Page:Myths and Legends of British North America.djvu/153

 MOSQUITOES

Haida

UN was fond of gambling. After he had gambled at one place and another on Toets Island he launched his canoe. He wore a ragged marten-skin blanket.

When Sun reached that place where he was going, he went up into the woods. When he got far into the woods, something before him made a noise, but the noise was not like that of a bird. Following it, he came to a narrow trail. Sun went along this and came to a pond. When he reached it, a log was there, with the top cut off, and a nest made of moss at the end of it. This was a quiet place. And there were nests near one another in the moss near the lake.

While Sun was looking at the moss hanging from the branches of the trees above him, a long, thin bird flew out. It flew straight towards him. It made a noise like M-mmmmmmm. It had a long bill. And it sat on the moss nest at the end of the log. This was the place where it sat. It was its nest. The bird was Mosquito. The inside of its nest was green.