ter the boys went to the swamp, made arrows, and started
up the mountain. When they came to the hole, they lifted the rock and
a deer came running out.

Before they could shoot him another came, and another. The boys could
not stop them, and they could not shoot them.

[Illustration]

Other animals made a rush for the entrance. There were elk, antelope,
raccoons, wolves, foxes, panthers, and many others. They scattered in
all directions and disappeared in the wilderness.

Then a great flock of birds came flying out of the hole. There were
turkeys, geese, ducks, quail, eagles, robins, hawks, and owls.

They darkened the air like a cloud and made such a noise with their
wings that the Lucky Hunter heard them.

"My bad boys have got into trouble," he cried. "I must go and see what
they are doing."

So he went up the mountain and found the two boys standing by the
opening. Not an animal nor a bird was to be seen.

Their father was very angry. Without a word he went into the cave and
kicked off the covers of four jars. Out swarmed wasps, hornets, gnats,
flies, mosquitoes, and all manner of stinging and biting insects and
bugs.

The boys screamed with pain. They rolled over and over on the ground,
trying to brush off their tormentors.

Their father looked on until he thought they had been punished enough.
Then he spoke.

"See what you have done, you rascals. Always before you have had
enough to eat without working for it. Whenever you were hungry, all I
had to do was to come up here and take home anything your mother
wanted to cook.

"After this when you want a deer to eat, you will have to hunt all
over the woods for it, and then may not find one.

"Now you may go and take care of yourselves."

[Illustration]

HOW SICKNESS CAME

In the old days when the beasts, birds, fishes, insects, and plants
could talk, they lived in peace and friendship with the children of men.

But, as time went on, the people increased in number, and they crowded
the animals out of their homes.

This was bad enough, but, to make it worse, man invented bows and
arrows, spears, knives, and hooks, and began to kill the animals.

They were killed for clothing, and they were killed for food, and
still they were patient. But when man began to kill them for sport,
they determined to unite for common safety.

The bears first met in council with their chief. After each in turn
had complained of the cruel treatment of man, th