84 THE BIG CANOE

Every one in the village except Shim the Foolish
One feared Toona. For some strange reason, the bear
did not dislike old Shim and would even let the
Foolish One stroke his head and feed him pieces of
fish. Maada had seen this happen many times. It
occurred to her that if Shim would only let the bear
out of his pen, the villagers would be terrified and
there would be such a commotion for a short time that
the white slave would be able to escape. No one would
dare to kill the savage animal, because he belonged
to the head shaman; and, besides, an arrow would
loose all the evil spirits which were known to dwell
in the bear’s body.

“Why are you crying, little one?” Shim asked
again.

“T was crying because I am sad, Shim,” Maada an-
swered, wishing that she dared confide in the Foolish
One.

“Shim does not like to see Maada cry,” said the
old man, tears running down his own cheeks in sym-
pathy.

“Do you want to make me laugh again, Shim?”
Maada asked quickly. “Do you want to make me
forget these things that make me sad?”

“Shim will do anything to make Maada happy,”
the Foolish One declared earnestly. “What can Shim
do, who can only dance and sing?”

“There is Toona the bear,” Maada replied, speak-
ing slowly, so that Shim’s dull brain might under-