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The Enchanted Moccasins
by
When Onwee swung around, with the great force and weight of the club with which he had dispatched the brother of the two wicked women, he found himself in a large village, surrounded by a great crowd of people. At the door of a beautiful lodge stood his sister, smiling, and ready to invite him in. Onwee entered, and hanging up his war-club and the enchanted moccasins, which he had recovered, he rested from his labors, and smoked his evening pipe, with the admiration and approval of the whole world.
With one exception only, Onwee Bahmondang had the hearty praises of all the people.
Now it happened that there lived in this same village an envious and boastful fellow, who had been once a chief, but coming home always badly whipped, he was put out of office, and now spent his time about the place mainly, in proclaiming certain great things which he had in his eye, and which he meant to do–one of these days.
This man’s name was Ko-ko, the Owl; and hearing much of the wonderful achievements of the Wearer of the Ball, Ko-ko put on a big look, and announced that he was going to do something extraordinary himself.
Onwee Bahmondang, he said, had not half done his work, and he, Ko-ko, meant to go on the ground and finish it up as it should be.
He began by procuring an oak ball, which he thrust down his back, and, confident in its magical powers, he, too, called himself the Wearer of the Ball. In fact it was the self-same ball that Onwee had employed, except that the magic had entirely gone out of it. Coming by night in the shadow of the lodge, he thrust his arm in at the door, and stealthily possessed himself of the enchanted moccasins. He would have taken away Onwee’s war-club too, if he could have carried it; but although he was twice the size and girth of Onwee, he had not the strength to lift it; so he borrowed a club from an old chief, who was purblind, and mistook Ko-ko for his brother who was a brave man; and raising a terrible tumult with his voice, and a great dust with his heels, Ko-ko set out.
He had traveled all day, when he came to a small wigwam, and on looking into it, he discovered a very old woman sitting alone by the fire; just as Onwee had before.
This is the wigwam, said Ko-ko, and this is the old woman.
“What are you looking for?” asked the old woman.
“I want to find the lodge with the wicked young women in it, who slay travellers and steal their trappings,” answered Ko-ko.
“You mean the two young women who lived in the flying lodge?” said the old woman.
“The same,” answered Ko-ko. “I am going to kill them.”
With this he gave a great flourish with his borrowed club, and looked desperate and murderous as he could.
“They were slain yesterday by the Wearer of the Ball,” said the old woman.
Ko-ko looked around for the door in a very owlish way, and heaving a short hem from his chest, he acknowledged that he had heard something to that effect down in one of the villages.
“But there’s the brother. I’ll have a chance at him,” said Ko-ko.
“He is dead too,” said the old woman.
“Is there nobody then left for me to kill?” cried Ko-ko. “Must I then go back without any blood upon my hands?”
He made as if he could shed tears over his sad mishap.
“The father is still living; and you will find him in the lodge, if you have a mind to call on him. He would like to see the Owl,” the old woman added.
“He shall,” replied Ko-ko. “Have you any bones about the house; for I suppose I shall have to climb that tree.”
“Oh, yes; plenty,” answered the old woman. “You can have as many as you want.”