Kana'ti had wolves to hunt for him, because they are good hunters
and never fail. He once sent out two wolves at once. One went to the
east and did not return. The other went to the north, and when he
returned at night and did not find his fellow he knew he must be in
trouble and started after him. After traveling on some time he found
his brother lying nearly dead beside a great greensnake (salikwâ'yi)
which had attacked him. The snake itself was too badly wounded to
crawl away, and the angry wolf, who had magic powers, taking out
several hairs from his own whiskers, shot them into the body of
the snake and killed it. He then hurried back to Kana'ti, who sent
the Terrapin after a great doctor who lived in the west to save the
wounded wolf. The wolf went back to help his brother and by his magic
powers he had him cured long before the doctor came from the west,
because the Terrapin was such a slow traveler and the doctor had to
prepare his roots before he started.
In the beginning, the people say, the Dog was put on the mountain
and the Wolf beside the fire. When the winter came the Dog could not
stand the cold, so he came down to the settlement and drove the Wolf
from the fire. The Wolf ran to the mountains, where it suited him so
well that he prospered and increased, until after a while he ventured
down again and killed some animals in the settlements. The people got
together and followed and killed him, but his brothers came from the
mountains and took such revenge that ever since the people have been
afraid to hurt a wolf.
Bird Myths