The Cree word for “sacred story” or “myth” is âtayôhkêwin (in y-dialect), âcathôhkîwin (in th-dialect). Wisahkecahk is the protagonist in many of these stories, which often serve to explain some curious aspect of the natural world, or teach some important cultural lesson. Traditionally, stories of Wîsahkêcâhk were only to be told when the ground was covered with snow.
This story of Wisahkecahk and the Chickadee (also known as the Eye-Juggler) teaches an important lesson: Don’t abuse ceremony. In this post, keep scrolling down to find:
- Video recorded in February 2017 at a Cree Storytelling Camp, held at Youth Haven, Big Stone Lake (near LaRonge) Saskatchewan, in which Ben Godden has provided Cree and English subtitles. We also present the Cree text (in Ben’s transcription and with English translation) from that session.
- Audio from a Zoom recording session for Winter Solstice, 2020.
- Text transcription (in Cree and English) of the December 2020 telling.
- An additional, 2011 English-only version of the story, as told by Billy Joe Laboucan (and added here with his permission.) As Billy Joe observes, “there are so many versions of Wisahkecahk stories. Often I hear people say that is not the way I heard my mother/father/grandparents tell that story. For me, I appreciate the diversity of our legends/stories and the personal flavours of the storytellers.”
Solomon: heh heh, ikwa mīna wīsahkīcāhk nītha nīkān nika-ācathōhkān. wīsahkīcāhk nika-ācimāw. ikwa Ben ikota ohci kita-ācimow ikwa kīsta cī?
Gerald: nīsta (ni)ka-ācimon.
Solomon: āha, kīsta (ki)ka-ācimon. ikosi. kipīhtawin cī? āha. hēy, piyakwāw īsa wīsahkīcahk kī-pa-pimohtīw māka mīna ōma -ay- kītahtawī īsa kā-wāpamāt apisci-kīskisīsa ī-otinamithit māna oskīsikothiwa. ikwa māna ī-ohpiwīpinamithit. ikwa māna kāwi oskīsikothihk ī-pī-pahkihtinithiki: pwak pwak. ikosi. hāw, mamāhtāwinawīw māna ikwa awa.
tāpwī kimamāhtāwisin. “mahti iyako kīkway kiskinwahamawin?”
“awas wīsahkīcāhk! kihci-isīhcikīwin ōma: namōtha kītha pakwanita (ki)kakī-kiskinwahamātin!” itik.
āh ati-sipwīhtīw wīsahkīcāhk ī-kisiwāsit nawac poko. ikwāni ikota nitawi-wawīsīhisow: tāpiskōc kisītiniw ī-isīhisot. ikota ī-pīci-pimohtīt pāskac ī-wākohtīt ōma, tāpiskōc kisītiniw ikwa “ayayā! nistikwān!” ī-itwīt. ikwa kitimākināk ōho apisci-kīskisīsa.
“hāw, cīskwa nimosōm! kika-kiskinwahamātin. kīspin otinamani kiskīsikwa, ōta ohci ikwa ispimihk isi-wīpinamani ithikohk kāwi ta-pahkihtihki kiskīsikohk ikota. namōtha awasimī kika-tīyistikwānān” itik.
“haw, mahti kiskinwahamawin nōsisim” itwīw.
ay, ikosi kā-kiskinwahamawāt ī-ay-isi-wīpinamithit ispimihk ī-ay-isi-wīpinamithit ōho oskīsikwa: pwak pwak.
ay, cīhkīthihtam ikwa ōta pithīsis kā-itwīt: “iy, ohcitaw poko ikosi ta-itōtaman ispī tīyistikwānīyani. kāwitha māka pakwanita mītawākī.”
itwīw īsa “ah, namōtha nānitaw nōsisim. namōtha nika-mītawākān iyakwānima.” ikwa ikota ati-sipwīhtīw wīsahkīcāhk ī-wākohtīt tāpiskōc kisītiniw. ikwāni ikota kā-sipwīhtīt ikwa kāwi wīsahkīcāhk isinākosiw. ikwāni ikota hā! kwayask kīkway kihci-isīhcikīwin ī-kiskinwahamākot pithīsīsa itokī kā-ati-sipwīhtwīt. kā-wāpahtahk īsa ikota -aya – nīpisiya. tāpwī poko ani “ayayā! nistikwān! nitīyistikwānān!” itwīw. ikwāni ikota oskīsikwa otinam ispimihk isi-wīpinam kāwi māna kā-pahkihtinithiki: pwak pwak – oskīsikohk. “ha ha ha, ah tāpwī iyako kihci-isīhcikīwin mamāhtāwan ikosi ī-ati-sipwīhtīt.
