430 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

They butchered the caribou and carried the meat up to Porcupine’s
house in a tree not far away.

“What a fine home you have,” said Wolverine.

“Yes,” Porcupine replied. ‘It took me a long time to build it.”

Porcupine suggested that they cook the grease, and while this was
being done he sent his guest to gather branches to lay over the meat.
In his absence the treacherous host made a cut almost through a forked
branch, from the under side, where it would not be noticed. After cover-
ing up the meat, the two began their meal. Porcupine kept pressing
food on his guest who politely accepted it until he was bulging out with
grease and could hold no more.

“Where is your toilet?” said Wolverine.

This was what Porcupine had been hoping for. He pointed out the
forked branch as the convenience, adding:

“There is a rule here that after using it anyone must shake himself
up and down.”

When Wolverine had finished he shook himself as he had been told
to do; the branch broke so that he fell down and was killed.

WINTER WREN AND GRIZZLY BEAR

Once upon a time, Winter Wren, who lived with his grandmother,
asked her to give him some dry salmon, which he left soaking in the river
over night. When he went to collect it next morning, it had vanished.
The following night Winter Wren put out some more salmon, but it too
disappeared before morning. This happened on several nights and he
became so angry that he determined to watch. Presently, Grizzly Bear
came along and gulped down the fish at a mouthful.

“You’re a thief!’ Winter Wren burst out angrily. “It is you who
have been stealing my salmon.”

Grizzly Bear, more amused than angry, replied:

“You impertinent little rascal! If I so much as sniffed you would be
sucked into my stomach.”

Winter Wren continued to scold Grizzly Bear in such an irritating way
that he sucked him up through his nostrils, but the little bird, by no means
discommoded, flew out through Grizzly Bear’s anus, chattering im-
pudently:

“Where did I get out?”

Grizzly Bear plugged up his anus and again sucked in Winter Wren.
This time the little fellow took two sticks which he twirled until he had
made a fire within Grizzly Bear’s stomach. Then he removed the plug