Note 16 — Chapter I · MYTHS AND FOLK-LORE OF THE TIMISKAMING ALGONQUIN.

One day Wemicus said to his wife, “We are all very hungry. I might go and see one of our sons-in-law; he might have some food.” Next morning he started out. Wemicus always tried to imitate the actions of everybody he saw. When he reached the home of his son-in-law Ninicip (Black Duck) he saw that he also had a large family. Ninicip was inside of his wigwam, and when he saw Wemicus coming, he told his wife, “You had better begin to get ready for company and boil water in the stone pail.” Then he jumped up upon the cross poles in his wigwam16 and in vas lapidum sub se17 defaecavit, telling his wife to stir up the contents of the pot. Wemicus apparently saw nothing of this. Then one of the children of Ninicip took spoons and, dipping them in the pot, said, “Soup, soup, soup, rice soup.” Wemicus tasted the soup, thought it tasted good, and decided that after this he would make soup in the same manner.