ikwa mīna kīhtwām kā-wāpamāt kotaka nīpisiya: “ayayā! nistikwān!” kā-itwīt ikwa mīna otinam oskīsikwa ispimihk isi-wīpinam: pwak pwak. kā-pahkihtinithiki ostikwānihk kāwi ikota ati-pimohtīw. kakwātaki ī-cīhkīthihtahk ōma. kihci-isīhcikīwin ī-kiskinwahamāht.
ikwa mīna kā-wāpamāt kotaka nīpisiya. nīpisīhkopāhk awa. ikwāni ikota īsa “ayayā nitīyistikwānān!” ikwāni ikota otinam ikwa mīna oskīsikwa ispimihk isi-wīpinam: pwak pwak. kāwi pahkitinithiwa. “wahwā! mamāhtāwan anima kīkway. tāpwī kihci-kīkway!” ikwāni ati-pimohtīw. ikwa mīna kā-wāpamāt nīpisīhkohpāwa ikota mīna “ayayā! nistikwān!” ikwāni ikota ohci kā-otinahk oskīsikwa ispimihk isi-wīpinam. ah! wah! osāmi wathaw isi-wīpinam ikwa kītahtawī poko ohpimī ita kā-pahkihtinithiki ikwāni īkā ī-wāpit ī-nitawi-nitonahk anihi anita oskīsikwa. kītahtawī māna kā-cahkāpahokot awiya. “ayayā!” itwīw.
ay, ikwa māna ī-natonahk ōho oskīsikwa. kā-cahkāpahokot awiya; “ayayā!” nitonam ōho “tāniwīha tāniwīha niskīsikwa” ikwāni kītahtawī kā-cahkāpahokot; “ayayā!” ita māka ī-cahkāpahokot mitoni ī-ati-tīyistikwānīt. āh kītahtawī poko kā-pīhtawāt ōho ita ī-pāhpithit; “hī hī hī hī hī hī!”
iy! nisitohtawīw iyakoni ōho ita mahkīsīsa māka mīna ī-nanōthacihikot. “ah, cīskwa mahkīsīs, kika-kaskinahamātin.” ikwa ikwa ikota ati-pimitācimow. mistikwa miskawīw ikota. “awīna ōma kītha?”
“minahik ōma nītha.”
“hāw kītha kā-nitawīthimitān mahti īsa. pikiw nika-otināw ikota ohci.” ikota pikiwa otinīw minahikohk ohci. ikwa omisi isi itinīw. ī-wa-wīwīkināt ikota kītahtawī ikosi ī-wāskāthik kīkway tāpiskōc ikota pwak oskīsikohk astāw. ikwa mīna kotak otinīw. ī-wa-wīwīkināt ikota. mitoni ī-mithosit ana pikiw. ikota pwak kā-ahthāt ikwa mīna wāpiw. ah tāpwī kihci “ah, tāniwā ana mahkīsīs” kā-itwīt. pimohtīw ī-nitonawāt osīmisa mahkīsīsa. iy, wāpamīw ikotī ī-matwī-nipāthit. “tānisi māka ōma kāwi ī-isi-kiskinwahamawak awa kita-kī-nipahak. hāw namwāc osām nawac nānitaw ta-itōtawak. hāw, mahti nika-pōnīn ita kā-nipāt kita-wāskākotīk ikota iskotīw. kita-nipahihkasot awa mahkīsīs” ī-itwīt.
ikwāni ikota pōnam. ikota ī-kotawīt wāskā ita kā-nipāthit ōho osīmisa mahkīsīsa. ikwa ati-kwāhkotīw anima kotawān ikota ikwa kītahtawī poko mahkīsīs kā-koskopathit. wāpahtam iskotīw misiwī itī ī-wāskā~ ī-wāskā-pasitīthik ita kā-kī-nipāt. “iy, namōtha nānitaw” itīthihtam. tāpwī pokw āni kwāskohtiw omisi isi ikota ispimihk isi. ī-awasiwī-kwāskohtit animīthiw iskotīw ita ohci ī-ati-pāhpit. ikwa osōsihk poko kā-ati-pasisot īsa ahci poko ikota anohc ka-wāpahtīnaw ī-wāpiskāthik osōs awa mahkīsīs. ikwāni iskwīthāc ī-miskosit. ikwāni.
