of the heart of the spirit or Manitou of the Waters. He feared that the rain would no longer be able to penetrate this azure blackness, and that consequently the element in which he had his pleasure andwhich yielded him existence, namely, water, would fail him, and that he, abandoned and without a dominion, would become an object of scorn and ridicule among the other tutelary spirits of the earth. The Spirit of the Waters therefore made a humble appeal to the Great Spirit, praying him to have pity on him and not permit so great a calamity to come upon him.
The plaintive words of the Spirit of the Waters went to the heart of the Great Spirit, and he was penetrated by pity and compassion. For this reason he deigned to open an attentive and benevolent ear to his discourse.
The Great Spirit therefore assured the Spirit of the Waters that his fears were unfounded, and as a proof, he commanded the Spirit of the Wind, who resides in the region of the setting sun, to blow with impetuosity. Immediately thick and sombre clouds were seen above the western horizon. They spread abroad with great rapidity, until the black azure of the firmament, which had so greatly alarmed the Spirit of the Waters, had entirely disappeared.
Then the voice of the Great Spirit was heard amid the clouds. Its sound was heavy, deep and prolonged, resembling the noise of bellowing waters falling in a multitude of cataracts, falls or cascades.
At the same instant, the Spirit of the Rain, the brother of the Spirit of the Waters and the Spirit of the Wind, broke forth and loosed himself in torrents. The waters fell and continued to fall, until the rivers and lakes had overflowed their limits and covered the surface of the earth. The birds took refuge in the highest branches of the trees, and the animals sought the summits of the loftiest mountains.
At this sight, the heart of the Spirit of the Waters became calm and tranquil once more; he ceased to dread and to doubt his lot.