The Animals In Council

: TSIMSHIAN TALES
: Indian Legends Retold

It is now many years since the ancient friendship between man and the

animal tribes was broken, and since that time the animals have been

hunted continually and go about in fear of their lives. One day

Grizzly Bear invited all the larger beasts to meet at his wigwam and

discuss the matter. Deer, Elk, Wolf, and many others were present when

Grizzly Bear made his great speech in which he spoke of the constant

danger they
were in and the need of finding a remedy, and finally

proposed that they petition He-Who-Made-Us to lengthen the winter and

cause very deep snows with extreme cold, so that the hunters could not

get about.



All agreed to this plan, but Wolf got up and proposed that before

acting upon it they should consult the smaller animals and even the

Insect tribes. "For," said he, "if we ignore them now they may make

trouble for us later on."



The others had no objection, and next day Beaver, Squirrel, Mink,

Muskrat, all four-footed creatures down to the little Mouse, and all

of the Insect tribes as well, were invited to join in the council.



It was a great gathering. The larger animals sat on one side of a wide

semicircle, and the smaller on the other side. Again Grizzly Bear made

the first speech, telling of the meeting of the day before and of his

suggestion, and asking all present for their opinion on the matter.



After a silence, Porcupine arose and remarked that the idea might do

well enough for those who had warm fur coats, but that many of the

little people were not so well protected against severe weather, and

as for the feeble Insects, if the winters should become any longer or

colder than they were already, they would all perish, therefore they

could not agree to the proposal.



"I don't care whether you agree or not," growled the Bear. "We larger

animals have decided that this is the best thing to do, and we are

going to do it anyhow."



"I fear you are short-sighted," replied Porcupine, who found that he

had used the wrong argument. "You large animals are always roaming the

woods in search of something to eat, and if the winters grow any

colder there will be no food for you, that is certain. All life will

perish, even the roots of the grass on which the Deer lives, and the

berry bushes of which the Bear is so fond will be frozen. You will all

starve, but we shall live, for we Porcupines can live on the bark of

trees; and as for the smallest Insects, they can burrow into the earth

and survive."



The other animals were impressed by this speech and began to say among

themselves, "How wise he is!" "Now who would have thought of that?"

and "I think we should reconsider the matter."



"Ah, ha, ha!" laughed Porcupine, and he was so pleased with himself

that he stuck his thumb into his mouth and then bit it off, which is

the reason that he has only four fingers and no thumb.



Now the animals called him the wisest of their number and accepted his

decision, and as for those who would not agree, Porcupine filled them

full of sharp quills, on which account they all stand in awe of him to

this very day.



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