Page:Indian nature myths (IA indiannaturemyth00cowl 0).pdf/122

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

sat still for several minutes. Then he called, "Brother Fox, I am sure there is no more game in the river. I am coming ashore now."

There was no answer from Brother Fox, so Brother Bear moved a little on the log, but it was a very little, for his tail felt heavy as lead. "Why," he exclaimed, "I must have an enormous fish now, my tail is so heavy!" And with that he gave a great jump, intending to carry the game with him to shore, when, snap! his tail broke right off short, for it was frozen fast in the ice. And that was the trick that North Wind had played.

Brother Bear felt terribly at losing his tail, it had been such a beautiful, long one! But at last he comforted himself by thinking, "Well, at any rate, I have a wonderful feast to carry home to the family: nuts, and honey, and fish, and game." So he licked his lips, in spite of the loss of his tail.

But when Brother Bear reached the shore, he could not find Brother Fox anywhere! And neither could he find the fish, nor the tender young otters. Instead, he found a heap of fresh bones back of the bush where Brother Fox had been lying. And then he knew that