ANIMAL STORIES 157

up an old tree and began knocking his head against it, trying to peek as the woodpecker girl had done. Soon his head was bruised, and torn, and bleeding. The pretty Antawaas looked on and laughed at him.

“Pray, what is he trying to do up there?” one whispered to the old grandmother.

“Oh, dear! I suppose he has seen someone else do that, and he thinks he can do it too,” answered the old grandmother, shaking her head.

“ Oh, come down!” one Antawaas called to Ableegumooch, “and give me your dish.” Ableegumooch came down and the Antawaas climbed up the tree and soon had the dish full of dainty food, which the grandmother boiled. And they all had dinner.

But Ableegumooch could never seem to learn wisdom by experience. One day, not long after his adventure in the beech tree, he happened to be in the Wigwam of his neighbour, the Bear, and he noticed how easily the bear, who was a magician, could get the meat for his dinner. The great kettle was placed over the fire, and the Bear took a sharp knife and quickly cut off a small piece from the sole of his foot, and put it into the kettle to boil. Soon the whole kettle was full of meat, and they had a great meal. Ableegumooch thought it was the best meal he had ever eaten.