Page:Myths and Legends of British North America.djvu/31

 Old Toad was very small and very ugly. Big Turtle looked her over, but he said, "Well, you try then."

Down went Old Toad. At last they could not see her at all, though she went down slowly. Then they waited for her to come back. They waited, and waited, and waited. They began to say, "She will never come back." Then they saw a little bubble break on the water. Big Turtle said, "Let us swim there. That is where Old Toad is coming up." So it was done. Then Old Toad came slowly to the surface, close to Big Turtle. She opened her mouth and spat out a few grains of earth that fell on Big Turtle's shell. Old Toad was done for, too.

Small Turtle at once began to rub the earth around the edge of Big Turtle's shell. It began to grow into an island. The animals were looking on as it grew. Then the island became large enough for the woman to live on, so she stepped onto the earth. The island grew larger and larger, until it became as large as the world is today.

When an earthquake occurs, it is because Big Turtle moves his foot. Sometimes he gets tired.