Page:Myths and Legends of British North America.djvu/225

 BIG TURTLE Wyandot

N OLD man lived with his nephew. Every day the nephew went somewhere. Every day the uncle asked, "Well, where have you been today? What did you see today?"

One day the nephew said, "I have pulled off Eagle's feather." And in truth he had Eagle's tail feather. His uncle at once exclaimed, "Danger! We are in danger!"

Then he hung the eagle feather in the smoke hole of his house. Soon Eagle came and stood for a while over the smoke hole. The uncle exclaimed, "Danger! We are in danger! We must have a council at once!"

So they called a council of all the animals. The young man sent around saying, "Come, for there is danger!" They all came at once. The old man stood at the door of his house. Some of the animals he would not allow to enter. He said to Deer, to Bear, and to Wolf, "I do not want you at this council. You can run too fast." Only the animals that could not run fast were allowed to form a council. Turtle came, and Otter and Skunk and Porcupine and others.