best I could,
he has changed me into a bird.

"'From this time, as long as the world shall last, I shall be the friend
of man. When the cold winds blow and ice covers the streams, I shall go
away to the warm land of the South. But in the spring, when the snows
begin to melt, I shall return. And when the children hear my voice, they
shall be happy, knowing that the long, cold winter is over. Do not mourn
for me, my father. Farewell!'

"Ever since then, when the Indian children hear a robin singing, they
say, 'There is O-pee-chee, the bird that was once an Indian boy.' And no
Indian boy ever hurts a robin."

[Illustration]

XI. HOW THE ROBIN'S BREAST BECAME RED

When the robin had finished his story, little Luke thought for a moment.
Then he said, "That's a very interesting story. But there is one thing
about it I don't understand."

"What is that?" asked Father Redbreast.

"Why," said the little boy, "you said that O-pee-chee's breast was gray.
How does it come that yours is red?"

"That is another story," answered Father Redbreast.

"I should like very much to hear it. Please tell me about it," said
little Luke.

* * * * *

"Once upon a time," said Father Redbreast, "long after the days of the
first robin, old Mah-to the great White Bear dwelt alone in the far
Northland. He was the king of all the bears and was very cunning and
cruel. He was so selfish that he did not like anybody else even to come
into his country.

"If a hunter wandered into the region where he lived, he would lie in
wait for him and kill him. One stroke of his mighty paw and the man
would fall, to rise no more. He killed so many of them that the hunters
began to be afraid to go into that land. As for the beasts and birds,
they all feared him and kept as far away from him as they could.

"After a time a brave hunter with his son wandered into the kingdom of
the great bear to hunt. Day after day old Mah-to followed the man and
boy. But the hunter was cautious as well as, brave, and the old bear was
afraid of his sharp arrows and did not dare to attack him openly.

"When the snow began to fall, the hunter built a lodge and kindled a
fire. He cut down a great many trees and brought the wood close to the
door of the lodge.

"'Now,' said he, to his son, 'we must keep the fire going day and night.
Then we shall not freeze.'

"Old Mah-to, who was sneaking about the lodge, heard this and thoug