Page:Myths and Legends of British North America.djvu/196

 "Oh, no," said the whitefish. "You wouldn't last long if you did."

"Why not?" asked Nanebojo.

"Because the Indians are always looking for us. You would be the first one caught," they answered.

"I am very timid," said Nanebojo. "If I go with you, I shall never be caught." So he turned himself into a whitefish.

Soon after some Indians came along fishing. Nanebojo said, "Now I am going over there to tease them. You all stay here and I will go over there alone. Just before they try to spear me, I will dive to the bottom of the river and rise again a long way off."

So Nanebojo began teasing the Indians. He kept it up for some time until one of the Indians speared him. The Indian kept his spear in the water until he got to the shore, and then dragged Nanebojo out. The other whitefish remarked, "That is just what he said that after he dived he would not come up for a long time, and then at some distance."

The Indians took Nanebojo home with them. He was a very large fish. After a while he began to jump about a little, so the Indians were afraid. They did not cook him at once.

Just about dawn the next morning, Nanebojo came to life again and remembered he was a fish and that the