing his informant.

He went to the sandy beach indicated, and transformed himself into an
oak stump. He had not been there long before he saw the lake perfectly
calm. Soon hundreds of monstrous serpents came crawling on the beach.
One of the number was beautifully white. He was the prince. The others
were red and yellow. The prince spoke to those about him as follows: "I
never saw that black stump standing there before. It may be Manabozho.
There is no knowing but he may be somewhere about here. He has the
power of an evil genius, and we should be on our guard against his
wiles." One of the large serpents immediately went and twisted himself
around it to the top, and pressed it very hard. The greatest pressure
happened to be on his throat; he was just ready to cry out when the
serpent let go. Eight of them went in succession and did the like, but
always let go at the moment he was ready to cry out. "It cannot be
him," they said. "He is too great a weak-heart[24] for that." They then
coiled themselves in a circle about their prince. It was a long time
be