--- title: Myths and Folk-lore of the Timagami Ojibwa., part 6 — Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming Algonquin… · full text with trees · page 2 description: Myths and Folk-lore of the Timagami Ojibwa., part 6, «Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming Algonquin and Timagami Ojibwa» by Frank G. Speck: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Then he beheld his wife coming across the surface of this upper world t --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/16/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/) / Myths and Folk-lore of the Timagami Oj… # Myths and Folk-lore of the Timagami Ojibwa., part 6 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/16/) **2** (11) Origin of the Constellation Fisher (Ursa Major).[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") \[40\][89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") The Fisher (mustela pennanti) was living somewhere in this world.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") Nobody knows where.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") Now in those times they had no summer.[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") It was winter, winter all the time.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") They knew that summer existed somewhere, but it never came to them, although they wanted it very much.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, once upon a time a man captured some little birds which are called ni·bənis·e “summer (guardian) birds.”[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") He tied them in bundles and kept them with him all the time.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") That was the reason why it was continually winter, for so long as he held these birds, they could not bring summer to the North Country.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") The people pondered very much how to go about freeing these birds from the creature who kept them.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") At last somebody discovered where this creature lived, and they decided that some one would go and try to free the Summer-birds.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") Now the Fresh-water Herring lived in the same wigwam with the man who kept the Summer-birds.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") The Fisher at last decided to go and free the birds, so that summer would come.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") He travelled a long while and reached the wigwam where the captor and the Herring lived.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") When he went in, he found the Herring alone.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") He captured the Herring and put some pitch on his mouth, so that he could not cry out.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Fisher took the bundles of birds and tried to break the bindings, so that he could free them.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") Using his teeth at last he tore open the bundles and the Summer-birds flew free into the air.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the pitch broke from the Herring’s mouth and he cried out, “Fisher breaks the bundle\![107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") The Summer-birds\![108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") Fisher breaks the bundles with his teeth\![109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") The Summer-birds!”[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") Two or three times he cried out, until their captor heard him.[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he came up running, but when he arrived, the Fisher and the Summer-birds were already far away.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") The Fisher ran very fast to save himself.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") His pursuer had a bow and arrow with which he was going to kill him, but the Fisher sprang into the sky and climbed way up, with the hunter following behind him, still trying to shoot him with his bow and arrow.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") All he succeeded in shooting, however, was his tail, which is broken where it was wounded.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") \[41\] Although they chased him continually, they never got him.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") (12) The Young Loon.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") Once in the autumn of the year, when the birds were ready to fly to the south for the winter, a young Loon was unable to fly far enough to go with the rest of the birds.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") So he said to his mother, “I cannot go back south with you, as I am not strong enough.[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") But I will stay here all winter in this place, and in the spring, when you come back, I will meet you here at this very spot.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") When you come back and find me here, it will be on a misty morning.”[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") So they all flew away to the south, and the young Loon was left behind for the winter.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") The mother was very sad because she had to leave him and because he was not strong enough to go with them.[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") In the spring time, when the ice is breaking up in the lake, and it becomes misty, the Indians say, “The Loon is coming back from her winter sojourn in the South.”[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") (13) The Giant Pike.[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") At that time there were two people living who got married and had some daughters and sons.[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") These grew up and married.[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") One of the sons married and had children, two sons.[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") The grandfather of these died.[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the father and mother died, and left the children with only their grandmother to look after them.[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") At this time they were big enough to shoot bows and arrows and to go in a canoe with their grandmother to set the night lines \[42\] for fish.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") They lived only by fishing, because the grandmother was too old to do anything else.[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") So these two boys used to play around, shooting bows and arrows for fun, just as the Ojibwa boys do now.[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") They used to play near a lake.[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") Then their grandmother would say to them, “Don’t swim in that lake.[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") There is a big pike in there and he might swallow you.”[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") The older boy believed his grandmother, but the younger did not.[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") So one day, while they were playing, the younger boy by mistake shot his arrow out in the lake.[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") He could see it floating on the surface, so he took off his clothes to swim to it.[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") But his brother said, “You know what grandmother told you.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") The big pike might swallow you.”[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") But the boy started to swim nevertheless, saying, “Koga′miko” (“swallowed in the water”) with each stroke that his arms took.[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") When he called this out, the big pike came and swallowed him.[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") His brother began crying and ran back to his grandmother in the wigwam, saying, “My little brother is koga′miko, ‘swallowed in the water’.”[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") Then his grandmother began crying and the two were crying together.[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") Soon after this they again set their night lines.[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") When they looked toward the lake, three days later, they saw the float sticks together and the boy said, “We have a fish.”[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") But the grandmother cried and would not look toward the lake where her grandson had died.[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") But soon she went along in the canoe, crying, and pulled in the line.[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") At the end was a very large fish, and they could see that his stomach was full of something.[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") He was so large that they could scarcely pull him into the canoe.[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") However, they managed to get him in and then they paddled to the shore and dragged the fish to a place where they could conveniently clean it.[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") They cut his belly, which was distended, and out jumped the younger brother.[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") “I’m scalded with the intestines\![154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") (Nin­babe′nəs,)” \[43\] he cried.[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") “I’m scalded.[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") I’ve been here three days.”[157](../../157/ "tree and pragmatics") He was already beginning to be digested.[158](../../158/ "tree and pragmatics") The grandmother was very glad to get her grandson back again.[159](../../159/ "tree and pragmatics") That is the end.[160](../../160/ "tree and pragmatics") (14) Lynx and His Two Wives.[161](../../161/ "tree and pragmatics") There was a time when Lynx had two wives, the one a Rabbit and the other a Marten.[162](../../162/ "tree and pragmatics") The three lived in a wigwam.[163](../../163/ "tree and pragmatics") At this time Lynx drove beaver during the winter time.[164](../../164/ "tree and pragmatics") \[44\] Rabbit was a very good hunter.[165](../../165/ "tree and pragmatics") But Lynx this winter had very poor luck and they became very hungry.[166](../../166/ "tree and pragmatics") Lynx beat his wives because they couldn’t find the beaver.[167](../../167/ "tree and pragmatics") He said to them, “If you don’t get some beaver for me, I’ll eat both of you.”[168](../../168/ "tree and pragmatics") At this they became very much frightened.[169](../../169/ "tree and pragmatics") So Rabbit went to a beaver place, and putting a stick in the hole, she felt a beaver in it.[170](../../170/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Rabbit went home and told Marten, and they both were glad to get a beaver and save their lives.[171](../../171/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they both went back to the hole.[172](../../172/ "tree and pragmatics") While Rabbit was pulling the beaver out of the hole and had hold of his hind quarters, Lynx came along and tickled Rabbit, so that she let go and the beaver escaped.[173](../../173/ "tree and pragmatics") Lynx was bent on mischief.[174](../../174/ "tree and pragmatics") He said, “If you don’t get some beaver, I’ll kill you tonight.”[175](../../175/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/16/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/16/) - next →: [Myths and Folk-lore of the Timagami Ojibwa., part 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/17/) - ↑ back to [Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming Algonquin and Timagami Ojibwa](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66509/)