The Woodcraft Girls in the City. Roy Lillian Elizabeth

your deception,” threatened Zan.

      “O Chief! I move that you tell us what evil deed the Guide has forced upon us!” cried Jane, watching the two eagerly.

      “O Brothers – or in this case, I should say ‘O sistern,’ our hitherto revered Guide wove magic before your eyes as you did not know that her tale was but half the story in the book. Now I shall make strong medicine and you shall see the magic leave her in our power,” spoke Zan, in a thundering tone, meantime, weaving a spell in the air with her hands and fingers, to the amusement of the girls.

      Miss Miller, laughing, knew Zan would give her no peace until she had accomplished her purpose – in this particular case, the conclusion of the legend. So she stood up and saluted.

      “Ha! the medicine worked quickly, sistern!” laughed Zan, seating herself.

      “The second half of this tale may be applied by each one here to some profit,” remarked Miss Miller, as a prelude to her legend.

      “The day following the one the people had been returned to their homes and living, the boys found the little red feather in the dust where it had fallen when slashed down from the cloud.

      “In great anger and spite they began to tear it to bits and throw the down hither and thither. When they could find no further evidence that the evil magic had once been powerful, they suddenly found themselves in a snow-storm.

      “It snowed and snowed until everything was covered. It piled up everywhere – on houses, stalls, town, and trees – all were snowed under and no day-light could peep in at the air-holes or doorways.

      “Then little sister, who had been sleeping a long time, awoke and got up. She heard the cries of her people who wanted air and light, and she knew she must make medicine to help them overcome the evil they had brought upon themselves through spite and mistaken punishment.

      “So she made strong medicine and gave it to her brothers to rub on the door-posts. They did and the snow melted instantly so that they could breathe and see, but the snow still lay piled up in the streets and over the other houses. And it also covered the smoke-hole of their house so that no fire could burn to prepare the food. Still the snow fell and fell until it seemed that the doorway would again be blocked up.

      “Then little sister called upon her mother for help, and together they made medicine and then called upon the birds to help.

      “A blue jay soon flew over the smoke-hole of the house and dropped a ripe elder-berry down through the opening. As the berry touched the snow, the ice and sleet melted and soon vanished so that the roof was clear.

      “Now little sister took the berry and wherever it touched ice or sleet or snow, the frozen magic melted and left off being.

      “The blue jay flew over the other houses and dropped a berry down each smoke-hole. In many homes the berry was used as advised and these families were soon out of the ice and cold. In other places the people were too busy shoveling snow to bother with the blue jay’s berry and they remained frozen still. Some used the berry to melt a way out of the house and then wasted no more effort so the smoke-hole never worked right and nourishment was scarce.

      “When the bird had dropped a berry down every smoke-hole it flew back to little sister’s home and said: ‘Now I must be on my way again. Who will come with me to visit heaven, where I go?’

      “Most of the children were eager to go so they climbed upon the bird’s back or clung to his wings and feet until he came to the clouds where heaven was hidden away from earth-dwellers’ sight.

      “Once in heaven, the blue jay flapped his wings and rolled the children off and told them he had to leave them for a short time to report what he had done on the earth.

      “Left alone, the children walked about enjoying the novel sights, until one of the boys saw a djo’lgisniffing about. He threw a rock at the animal and stunned it, then he ran over and tore it to bits and scattered the fragments about, although the poordjo’lgi had not done anything to merit this cruelty.

      “The children now felt hungry and said they would go and seek for something to eat, as the blue jay had failed to return to help them find bread.

      “As they walked, they came to a house where a woman stood looking anxiously about as if in search for someone.

      “The children drew near and she said: ‘Have you seen my child playing about?’

      “And they answered: ‘We saw nothing but adjo’lgi and it we killed.’

      “‘Oh, oh! You bad children! You have killed my child!’ cried the woman. Then she suddenly caught the children and pushed them in through the open door and when they were all in she turned and said, ‘Door, bolt yourself.’

      “Then the children trembled when they saw the door shut and bolt itself and they knew they were again in the power of black magic.

      “But little sister had had nothing to do with the killing of the djo’lgi and she now whispered to the brother who had held a firm root in the earth when red feather tried to tear the crab-apple tree from the ground: ‘I will make medicine and smear some on you. That will turn you into a cinder so that you can fly up the smoke-hole and get out. Then find Blue Jay. With the medicine I smear on your head you can bring the djo’lgi back to life and let Blue Jay bring it home to the old woman. When she finds her child alive and happy she will let us all go.’

      “The boy did as sister told him, and when he was outside the smoke-hole he flew about heaven until he found Blue Jay.

      “So medicine was rubbed on the djo’lgi and he was brought back to life and carried home. There, a loud rap on the door made the old woman cry: ‘Who’s there?’

      “And the djo’lgi answered: ‘It is your djo’lgi, mother, let me come in.’

      “She ran and unbolted the door and was so happy to have her child back in her arms that she forgot to bolt the door again. Then the Blue Jay led the children forth and they all went to the big house on the Cliff where Blue Jay’s grandmother lived. Here a fine feast was spread for the visitors and after they had had all the juicy venison they could eat, Blue Jay said: ‘Come now, let us go to heaven.’

      “But the grandmother said: ‘How can all these children crawl through safely when the clouds open and shut?’

      “I’ll show them how and if they mind they will get in,’ replied the Blue Jay.

      “Then they said good-by to the grandmother and followed after Blue Jay to the place where they had to creep in under the clouds if they wished to see the great Bill-of-Heaven who was known everywhere as the Power-of-the-shining-clouds.

      “When they came to the edge of the blue sky where the clouds open and shut continually, Blue Jay dipped his feathers in the blue to make them brighter and meantime, some of the boys tried to run under the cloud and so get into heaven first. But the cloud came down and caught them, so they were turned into rain and poured down to help the earth blossom.

      “Then some of the other children tried to rush through, and of these two were caught under the edge of the cloud and were turned to thunder, and the others who only got a glimpse of heaven were turned to lightning from the brightness of the glory they saw.

      “Blue Jay came back after a time and was sorry to hear some of the children had not followed his advice but risked their happiness by being rude and disobedient. Then he turned to the remaining children and said: ‘I will watch for the time when you must rush in. I will call “Fly!” then all must fly back and forth along the edge of the cloud till a little rift of blue where a cloud lifts is seen. Dart through that but never try it unless you see the rift of blue.’

      “The little sister was told to follow with Blue Jay as he would see her through. Then cinder brother and a few of the others waited and watched, flying back and forth until they saw a rift break through a thick cloud, and quickly they rushed through and found the glory of the sun and lived happy in heaven ever after.”

      “How! How” cried the girls, some clapping their hands.

      Eleanor