Northern Stories -
Émile Maheu
The Legend of the Indian that predicts
the weather.
(In ojibwe)
In the Martel Camp of lumbermen, in Wakami Lake region, near the
Wenebegon River, a certain lumberjack sure enjoyed impressing his
co-workers with his weather predictions for the following day. This man
was a Metis, French-Ojibwe, and was originally from the Benny area. He
was known as a man of nature through and through.
- You'll enjoy a good day of rest tomorrow. It's going to wii gmewan,
pour rain all day long. Believe me!
Probably to reassure himself, he usually predicted at first in his
language.
- Don't even think of going out in the woods tomorrow. Mudjékuis the
west wind will blow zoogpo, snow so thick, neither heaven nor earth will
you be able to see!
- Tomorrow will be wii gzhaate, so hot, the Wenebegon river will heat
up, almost to a boil!
- Tonight wii ksinaa, will be so cold even the howls of the wolves will
freeze over. Kakibonka the north wind will travel through the forest.
The nails'heads will snap in the camp's wall and roof!
As strange as it may seem, his prediction were always dead on.
One day, they asked him just how he could predict the weather with such
accuracy. In fact, his forecasts were more accurate than those heard on
the battery radio!
- It's very simple, he replied. I lie down on my back in my bunk bed, I
look at the stars through the window, and according to their position in
the sky, I can predict tomorrow's weather with precision. The movement
of the stars in the sky tells me what the weather will be like.
- But the stars don't move! they said. Every night they are the same
stars, and they are always in the very same spots!
- Oh yes, the sky does move, he assured them. And the stars do move all
the time! You don't see this because you just don't notice things the
way I do.
Nevertheless, the lumberjacks were always amazed at such exactitude, and
every night they consulted their friend. Lying down on his back in his
bed, the Métis studied the stars in heaven. And again he was asked:
- What will the weather be like, tomorrow?
- It will be wii mina-giizhigad, a beautiful day with Chawondhassi the
south wind blowing mildly! It will be wii ksinaa, very cold for two
days! There will be gmewan rain pushed lightly by Wabone the east wind!
Wii zoogpo waabang . Tomorrow, it will snow cotton-tail skin flakes all
day long, etc. And, always our friend the Ojibway was right on.
One day, the guys in the camp decided to play a trick on their friend,
the Métis weatherman, as they called him for fun. During the day, while
he was out in the woods cutting down trees, they sawed off two inches
from the wooden legs of the weather prophet's bunk bed.
- Now we will see if he can predict the next day's weather with the same
accuracy, they laughed.
That evening, after a good supper in the cook-room, after having said
the Rosary, and after having listened to their favourite evening radio
program Les Belles histoires des Pays d'En-Haut, our friend stretched
out on his bed and started to study the stars.
They watched him carefully, all the time guiltily winking at each other.
All of a sudden, the Métis began to frown, lifted his head from the
pillow, returned to his original position, sat on his bunk and started
gibbering in his language, saying:
- For the love of the Great Iskaddouh! For the love of the great spirit
of the winds!
- What's the matter? What kind of weather will we have tomorrow?
- I don't understand it! There is a change in heaven. By the Great
Guitché-Manitou, let me try again, to see what's up!
The Métis laid down on his back again, looked out the window, got up,
sat down once more on the bedside, looked the lumbermen in the eyes and
with a solemn voice, declared:
- You won't believe it, you guys, but since last night the sky has risen
by two inches!
END
Folk's tale from my childhood years.
All right reserved for this written version, 1999 © Copyright A-Émile
Maheu D.H.
Translated from French by Mrs Marie Wiss
N.B.: Abénaki vocabulary inspired from Eugène Achard
Ojibwe vocabulary from Kidwenan Isadore Toulouse Bebamikawe
