Women
should be kind, and generous, and unselfish. You shall no longer be a
woman and live in a warm wigwam, with plenty of cakes to bake. _You_
shall go to the forest and hunt _your_ food in the bark of trees. Summer
and winter, you shall eat worms of the same size as the cake you would
have made for me."

The woman began to grow smaller and smaller. Feathers grew upon her
body, and wings sprang from it. The Great Spirit touched her head, and
it became red.

[Illustration]

"Always shall you wear this red hood," he said, "as a mark of your
shame. Always shall you hide from man. Always shall you hunt for little
worms, the size of the cake you made for me."

At this a sharp cry was heard, and a bird flew into the fireplace of the
wigwam, and up the chimney. As it passed out of the chimney, the soot
left those long streaks of black which we see now on the woodpecker's
back.

Ever since then, this woodpecker has had a red head, and has been hiding
from man on the farther side of the tree trunk, and boring in the bark
for _little_ worms.

WHY THE ICE ROOF FELL

A great many winters ago, there lived at the foot of a certain lake a
tribe of wicked Indians. These Indians were so fierce, and warlike, and
wasteful, they went about destroying everything.

They laid low a tract of beautiful forest trees, for no good purpose.
They tore up shrubs and plants that gave them food and medicine. They
shot their arrows into every bird or animal they saw, just for sport.

[Illustration]

The great trees--their silent brothers of the wood--trembled and sighed
when they heard these Indians coming. The squirrels darted into hollow
trees, and birds flew in alarm at their footsteps. The deer and rabbit
ran from the trail.

At last the Great Spirit became very angry with this tribe. Always he
had taught the Indians never to kill an animal, unless for food and
protection; never to fell a tree, unless for fuel or shelter; never to
dig up shrubs or plants, unless for some good use.

"All life," the Great Spirit had said, "is sacred and beautiful. It must
not be wasted."

And never before had he known the Indians to waste the beautiful living
things about them. The Great Spirit was very sad.

The ice formed very thick on the lake that winter.

One night, there came a great storm of wind and rain. The ice broke
loose from the shores, and the wind blew it down the lake. At the foot
of the lake, a mass of ice was piled hig