The Legend Of Mackinac Island

: THE ADVENTURES OF WESAKCHAK
: Thirty Indian Legends

Many years ago, a party of wild Ojibwa Indians were resting on the

shore of Lake Huron. The story-tellers of the tribe were telling many

of their magic tales. One of them spoke, and said, "A wigwam stands in

the deep. At the bottom of the lake a big turtle lies asleep in this

wigwam. Around him swim white fish and trout, and the slow-worm goes

creeping by. The scream of the sea gull and the shouts of the rovers

do not waken him. Nothing can disturb his slumber but the magic song."



Then one of the Indians spoke, "Let us sing the magic song. Let us

waken this big turtle from his long sleep."



So they all began to sing a strange, wild song. The sound floated out

over the quiet waters of the lake. Suddenly the waves began to rise

and roll to the shore, although there was no wind blowing. The centre

of the lake seemed to rise higher; then slowly there appeared above the

waters the curved back of the big turtle called Mishini-Makinak,

toiling up to answer their call. Then the dragging tail appeared like

a fleshy cape, and the jowl like a headland of dark rock. The Indians

stood along the shore, staring in frightened surprise, as the monster

arose like an island in the midst of the waves.



As the days went by, the turtle called his children from their silent

homes to come and play around him. Up the lake and down over the falls

came the dappled trout and the white fish, to play in the silvery tide,

and by night the fairies danced on the rocky cliffs. For many days the

red men watched eagerly, afraid to go to the magic island, but at last

they paddled their birch-bark canoes across the waves to the pebbly

beach. From that time Mishini-Makinak was their home.