Okay! ikosi īsa. kinisitohtīn? Okay, piyakwāw īsa – yaw! ī-kī-wī-ākathāsimoyān ōma!
December 2020 Audio:
| wîsahkîcâhk ikwa pici-kîskosîsa | Wisahkecahk and the Chickadees |
| kâwitha mîtawâkî kihci-isîhcikîwin. | Don’t disrespect sacred ceremony. |
| piyakwâw îsa wîsahkîcahk kî-papimohtîw. kîtahtawî îsa kâ-wâpamât pici-kîskosîsa î-matwî-môcikihtâthit. î-otinamithit mâna oskîsikothiwa ikwa mâna î-ohpiwîpinamithit. ikwa mâna kâwi oskîsikothihk î-pî-pahkihtinithiki. mitoni mâna î-tah-tîpwî-pâhpithit tâhtwâw ikosi kâ-ispathithik. hâw, mamâhtâwinawîw ôho. | Once Wisahkecahk was walking. All of a sudden he saw some chickadees having fun. They would take out their eyes throwing them in the air. They would fall back into their eye-sockets. They would laugh loudly every time this happened. He thought they were doing a wonderous thing. |
| “tâpwî kimamâhtâwisin,” itwîw wîsahkîcâhk. “mahti iyako kîkway kiskinwahamawik.” | “Truly you are gifted,” says Wisahkecahk. “Please teach me that thing.” |
| “awas wîsahkîcâhk! kihci-isîhcikîwin ôma! namôtha kîtha pakwanita kikakî-kiskinwahamâtinân!” itik. | “Go away Wisahkecahk! This is a sacred ceremony! We cannot teach you for no reason,” they told him. |
| ati-sipwîhtîw wîsahkîcâhk, nawac poko î-kisiwâsit. ikwâni nitawi-wawîsîhisow. tâpiskôc kisîtiniw î-isîhisot. kihtwâm ikota pîci-pimohtîw ita kâ-mîtawîthit pici-kîskosîsa. pâskac î-wâkohtît ôma, tâpiskôc kisîtiniw. ikwa mawimow. | He begins to leave from there somewhat angry. He then goes and disguises himself. He dresses himself like an old man. He again goes to where the chickadees are playing. He even bends over just like an old man. He groans in pain. |
| “ayayâ! nistikwân!” î-itwît. pisiskâpimik anihi pisci-kîskosîsa, kitimâkinâkow ôho. | “Ouch, my head!” he says. The chickadees notice him and take pity on him. |
| “hâw, cîskwa nimosôm!” itik. “kika-kiskinwahamâtinân ôma kita-nanâtawihikoyan. kîspin otinamani kiskîsikwa ikwa ispimihk isi-wîpinamani ikwa kâwi ta-pahkihtihki kiskîsikohk namôtha awasimî kika-tîyistikwânân,” itik. | “Okay, wait Grandfather!” they say to him. “We will show you this which will heal you. If you take your eyes and throw them up and let them fall back in your eye-sockets you will no longer have a headache,” they tell him. |
| “haw, mahti kiskinwahamawin nôsisim,” itwîw wîsahkîcâhk. | “Okay, please teach me, Grandchild,” says Wisahkecahk. |
| ay, ikosi kâ-isi-kiskinwahamâkot. ispimihk î-ay-isi-wîpinahk oskîsikwa ikwa mâna kâwi î-pihtokî-pahkitinithiki ostikwânihk. | And so they teach him the way to do that. He threw his eyes up and they fell back into his head. |
| ay, cîhkîthihtam wîsahkîcâhk. | Wisahkecahk was so happy. |
| “îh, ohcitaw poko ikosi ta-itôtaman ispî tîyistikwânîyani,” itwîw awa pithîsîs. “kâwitha mâka pakwanita mîtawâkî.” | “Listen, this is what you have to do when you have a headache,” says the bird “Don’t disrespect this!” |
| “ah, namôtha nânitaw nôsisim,” itwîw wîsahkîcâhk. “namôtha nika-mîtawâkân iyakw-ânima.” | “Okay, that’s alright, Grandchild,” says Wisahkecahk. “I won’t disrespect that.” |
| ikwa ikota ohci ati-sipwîhtîw wîsahkîcâhk, kiyâpic î-wâkohtît tâpiskôc kisîtiniw. ikwa wahthaw ikota ohci kâ-sipwîhtît kâwi wîsahkîcâhk isinâkosiw. | And so he leaves from there, still stooped over as he walks, just like an old man. When he was far from where he had left he reverted back to being Wisahkecahk. |
