ying hard to keep up. Then came the
deer, the squirrel, the serpent, the cat, and the rabbit. Last of all
came the bear, the beaver, and the hedgehog. Every one traveled as
swiftly as he could, for each wished to hear the words of the Great
Spirit.

"I have called you together," said the Great Spirit, "because I often
hear you scold and fret. What do you wish me to do for you? How can I
help you?"

"I do not like to hunt so long for my food," said the bear.

"I do not like to build nests," said the bluebird.

"I do not like to live in the water," said the beaver.

"And I do not like to live in a tree," said the squirrel.

At last man stood erect before the Great Spirit and said, "O Great
Father, the serpent feasts upon my blood. Will you not give him some
other food?"

"And why?" asked the Great Spirit.

"Because I am the first of all the creatures you have made," answered
man proudly.

Then every animal in the lodge was angry to hear the words of man. The
squirrel chattered, the wasp buzzed, the owl hooted, and the serpent
hissed.

"Hush, be still," said the Great Spirit. "You are, O man, the first of
my creatures, but I am the father of all. Each one has his rights, and
the serpent must have his food. Mosquito, you are a great traveler. Now
fly away and find what creature's blood is best for the serpent. Do you
all come back in a year and a day."

The animals straightway went to their homes. Some went to the river,
some to the forest, and some to the prairie, to wait for the day when
they must meet at the lodge of the Great Spirit.

The mosquito traveled over the earth and stung every creature that he
met to find whose blood was the best for the serpent. On his way back to
the lodge of the Great Spirit he looked up into the sky, and there was
the swallow.

"Good-day, swallow," called the mosquito.

"I am glad to see you, my friend," sang the swallow. "Are you going to
the lodge of the Great Spirit? And have you found out whose blood is
best for the serpent?"

"The blood of man," answered the mosquito.

The mosquito did not like man, but the swallow had always been his
friend. "What can I do to help man?" he thought. "Oh, I know what I can
do." Then he asked the mosquito, "Whose blood did you say?"

"Man's blood," said the mosquito; "that is best."

"_This_ is best," said the swallow, and he tore out the mosquito's
tongue.

The mosquito buzzed angrily and went quickly to the Great Spirit.

"