her
did."

"Now let us dig the hole, pull the grass, and gather sticks," cried
Iktomi in glee.

Thus with his own hands he aids in making his grave. After the hole was
dug and cushioned with grass, Iktomi, muttering something about brown
spots, leaped down into it. Lengthwise, flat on his back, he lay. While
the fawn covered him over with cedars, a far-away voice came up through
them, "Brown, brown spots to wear forever!" A red ember was tucked under
the dry grass. Off scampered the fawns after their mothers; and when a
great distance away they looked backward. They saw a blue smoke rising,
writhing upward till it vanished in the blue ether.

"Is that Iktomi's spirit?" asked one fawn of another.

"No! I think he would jump out before he could burn into smoke and
cinders," answered his comrade.

THE BADGER AND THE BEAR

ON the edge of a forest there lived a large family of badgers. In the
ground their dwelling was made. Its walls and roof were covered with
rocks and straw.

Old father badger was a great hunter. He knew well how to track the deer
and buffalo. Every day he came home carrying on his back some wild game.
This kept mother badger very busy, and the baby badgers very chubby.
While the well-fed children played about, digging little make-believe
dwellings, their mother hung thin sliced meats upon long willow racks.
As fast as the meats were dried and seasoned by sun and wind, she packed
them carefully away in a large thick bag.

This bag was like a huge stiff envelope, but far more beautiful to see,
for it was painted all over with many bright colors. These firmly
tied bags of dried meat were laid upon the rocks in the walls of the
dwelling. In this way they were both useful and decorative.

One day father badger did not go off for a hunt. He stayed at home,
making new arrows. His children sat about him on the ground floor. Their
small black eyes danced with delight as they watched the gay colors
painted upon the arrows.

All of a sudden there was heard a heavy footfall near the entrance way.
The oval-shaped door-frame was pushed aside. In stepped a large black
foot with great big claws. Then the other clumsy foot came next. All the
while the baby badgers stared hard at the unexpected comer. After the
second foot, in peeped the head of a big black bear! His black nose was
dry and parched. Silently he entered the dwelling and sat down on the
ground by the doorway. His black eyes never left the p