| kwayask kîkway kihci-isîhcikîwin î-kî-kiskinwahamâkot pithîsîsa. ispî kâ-wâpahtahk nîpisiya, tâpwî pok-âni mawimow, tâpiskôc î-tîyistikwânît. | It was truly a great ceremony that the birds had taught him. When he saw some willows he immediately began to groan like he had a headache. |
| “ayayâ! nistikwân! nitîyistikwânân!” itwîw. | “Ouch! My head! I have a headache!” he says. |
| ikwâni ikota oskîsikwa otinam ispimihk î-isi-wîpinahk. kâwi mâna kâ-pahkihtinithiki ostikwânihk. | So he takes out his eyes and throws them up. They fall back into his eye-sockets. |
| “ha ha ha, ah tâpwî iyako kihci-isîhcikîwin mamâhtâwan,” itwîw. ikosi î-ati-sipwîhtît. | “Hahahahaha, this sacred ceremony is truly marvelous,” he says. He leaves from there. |
| ikwa mîna kâ-wâpahtahk kotaka nîpisiya. | Once again he sees some other willows. |
| “ayayâ! nistikwân!” kâ-itwît. ikwa mîna otinam oskîsikwa. ispimihk isi-wîpinam. kâwi ostikwânihk kâ-pahkihtinithiki. ati-papimohtîw. kakwâtaki î-cihkîthihtahk ôma kihci-isîhcikîwin kâ-kî-kiskinwahamâht. | “Ouch! My head!” he says. Once again he takes out his eyes and throws them in the air. They fall back into his head. He walks along. He is very happy that he was taught the sacred ceremony. |
| ikwa mîna kâ-wâpahtahk kotaka nîpisiya. | Once again he sees some willows. |
| “ayayâ nitîyistikwânân!” kâ-isi-mawimot. | Ouch! I have a headache’ he cries (that way). |
| ikwâni ikota otinam ikwa mîna oskîsikwa. ispimihk isi-wîpinam. kâwi pahkitinithiwa ostikwânihk. | And once again he takes his eyes and throws them in the air. They fall back into his head. |
| “wahwâ! mamâhtâwan anima kîkway. tâpwî kihci-kîkway!” itwîw. | “Wow! This is a marvelous thing. It is truly a great thing!” he says. |
| ikwâni ati-papimohtîw. ikwa mîna kâ-wâpahtahk nîpisîya. | Once again he starts walking. Once again he sees willows. |
| “ayayâ! nistikwân!” kâ-itwît. ikwâni ikota ohci kâ-otinahk oskîsikwa. ispimihk isi-wîpinam. | “Ouch! My head!” He says. From there he takes his eyes. He throws them up in the air. |
| ah! wah! osâm wathaw isi-wîpinam! ohpimî ita kâ-pahkihtinithiki. ikwâni îkâ î-kî-wâpit. | Wow! He throws them too far. They fall elsewhere. Now he cannot see. |
| nitonam anihi anita oskîsikwa, î-papâmitâcimot mohcihk. kîtahtawî mâna kâ-cahkâpahokot awiya. | He looks for his eyes. He is crawling on the ground. Every now and then someone pokes his eye-socket. |
| “ayayâ!” itwîw. | “Ouch!” he says. |
| ay, ikwa ahci-poko nitonam ôho oskîsikwa ikota mohcihk. kîhtwâm kâ-cahkâpahokot awiya. | He continues to look for his eyes there on the ground. Once again someone pokes his eye-socket. |
| “ayayâ!” isi-mawimow. | “Ouch!” he groans. |
| nitonam ôho oskîsikwa. | He looks for his eyes. |
| “tâniwîhâ? tâniwîhâ niskîsikwa?” itwîw. ikwa mîna kîhtwâm kâ-cahkâpahokot awiya. | “Where are they? Where are my eyes?” he says. Once again someone pokes his eye-socket. |
| “ayayâ!” itwîw. | “Ouch!” he says. |
| ita kâ-cahkâpahoht mitoni î-ati-tîyistikwânît. âh kîtahtawî poko kâ-pîhtawât ôho awiya ita î-pâhpithit. “hî hî hî hî hî hî!” | He starts to get a headache from where his eye-socket is being poked. All of a sudden he hears someone laughing. “heh heh heh heh.” |
| iy! nisitohtawîw iyakoni ôho! mahkîsîsa îsa mâka mîna î-nanôthacihikot. | Wah! He recognizes whose voice this is. The Fox is once again teasing him. |
| “ah, cîskwa mahkîsîs, kika-kaskinahamâtin,” itwîw. ikwa ikota ati-pimitâcimow. mistikwa miskawîw ikota. | “You just wait, Fox! I’ll teach you a lesson yet!” he says. He crawls along there. He finds a tree. |
