him. But the ground hog reached his
hole and dived in. He was scarcely inside when the foremost wolf
caught him by the tail and pulled so hard that it broke off.

And the ground hog's tail has been short ever since.

THE LUCKY HUNTER

Soon after the world was made, a hunter lived with his wife and only
son near a high mountain. No matter when the man went into the woods
he was sure to come back with plenty of meat. And so he went by the
name of the Lucky Hunter.

The little boy used to play every day by a river not far from the
house. One morning the old people thought they heard laughing and
talking in the bushes as if two children were playing together.

When the boy came home at night he was asked who had been with him all
day.

"A wild boy comes out of the water," answered the son. "He says he is
my elder brother."

The father and mother wished very much to see their son's companion,
but the wild boy always ran into the river when he heard them coming.

"This must not go on," said the father.

That night the Lucky Hunter said to his son: "To-morrow when the wild
boy comes to play, ask him to wrestle with you. When you have your
arms around him, you must hold him and call us."

In this way the wild boy was caught and kept in the house until he was
tamed. He was full of mischief, and he led the smaller boy into all
kinds of trouble.

One day the wild boy said to his brother: "I wonder where our father
gets all his game. Let's follow him and find out."

A few days afterward the Lucky Hunter took a bow and some feathers in
his hand and went toward a swamp. After waiting a short time, the boys
followed.

The old man cut reeds, fitted the feathers to them, and made arrows.

"What are those things for, I wonder?" said the wild boy.

When the Lucky Hunter had finished his arrows, he went on over the
low hills and up the mountain.

Keeping out of sight, the boys watched him. When he was halfway to the
top he stopped and lifted a large rock in the side of the mountain.

At once a deer ran out. The Lucky Hunter killed it with his first
arrow. Then he carefully replaced the heavy stone and pulled a strong
vine over it to conceal the cracks.

"Oho," said the boys. "He keeps the deer shut up inside of the
mountain. When he wants meat he lets one out and kills it with the
arrows he made in the swamp."

They hurried to reach home before their father, who had the heavy deer
to carry.

A few days la