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Gluskabe and the Baby

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Gluskabe and the Baby

Long ago they say Gluskabe became very proud of the things he had done. He had done many great things. Some of them things that help the people, and as he walked around Gluskabe felt very proud of himself.

But, one day as he was walking around an old woman came to him.

" You are the great Gluskabe. Are you not?" she said.

"Yes," Gluskabe said. "I am the one no one can defeat. I am Gluskabe the great one."

"Un huh" said the old woman. " Are you sure this is so. I know of some one that can beat Gluscabe."

"Who is this person?" said Gluscabe. " Where does this person live?"

"Ahh," said the old woman. "If you go to the place of the white stone, you will find this mighty one. In the Lodge of Neego weetz. This mighty ones name is Dzee Dzees.¹"

So, Gluskabe immediately set out for that village, A place of white stone, As he came to the village the first person he saw. He said to them. " I am looking for Dzee Dzees, in the lodge of Neego weetz "

"Ahh," said the person. "That lodge, right over there, That is the lodge where you will find Dzee Dzeez."

So Gluskabe went to that lodge. A woman was sitting in front of this lodge. Gluskabe said to her "I am looking for Dzee Dzeez."

"Ahh," said the woman. " Yes, this is where he lives, and you are lucky he has just woken up from his nap. You can go inside and see him."

So Gluskabe went into that lodge. There in the lodge, sitting on a bearskin, was a little baby.

"Was this the mighty Dzee Dzeez!!! " exclaimed Gluskabe to himself. Gluskabe sat down and looked at him. The baby looked back. And then the baby began to do what babies do. He rolled over on his back and began to play with his toes.

"Ahh," said Gluskabe "This is a challenge I, can do this as well you can." And Gluskabe rolled over on his back, pulled off his moccasins and began to play with his toes also.

Now Dzee Dzeez pulled his foot to his mouth and began to suck his toes.

"Ahh," said Gluskabe, " You are a great opponent, But I can do the same thing. " And he too, with some effort managed to get his foot up to his mouth and began to suck his toes.

Now, the baby sat up and looked around for something else to do. There on the floor was a little toy that belonged to the baby. It was a small stuffed turtle made of skin. Now, the baby picked up that toy and began to play with it.

Gluskabe watched and then he looked around for a toy that he could play with. But, there were no other toys in the lodge.

"Here," said Gluskabe and he snatched that little stuffed turtle away from Dzee Dzeez. " I can play with this as well as you can " And Gluskabe began to play with that little toy turtle.

But Dzee Dzeez the baby was not happy. Dzee Dzeez began to cry. "Waaaaaaaaaaaaahuh," the baby cried, And Gluscabe said "I can cry also," and he to began to cry Waaaaaaaaaaa, Waaaaaaahuh. But the baby cried louder and louder, and louder. Waaaaaaaaaaaaa. Waaaaaaaaaaaa, Waaaaaaaahuh. So loudly did the baby cry that it hurt Gluskabe's ears.

Gluscabe was in despair. "STOP CRYING" he said. But the baby would not stop. Gluskabe covered his ears, "You have defeated me," he said. "You are more powerful!!!" But still the baby would not stop crying.

When there through the door of the lodge walked that woman he had seen. She walked over to the baby, She picked the baby up, and held the baby to her shoulder and began to pat him on his back, rocking him back and forth and as she did so she sang a little song that Indian mothers have sung for their little children for a long, long time,

Way oh way Dzee Dzees, Way oh way oh Way oh way Dzee Dzeez Way oh way ooh. So she sang Rock a bye my little baby- Rock in your cradle board on the tree branch. Rock in the cradle board and fall asleep. And Dzee Dzeez fell asleep.

And Gluskabe tip toed very quietly from the lodge. But as he did so he smiled. And to himself he said "Ahh. It is true that Dzee Dzeez defeated Gluskabe, But the mother has defeated the baby "

And that is how this story of Gluskabe goes. And you know that song may sound familiar with you because a long time ago a Wampanoag Indian sang that song to her baby and a Puritan that walked by liked it and translated it into English So that to this day children all over the world sing rock a bye baby without knowing why that baby was in the tree top.

But, now you know Aho. Way oh Dzee Dzeez way oh way oh--Way oh Dzee Dzeez way oh way oh -- Way oh Dzee Dzeez way oh way oh ( 4 more times )

Notes
¹"Dzee Dzees"= This is the Abenaki word for "baby," spelled jijiz in the modern Abenaki spelling system.

Gluskabe and the Baby

Gluskabe and the Baby

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