VOL. 11 x JULY 24, 1908. NO. 5
Indian Legend.
I will try and tell a story that my
dear mother told me, although it has
been a long time since she last told it.
At any rate I will try. Once there was
a man that was friendless and all he did
was roving.. One day while he was
travelling or looking for something to
eat, he came to a large and deep river.
He tried to cross it but the force was so
strong that he found it impossible. So
as the day was. very. hot he found shade
and rested under a large tree that grew
by the river bank. There he sat and
cried, for the side he was on had no food,
while the other side was loaded with
fruit. ' -
As he was sobbing and wishing, a large
elephant happened to be coming that
way and was to cross where the man had
tried in vain. When the elephant saw
the sad-looking man he offered to help
him across. The man asked the elephant
where he could sit so as to be safe while
crossing. The elephant first asked the
man to ride on his back, but the man
was afraid of slipping off. Then the
elephant told the man to ride on his
trunk, but the man was afraid that the
elephant would put his head down to
drink and wash him off. Again the
t third time the elephant told the man to
hang to his tail. .".No," said the man, '
"for you will switch your tail and throw
me into the river."
So the elephant studied a long time
and was about to leave the man when
the man thought of a smart plan. He
said to the elephant: "You swallow me
and when you reach the other side just
cough and I will come out." So the
elephant swallowed the man and went
across, but when he got on the bank he
foJgot to cough. He went and laid down
and went to sleep. The man became
angry. Having a knife of bone he cut
the elephant open and went to find food.
He did and told some Indians his story
about the the elephant, then went on,
for he never stayed with anybody.
While he was going through the
bushes he saw a lot of mice playing
with their eyes. They would throw
them up and make them drop in place
again, and were trying to see which
could throw them the highest. The man
liked the game and asked if he could
join them. So he joined the crowd and
he wranted to throw his eyes the highest.
(Continued on Page 8.)