| “awîna ôma kîtha?” itîw. | “Who are you?” he says. |
| “waskway ôma nîtha,” itwîw awa waskway. | “I am a birch,” says the birch. |
| “namôtha kîtha kâ-nitawîthimitân,” itwîw wîsahkîcâhk. kîtahtwî kâ-tâwistikwânîsihk. | “It is not you whom I want,” says Wisahkecahk. Suddenly he knocks his head on something. |
| “awîna kîtha?” itwîw. | “Who are you?” he says. |
| “mîtos ôma nîtha,” itwîw mîtos. | “I am a poplar,” says the poplar. |
| “namôtha kîtha kâ-nitawîthimitân,” itwîw wîsahkîcâhk. sipwîtâcimow. kîtahtawî kîhtwâm kâ-tâwistikwânîsihk. | “It is not you whom I want,” says Wisahkecahk. He begins to crawl away from there. Suddenly he again knocks his head on something. |
| “awîna ôma kîtha?” itwîw wîsahkîcâhk. | “Who are you?” says Wisahkecahk. |
| “minahik ôma nîtha,” itwîw minahik. | “I am a pine,” says the pine. |
| “hâw kîtha kâ-nitawîthimitân” itwîw wîsahkîcâhk. “pikiw nika-otinâw ikota ohci.” | “Ah, it is you whom I want,” says Wisahkecahk. “I’ll take some pine pitch from there.” |
| ikota pikiwa otinîw minahikohk ohci. ikwa mâh-mâkwamîw ikwa pitikonîw. wâwiyiyâs îsa î-osîhtât. ispî kâ-kîsîhtât î-wâskâ-pitikwâthik kîkway ostikwânihk astâw. kotaka îsa oskîsikwa î-osîhtamâsot. kîhtwâm wâpiw. | From the pine he takes some pine pitch. He chews it then rolls it into a ball. He is making it round. Once he finishes he puts the round pine pitch into his eye-sockets. Apparantly he had made himself another set of eyes. Once again he can see. |
| “ah, tâniwâ ana mahkîsîs” kâ-itwît. | “Now where is that fox?” he says. |
| papimohtîw, î-nitonawât osîmisa mahkîsîsa. iy, wâpamîw ikotî î-matwî-nipâthit. | He walks along looking for the fox. He sees him sleeping in the distance. |
| “tânisi mâka ôma kâwi ta-isi-kiskinwahamawak awa? kita-kî-nipahak cî?” itwîw. “hâw namwâc! nawac nânitaw ta-itôtawak. hâw, mahti nika-pônîn ita kâ-nipât kita-wâskâkwahkotîk ikota iskotîw. kita-nipahihkasot awa mahkîsîs,” itwîw. | “How can I get back at him to teach him a lesson? Should I kill hime?” he says. “Okay, no! It would be better if I do something else to him. Let’s see, I’ll built up a fire where he sleeps, so that the fire goes around there. The fox will die from the heat,” he says. |
| ikwâni ikota pônam. ikota î-kotawît wâskâm ita kâ-nipâthit ôho osîmisa mahkîsîsa. ikwa ati-kwâhkotîw anima iskotîw ikota. kîtahtawî poko mahkîsîs kâ-koskopathit. wâpahtam iskotîw misiwî itî î-wâskâ-pasitîthik ita kâ-kî-nipât. | And there he builts up a fire. He builts up the fire around where the fox is sleeping. The fire begins to burn around the fox. Suddenly the fox wakes up. He sees the fire all around where he had been sleeping. |
| “iy, namôtha nânitaw,” itîthihtam. tâpwî pokw-âni kwâskohtiw, omisi isi ikota ispimihk isi. î-awasiwî-kwâskohtit animîthiw iskotîw. wacihpîw athisk. ikota ohci ati-pâhpiw. ikwa osôsihk poko kâ-ati-pasisot. ahci-poko ikota anohc ka-wâpahtînaw î-wâpiskâthik osôs awa mahkîsîs. | “Well, it doesn’t matter,” he thinks. He immediately jumps up, up into the air. He jumps over the fire. He can jump high. He laughs. Only his tail got singed and today you can still see that he is white at the tip of his tail. |
Wisahkecahk and the Chickadees:
Billy Joe Laboucan’s English Telling (2011)
Wisahkecahk was the Creator’s helper who protected animals and the earth; and taught people how to treat each other with respect. Some say that he is still out there….
