210 OVER ON THE ISLAND

Micmac legends never aimed to be veracious—or even credible. For instance:

A certain Indian family which lived on the island shore maintained itself principally by fishing. Their favourite food was eels. At one time, however, the wind blew so fiercely that they could not fish. So they walked along the shore to look for any fish that might have drifted in with the tide. In a short time they reached Rocky Point. Here a ledge of rocks extended out into the Strait. On the most distant rock sat a large bird, the Storm King, flapping its wings, and by this means causing winds.

The Indians planned to fool him.

“Are you cold?" one said to him.

“No, " answered the Storm King.

“ You are cold; let me carry you ashore on my back. ”

“ Do so, ” replied the King unsuspiciously.

So they went shorewards, but one man purposely stumbled and broke the bird’s wing. He bound it up, however, and advised him to keep it quiet. Then, while the wing was mending, there was a calm. Soon, however, the water was covered with a scum which prevented eel spearing. Again the Indians turned to the bird and examined its wing. It was somewhat better. Carefully they instructed it to keep both wings flapping steadily but gently. Then, there was a gentle ripple on the water. Still they were not satisfied. They decided to go whale hunting—but the whales would not appear.

Then they bethought themselves of a settlement of white people, the city of a king, and they started towards that settlement. Sentries, however, stopped them. These they calmly dosed and went on. They