122 THE BIG CANOE

The chief, who was very just, punished his daugh-
ter for this mean act when Steilta told of it. He
threw Kish’s basket into the fire and commanded her
to give Lana the materials for a new basket. When
Kish said sullenly that she would not make another
basket, the chief said sternly:

“You are going to make another basket. It must
be a good basket, without flaws, and it must be fin-
ished when the trader asks for the baskets.”

The chief’s command was not to be disobeyed and
Kish did as he had ordered, but in her heart jealousy
and hatred smoldered until they burst into flame and
caused her to decide upon a very wicked thing.
Quickly she made her plans and thereafter worked
alone in a secret nook in the forest, hiding her basket
at night so that no one ever obtained so much as a
peek at it.

“Tt is a very beautiful basket,” she would declare,
when asked about it. “You will say so yourself when
you see it.”

It was a beautiful basket, for it was exactly like
the one Lana was making—the graceful lovely basket
which was growing slowly but surely under the slave
girl’s skilful, loving fingers. Lana’s basket was so
exquisitely made and shaped that Kish could not hope
to equal it.

The chief’s daughter, however, was clever, and
this time she was very painstaking, so that her basket
grew as Lana’s did, only a little more slowly, for