Once upon a time, Wisahkecahk was taking a walk on a path that led through a stand of poplar trees and willows. He noticed chickadees on the willows laughing and having such a good time.
Wisahkecahk always curious, had to see what the chickedees were doing to be so giddy, almost falling over from laughter. As he walked closer, he saw that the chickadees were throwing their little eye balls in the air, then when they would fall back into their eye sockets; they would laugh so hard. They would roar with laughter and flap their little wings happily.
Wisahkecahk fascinated, watched for a few minutes. Then he walked up and asked, “Hey little brothers and sisters! Why are you doing that? That looks like so much fun!” The chickadees didn’t answer right away, and Wisahkecahk again asked, “Why do you do that?” To which the chickadees replied, “We are throwing our eyes up like this, it’s like medicine. It cures our headaches, or whatever is making you sick.”
“Oh, my little siblings, you must show me how to do that too!” Wisahkecahk exclaimed.
“No, we can’t show you how to do this Wisahkecahk because you aren’t a chickadee. And, if you lose your eyeballs, you will go blind. We wouldn’t be able to help you.”
But Wesahkecāhk wouldn’t take no for an answer, and said, “Please, please little brothers and sisters, please show me. I can cure myself if I get sick.”
“Well, okay, we will show you Wisahkecahk, but your must promise that you won’t over do it and go blind! Because we can’t help you if that happens.” The chickadees said.
“Yes, I promise.” Wisahkecahk said.
The chickadees then showed Wisahkecahk how to take his eyeballs out, throw them up in the air; and how to make them fall back in. Wisahkecahk thanked the chickadees; and starting walking away. “Remember, don’t overdo it! Or you will go blind.” The chickadees warned him again.
Wisahkecahk walked a short distance, and said, “Oh! Oh! I have a headache. I have to cure myself.” He stopped and took his eyeballs out and tossed them in the air a short distance. Then when they fell back into his eye sockets, he felt so good that he shouted, “Yoohoo!” And he jumped around and laughed. But that good feeling stopped rather shortly.
Wisahkecahk thought, “If I throw my eyeballs higher, I will probably feel that much better and longer.” So, again, he threw his eyeballs into the air, higher. And he felt that much better and longer.
Then Wisahkecahk took out his eyeballs again, and threw them up much higher. When he did, a gust of wind caught them and blew them away. They landed in the leaves and grass under the trees.
Suddenly, Wisahkecahk realized that he was blind. He started crawling around and crying, “I lost my eyeballs. Someone help me! Help me!” Snot was running down his face.
The chickadees heard him pleading for help, but they flew away. They had told Wisahkecahk that they wouldn’t be able to help if he abused his cure and lost his eyeballs.
Wisahkecahk continued crying and crawling around as felt around for his eyeballs. Then a little squirrel heard him, and came running. “What is happening big brother? He asked.
“I lost my eyeballs here in the leaves and grass.” Wisahkecahk cried.
“Stop crying! I will help you look for your eyeballs.” The squirrel said.
So, they looked but couldn’t find Wisahkecahk eyeballs. As the squirrel was looking he came close to a spruce tree and saw spruce gum on it. He stopped and pulled some spruce gum and rolled some into a size of an eyeball. Then he made another one, and called out, “Oh, Wisahkecahk, I have your eyeballs!”
“Bring them here, bring them here!” Wisahkecahk cried excitedly.
The squirrel brought the balls of spruce gum to Wisahkecahk; and he took them and popped them into this empty eye sockets. “I can see! I can see!” He shouted happily. “It a little blurry, but I can see! Thank you little brother.”
And that is why to this very day, when you wake up in the morning, you have gummy eyes!
©Billy Joe Laboucan 2011
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