Glooscap the great chief, and other stories - ElectricCanadian.com

iWONDER TALES OF THE FOREST 31
and his moccasins; when Bootup came upon
these he swam about them, staying longer here
than he did with the toys.
Now they had almost reached the shore,
when Bootup arose to the surface close upon
them. Bootupskw tore off the baby s clothing,
and threw the little pieces out on the water, and
as the father paused by these, the women
landed and pushed the canoe off in the water.
He
Bootup rushed on, but he was too late.
did not have the power to pursue them on this
strange shore. He came close to the land, and
called out to his wife:
Give me back the child !
Only give me back
the child!"
But the women hurried away, and Bootup,
in his rage, seized the canoe, and crushed it be
tween his jaws.
Bootupskw now set to work and quickly built
a shelter for the baby and her sister-in-law,
and when she had finished it, she said:
"I will go to my brother alone. You wait
here with the baby." She ran to the wigwam,
where she found Usitabulajoo still living, for
he was within reach of the dried meats.
As soon as Bootupskw had made a circle of
red ochre about the dragon s horn, it snapped,
and at last Usitabulajoo was free, but he was
almost too weak to stand. But after Boot
upskw had bathed him and dressed him, he was